The following are some examples of how you may use the texture of something to convey a certain message:
" The texture of a person's skin can give you an idea of how old the person is, or what kind of life he's had. Someone who has worked hard all his life doing manual labor outdoors has rougher skin than someone who was pampered and didn't have to spend so much time exposed to the sun.
" The texture of a subject can represent the selling point of that item.
For instance, a frosty mug of beer wouldn't look nearly as refreshing if sweat beads weren't dotting the surface of the glass. Similarly, if you were looking at images of carpet, you wouldn't be able to differentiate them if you couldn't get a sense of their textures.
The best way to reveal texture in an image is to light it from the side. Doing so puts a highlight on one side of the elements that make up the texture and a shadow on the other throughout the surface, giving a three-dimensional sense to the texture itself. (For more on lighting see Chapter 10.)
In Figure 4–9,1 used sidelighting to bring out the texture in the brick. I took this image for a brick manufacturer that needs to provide its clients with images that clearly represent the specific qualities of its products. Revealing texture gives the clients a sense of what makes this brick texturally different from another brick with the same shape and color.
135mm, 2 sac, f/11, 200
Figure 4–9: Sidelighting helps to reveal texture in an image.
Considering Pattern Types
Photographers seem to be drawn to patterns, both natural and manmade. Patterns are interesting to look at, so it makes sense that they work well in photographic compositions. In fact, patterns can help you do any of the following: reinforce your message, draw a viewer's eye to certain elements in your scene, and add visual interest.
Most importantly, however, including patterns in your compositions is an easy way to keep a viewer in your frame for longer periods of time. You can lead a viewer to your subject by positioning it at the end of a pattern or in the line of one. Picture a car driving around the bend on a winding road. The yellow dotted lines create a pattern that leads your eyes from the foreground, around the bend, and right to the car.
The key to using patterns successfully in your compositions is to know one when you see it, to know which type of pattern it is, and to figure out how it relates to your message. I show you several of the different types of patterns you're likely to use in the following sections.
Adding interest With sequence patterns
You can find a sequence pattern — a pattern in which one element follows another — just about anywhere. The windows on the outside of a building can create a pattern, as can the railroad tracks, or the ripples in a lake after you throw a stone in it, which is exactly what I did to add interest to the
composition in Figure 4-10. The scene alone was interesting enough to photograph, but I still felt that it could use something else to make people want to look at it — and continue to look at it. Without the sequence of ripples in the water, this lagoon would be bordering on boring.
50mm, 1/160 sec, f/B, 100
Figure 4-10: Using a pattern to add interest to your composition.
Look for basic sequence patterns in reflections, butterflies, brick walls, ripples in the sand and water, and on flowers, plants, and trees (to name only a few). Elements that repeat naturally draw the eye and people's attention. Viewers often tend to follow the pattern to see whether it keeps going or to compare one side to the other as if looking for differences.
Leading your Viewer by using repetition
Repetition can suggest a pattern even when no real pattern exists. Five men lined up with surfboards standing in the sand right next to one another can suggest a pattern. The men and boards can be of varying shapes and sizes and colors. This situation doesn't technically show a pattern, but you get the sense that it does, and your eyes are drawn to it.
Repeating elements also help drive home your message. For instance, if you see one sailor walking down the street in Times Square, you may assume he's on leave and is visiting the city. On the other hand, if the streets are filled with sailors, you probably can assume that a parade or other special occasion is taking place.
Notice the use of repetition in Figure 4-11. The chopsticks act as leading lines to direct your eyes to the main subject — the repeating sushi rolls. (I explain more about using lines in the earlier section "Following Lines, Real and Imagined.") The repeating shapes of the sushi rolls draw your eyes around the frame and back to the starting point, which in turn leads your eyes back into the image. In this image, repetition works as a leading element and as a descriptive element. It shows how many pieces are served with this particular menu item.
50mm, WOO sec, VIS, 400
Figure 4-11: Repetition is used to guide your eyes through the frame and inform you about the subject.
Breaking patterns to grab attention
One way to capture attention even more strongly than a pattern itself is to show a break in a pattern. Technically, a break in a pattern could be considered a flaw, and flaws stick out visually like sore thumbs. However, you can use this attention to your advantage; Figure 4-12 proves it. Which window draws your eyes the most?
In the figure, the windows with no lights create the pattern. The one window with the lights on stands out as being different from the rest. If you take advantage of the situation and incorporate your subject in the broken area of the pattern, your subject will stand out for sure.
Sometimes the flaw in the pattern can work alone as your subject. For instance, a row of trees in which one has been chopped down could provide a message of taking only what's needed. A row of tree stumps with only one tree standing would provide a message of greed and abuse.
Figure 4-12: A break in the pattern can grab your attention more strongly than the pattern itself.
Chapter 5. Arranging Visual Elements in a Frame According to the "Rules"
In This Chapter
Understanding the different areas of an image
Aiming for a more pleasing composition with the rule of thirds
Making the most out of the space in your frame
Deciding between simple and chaotic compositions
Creating balance in a composition to keep a viewer's attention longer
Rookie photographers often instinctually place a subject dead center in a frame, but doing so rarely produces a great-looking photograph. So, as a photographer, one of the first things you need to recognize is that keeping your subject out of the center creates better compositions. In the world of visual arts, thousands of years of practice show that artists rarely obtain the ideal image of a subject by placing it in the center of a frame.
Think about it this way: If you placed a person's face directly in the center of your frame, you have just as much space above the head (referred to as headroom) as you do below the head. The person has an entire body below her head and nothing above it. So why waste the space above the person's head by showing nothing but the sky or your backdrop when you could eliminate that space and show more of the person's body?