Repetition and Rhythm in Your Photos
It is a good thing to have a distinct subject in contrast with the background. Photographs of this kind have their point of interest set on your subject grabbing all the attention to it. But not all photos have to be the same. Creating a rhythm between all the image’s elements works very well in many cases. Using this technique will make the observer travel through the whole photo very smoothly.
Think of poetry or songs and the role rhymes play in both of them. In photographs, rhythm is usually a result of the existence of a certain pattern . Any repetitive element (shapes, objects, colors…etc.) if used correctly, will add some sort of rhythm. This adds interest all around your photo making the observer look at it over and over.
Patterns can be found in many things and they can be created out of anything. In the streets, in gardens, on sand, in water, there are a lot of possibilities. A lot more patterns can be created out of similarities in colors, shapes, or even arrangement of any kind of objects. Look closer (literally) and you will find even more patterns. This is because many solid objects at very close range will show some sort of repeated textures on their surfaces.
Photographs with just simple patterns can sometimes be boring, because they may lack the presence of different subjects. So, breaking a pattern is sometimes desired too. Photos with missing elements inside a repetition are usually very interesting, as they will leave the observer thinking. Another usage of patterns is to fill the background, only to be broken by the subject in the foreground. In this case, rhythm throughout the photo is sacrificed for setting the focal point on the subject, while the background still gives some sort of uniformity to the picture.
Colors are also used for creating a sort of rhythm in photographs. Strong contrasts are substituted by different shades of a dominant color, or by the employment of different colors in harmony with each others.All this grabs the different elements of the whole photo together.
The placement of objects inside a composition affect the rhythm of the photograph in a big way too. Objects with similar positions will relate to each other, and those arranged in a certain scheme will create a feel of continuous flow. These two techniques can be employed in many different ways, with different objects, and in different scenes.
Creating rhythmic photos is not an easy job, because it requires a totally new approach to photography that most people are not used to. But as you improve your photography further, you will know exactly when to make the rhythm and when to break it.
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Tags: Canvas Prints - Close Range - Contrasts - Different Colors - Dominant Color - Existence - Focal Point - Foreground - Grabs - Harmony - Many Things - Photographs - Photography - Point Of Interest - Possibilities - Repetition - Rhythm - Shades - Shapes - Surfaces - Textures - Uniformity
