Use ‘Leading Lines’ to create more dramatic images

Any time there is a strong line in a photograph, the viewers eye will naturally follow along it towards the actual subject. This could be type of line, such as a telephone pole, the side of a building, a road or path, or even a dark shadow.

Leading lines can add drama to images, giving the photos a more emotional and compositional power, plus they're powerful because they control the eye movement of the viewer.

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Quite often you can find one strong element by just making a small adjustment to your position, such as getting close to the pointing on this brickwork for a more creative portrait. by the way, the closer you get to the leading line, the more dramatic it becomes.
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Leading Lines Video

Watch the video about Leading Lines

It only lasts a few minutes, and shows how you can sometimes dramatically improve an image just by a small change in camera angle
Leading Lines Video
Leading lines can be used in a subtler way, to emphasise perspective, for example. The converging lines of a road or track in a landscape shot can be used to emphasise distance and scale, or as in this case, the converging lines of a hotel corridor.
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Sometimes when taking say photographs of a famous location or building, you'll want to get the safe shot that you know will be fine to show the folks back home.
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But once that's done, take some time and think about the possibility of taking a more creative photo that you'll be happier with, look around for different angles to include leading lines.
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Watch out for these lines when watching dramas or films on TV or at the cinema, it’s used all the time to give more impact to a scene.

Don't underestimate the impact that leading lines can have on your photo compositions. It’s a very easy technique to master and requires no special camera settings, so go out and practise it, and keep it in mind at all times when you frame your photos.

Find out more about 'Leading Lines' at pixpa