Leading Lines

Now that I've explained the basics behind the compositional technique of the Rule of Thirds, I'm going to introduce another technique that is a little more subtle and that I consider to be a little bit more difficult to consciously master.

Put simply, leading lines are lines found in a picture that help direct the viewer through the picture, basically giving them paths to explore through the scene you present to them.  Leading lines can be very obvious and purposeful, or more subtle and natural.  Either way, using these properly can help you take photographs that are alive and interesting.  Learning how to incorporate these can highlight, and in some cases even directly point to your subject.

The railroad tracks are a great example of leading lines.

In the above picture, the railroad tracks lead you in different directions around the picture.  The main focus point is close, in the foreground, but the lines of the rails lead your eye into the background, where you see that not only do the tracks split, but they lead somewhere close by, which can leave the viewer wondering what is farther down the tracks.  The ties allow you to explore horizontally, but eventually guide you back to the rails.

Pointing you toward the light.

The leading lines in this example are a bit simpler than in the previous one, in that they really only lead to one central direction and they all converge.  The many lines of the grooves in the pillar guide you into, as well as away from, the light fixture.

Following the branches of a cherry tree.

In this case, your leading lines are much more subtle than the very well defined, straight lines found in the previous examples.  The main branch guides you from the top of the photo down to the bottom, with the secondary branches coming off guiding you toward the cherry blossoms.  For me, the main branch works in the opposite way as well, by guiding you back toward the rest of the tree that you can't actually see, but you know is there.  This should be one of the goals of any photographer, to start the viewer's imagination by giving clues to the rest of the scene and allowing them to work it out for themselves.  Leading lines can be a useful tool in doing this.

The Pinxter Flower

This photo again shows how you can use the lines that nature provides to direct attention to your subject.  The anthers and stamens draw your initial attention, and lead you toward the center of the inflorescence, by continuing along the tube of the flowers.  There are other lines present in the photo, such as those found on the inflorescence in the background, but the ones in the foreground are dominant, and command the attention of the viewer to the main inflorescence, but they still allow you explore every aspect of this particular inflorescence.  Additionally, this picture combines this technique of leading lines with using the rule of thirds.  In fact, the center of the inflorescence is almost exactly at one of the four imaginary intersections I described in my post on The Rule of Thirds, which keeps the photo from being static, in spite of what I said about the leading lines trying to keep you focused on that particular inflorescence. 

You may have noticed that in my first and third photos, the main lines are very centered, at least on the vertical axis, and don't seem to follow the rule of thirds.  These are great examples of when you don't necessarily need to follow the rule of thirds all the time.  When you use a technique such as leading lines to keep the viewer engaged in the photos, you can bend another compositional rule to your liking.  In those cases, I wanted to be a little more dramatic by boldly placing the subject in the center, but still keeping the viewer interested.

For me, leading lines are more of an analytical tool when I am looking at a photo after I have taken it.  I can see why a photograph is a good one by identifying leading lines in some cases.  A good exercise to strengthen your ability to naturally capture leading lines is to go on photography expeditions where you focus solely on lines, and you are consciously aware of what purpose the lines serve in each of your photographs.  Practicing this technique enough will make it come to you naturally.