Patterns in Photography - The Best Way To Find a More Compelling Photographs Episode 6

Summary

This video script emphasizes the importance of incorporating patterns in photography to add intrigue and interest. Patterns, which can be found in both natural and man-made structures, can guide the viewer's eye and evoke emotions. The script suggests looking for repeating shapes, light patterns, and even color contrasts to create compelling images. It also encourages photographers to experiment with framing and composition to capture these patterns effectively, highlighting the satisfaction of finding and photographing patterns intentionally.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Patterns in photography add intrigue by repeating shapes or structures in a chaotic world.
• 🏙️ Look for patterns in both natural and man-made structures, like building facades or fields of wheat.
• 🌄 Patterns can be subtle or take up a small portion of the photograph, like a meandering river.
• 🏘️ Architects and designers often use patterns, which can be leveraged in urban photography.
• 🏞️ In landscape photography, patterns can be found in nature, though they might be harder to spot.
• 🖼️ Chaotic patterns, like a mix of balconies with uniform colors, can also be compelling.
• 🌈 Patterns can guide the viewer's eye, create a sense of uniformity, or familiarity.
• 🎨 Patterns don't have to be geometrically perfect; chaotic arrangements can also form patterns.
• 📸 Use patterns to control viewer emotions, like creating a sense of calm or inducing claustrophobia.
• 🔢 The 'rule of odds' is a pattern technique, often using groups of three for visual appeal.
• 🌳 Practice is key to framing patterns correctly, especially in nature where they can be complex.

Q & A

What are patterns in photography, according to the video?

Patterns in photography refer to the repetition of certain shapes or structures within a scene, which can be found in both natural and man-made environments. Identifying and capturing these patterns can add intrigue and visual interest to photographs.

Why can it be challenging to find patterns in nature?

Patterns in nature can be difficult to find because the natural world is often chaotic and irregular. However, when patterns are discovered, they can make for visually captivating and rewarding photographs.

What are some examples of patterns in man-made structures?

Examples of patterns in man-made structures include building facades, architectural details like balconies, and close-ups of materials such as knitted fabrics or tiled surfaces. Architects and designers often incorporate patterns, which photographers can take advantage of.

How do patterns in landscape photography differ from those in city photography?

In landscape photography, patterns may be found in natural elements like fields of wheat, ripples in sand, or repeating shapes in mountains or islands. In city photography, patterns are often found in buildings, architectural designs, and man-made structures.

Can patterns be chaotic and still be considered patterns in photography?

Yes, patterns in photography don't need to be perfectly uniform or geometrically correct. Chaotic arrangements of objects can still form recognizable patterns that add visual interest and complexity to a photograph.

How can lighting create patterns in photography?

Lighting can create patterns when light interacts with a scene or shines through objects. Examples include sunlight filtering through clouds, shadows cast by architectural structures, or dappled light passing through tree canopies.

What emotional effects can patterns have on the viewer?

Patterns can evoke a sense of familiarity, calm, or order, as they provide visual repetition and structure. Conversely, breaking a pattern can create a sense of conflict or disruption within the frame, which can provoke different emotions.

What is the 'rule of odds' and how does it relate to patterns in photography?

The 'rule of odds' suggests that having an odd number of subjects in a photograph, such as three objects, tends to be more visually pleasing. This concept ties into patterns because it involves using repetition to create balance and harmony in the composition.

How can patterns simplify complex scenes in photography?

Patterns can simplify complex scenes by focusing the viewer's attention on a single repeating element. Once the viewer understands the pattern, they no longer need to interpret the rest of the scene, making the photograph easier to visually process.

How can photographers find patterns in wooded areas?

In wooded areas, photographers can look for tall trees with clear trunks, which create vertical lines, forming a natural pattern. The repeating vertical shapes of tree trunks can be an effective way to incorporate patterns into nature photography.

Outlines

00:00

📸 Finding Patterns in Photography

This paragraph emphasizes the importance of identifying patterns in nature and man-made structures to enhance the visual appeal of photographs. Patterns are defined as repetitions of shapes or structures and can be found in various forms such as facades, close-ups, or landscapes. The speaker suggests that while patterns in nature are harder to spot, capturing them can be rewarding. They also mention that patterns can be subtle or chaotic, and can be used to guide the viewer's eye or evoke emotions. The paragraph concludes with advice on looking for patterns in light and shadow, and encourages practice to improve pattern recognition and photographic composition.

05:02

🔍 Leading Lines as Patterns

The second paragraph introduces leading lines as a form of pattern that can be used to create compelling photographs. It hints at a future video that will explore the use of leading lines in depth. The speaker encourages viewers to look for patterns with intention and suggests that recognizing and capturing these patterns will demonstrate a thoughtful approach to photography.

Keywords

💡Patterns

Patterns refer to the repetition of a certain shape or structure, creating visual interest in a scene. In photography, identifying and capturing patterns can lead to intriguing photographs. The video emphasizes the importance of patterns in both natural and man-made environments, such as facades on buildings, fields of wheat, or even chaotic arrangements of balconies. Patterns help to draw the viewer's eye and can create a sense of familiarity and order.

💡Intriguing Photographs

Intriguing photographs are those that capture the viewer's attention and provoke thought or curiosity. The video suggests that finding and photographing patterns can result in such images. For example, a meandering river or repeating shapes in the landscape can add intrigue to a photograph, making it more engaging for the viewer.

💡Man-made Structures

Man-made structures are human-made constructions like buildings and architectural designs that often incorporate patterns. The video mentions that architects and designers use patterns in their work, which photographers can take advantage of to create compelling images. This highlights the synergy between design and photography.

💡Chaotic Pattern

A chaotic pattern is a type of pattern that appears disordered or irregular, yet still follows a certain repetition or structure. The video describes a scene with chaotic balconies and uniform colors, illustrating how even chaos can form a pattern. This concept challenges the traditional notion of patterns as strictly ordered and shows their versatility in photography.

💡Framing

Framing in photography refers to how a scene is composed within the viewfinder or sensor of the camera. The video discusses the importance of framing in capturing patterns effectively, suggesting that it can take practice to align patterns perfectly. Good framing can enhance the impact of patterns in a photograph.

💡Leading Lines

Leading lines are a compositional technique where lines guide the viewer's eye through the image. Although not explicitly detailed in the script, leading lines are mentioned as a form of pattern that will be discussed in a future video. They are used to create compelling photographs by directing attention to a point of interest.

💡Nature

Nature is a recurring theme in the video, where patterns are found in the chaotic world of natural landscapes. Examples given include a rocky outcrop, a field of wheat, or ripples in a desert. The video encourages photographers to look for patterns in nature, which can be rewarding and add depth to their work.

💡Uniformity

Uniformity refers to the state of being uniform, or consistent in appearance. In photography, uniform patterns can create a sense of order and calm. The video contrasts uniformity with chaotic patterns, suggesting that both can be used effectively to convey different moods and messages in a photograph.

💡Familiarity

Familiarity in photography is about creating a sense of recognition or comfort through the repetition of shapes or patterns. The video explains that when a shape repeats, it becomes more recognizable to the viewer, who may then spend more time engaging with the photograph.

💡Rule of Odds

The Rule of Odds is a variation of the Rule of Thirds, suggesting that odd numbers of elements are more visually pleasing than even numbers. The video mentions looking for groups of three in a frame, such as three holes in a roof or three mountains, to create a pleasing composition.

💡Emotions

Emotions refer to the feelings or affective responses that a photograph can evoke in the viewer. The video discusses how patterns can influence emotions, suggesting that a uniform pattern might instill calm, while a broken pattern could cause conflict or tension within the frame.

Highlights

Patterns in photography add interest by repeating shapes or structures.

Finding patterns can be challenging in nature but rewarding when captured well.

Patterns can be found in man-made structures like buildings and are often easier to photograph.

In landscape photography, patterns could be fields of wheat or ripples in a desert.

Patterns can be subtle and ambiguous, like repeating shapes of islands or mountains.

Chaotic patterns, such as balconies with uniform colors, can also be intriguing.

Patterns can be used to fill the frame or to find interesting shapes within a scene.

The human eye is naturally drawn to patterns, whether man-made or natural.

Patterns can guide the viewer's eye through a photograph or provide a sense of uniformity.

Familiarity is created when a shape repeats itself, making it more recognizable.

Patterns don't have to be geometrically correct; chaotic arrangements can also form patterns.

Patterns can influence the viewer's emotions, such as inducing a sense of calm or claustrophobia.

The rule of odds uses patterns by often including groups of three elements in a frame.

Finding patterns in nature can be easier in wooded areas with tall trees, creating vertical lines.

Patterns can simplify complex scenes by focusing on the repeating shape.

Multiple patterns can be present within a single photograph, not just one overarching pattern.

Leading lines are another form of pattern that can make photographs more compelling.

Photographers should look for patterns with intention to create more impactful images.

Transcripts

to add interest to your photographs look

for patterns in the scene that you're

photographing patterns are basically a

repetition of a certain shape or

structure in the chaotic World of Nature

it's sometimes really hard to find but

when you do find them it can make for a

really intriguing photograph

[Music]

could be anything from a facade on a

building a close-up of a knitted jumper

to a rocky outcrop or the pattern could

take up a small portion of your

photograph like this Meandering river

through the landscape whenever I'm

shooting a city I always look for

patterns within buildings and structures

Architects and designers like patterns

and form so you can take advantage of

this with your Photography in landscape

photography it could be a field of wheat

or ripples in a desert or more subtly

repeating shapes like these islands or

repeating shapes in the landscape like

these three Mountains in Central Java

now these last two are a little bit more

ambiguous but with adding patterns to

the shot they add a little bit of

intrigue to that photograph patterns are

everywhere in nature but they're quite

hard to find and even harder to

photograph I find it easier to get them

in man-made structures but when you do

find them in nature and you get a good

photograph of them it's really rewarding

and it makes it all well worth it don't

just think of patterns as having to be

completely uniform across your

photograph either I was walking past the

building and I noticed the chaos of the

balconies with the uniformity of the

colors this is a bit of a chaotic

pattern but there's still a pattern

there the opposite of this would be just

to fill the frame with the same pattern

like this close-up of another building

we're taking two opposing patterns and

pushing them together or finding

interesting shapes showing off different

patterns or even finding small patterns

within a scene can you see how many

patterns there are within this shot let

me know in the comments below later on

I'll tell you how many I think I can see

another way to look for patterns is to

look at how light hits a scene all

shines through an object onto that scene

this could be the way the sun shines

through the clouds through a man-made

structure to a dappled bit of light

shining through a canopy of trees the

human eye does tend to look for patterns

in any kind of scene where the man-made

or natural and I don't know about you

but I get this childlike sense of Glee

when I do spot one and I instantly want

to photograph it patterns can be kept in

innovating they can help the viewer's

eye flow through the shot or just give a

sense of uniformity as if everything is

in order or they can draw the viewer's

eye to that part of the photograph

patterns also give a sense of

familiarity if you see a shape on its

own it might not hold much significance

but when that shape repeats itself time

and time again it becomes very

recognizable and the viewer will stick

around for longer patterns in

photography don't even have to be

geometrically correct you can have a

very chaotic arrangement of objects and

that in itself forms a pattern

there are even patterns to be had in

color and contrast in this Photograph I

like the patterns being created by the

holes in the roof of this building I was

in and I decided to put it next to the

frame as I like how they sat together to

a certain extent you can also control

the viewers emotions if you want the

sense of calm fill the frame with a

pattern although it might give the sense

of claustrophobia to some being so close

to that subject on the other hand if you

break a pattern this could cause

conflict within your frame the rule of

odds is in a way using patterns and I

always look for three things to put in

my frames whether it's three holes in a

roof three mountains or three faces

there just seems to be something

pleasing to a group of three things it

might take a while to get the right

Framing and you might have to Edge one

way or another and sometimes you'll take

a photograph where you thought you were

perfectly in line and you get it back on

a big screen on your computer at home

and it's completely out of line so this

does take practice but take your time in

lining it up perfectly and you'll get a

really nice shot if you're struggling to

see patterns in nature try going to a

wooded area where there's lots of tall

trees when the trees are tall the lower

parts of the trunk tend not to have any

branches on so you'll get all of these

vertical lines and that is in a way a

pattern or maybe a rippled water surface

this will give a very nice repeating

pattern patterns can also simplify what

might be a really complex scene and just

including that pattern and nothing else

once the viewer understands the

repeating shape there's nothing else to

understand so in this case it's a very

easy photograph to look at now back to

that photograph of the swimming pool

these are the patterns that I see there

are the sun beds the trees behind the

sun beds the trees next to the pool the

plant beds below the pool and then the

trees along the bottom so you can see

there are a lot of small patterns in

this one photograph so it doesn't have

to be one pattern throughout the entire

photograph it can be lots of different

patterns within a scene so remember even

though patterns are easy get to see in

man-made structures they can also appear

in nature and once you start seeing them

in nature you'll start seeing them

everywhere in nature they are quite hard

to photograph but keep going at it and

you'll get some good photographs of

those patterns and this will show that

you're photographing with intention

another form of a pattern is a leading

line and in next week's video I'll be

going over exactly how I use leading

lines to make my photographs more

compelling and if it's out already I'll

link it here

I'll see you next time