Dominance

"Tree in backlight (near Bicheln, Tachinger See, Germany)"

One of the key features of a successful photo is dominance. That is if there's one element in the photo that catches the eye more than the others.

But its not so easy... I was fascinated by the tree in the photo above and how the moss on its branches was almost glowing in the backlight... but is the tree actually dominant enough in all that surrounding chaos?

I decided to show the photo even if I'm not sure its working - picture design is my main focus at the moment, I'm reading a lot about it in books to make myself more familiar with the theory while the weather does not permit too much photo practice at the moment. :-)

Now, the question is... what actually can be dominant in an image? I'll try to name a few and add examples. Its impossible to say which is more dominant IMHO because it depends so much on the context (and most likely personal taste, too).

• Colour: red/anything else (red is one of the most attractive colours - that does not mean its the most appealing! - its hard to "compete" with red for other colors). Complementary colours like green & red, blue & yellow, and hue variations thereof.
• Shapes and Lines: jagged/curved - I'm picturing the silhouettes of steep and rocky mountains vs soft and grassy hills here to visualize that idea. Another example: straight/diagonal (diagonal lines often add perspective and depth to a photo).
• Texture and Patterns: smooth/rough, shiny/dull, etc. etc.
  
• Size: big/small - I'm thinking of a close up photo of a mosquito sitting on the arm of someone. Something very small becomes very big that way.
  
• Rhythm, Difference, Conformity: repetition/chaos, difference/conformity - thats hard to describe... I think of my "Tiefe Berge" (Deep Mountains) photo: the ridges repeat, but they are different.
  
• Brightness: light/dark (for example: if the main subject is in the shadow and some other part of the photo is brightely lit it just won't work)
  

Now, these are not my own findings, but rather a summary of what I read in some books, repeated and enhanced, and explained in my own words. I'm primarily writing these articles about composition and picture design for myself (writing something down simply helps to remember it). I find the topic of composition rather complex and difficult to approach. Why? Well, try to name the dominant element(s) in your photos, and you know. :-)