Look for shap e and pa ttern

What ’s the Big Idea?

Shapes and patterns are important elements in landscape photography. They create visual rhythm and harmony that brings impact to an image. If you think of any shape or pattern, the basis of these elements are lines. Line is the structure of all photographs, either in a subtle or obvious way. When you use lines creatively in a composition they can evoke different emotions: diagonal lines suggest action and movement, horizontal ones create a sense of tranquility and peace, and vertical lines suggest a feeling of power and strength. When lines form a clear pattern, they can create a more successful image. Patterns are everywhere in nature and man-made objects.

What ’s the Key?

The key to finding patterns is to explore a variety of different angles in order to seek out any repetition. Lens choice will make a huge difference in how well the patterns are captured. Depending on the scene, I find a medium-to-long telephoto works well to compress the patterns, as was the case with the wind turbines here. When you combine patterns with great light, it only reinforces the composition. I chose early morning light on the white turbines so they would transform into gold against the polarised blue sky. I chose a short enough shutter speed (1/4 sec) to blur the rotation of the turbines and add an element of motion. This created an interesting shape that made them look like pinwheels.

diagonal lines suggest action and movement, horizontal ones create a sense of tranquility, and vertical lines suggest pow er