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Level 2

Use leading lines to improve your photo composition

Caption: Two side-by-side photos of trees, bushes, and other plants located at the edge of a pond at the Portland Japanese Garden in Portland, Oregon, USA. One photographed without a visual leading line (left) and one photographed including a visual leading line, consisting of a pathway over a pond (right). (Local Guide Christina-NYC)Caption: Two side-by-side photos of trees, bushes, and other plants located at the edge of a pond at the Portland Japanese Garden in Portland, Oregon, USA. One photographed without a visual leading line (left) and one photographed including a visual leading line, consisting of a pathway over a pond (right). (Local Guide Christina-NYC)A great way to add interest to your photos is to utilize the lines that you see in the scene around you. Leading lines can be powerful compositional tools that can dramatically improve the strength of your photos. They add depth and help to lead a viewer’s eyes into the image.

 

Luckily, leading lines can be located just about anywhere in everyday scenes. You can find them in anything that has a well-formed edge—such as a river, mountain range, bridge, road, pathway, or even the side of a building.

 

See the difference using leading lines can make in the photos below.

 

Without using a leading line

 

Caption: A photo of trees, bushes, and plants next to a pond in the Portland Japanese Garden, taken in Portland, Oregon, USA. (Christina-NYC)Caption: A photo of trees, bushes, and plants next to a pond in the Portland Japanese Garden, taken in Portland, Oregon, USA. (Christina-NYC)The texture and vivid green color of these plants next to a pond at the Portland Japanese Garden are beautiful. However, this photo suffers because it doesn’t have a strong focal point. All of the greenery makes it hard to understand what the image is about. It doesn’t tell a story and isn’t very exciting to look at.

 

Using a leading line

 

Caption: A photo of trees, bushes, and plants next to a wooden walkway extending from the foreground to the middle of the scene at the Portland, Oregon, USA.  (Christina-NYC)Caption: A photo of trees, bushes, and plants next to a wooden walkway extending from the foreground to the middle of the scene at the Portland, Oregon, USA. (Christina-NYC)Here, I included the wooden walkway in the photo. This adds dimension by creating a leading line that guides your eyes from the foreground into the middle of the image. It invites you into the scene. You can imagine crossing the walkway to experience all the beautiful greenery at this place. The leading line also adds contrast to the image—the light color of the wood helps the greenery stand out and the image is no longer a blob full of green leaves.

 

How has using a leading line in a scene improved the quality of your photography? Show us the great photos that you’ve shared on Google Maps below.

47 comments
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Use leading lines to improve your photo composition

Hi, @Christina-NYC

@ This looks very nice idea for grabbing attention of the viewers and photos will get better thanks for sharing this tip

Level 9

Re: Use leading lines to improve your photo composition

Thank you @Christina-NYC for usefull tips how to use leading line .

Unfortunately I often forget about this inportant tools. 

I get a big expierence reading your interesting post with useful advise.

Level 8

Re: Use leading lines to improve your photo composition

Hi, @Christina-NYC,

 

thank you so much for the valuable tipps and inspiration!

I will try that out for my next photos!

I like it, to learn every day!

 

Greetings from Marburg in Germany!

 

Level 9

Re: Use leading lines to improve your photo composition

Thank you @Christina-NYC for this significant tips about photography. I am already implementing this tips, which i found very helpful and improved my photographs quality.

Level 9

Re: Use leading lines to improve your photo composition

Level 10

Re: Use leading lines to improve your photo composition

 Hi @Christina-NYC

Thank you for those tips 

Nkwetche from #Douala #LetsGuide #Wakawaka #Cameroun
https://www.instagram.com/nkwetche/?hl=fr
Level 8

Re: Use leading lines to improve your photo composition

@Christina-NYC ¡Hola!, increíble publicación, gracias por compartir este útil consejo con todos nosotros.

Seguir el concepto de las lineas y de puntos de fuga, me ayudo a obtener esta fotografía y muchísimas otrasCentral Park, New YorkCentral Park, New York

 

 

Level 10

Re: Use leading lines to improve your photo composition

San Francisco Pier 39San Francisco Pier 39

 

Nkwetche from #Douala #LetsGuide #Wakawaka #Cameroun
https://www.instagram.com/nkwetche/?hl=fr
Level 9

Re: Use leading lines to improve your photo composition

Hello @Christina-NYC

Thank you for sharing your very helpful tips.

Water Fountain, Sunder NurseryWater Fountain, Sunder Nursery