Movement/Rhythm

Definition

Movement adds excitement to your work by showing action and directing the viewers eye throughout the picture plane.

Rhythm is a type of movement in drawing and painting. It is seen in repeating of shapes and colors. Alternating lights and darks also give a sense of rhythm.

Anne Noble

Ken Schles

Sally Mann

Gary Winogrand

Andre Kertesz

Shape/Form

Definition

A contained area.
Can be GEOMETRIC (man-made) ex. Square, triangle, circle, etc.
Can be ORGANIC (natural) ex. Leaves, humans, puddles, etc.
Shapes are 2-Dimensional and flat. (circle)
Forms are 3-Dimensional with height, width and depth. (sphere)
Used to create a sense of space and substance.

Minor White

Jacques-Henri Lartigue

Edward Weston

Imogen Cunningham

Space/Depth

Definition

The area used or unused in a composition.
Positive space – the area the objects/subject takes up.
Negative space – the area around, under, through and between.
Gives the photo a 3-dimensional feeling. (Depth)
Foreground (closest), Middle ground, and Background (farthest).
Can be open, crowded, near, far, etc.

Nicolas Nixon

Alfred Stieglitz

Nicolas Nixon

Gary Winogrand

Contrast

Definition

Refers to the opposites and differences in the work. You can achieve variety by using different shapes, textures, colors and values in your work.

Robert Doisneau

Annie Leibowitz

Dorothea Lange

Artist Unknown

Balance

Definition

A sense of stability in the body of work.

Balance can be created by repeating same shapes and by creating a feeling of equal weight.

Andre Kertesz

William Eggleston

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Tina Modotti

Texture

Definition

Refers to the surface quality or "feel" of an object, such as roughness, smoothness, or softness. Actual texture can be felt while simulated textures are implied by the way the artist renders areas of the picture.

Hans Hansen

Martha Rosler

Josef Sudek

Hans Hansen

Hans Hansen

Unity

Definition
Seen in a photograph, drawing or painting when all the parts or elements of the image equal a whole. Your work should not appear disjointed or confusing.

Diane Arbus

Sally Mann

Henri Cartier Bresson

Gary Winogrand