Composition Part 3 – Repeating Patterns

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We need to give up the notion that I can take a snapshot, and somehow end up with a masterpiece.  Once we are willing to give up that notion then the world opens up with possibilities for creating.  In photography one of the primary ways we create is in what we choose.  What we choose to select as in the photo, what we choose to emphasize.

One way that we create visually pleasing photos is through repetition.  A repeating pattern is generally pleasing to the eye.  There are a variety of different types of repetition.  Below are some examples of repetition.   A good assignment to give yourself is to take pics of repeating patterns until your eye is trained to see them.

In the opening photo there is the pattern of the birds and reflections, but there is also the repeating pattern of the willow branches.  The willow branches are a pattern of both form and color.

This has repeating lines in it, but if you look at it from a little farther back, it is repeating curves receding in the distance.  The receding curves tie the photo together and make nice contrast to the jagged left edge.  Is this what I thought when I took the photo?  No,… What happened was that my eye saw something that I went ‘Oh’ to; i.e. I wanted a photo of that.  What happens next is the process of moving away from the snapshot to a creative piece.   I look in the viewfinder and work on getting the image that is as strong as I can make it.  Somewhere along the line I recognize that it is the curves that are the ‘thing’ that I’m taking a pic of.

This is a classic fall colors shot. Part of what makes this type of photo so appealing are the repeating patterns of the trunks, the leaves on the trees, and the leaves on the ground.  Imagine the pic without each of these elements and quality of it changes dramatically.

Here, as in several of the others, the pattern is used to offset  the thing that is different, the aspens offsetting the waterfall.

Similarly, we have the pattern of the blurred birds (say that 3 times fast) with the orange one standing out because of the color difference.  This also illustrates that patterns don’t have to be crunch crisp lines (unless you want them that way).

Here we have both the pattern of the cones and of the lines.

As you walk around during the day, see where you notice pattern, bathroom tile? Counter tops, tire tread.  Ask yourself the question of how would you create a picture of it?

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