Discussion

The formal elements are Line, shape, form, movement, tone, Colour, Pattern, Depth, texture and reflection. The formal elements are the basics in what is needed to create a photograph and these can be arranged in ways in order to create different and better photographs. The formal elements can be used to show things that are not shown to the human eye for example movement is shown in photography by  blurring which you wouldn't see normally.
I will create image banks and work diaries in order to track my progress in photography and see improvements over time.

Lines are shown in most photography as most things are made up of strait, curved and wavy etc. but some photographers choose to take pictures emphasising the lines in the photo. Railway tracks and buildings have quite obvious lines within them creating quite intricate and detailed photos.
Shapes are shown in many different things such windows, signs, shadows, drains etc.
Form is found in shadows which show the three dimensional shape of an object.
Movement is shown in the blurring in a picture. Cars and amusement park rides often show blurring and movement when photographed due to there lights and movement.
Tone is the dark and light shades in a photo often in black and white photos. Tone is often shown in photos of plants, and things with contrasting colours.
Colour is found everywhere but photos showing colour are commonly of flowers, plants and brightly coloured objects making colour a main focus point of a picture.
Pattern is often found in birds feathers, animal patterns and landscape's.
Depth is found in the height of buildings, lengths of roads and rows of objects.
Light is a key when photographing texture, when the light shines on a textured object in a certain way all of the varied textures show up. Tree bark, bricks and paths often show different textures.
Reflections are shown in windows, mirrors and most things that are made of glass.

Formal elements help to break down everyday life in order to create effective photographs.

Research Log

Research log from TinaHartnell

The Formal Elements

Line

Colour

Pattern

Depth

Texture

Reflection

Form

Tone

Shape

Movement

Words to describe the world...

Simple	Rough
Intricate	Complex
Smooth	Dull
Bumpy	Confusing
Antique	Rustic
Old	Bright
Colourful	Full
Busy	Giant
Big	Huge
Natural	Man made
Textural	Soft
Smooth	Strait
Round	Ancient
Large	Synthetic
Changing	Shadows
Detailed	Long
Tall	Spacious
Lines	Open
Shapes	Patterned
Wide	Delicate

Mind Map

Image bank: Form

 The shadow cast in this photo is showing the flower and glasses physical form as the light has shone around it creating the shadow.

The shadow in this photograph is showing the shape and form of the hand as the light is shone around it.

 The sun is shining from the front of the people casting a shadow behind them showing there physical form.

 The sun is shining from the side of these people creating a long, tall shadow of these people showing a distorted version of there physical form.

 The sun is shining on top of the umbrellas creating a circular shadow underneath them showing there for covering the sand.

The sun is shining through the window casting the shadow of the little boy on the floor showing his physical form and shape.

Definition: Form

Dictionary definition

The visible shape of configuration of something.

a particular way in which a thing exists or appears.

Describing words

• Shape
• 3D
• Shadows 

 The trees in this photograph have a physical form shown by the way that the sun shines on them and casts a shadow.

 The shadow of this horse shows the form of the horse as it has to have a physical form in order to cast a shadow.

 The shadow in this photograph shows that the building has a physical form as it has cast a shadow.

The light casting the shadows through the windows of the building show that it has a physical form and structure a there is a shadow because the light cannot shine through the form of the building.

My definition

Form is the shape and appearance of an object which creates a shadow.

Image bank: Texture

The tree bark in this photograph shows a rough texture in all of the deep cracks and holes in the tree. The photo shows the old age of the trees.










The photograph shows the texture in the leaf. It very focused showing all of the complex lines in the leaf.

The crocodiles scales show texture through all of the cracks and shapes in the skin. This photograph makes the creature seem old and jurassic.









The texture of the rope is shown by the different levels that they take and making an uneven texture. This photo also makes a pattern as the rope weaves in and out of each other.









The uneven surface shown in this photo shows the texture. The bumps and lumps show how the texture would not be smooth.

 The uneven surface with holes and crevasses shows the texture to be rough and course. The photograph also shows the ageing of the wood through the knots and colouring.

Autumn Colours

Definition: Texture

Dictionary definition
The feel, appearance, or consistency of a surface or a substance.

Give (a surface) a rough or raised texture.

Describing words

• feel
• rough 
• smooth
• lumpy
• bumpy

 A rough texture is shown in this picture through all of the shadows and dark tones showing crevasses and bumps in the photo.

 A bumpy, uneven surface is shown in the photograph.

A very smooth texture is shown in this picture because there is no shapes or bumps shown.

Texture is shown in this picture because of all of the holes and shapes.















My definition
Texture is the feeling and appearance of an object. 

Image bank: Reflection

 Reflection is shown in this image in the river accentuating the large area of land. The woods and mountains are reflected perfectly and are almost as clear as the non reflection.

 The reflection of the bird in the water is distorted showing the movement and life within the bird.

This photograph is very effective because the still water would contrasts with the busy life taking place in the buildings and city that is shown. The water makes the refection very beautiful because the buildings remain in quite good focus but the lights are slightly distorted.

 The reflection of the balloons in the water makes this a very effective picture. Seeing the balloons twice emphasises the beauty and brightness of them. Its almost as if there is another life within the water.

The reflection of the horses in the water shows there majesticness as you can see the broad, confident stature. The reflection makes it difficult to define where the sky ends and the ground starts.

The reflection of the trees in this photo creates a parallel universe in the water and if you were to rotate the photo it would not be clear which is the correct way up creating an illusion.

Definition: Reflection

Dictionary description
The throwing back by a body or surface of light, heat, or sound without absorbing it.
An amount of light, heat, or sound that is thrown back in such a way.

Describing words

• mirror 
• glass
• image
• Distorted 

In this image the glass is reflecting the surrounding's  making is seem as if it is in the glass. The glass in central in the photograph making it the main focus point ing the picture.

 This photograph shows the reflection of the bird taking flight in the water. The line between the ground and the sky is not very obvious but theres is a very effective photo.

 The reflection in this picture shows the full body of the girl which is cut of the top of the picture. This picture has an element of horror as the girls facial features are not clear and she is walking along train tracks which is a very dangerous thing to do.

The reflection on the water emphasises the hight and area of the mountain and makes a very pretty picture.

My definition

The image or object shown back to you. 

Image Bank: Tone

This photo shows the boat through tone as the boat is the darkest tone in the photograph. The boat is also reflected onto the water in a darker tone.

The clouds in this photograph show a lot of dark and light tones showing the weather. The dark tones show the bad weather and make the picture quite dull

The tone in this photograph shows the bad weather and mist in the photograph.

The dark tones in this photograph show the weather to be bad but the light tones in the sky suggest the sun is trying to shine through. The darker tones outline the pier in the photo.

The sea and sky is a very dark tone suggesting bad weather and negativity. The cliffs are a lighter tone so that they can be seen in the photograph.

The background of this image is quite a dark tone so that the hands stand out against it.

Image Bank: Shape

The shape of the circles is repeated all over the table making this the central focus point of the photograph. The salt and pepper pots are of centre and the strong unmissable shapes take the focus away from them.

In this photograph the circle shape and the heart are very prominent and are directly in the centre of the photo. The heart is filled with pink making it even more eye catching and obvious.

The spiral stair case creates a perfect circular shape as it spirals upwards. The banister of the stairs makes the shape more interesting and eye catching.

The necks of these swans creates a discrete heart shape between them just off centre of the photo. The discreteness of the shape makes this photo effective and different to the others as the shapes are very obvious.

The shape of the heart in this photograph is very obvious and it seems likely that it is edited and not a natural occurrence. The heart is central and the bright blue sky is framed by the clouds and this creates a very happy, positive photograph.

The circles in this photograph stand out on the photo and the dark colours and fact it appears to be raining makes this a very negative photo. The different size circles in the photo create quite an interesting effect.