NZPhotographer Issue 23, September 2019

ARTISTIC JUDGMENT
What element of art is used to drive the message
in the picture? There are basically 7 elements: line,
shape, form, colour, space, texture and value. To stick
to the objective of this article, I will not go too deep
discussing these elements since art is so subjective but
we can discuss a little.
Each of the elements is unique in its own way and is
used to drive different kinds of messages. The more
of these elements you are able to incorporate, the
better your photo will be. However, not every good
picture has all of these elements in it, sometimes you
just need one dominant element.
LINES
The use of lines (leading lines) is important when you
take a picture with your subject in the far distance. An
example of using lines is a trail or road leading towards
your subject. You could take the picture from where you
are standing tracing the line until its end point to help
the viewer follow the line towards the main subject whilst
helping them see everything around that same subject.
SHAPES
Shapes work well with a two-dimensional and/or
enclosed area. If the picture you are taking is more shape
oriented you might want to incorporate a number of
shapes into the picture to portray the message well. Or
you may even introduce shapes into the picture just to
make your work more artistic. For example, in the picture
on the previous page, the model was asked to pose
in a certain way that expresses various shapes just to
incorporate that element in the work.
FORM
This has to do with the shape of a particular object
along its volume or perceived volume. It’s about
creating an image from a perspective where you can
give the viewer a sense of size. For instance, a picture
of a building taken from the front allows people to
see the rectangular shape but it can also be taken
from a 45% side angle to give a 3D overview with the
viewer able to see the front and side to get a sense of
volume to show it isn’t just a flat building.
COLOUR
Another popular element is the use of striking colours
to drive home your message. However, in instances
where the scene is overflowing with many colours,
such as at a carnival, you have to concentrate on
a particular colour scheme to get the right result.
For example, at a carnival, you can effectively use
complementary colours from a scheme to single out
your focus.
SPACE
This deals with how you are able to incorporate
space so that the elements are not choked up. More
often than not, a picture may not incorporate this
element as it depends on the subject and the scene
being shot. For instance, thinking of a carnival, space
might not be that evident owing to the nature of
the activities. However, the more you are able to
incorporate space, the better your picture looks,
especially when you need to single out a particular
activity in the midst of all that is going on.
TEXTURE
This helps in creating a perception of how something
feels or looks. For instance, a picture of a table with a
rough surface and one with a smooth surface will give
you different feelings. One might give the sense of
luxury and the other of durability.
VALUE
This is the degree of lightness or darkness in a
particular image. It deals with the relationship
between highlights and shadows. Value helps to
express a form or create an illusion of it in a picture.
For example, if you take a photo of a white ball
against a white background; if the picture is overly
exposed, we may not be able to differentiate the ball
and the background but if the photo is moderately
exposed, there will be some level of shadow
(darkness) in the picture which will help to differentiate
between the ball and the background.
NARRATIVE JUDGMENT
After considering all the points above so that you are
able to interpret your photo well yourself, you need to
consider if the layman (the person viewing your work)
will be able to recognise and see the same things.
This determines how much post production work is
necessary.
Consider how much post production work the
photo needs. Ask yourself if the exposure should
be increased or reduced? Are there distractions to
remove? Does it need to cropping?
It is important to note that post production is usually
one of the last things to consider and saying “I will
fix things in Photoshop” is the statement of a poor
photographer. Know that you are a photographer
before you are an editor and post production is used
to enhance a photo, not recreate it.
CONCLUSION
After you have considered all of these points
individually you can put your picture out into the
world for others to critique and give feedback on.
Remember that no one can narrate your work as best
as you can and you need to gain the confidence
and ability to defend your work regardless of people’s
opinion. Their feedback should only strive to make you
a better photographer because at the end of it the
day, everything is art.