IPhone Photo Techniques: Mastering Leading Lines

How to Use Leading Lines in Photography for iPhone Photos

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The image composition of your photography can be improved in a number of ways. A special composition technique where the attention of your photos is drawn to the lines leading to the image’s prime subject is referred to as the leading lines. It is one of the best ways to improve the composition of your photography for better iPhone photos.

It paves a simple path for your eyes to trail through the varied features of the photos in your iPhone. Usually, the leading lines in photography resume below the frame, guiding the eyes inwards and upwards. So, the line composition trail starts from the image foreground to its background, leading to the key subject. The leading lines when placed well and paired aptly with its subject according to the third’s rule, can produce truly vibrant and expert quality photographs in iPhone.

Types of Leading Lines

The leading lines can be of 4 different kinds- vertical, straight, diagonal, and curved. The idea of the leading lines iPhone photo is to search a line that enters on the verge of the photo, leading the eyes to another point in the photo.

At the bottom, starts the horizontal lines that draw your eyes to the uppermost part of the photo.

From the corner of the photo begins the diagonal lines, leading the eyes to the mid point on the focus.

The curved line composition is the mysterious ones that spring a sense of discovery and exploration to a iPhone photograph. Until the eyes meet the subject, it keeps tracing naturally over the curves.

The long and lazy curves bring a calming effect on the viewers and the constricted s-curves causes a sense of danger and speed.

How to Use Leading Lines in Photography

Once you have recognized the strongest leading lines, you may consider how to use them to boost the composition of your iPhone photography. According to your purpose or plan, you may-

Create an angle and depth by placing a solid leading line from the focal point to the background;

Make an illustrative visual journey from one point to the another of the photo;

Place the subject at the convergent of the leading lines in the photo to offer more significance to the subject in the frame and attract the attention of the viewer’s.

Create a cyclic or a repeated composition, with the lines leading the eye in a circular motion.

A variety of lenses might be used to change your perspective while arranging the frame elements. But, it might be achieved by simply moving yourself according to your purpose. The primary compositional components, leading lines help to carry your eyes through the iPhone photograph.

Leading Lines Usage Scenarios

It becomes difficult to add depth to a photograph, especially in a landscape photography. The sense of distance goes missing in landscape photography as often a landscape appears flat in a photograph. The leading lines are one of the best ways to add depth to a photograph at different scenarios.

Foreground Usage Scenario- When the leading lines start from the front of the image, the foreground interest is created. The leading lines add depth to the image and before the eyes travel to any other object, the viewers get something to focus on in the foreground at the distance, like the cloud, plants, etc.

Parallel Lines- The leading lines create a sense of distance due to the perception created. When the line leads to distance, it creates a sense of depth. For instance, when you capture river and road that is in the landscape, you will find that the parallel lines will gradually meet and disappear in you iPhone photo.

Subdued Leading Lines- Every iPhone photography does not require to focus just on your face. The example of the scattered rocks, leading to the beach house is a subdued one and yet leads to the subject for the viewer’s eyes. The rocks in the center are used to frame and accentuate the rocks leading to the house.

Multiple Leading lines- When you photograph rows of a streetlight and the leading lines in the cement, the viewer’s eyes are led to two figures of the ghost walking at a distance.

Conclusion

The leading lines are the prime factors leading to a composition in a photograph for better iPhone photos. It has the key elements to carry our eyes through the snapshot. The leading lines can be used to emphasize a place, tell a story or to draw a link between two objects. So, take note of while composing or spending time observing carefully before pressing the camera shutter.

Images come from the Internet

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison