page threepage three
Add interest
Breaking the pattern can be very effective indeed - a repeated
pattern, with just one element missing, or added, creates a focal
point for the entire image, often with startling results. The
extra element adds interest and prevents the picture falling into
the geometric exercise category. One tile missing on a rooftop,
one blue bird on a perchful of yellow canaries, or one bald man
in a crowd wearing straw hats; all these situations have the potential
to make an intriguing picture.
Break the rules
Don't be afraid to cast aside the rule book and tilt the camera
over to one side if it seems appropriate. This is a practice I
normally abhor as a lame excuse for lack of compositional vitality
and content, but with patterns it can work well. Patterns formed
by straight lines can often benefit most from this treatment,
thereby preventing lines running parallel with the edges of the
frame - with predictably boring results. After all the whole idea
of looking for, and using the patterns we see is to produce compelling
and lively images.
