Geometry

[echoyjeff222]

Does anyone have any tips or tutorials on how to include geometry in my thought process while I look at a scene? Are there common shapes that appear? I know that there's the triangle ...

I just have never tried focusing on the geometry within a scene.

 

[bratkinson]

While I don't "look" for any geometry, sometimes I just find it, usually outdoors.

Like the symmetry of a (near) perfect reflection on a body of water... or twins with two radically different expressions...

Sometimes, parallel lines are what "make" the picture...consider the opening credit sequence of "North by Northwest"...

Or non-parallel parallel lines (ie, convergent) like looking up at high-rise buildings, or an "endless" highway...

Or rectangle after rectangle like stacked up shipping containers...

How about a circular 'halo' around the moon on certain nights?

Or conical light beams from a streetlight in the fog?

Sometimes, simple opposites in the same picture, contrasts, if you will, lights&darks, or clashing colors of different subjects in the same picture?

Or the simple shape of a lone tree in a large field?

Maybe that could be a subject of a photo essay? "Geometrical shapes in photography"?

 

[tirediron]

Search terms such as "Composition theory", "golden mean", and "golden ratio". The triangle and rectangle are the two most common "shapes", however the circle is prevelant too.

 

[shmne]

Every image you capture is filled with geometry. It's not just triangles, rectangles, and circles. You have to look through your viewfinder and not just see things for what they are, but also what shape they are and how these shapes interact.

Take a garbage can, how would you draw it? Probably by starting with the outline right? That is because the silhouette of an object is its most recognizable feature.

Want to learn about geometry more? Take an art class. Photography is as much a traditional art as any other, and a good traditional art class will teach you everything you need to know about using geometry and lighting properly in every scene.

Photography is half technical operation and half artistic creativity.

 

[amolitor]

Look for similar shapes. Any shape can be echoed elsewhere. A person's head, a watermelon, a jug of wine. Look at Henri Cartier-Bresson's photographs, they're simply awash in geometric echos at various levels. When you see two shapes that are similar, you can move, often a very small amount, to visually separate and clarify the similarity between them.

 

[Designer]

Does anyone have any tips or tutorials on how to include geometry in my thought process while I look at a scene? Are there common shapes that appear? I know that there's the triangle ...

I just have never tried focusing on the geometry within a scene.

An interesting point of discussion! As for me, sometimes geometry inspires me, and sometimes it is seen only after the shot is taken, in which case I consider it just a lucky shot.

Sometimes a geometric shape is not evident, but rather implied, such as a compositional triangle.

You can probably get quite a bit by reading some books on composition. One exercise we had in design school was to explore geometric shapes found in architecture, including the more common ratios, such as square, double square, 2/3, root3, etc. This won't help you much unless you are photographing a lot of geometric shapes. Besides, most lenses have enough distortion that the viewer probably won't be able to recognize the geometry unless it is obvious.

If you just want to find them and photograph them, I think it is just practice. Like every other aspect of photography.