straight lines, diagonal lines are more dynamic than vertical or horizontal
ones. Vertical and horizontal lines, however, can be good for grounding an
image, providing contrast to curves, or lending a sense of solidity.
Curves.Curves tend to be more elegant and stylish than straight lines.
They also create a considerably softer look.
Composition and Cropping.Composition is the term used to describe
the placementof the subject in the frame and the overall visual interplay of all
the elements withinthe frame.In particular,planningyoursubjectplacement
can be critical to developing a lighting strategy—especially when working
outdoors or on location. In these situations, subject lighting, background se-
lection/control, and composition must all be delicately balanced to produce
the desired image.
There are many theories about how to compose the most powerful image,
but one guideline that will serve you particularly well in model photography
is the Rule of Thirds. According to this rule, the frame is divided up into
thirds (imagine a tic-tac-toe grid superimposed over the frame). These lines
indicate good places for a subject within that frame. The intersections are
considered particularly ideal positions for a subject. In most portraits and
beautyimages,thismeansthatthesubject’sface(inafull-lengthshot)oreyes
(in a headshot) will be placed somewhere along the top one-third line. In
BASIC PRINCIPLES 251-5.Long, straight highlights run the
entire length of the model’s body in this
image. These lines give the photograph
a look of strength that is well suited to
an athletic shot like this.