Symmetry Theme Articles
As the members of the Peer Mentor Program improve their photo-eye it can be educational to have some monthly peer mentor themes that specifically emphasize composition. Taking these photos and “voting” on these compositional themes should begin with thoughtful consideration of the chosen theme.
Symmetry photo have a balance that makes the viewer feel comfortable. The balance can be vertical, horizontal , reflective, or even radial. Symmetry is often made up of leading lines in vertical symmetry. Symmetry can occur in reflection which many of us do in taking photos of Mount Moran at Oxbow Bend. The quality of a symmetry photo is often connected to the exact match of the right-left, up-down, etc.
The Symmetry theme challenges the peer mentors to go out on a photo shoot looking for symmetry in our images AND that should have an impact on how we see lots of photos in the future. Symmetry exists everywhere but we may often overlook it. Good photo-eyes see them. Here are some very interesting and educational articles about symmetry.
“Understanding Balance and Symmetry in Photographic Composition” in B&H Photo Video has a very artistic explanation of balance and symmetry. This is a very good article to explain the artistic views that can be used in photography. Symmetry is the perfect example of balance and is directly connected to composition. It has some “fun” examples of balance.
“30 Examples of Symmetry in Photography” in CreativeCan. This article has a number of interesting symmetrical photos. There is very little explanation but very good examples although a majority of the photos are architectural.
“How to Use Symmetry in Photography Composition” in Expert Photography shows how symmetry is everywhere, even in your grocery store. The author (Taya Ivanova) points out how searching for symmetry will help you recognize leading lines and 4 types of symmetry: Vertical, Horizontal, Radial, and Reflective symmetry. The article ends with a discussion of equipment (e.g., tripod) and why it can be helpful is taking good symmetry photos.
“Symmetry in Photography – 7 Great Tips” in PixPa by Gurpreet Singh (July 2020). This article connects “rules” from classical art with photography and focuses on 3 types of symmetry: Horizontal Symmetry (top & bottom); Vertical Symmetry (Left & Right), and Radial Symmetry (around a central point, like circular stairs). This article has lots of explanations of the various approaches with lots of examples and shares some uses of equipment (e.g., LiveView) that can be very helpful.
“Symmetry in Photography: The Ultimate Guide to Using Symmetry in Your Photos”, PhotoWorkOutby Jaymes Dempsey, October 2020. This article is very good with strong photos, written to-the-point with lot of good ideas. It introduces another type of symmetry (Diagonal Symmetry) and has a number of Quick Tips for use in the field such as things to avoid. Thanks Arnie, this is a very good article.
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