In this photo, you can see the town of Portsmouth and the sky mirrored in the middle section. But why should you use symmetry, and what effects does it evoke? If you're photographing buildings, chances are you can find some excellent symmetry photography ideas. Thank you for sharing. Reflections in mirrors, windows, shiny cars, or sunglasses could be used. And they also included horizontal and reflective symmetry … Classic painters and other fine artists have used symmetry for hundreds of years. Two objects of the same size will balance one another when presented in roughly the same place in a composition. Asymmetrical Balance. Your camera might require some setup to use the LCD instead of the viewfinder, but having that big screen on the back of the camera can be a great help. Symmetry is found everywhere in nature once you start looking for it. Symmetrical photographs may also leave empty space in the center and place two symmetrical subjects of interest on either side of the photograph. Of course, you don't need smartphone apps to do it for you. Knowing what exactly you are trying to do will help you compose your images. Events are perfect for this. A butterfly’s wings are symmetrical, or a mirror image of each other. Architects include reflecting pools and ponds to add the effect. Horizontal symmetry occurs when the image is divided between the top and bottom. Symmetrical photos as they are logically called, belongs to a kind of photography where the elements of one side of the photo are perfectly balanced by those that can be found on the other side. Symmetry occurs when parts of your composition mirror other parts. , Photo used under Creative Commons from CasualCapture, Photo used under Creative Commons from kawabata, Photo used under Creative Commons from anirvan, Photo used under Creative Commons from EugeniusD80, Photo used under Creative Commons from nosha, Photo used under Creative Commons from Yogesh Mhatre, Photo used under Creative Commons from Pierre Metivier, Photo used under Creative Commons from Eva the Weaver, Photo used under Creative Commons from clspeace, Photo used under Creative Commons from Seabamirum, Photo used under Creative Commons from 96dpi, Photo used under Creative Commons from Ron Wiecki, Photo used under Creative Commons from rAmmoRRison, Photo used under Creative Commons from D.H. This does not mean the photographer who created the image previsualized the design of their composition using such a grid. By: Guest Author; This post is part of our Rules of Composition in Photography series. Many aesthetically beautiful pictures have strong symmetry, but the two halves are not identical. Symmetry is all in the composition, and composition is an element of every photograph. But understanding the basics of what they are and why they exist is an important step to including them in your work. The viewer's eyes go up and up, giving the photographer a perfect chance to make a statement. I wanted to showcase with examples in a more practical way why an image looks pleasing to our eyes when we see it. Like the Rule of Thirds, they aren't rigid and inflexible guides. Dark objects have more apparent weight than heavy ones. Reflections with silhouettes are especially well-suited for sunsets and sunrises, as there’s enough color in the sky to make the image interesting. Even if your primary target isn't the buildings, if there are human-made objects and buildings around, including them in your photos is the perfect opportunity to capitalize on a little symmetry. The most obvious type of balance is one in which the image is identical on the left and right halves. Create your professional portfolio website easily on Pixpa in minutes without any coding knowledge. This image is almost always framed with vertical symmetry in mind for a maximally pleasing feel. It's a beautiful scene, but it can be made better by including a figure climbing one set of stairs. There's plenty of symmetry found in nature, but it's pretty easy to create it artificially too. For symmetry and patterns photography, that's a good thing because it makes you step back and view the image several times while getting the alignment and framing just right. One in which the image is almost always framed with vertical symmetry in composition like... In this photo, you can find elements of symmetry quite easily start today work on your website... Space in the sand, a flock of birds in the middle of a city! 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