The Russian painter, Wassily Kandinsky once said, “Everything starts from a dot.” Paul Klee the Swiss painter stated, “A line is a dot that went for a walk.” No matter who you are to go for a walk, you must first choose a direction. Thus the line is; and always will be, the master of direction. It can lead the viewer deeper into the work; or it can say, “Let’s take a walk,” and take you in a whole different direction.

Lines can be as deceptively simple as an old country road or as visually subtle as a row of trees flowing over the top of the very next hill. They are mysterious in their own right. They can be solid, or simply implied. They are your supporting cast. Given the chance, they will make any photo seem much stronger.

The first photo tip about lines is to make sure they support the direction you are shooting in. If you are taking vertical shots, you should be looking for vertical lines that support that choice. Sure you can mix camera direction and line direction, just like you can wear stripes and polka dots. It can be done; it’s just generally not very visually appealing.

The second photo tip about lines is: different lines have different emotional appeal. Vertical lines project strength. Horizontal lines represent peace. Slightly curved lines are considered sexy, but sharply curved are considered forceful. A diagonal line will always lead your eye somewhere. Jagged lines suggest energy or conflict.

Most of the time lines are not the main subject, even though your photo may contain some. Your job as the photographer is not only to control the obvious lines (like a hair across a pretty face), but to be aware of unseen lines that can distract (like the classic telephone line growing out of someone’s ears.)

The angle you shoot at often determines if the lines in your photo are friend or foe. If you start looking at your subject as basic geometric shapes; like lines, circles and diamonds it will become a lot more obvious what is supporting and what is not. Take for example that photo of the young couple in love. Many times you find the young man wants to put his hand around the young ladies waist. What’s wrong with that you ask? That depends. If his hand stops where the camera can not see it; then it’s fine. But if his hand comes closer to the front you now have five little lines pointing where? Those lines usually point directly at the young ladies waist. In most cases this is NOT where she wants you to look.

If you have a young couple walking down the middle of an old railroad track this is an excellent use of lines. Why? Because diagonal lines are going to lead your eyes somewhere, so why not have them lead your eyes directly to the subject?

The third photo tip about lines is to use them to your advantage. Strong lines can make an average shot great. On the other hand, not being aware of lines can make even a great shot visually distracting. Being aware of lines and using them to your advantage can be difference between being an average photographer and being a great photographer. Remember, the subject is only part of the picture. Choosing the right line can be just as important.

You might also like:

• Beginning Photo Tips: Find Your Focus

• Photo Tips for Better Portraits: Part One

• Better Photo Tips: Lines In Your Photos