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Lines are avenues for the eyes. They show direction and distance;
they describe the edges of shapes and define boundaries. They can
also convey the impression of action or force. Lines are fundamental
in photography because they can lead the viewers eye into the centre
of interest in the photograph.

Photographers often use lines to create a sense of depth in an
otherwise flat, two-dimensional surface. This impression of depth is
strongest when parallel lines recede toward the point of the horizon.
These lines do more than create a sense of perspective. They lure the
viewer toward the faraway point, and generally an object that appears
at or near that juncture will be perceived as important.

 

Sometimes, however, a variety of lines within an image will create interesting designs and optical patterns. In the photograph of the Harlem
subway in New York, the image succeeds not so much because it
directs the eyes towards the distance, but because, unexpectedly, it
does not. The startling intersection of lines and angles – vertical,
horizontal, diagonal – contained in the lines of the tracks and the
shape and lines of the buildings indicate and sense of inner-city life
of the people.

Lines also serve to define surfaces, both flat and irregular, as in the
picture of the tree trunk. Keep in mind that lines can be strong and
hard-edged, or they can be gentle and delicately defined. In a
composition with several elements, lines can direct our eyes from one
form to the another or provide a visual connection between objects
that would otherwise seem unrelated.