Leading Lines

A leading line is a picture element that takes a line or path through a photo, drawing the eye to the focal point or subject of the shot. Leading lines do not necessarily need to be physical and permanent, they can be implied or created in a fleeting moment and captured for posterity in your photo. (Paths, fences and roads are good examples of the former, the line of a wave breaking on a shore line is an example of the latter.)

The key to using leading lines well is that they do ultimately lead to your subject, even if they take a meandering path to reach that point. Be careful to exclude lines that lead the eye away from your subject or even out of the picture space altogether.