Lines: The Underrated Trick to Mesmerizing Photos

Learn about the first Element of Design- lines. I’m going to cover what the six types of lines are, and how they impact viewer psychology.

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The Importance of Lines in Photography

In this tutorial, I'm going to go over the first Element of Design, which is lines.

Lines are the foundation for every known object in the universe, and they’re important because they make up everything a viewer looks at. They’re also incredible for orienting a viewer within a photo by creating a pathway for the eye to follow.

Take a look around. Once you start noticing how prevalent lines are in the world, you’ll begin to understand the power they have in constructing an image. 

Notice how the stream up front leads the viewer’s eyes to the horizon. This image was taken at the Tree of Life in Washington.

The Six Types of Lines

Let’s start by going over the six different types of lines. Each of them plays a different role in how a viewer sees an image.

1. Horizontal Lines

The most basic line you can look for is a horizontal line. This is essentially a line that follows a horizontal pathway across the frame.

Horizontal lines are generally used to provide a sense of stability to a scene. One of the most important (and basic) rules of photography is to make sure your shot is perfectly level. This is because when people are walking around in real life, they’re not walking with their head tilted- they’re seeing things straight. 

An image featuring strong horizontal lines. This image was taken at Clear Creek Reservoir in Colorado.

Having a level horizon helps build the illusion that the viewer is looking at something real. The moment they see a photo where the horizon is slightly off, it takes them out of this illusion, and they are confronted with the reality that the scene in front of them was taken on a camera. We want to avoid this.

Check out this shot right here, which was taken on a beach in Oregon. You have a massive rock structure in the back, but the only reason it stands upright is because it's supported by a horizontal line:

This photo, featuring a strong horizontal line, was taken at Cannon Beach in Oregon.

Having that line straight across the frame conveys the stability and power of the rock, while providing a general orientation to the viewer. If I had tilted the shot, say at a 45-degree angle, it would be confusing to the viewer. We want to connect the viewer with reality.

Another important thing about horizontal lines is they help determine the length of a scene. A viewer should be able to look from left to right to get a general sense of scale.

However, it goes without saying that this rule, among all others in this tutorial, can be broken. It’s not set in stone. Tilting an image might be done on purpose, perhaps to intentionally convey a sense of confusion to the viewer. But that’s for later on- first, we need to learn the rules before we break them.

2. Vertical Lines

The second type of line to look for in your compositions is the vertical line. Vertical lines are usually associated with power, masculinity, and again, stability.

You’ll generally see vertical lines in trees, sticks, architecture, or even in people (they stand upright!) There's a certain kind of power to them that adds a strong dynamic to the shot.

One of the most important aspects of vertical lines is that they also help determine the height of a scene. They give the viewer clues to how tall or grand something is.

For example, check out this shot I took in the redwoods in California:

This photo, featuring strong vertical lines, was taken at Tall Trees Grove in California.

These massive trees tower in the frame, and you can see small ole’ me standing down in the bottom. These strong vertical lines help reinforce the power and size of the trees. They also emphasize just how small I am in comparison, which adds a sense of drama and scale for the viewer.

3. Diagonal Lines

The third type of line to look for is the diagonal line. Diagonal lines are generally used to add a sense of depth to an image.

For example, take a look at this shot right here, which was taken in a cemetery:

This photo, featuring strong diagonal lines, was taken at Museo Panteón de Belén in Mexico.

The diagonal nature of the line in this shot helps pull you into the scene. The most important function of diagonal lines is to convey a sense of energy and movement. They make you want to step forward into the image.

Diagonals can also introduce confusion or visual tension. If horizontal and vertical lines are associated with stability and strength, diagonal lines disrupt that- they throw the viewer’s eye into a different direction. They can create a sense of unease, chaos, or conflict, which can be a strong feeling to evoke.

This photo, taken at Zona Arqueológica Palenque in Mexico, creates feelings of confusion and anxiety- especially when paired with the dark red coloring.

4. Parallel Lines

The fourth type of line to look for is parallel lines. These are used primarily to add emphasis to a certain direction or element in the frame.

For example, if you already have a strong vertical line and you want to emphasize it even more, look for more vertical lines running parallel to it.

Take a look at this photo right here:

This photo, featuring parallel lines, was taken on the Wahkeena Loop trail in Oregon.

You can see all these vertical lines in the scene that create almost a zebra-stripe effect. It looks visually interesting and reinforces just how many trees are in this one spot. It also leads the viewer’s eye toward me, standing small in the corner.

At the end of the day, parallel lines add emphasis. If you want to make your diagonal lines even more chaotic, for example, you could add more diagonals running parallel to push that effect even further.

5. Perpendicular Lines

Next up are perpendicular lines. These are where different types of lines meet, like a horizontal intersecting a vertical line for example. They’re often used to display conflict in an image.

The example I want to use here is this shot of shadows, taken at Alcatraz, the prison off the coast of San Francisco:

This photo, featuring perpendicular lines, was taken at Alcatraz Island in California.

All the windows are barred because they don’t want the prisoners to escape. The reason the prisoners are there in the first place is because of some kind of conflict. 

By showing the horizontal and vertical lines meeting at sharp angles, I’m visually representing the idea of freedom and confinement, the individual versus authority.

When you use perpendicular lines, you can easily drive home the theme of tension or opposition.

6. Curves

The final type of line I want to point out is curves. If vertical lines represent masculinity and strength, curves are the complete opposite.

Curves are generally associated with the feminine form, and they convey feelings of relaxation, softness, and playfulness. For example, if you're walking along a pathway and it begins to gently curve, you might associate that feeling as playful or calming.

For example, here’s an image I shot in North Dakota:

This photo, featuring a curvy line, was taken at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.

The pathway to the building has a beautiful curve that moves back and forth across the image. It adds a feeling of relaxation and serenity to the view.

Look for curves in your compositions when you want to express a feminine, playful, or leisurely moods.

Final Thoughts

By using lines in our photography, we can connect the viewer with a variety of emotions, and drive them through our images. Look for these six types of lines in the world, and figure out how to incorporate them into your shots.

Remember, each of these Elements of Design are small pieces of the composition puzzle. As we navigate through each element, we’re adding new tools to our belt. 

Let’s go ahead and hop into the next tutorial, which covers the second Element of Design, Shapes.