Minor technicalities aside, a technical emphasis on the techniques used to produce a good, technically well balanced photograph is not always necessary but usually beneficial.

Did you get that?

Have you ever noticed something about a photograph that draws you to the main focal point? Sometimes the method used by a photo artist is obvious and at others times, very subtle. With the image above, the leading lines, planters and trees, are the main focal point. Their overwhelming presence makes a bold statement.

More subtle uses of leading lines can work to draw attention to a specific area of an image without being obvious. Notice in the image below how the visual paths from the lower corners lead to the main focal point in the left center.

For a dramatic use of a leading line, the old city shot below borders on extreme and the line from the left almost but not quite dominates the image.  This is an example where the line is critical to the strength of the other elements.

For an even more dramatic use of leading lines, this high contrast, monochrome works well in drawing the line of vision along a very strong leading line.

The following images all use some type of leading line(s) to either pull the visual attention to a main element or to emphasize a specific flow or element of the scene.  See if you can identify the lines and how they enhance the visual experience.  I’ve presented all of these in monochrome to allow the structural elements to stand without any colorful distractions.