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Lines, shapes, and patterns bring a sense of visual harmony to an image. Leading lines direct your viewer’s eye to the subject; shapes and patterns in nature can give your image balance.

Lines

Lines provide the most direct route to your subject. Lines can be vertical or horizontal; they can be diagonal or even S-shaped. Vertical lines convey a sense of strength and power. The reeds in Figure 7.1 provide a bold background of vertical lines that complement the blues of the water. The reeds also tell viewers a bit about the habitat of the subject, which uses the protection of the reeds to nest and raise its young. Diagonal lines also evoke a feeling of power, plus they add a sense of motion in the direction they travel. Figure 7.2 illustrates in its simplest form how a simple grass stalk leans in a diagonal direction and leads to the Says Phoebe perched at the top. The simplicity of the composition keeps your eye on the intended subject.

Figure 7.1 A Common Moorhen stands out in contrast against the green reeds in the background.

Figure 7.2 A stalk of grass provides a perch for the bird as well as a diagonal line leading to it.

An S-curves provides a gentler meandering path to your subject. An S-curve conveys a feeling of peace and well-being, a slower pace, and grace. A Great Blue Heron stretching for nesting material is a thing of pure beauty as its body curves gracefully (Figure 7.3).

Figure 7.3 A Great Egret is captured in a graceful pose as it displays its finery to attract a mate.

Converging lines create a vanishing-point effect, adding visual depth to your image. While photographing in Bosque del Apache, I discovered a lone sandhill crane walking between the rows of corn (Figure 7.4). The rows lead to the crane, framing it between them and then recede off into the distance. The converging lines, shallow depth of field, and color contrast collaborate to make the crane stand out among the corn.

Figure 7.4 A sandhill crane poses between rows of corn. The converging lines lead to the crane and then recede into the distance, giving the image visual depth.

Shapes

Shapes make great compositional elements, and you’ll find many shapes in nature. A sleeping bear takes on a triangular shape, which leads your eyes from his face, along the ground to view his paws, up his legs to his elevated rump, and down the slope of his back to his face once again in a closed shape that keeps you and your viewers engaged with the subject (Figure 7.5).

Figure 7.5 A polar bear pauses to take a nap and naturally falls into an engaging pose.

Patterns

Repeating patterns in nature give an image a graphic feel. When photographing groups, look for patterns when all the subjects turn or look in the same direction. A school of fish swimming in a tight formation creates an interesting graphic of shapes and lines, resulting in a repeating pattern (Figure 7.6). The tight formation of the fish and the shadows and light all work toward the feeling of a huge school of fish as far as the eye can see.

Figure 7.6 A school of fish swims close together to create a pattern of bullet shapes heading from right to left. (An underwater housing was used in the making of this image.)

Framing Your Subject

Framing is a common practice in landscape photography that fills in empty space and draws your viewers towards the subject, and it can be used in wildlife photography to draw your attention to the subject in the same manner. Framing can incorporate foliage or it can be part of your subject. In Figure 7.7, an adult Great Egret protectively hovers over her young chicks, framing them with her neck. It’s a natural path along the gentle curve of her neck to her head where the direction of her gaze takes your eyes to the chicks.

Figure 7.7 A telephoto lens with a wide aperture and the Great Egret framing her chicks draw your eye to the chicks and keeps it there.

Creating Perspective

Your perspective or camera angle plays a big role in how you present your subject to your viewers. Photographing a Snowy Plover at eye level (Figure 7.8) means