Street photography tip: Use leading lines to guide the viewer

Friday 2 August 2024, 15:30 by Michiel Heijmans | 2,425 views | 0 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

We might call them kijklijnen in Dutch, but I think that is such an ugly word. Leading lines are lines in your photo that draw the viewer towards your subject.

Nijmegen - f/2.8, 1/125s, 1250 ISO @ 40mm
They could be the floor and ceiling in a long corridor, or a bench with someone sitting right at the other end. In many photos, you see a road, with the dashes in the middle leading towards the pedestrian further on.

We humans like being led by the hand. When we do not have to search. And that is exactly what these leading lines help with.

It always looks good when a leading line comes from one of the bottom corners of the photo. It then eventually ends at a subject placed on an intersection in the rule of thirds.

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About the author

Michiel is professioneel straatfotograaf en geeft workshops en lezingen over straatfotograﬁe. Hij schrijft columns voor Focus Magazine en is erg actief op Instagram. Daar vind je dagelijks inspiratie en tips voor je eigen straatfotograﬁe!

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