Photography Elements: Converging Lines

Many great photographers were self-taught, and even though there are some elements of photography that have been intuitive for me, I (obviously) have a lot to learn.  In the absence of structure, I've given myself assignments to explore different aspects of photography.  I started off with Lines.

Vertical, horizontal, diagonal, curved, converging; lines can be useful elements of composition, if utilized thoughtfully.  It is this moment of making a choice about how to compose an image that is one of the things that separates a lifeless snapshot from a more powerful image.

When I set out to shoot with the idea of utilizing lines, I found that I looked at things very differently.  I discovered new niches of my own town just by looking for particular things to photograph.  I reviewed the images later and found that I was particularly drawn to take pictures with converging lines being the main element.  I did this inadvertently and only realized later that it was something I was drawn to.

Digital Photography School talks about Converging Lines in this post: How to Use Converging Lines to Enhance Your Photography

Here are some of my photos in which converging lines are utilized:

Converging lines and converging patterns.

This one has both converging lines and a curved line.

I think the inclusion of both the bar and the ceiling of the bar help add to subject matter.  There's an added feeling of separation between those on either side of the bar.

The converging lines help make this photo much more interesting than it otherwise would be.  The positioning of the train tracks makes the lines move diagonally through the frame, adding a sense of movement and making an otherwise flat image more dynamic.

This exercise was really helpful for me.  Even just to look through what I've done with an eye for one particular aspect helped to train my eye a bit more.