Quick photography tip: look for patterns
A good photographer will find order amongst chaos. In something as complex as a jungle or crowd, they look out for patterns and symmetry in colour, shapes and patterns. When translated to a photograph, this results in a visually striking image that causes you to look twice. Look at this photo from Sheila Smart, one of my favourite Australian photographers:
Notice how the pattern of the schoolgirls’ hats grab your attention and lead you through the scene. If you are creating patterns with shapes, try converting your shot to black and white and bump up the contrast to further accentuate the pattern.
In this photo I took of three old ladies at the Rocks last year, you can clearly see the triangular pattern I’ve created. Keep an eye out for patterns and geometric shapes (triangles, squares etc.) as they make for an eye-catching photo.
November 19th, 2007 at 3:47 am
Quite adventurous shot of the hats….I would not have dared as a teacher may have spotted you taking photos of school girls…I am quite paranoid and aware of my subject matter. You have any ID that says you are a professional photographer? Sheila can get away with it but we would not…
November 27th, 2007 at 9:40 pm
That’s a tricky one Matt, you’re right. I would have hesitated before taking this shot. I’ve never really thought of that issue before.