#FormalElements Object

[mike-farinelli-photoblog]

“Hello Darkness, My Old Friend,” By Michael Farinelli

ISO 1250, f13 @ 1/40

There are a few formal elements I emphasized when I took this photo. One of the was texture. The umbrella is covered in rain droplets, letting you know it is wet. You can also see small puddles on the ground and can tell it is also wet and muddy. Another element I emphasized was lines. The trees guide your eyes straight down the pathway. I also focused on space. The black umbrella hovers in the foreground while the middle and background is filled with the grassy pathway and the trees leading your eyes into a blurry abyss, creating a feeling of sorrow and making you feel like you’re at a funeral. 

[shannon-moran-photoblog]

“Stuck Inside,” February 2022, by Shannon Moran

ISO 200, F5.6 @ 1/250

Formal elements are visual features that, when they are applied in composition, have the potential to transform simple subjects or objects into extraordinary shots.  These include line, shape & form, pattern, tone/value, color, texture, and space.  Two of the most visible and obvious formal elements in the above picture “Stuck Inside,” are color and texture.  For instance,  the glowing orange color of the can ties into the rustic orange color of the spiky burrs as well as laying around and inside of the silver can.  The warm burn like orange inside of the can is almost magical. In addition, the deep brown colors of the dirt and the light gray colors of the sticks blend well in the composition of the shot.  Furthermore, the texture of the shot is very prominent. For example, the spikiness of the burrs stands out against the grimey brush. As well as the leaves crunching under your feet when you walk past the shiny rimmed silver can.  In the divots of the can are specks of dirt feeling like powder if you were to pick it up.  And the sticks almost jut out of the photo as if you could touch the bumpy bark through the image.