Photography has its own aesthetic concepts and these concepts are developed along with the photographer’s intent to capture images that depict his or her intentions as well as the viewer’s intention to see a specific image. For example, there are black and white photography concepts and aesthetic concepts. Black and white photography is usually used to depict sad events, such as death, cancer, and other fatal accidents. These images are usually taken in black and white, which visually blocks out or reduces the color and contrast of the scene making it seem eerily or eerie.
Other photographic concepts include: color harmony, a balanced blend, a theme, a feeling of unity, a unified theme, an integrated theme, unity, an absence of clutter, a feeling of scale, proportion and line. All of these artistic decisions to the composition are made by the photographer. This is all about knowing your own personal style, your personal aesthetic taste, and how to use these aesthetic decisions in your photos. These decisions become part of your personal style. Photography has become an art form, and many would agree that photography has become one of the most widely used art forms in the twenty-first century.
Aesthetics play a large part in the composition of many photographs. In photography this often means working with colors, lines, light and white space. Color and lines are usually used to suggest depth and also to define the photo-specific subject matter of the picture. White space is less important than color and lines in compositions, but it can still add to the aesthetic of the picture. It may be more appropriate to work with a little bit of white space than to have an overly busy composition.
Leading lines are another of the many aesthetic concepts that are important in picture taking. They refer to horizontal lines that are used to demarcate areas in a photograph that should be considered leading, or strong. Leading lines can also be used vertically in a composition to indicate strong vertical sections of a photograph, but they are not as popular. Aesthetics must always be employed with care because too much leading is never a pleasant viewing experience.
The terms ‘personal style’ and ‘ensemble’ are often used interchangeably, though they have distinct differences. A composition may be described as containing elements that are considered to be personal styles or individual elements. Personal styles are the expressions you make with your camera. Elements that are considered to be personal styles are those that you feel make a photograph aesthetically appealing. The compositions you create for your work may be artistic, documentary, or even functional.
Photography aesthetics is often discussed in terms of the main lines and colors of a picture. There is a main structure that all photographs are constructed from. One could classify these structures as vertical, horizontal, and diagonal. A main line is the overall focus of your composition. It can be thought of as a defining feature of the photograph and is usually portrayed by black and white.
As an example, take a picture of a person lying on a beach. Notice how the color of the sky, the sun, and the horizon all contribute to the overall appearance of the composition. In photography, these concepts are called a pre-visualization of the visual elements of the scene, such as perspective, texture, and composition. An artist works with these concepts in mind throughout the process of conceptualizing a personal style or a theme for his photography.
Photography is an artistic expression. It can be used to express a personal style, or to express an opinion about something. A number of different aesthetics concepts are at work in a variety of photographic mediums. It is important to understand these concepts as they pertain to your own photographic expression.