Elements for Strong Photo Encaustic Images

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9 Elements for Strong Photo Encaustic Images.

Any image, art piece, or photo will contain some measures of the elements listed.  They don’t all need to be present. These elements are not hard and fast. Sometimes a photograph works BECAUSE it breaks the ‘rules’ and makes us take notice of something in a unique way.

Impact is the sense one gets upon viewing an image for the first time. Compelling images evoke an intense emotion and can be created by technique, contrast, color, or your choice of subject.

Creativity is the original, fresh and imaginative way an artist uses their medium to convey an idea, message or thought.

Center of Interest of your piece is the predominant feature in the image, the point to which the viewer is first attracted. There can be primary and secondary centers of interest, occasionally there will be no specific center of interest when the entire scene collectively serves as the center of interest.

Subject Matter should always be appropriate to the story being told in an image. An interesting or unusual point of view can make a strong image. Let the subject of your image tell a story or evoke the imagination of the viewer.

Composition is important as it brings all the visual elements together. Proper composition directs the viewers eye into engagement with the message or focus of the piece. Some basic guidelines to keep in mind are:

• Sometimes it works well to place the subject one third of the way from the top or bottom of the image, and one third from the left or right edge. (The rule of thirds.)
• In a landscape photograph, one rarely places the horizon in the middle of a photograph. Place it toward the top to emphasize the ground or water, or toward the bottom to emphasize the sky.
• The viewers eye goes to the brightest part of an image, or the place with the most contrast. That place should be where they find the subject of the image.
• The eye or eyes of a person or animal are important to be in focus.
• Avoid cutting off limbs at the joints.
• A moving subject should be moving into the photograph.
• Odd numbers of objects (3 or 5) often look better than even (4 or 6).
• As you take a photograph, move left or right, up and down, forward and backward to change the relationship of objects in the image. Getting down to the level of a child or pet is often a better point of view.

Style is defined as a distinctive manner of doing something. Patterns, specific genre, lighting, textures, colors, shapes, depth, color balance, tonality, negative space, and lines are all artistic elements which can be used to define your style.

Breathing Room and Balance will allow the elements of the image to establish a dialogue with each other. A good photograph is balanced in a pleasing way or unbalanced for a specific effect.

Simple photographs are generally better.  Crop, zoom in, move toward the subject or use selective focus to eliminate unnecessary elements in the scene.

Technique is the approach used to create the final piece. Printing the image, mounting the image, the manner in which you add the encaustic, pigments, and special effects. Technical excellence is honing your craft to accomplish a skillful finished piece.

 

If you are interested in more material like this, make sure to have a look at my online photo encaustic class where I take you with a blueprint for creating strong photo encaustic image.

 

 

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I’m curious to know, what insights are you taking away from this. Tell me, what are your favorite elements you use when creating photo encaustic images?

Be well….be creative,

 

 

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