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BALANCE / TENSION
CONTRAST
EMPHASIS
MOVEMENT
PATTERN / RHYTHM
NEGATIVE SPACE

Balance / Tension

Visual equilibrium and its deliberate disruption

woman sitting at a bench in a courtyard. Behind her are the pillars of a brutalist style building with arches and lights.
Close-up of a wine glass on a textured table surface with shadows cast by the glass.
A black and white photo of a rugged mountain landscape with a gnarled, windswept tree in the foreground.
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Contrast

Black and white photo of a stone statue of a person's head with a large headdress, positioned in front of classic European building with multiple chimneys and windows, under cloudy sky.

Tonal, textural, or conceptual opposition

A black and white photo of a riverside cityscape viewed from inside a boat, with people sitting on seats and buildings on the opposite bank.
A person's face seen through a black wire mesh screen, with pink lipstick and a turquoise top visible beneath.
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Emphasis

A single clear subject; isolation. The eye has nowhere else to go.

A cemetery scene in black and white with a tombstone in the foreground having a carved angel and the name Paulina Cobb. There are trees and other tombstones in the background.
An elderly man with glasses and a striped jacket knocking on a door of a white house.
Close-up of a metal outdoor faucet attached to a wooden slatted fence on a balcony, with buildings in the background.
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Movement

Implied motion, directional energy, intentional camera motion

Blurry black-and-white close-up of a building's ornate architecture, possibly a historical or government structure.
A black and white photo of a dog running on a treadmill, captured with motion blur.
Close-up of a person's legs wearing patterned stockings, white socks, and black knee-high boots with a zipper, standing on a sidewalk with a concrete curb.
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Colour

Abstract painting of mountain landscape with blue sky and colorful orange, red, yellow, and black formations. Reflective water mirrors the scene with vivid streaks.

Where colour is the entire point of the image

A bunch of fresh radishes with green leaves, some with roots still attached, on a wooden surface.
Close-up of the bow of a blue boat tied to the dock with a white rope, floating on green water.
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Pattern / Rhythm

Repeating elements, geometric structure, a visual beat

A black and white abstract photo of a modern staircase with glass and metal railings, seen from the bottom looking up.
A black and white photograph of a modern outdoor scene featuring a curved sidewalk, a grass strip with white dots, and a black landscaped area with white rectangular patterns.
Modern building with reflective glass facade distorting the reflection of older style buildings and a streetlamp in front, with the sign 'SAMARITAINE' visible.
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Deliberate empty space; minimalism; emptiness as the subject, whether light or dark

Negative Space

Close-up of a waterfall cascading over rocks with mist rising from the water.
A tall decorative vase with a floral pattern holds a bouquet of small flowers and greenery. The image is in black and white, and the vase is placed on a flat surface against a plain wall.
A person wearing winter gear snowboarding down a snowy slope.
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