Each of the images below illustrate the use of multiple photographic devices, which led The Washington Post (image 1), The New York Times (images 2 and 4) and The Associated Press (image 3) to select them as some of the best images of 2014. For each photo, I will analyze and describe what mechanisms I believe the photographers were able to capture. To see an image’s original source, click on the photograph.

For this shot, I recognize several creative devices, including selective focus on the right-hand side/bottom, dominant foreground/contributing background, the rule of thirds and diagonal lines, which are formed by tombstones’ alignment. Together, these elements form a very professional aesthetic.

This image is clearly interesting whether one has knowledge on photographic creative devices or not, but the components that I sense make the picture so good are texture, details, an unusual perspective, layering, the rule of thirds and interestingly, the two separate C-curves being shaped by the colorful tags.

In this photograph, I detect various devices in use, such as strong emotion, rule of thirds, action, an S-curve formed by Maria Sharapova’s body and detailed texture, seen in the wrinkles of her clothes, the texture of the court and her muscles. Also, I was personally very attracted to the overall color scheme.

This lively photo exemplifies many creative devices, but the first that caught my eye were (once again) the rule of thirds, introducing color into a monochromatic scheme, patterns, texture and C-curves.