Posts Tagged ‘photo tip’

Have you ever hiked for two or three hours to get somewhere; took tons of photos, but when they came back you were disappointed? Somehow you lost the magic; it just didn’t feel the same. How do you know the difference between a waterfall that is 200 feet tall, or an extreme close-up of a creek trickling over some rock 2 inches tall? In some cases you don’t. Now if you are doing that on purpose, that’s cool. It’s called an optical illusion. But . . . if you’re doing it by accident, that’s called poor photography.

Repetition is a creative tool. When you repeat a certain size, shape, or color you add strength to the overall image. Repetition is a basic concept in the art world. A really good photo tip worth remembering is: if you repeat something once or twice it becomes more interesting. If you repeat something many times it becomes a pattern and takes on a life of its own. Patterns give us order in an otherwise chaotic world. There's something fundamentally pleasing about seeing order in a photo and knowing what to expect. In most cases, repetition is a tool used to calm the viewer, making them feel comfortable and at peace while enjoying the view.

Stars and Stripes by Scott Anderson on flickr (licensed CC-BY)