Contrary to what everyone says, photography is more than just the click of a shutter and capturing a moment. It’s more about what makes that specific moment stand out.
Once you understand how to make certain elements stand out, you can amp up a simple picture into a powerful story. In this article, you are going to learn what emphasis in photography is, specific elements you might want to emphasize, and how to achieve emphasis in photography effectively.
What is Emphasis in Photography?
Can you recall a time when you couldn’t look away from a certain detail in a photo? That’s what emphasis is. Emphasis in photography is intentionally highlighting a specific part of a shot. So, it stands out and grabs the attention of the viewer!
To achieve emphasis in their photography, photographers have gotten quite creative over the years. The most common techniques you might have seen are contrast, composition, colors, and lighting. We will be breaking down those methods and more later on in this article!
A photographer has accomplished emphasis in photography when the viewer remembers that detail more than other details in the photo. And that is regardless of whether they’re still looking at the photo or not.
What to Emphasize in a Photo?
Maybe you’re blanking right now and can’t think of what to emphasize in a photo. That’s fair because there are a lot of options. To start, common elements to emphasize are things like the main subject, whether a person, an object, or a scene.
Other great things to emphasize are emotions or actions, such things evoke a special feeling or thought within the viewer. Conversely, background elements can be emphasized less to make something stand out more. Colors, textures, and shapes can also be highlighted to add depth and interest to the photo.
Ultimately, what you choose to emphasize should align with the purpose and message of your image.
How to Show Emphasis in Photography
Let’s debunk what you need to do to achieve emphasis in your photos.
Blur Away with Depth of Field
One of the easiest ways to dramatically emphasize your subject is to completely blur its background. This type of emphasis is popular in portrait photography.
Cameras by themselves will help you achieve this blur, no need for extra equipment. Set your camera to a wide aperture (around f/1.8 or f/2.8). When you do, the background and foreground will become blurry, while the subject remains in sharp focus.
Lighting to Dramatically Emphasize a Photo
Lighting holds so much power in how a photo will turn out. Try to think about how different your house looks in the soft morning light compared to a harsh noon sun.
You can try a more dramatic approach for your photos. Play with dramatic lighting like side lighting or backlighting to create stunning contrasts between light and shadow. Bonus: This adds depth to your photo and pulls the viewer’s eye to your subject. Amazing!
Pop with Color Contrast
This might be one of the most fun ways to make your subject stand out: color contrast. This is done by placing a vibrant color against a complementary background (like a person with a bright red outfit photographed walking on deep black asphalt) to make the subject stand out.
This technique is popular in nature photography and street photography, where colors can peel subjects away from the background. You can even play with color in post-production and see what happens.
Guide the Eye with Leading Lines
Leading lines are like invisible arrows in your photos. This is a particularly interesting technique for emphasizing photos because it’s hidden most of the time. These can be roads, rivers, fences, or even shadows that subtly guide the viewer’s gaze straight to your subject.
Framing is a technical but still fun way to highlight your subject. Use elements within your scene—like a window, a doorway, or tree branches—to create a ‘frame’ around your subject.
Framing not only draws the viewer’s eye to the subject but also adds context, making your subject pop.
Composition: Rule of Thirds & More
Ever heard of the rule of thirds? Imagine your photo is divided into a 3×3 grid. Instead of centering your subject, place it along these lines or at their intersections.
This trick makes your composition more dynamic and naturally draws the viewer’s eyes to your subject, creating a pleasing kind of emphasis.
Play with Contrasting Textures
Playing with textures can add a whole new dimension to your photos. Highlight a subject with a unique texture against a smoother background to make it stand out.
This is especially effective in macro photography and architecture photography. Both niches are where the contrast in textures adds a tactile element that grabs attention.
Selective Focus
Selective focus is a magic trick in photography. Keep your subject in sharp focus while blurring the background, either by manually focusing or using a wide aperture.
This technique isolates your subject from a busy background, ensuring that all attention is on the main element of your photo.
Letting Motion Emphasize Photos
Motion blur can add excitement to your photos. Capture a moving background around a still subject by using a slower shutter speed.
For instance, blurring moving cars around a stationary person makes the person stand out amidst the chaos. This technique is great for sports and action shots, adding a dynamic feel to your images.
Scale
Using size and scale cleverly can make your subject stand out. By making your subject larger or smaller compared to other elements, you create a visual hierarchy.
For example, photographing a tiny object in a vast landscape can highlight its delicacy or importance.
FAQ: Emphasis in Photography
How do you show emphasis on a picture?
You can show emphasis in a photo by making the subject pop. Blur the background with depth of field, play with dramatic lighting, use bold color contrasts, or guide your viewer with leading lines.
Remember: It’s all about drawing attention where you want it!
What is the difference between emphasis and contrast in photography?
The main difference between emphasis and contrast is one highlights and one differentiates. Emphasis is making a particular element stand out, while contrast refers to the difference between elements. Contrast can be seen in light vs. dark or smooth vs. rough, any two things that have a stark difference.
Can you create emphasis without contrast?
Yes. Emphasis can be created without contrast by using techniques like framing, leading lines, and composition.
What is the rule of thirds in photography?
The rule of thirds is a classic trick for better composition. Picture your frame split into a 3×3 grid. Instead of plopping your subject dead center, place it along the grid lines or where they intersect.
Emphasis in Photos
From using dramatic lighting and playful colors to guiding the viewer’s eye with clever composition tricks, we’ve proven that sometimes, photography is more than just pointing and shooting.
Emphasize the right elements by blurring backgrounds with depth of field, using leading lines, or experimenting with color contrasts. Every technique you learned in this article can turn an ordinary shot into something extraordinary.
Ready to put these tips into practice? Dive into the world of emphasis and start making every shot unforgettable!
