Dots, dashes, and diagonals can all add to the composition of your image or they can become the main focus of your image. For this topic they can be used separately or all together. As dots are round and generally small, a series of round shapes can become your dots, buttons, small sweets, rivets in metal, nail heads, small shells, pebbles etc can all be used in your image. Dashes imply rough shapes, may be dashes of colour, light, splashes of shadow across an image or taking another meaning “to dash, move very quickly” may be dashing out of the rain etc. A suitable title needed here. Diagonals, or diagonal lines are perhaps the most powerful element of any image. They can either be the main focus or lines to lead us to the COI. They create dynamic energy and tension within an image and give us a sense of movement and direction.Diagonal lines are not always sharp, they maybe through a line of trees etc or through the angles of peoples’ bodies, shadows, light rays etc. As we read from left to right, it is perhaps best to have our main diagonals going from Lto R, bottom left to top right but setting these lines off centre so that that they enter and exit either side of the actual corners. Look for low light to give you long shadows which can lead diagonally across your image. Dots, dashes and diagonals can be used in great pattern shots, tilt you camera to get great abstracts using diagonal lines.
