The basic outline of an object – whether the gnarled limbs of a
silhouetted tree or the gentle curve of a leaf – usually has the greatest
initial impact on a viewer. We recognise the familiar forms in a picture
before we pause to appreciate the more subtle qualities, such as
texture or patterns. The good photographer would understand this
and develops an instinctive eye for the juxtaposition of unusual or
striking shapes.

A useful technique that I’ve used in the past for dramatising the shape
of an object is to isolate your subject, moving closer to crop it tightly,
thus eliminating extraneous details. A change in camera angle can
have the same effect. In either case, the result will often be a
photograph that is striking in its simplicity. Keeping alert to likely
sources for such shapes – in nature, urban settings, and still life – will
help you perceive new opportunities for interesting photos.

In more complex compositions, shapes are basic building blocks.
They can echo each other’s form or be played against one another to
create balance, patterns, or tension. Shapes can bring a touch of
surprise or mystery to an image, as when a subject is portrayed from
an unexpected angle or only a tantalising segment of an unknown
object is revealed.

Sometimes shapes will be obvious, as in the picture of the tree, but
others will be hidden within a larger framework, as are the windows in
the building image. Capturing the unconventional or unexpected
image is often a photographer’s dream.