Five Elements of Design

Although art is subjective, there are certain rules of photography that can make or break a photo. These are called the elements of design. There are five; value, emphasis, balance, unity and movement.

Value refers to the darkness or brightness/contrast in a photo. Photos with good value showcase beautiful highlights and shadows. 

Below is a photo with good value:

*Note the range of shadows and highlights*

Value is extremely dependent on lighting. To gain a deeper contrast of highlights and shadows, one must use a harsher light source. In contrast to this, if softer contrast is appropriate, softer lighting should be used.

Emphasis pertains to the focal point of an image. The focal point is where you would like viewer's eyes to be drawn. In order for a photograph to be strong, it should have high emphasis. Emphasis can be placed through depth of field, placement of the focal point, colors or any other features that could cause it to stand out. In this image emphasis is created through the color of the red flower.

Balance is how the subject matter of a photograph is placed. Good balance keeps a photograph from becoming over crowded, and makes it pleasing to the eye. Two of the most popular types of balance design are the rule of thirds, and radial design. To use the rule of thirds, you must imagine a 3x3 grid on top of the photo. Subject matter should cover 3/4 intersections, leaving one open. For example:

In a radial design, all subject matter splays out from a center point. This can be showcased in the image below:

Unity is what ties everything in a photo together. Without unity, a photograph feels odd and mismatched. Repeating colors, textures, sizes and shapes are all examples of ways to showcase unity. In the image below unity is created through the repeating shapes.

Last, but not least, is movement. Movement refers to how a viewer's eye is drawn throughout an image. Movement can be showcased through pathways, overlapping or frozen motion.
Pathways:

Overlapping:

Frozen Motion:

All of these elements can be remembered through the acronym VEBUM (pronounced v-bum).By ensuring that these elements of design are present in a photograph, one ensures quality.