Composition: Leading Lines

Leading lines are lines in your photograph that lead the viewer through your photograph in some way. They can lead to a subject or lead into the distance to a vanishing point. Anything can be used as a leading line if you have the eye to spot it.

The picture above shows a path leading through a forest. The path acts as a leading line that guides the viewer through the picture. The straight up and down trees are also leading lines as they point the eye to the path.

This is a bit more of an abstract way to use leading lines. The lines go back into the photo from the tips of the pencils into the back of the photo where they begin to blur together as it becomes more out of focus.

It takes practice to train your eye to see lines around you, but eventually you will begin to naturally look for lines in photos that you can use to compose your picture more strategically.