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Triangles can evoke several different meanings, depending on the shape’s positioning.
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They also evoke trust and a sense of being solid, calculated, and balanced-indicated by their symmetrical angles and straight lines. Squares and rectangles convey a sense of strength and stability. Circles evoke a sense of optimism that ties in with concepts of protection and harmony, and are often used to symbolize love, unity, and community. They provide a sense of movement and continuity, directing the viewer’s eye around the image. They’re made up of defined lines, and each shape creates a different atmosphere in an image.Ĭircles, for example, never end. The most obvious shapes that come to mind are geometric-circles, triangles, squares, and so on. How Shape and Form Can Affect How We Feel Geometric Shapes & Forms So, while a building can have a rectangular appearance head-on, a different perspective will reveal angles and edges, light and shadow, to provide an element of depth.įorms, therefore, add a three-dimensional element to what would have been a flat, two-dimensional photo, drawing the viewer’s eye further into the depth of the shot. Image via cpaulfell.įorm, on the other hand, refers to the three-dimensional appearance of shape. Shape photography is the two-dimensional appearance of objects as your camera captures them. Note that all of these shapes are two-dimensional-they don’t exhibit depth.
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A building, for example, is a rectangular shape, and the sun and moon are circular. Shape in photography is just what it sounds like-a two-dimensional subject or object captured from behind the lens. Shape and form are terms that are often used interchangeably, but are distinctly different. The first step to grasping how shape and form can elevate your photography is to understand how each of these compositional elements are distinctly different. Understanding how these two compositional elements evoke different feelings and effects is an essential tool for photographers to produce the most visually compelling images. Shape and form are among the core building blocks of photography, and can completely transform the way a photo looks and how it’s perceived.
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Here, a primer on their differences-and how to apply them. Shape and form are often conflated, but they don’t mean the same thing.
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