Assignment 4: Patterns and Textures

Previous Assignment: Illusions and Reflections

One of the things that makes photography very interesting is the ability to capture patterns and textures. Usually, the human eye ignores them, just passing them over as a mishmash. But when you freeze them into a photograph, they can be very compelling.

A repeating pattern can be very pleasing to the eye, as you will see in the examples.

This assignment will incorporate (or can incorporate) all that you've learned in the previous assignments. It will also force you to focus perfectly. If your focus isn't in the right place, it will ruin the picture, at least for the texture portion of the assignment.

Again, you will probably do the best work here if you work in black and white, although color can be compelling as well.

Here are a few examples of interesting patterns:




Note how, on all of these pictures, your eye doesn't want to leave the frame. It just wants to go around and around and see everything in it over and over again. This is one of the most basic composition strategies, and your goal should always be to capture the eye, move it around the frame, and never direct it outside the frame.

And here are a few examples of interesting textures:


(Note on the second one, however, that it's washed out a bit. Avoid this if possible.)



Did you notice how you can almost feel these pictures? That's what you need to go for when you're shooting textures!

Also, did you notice how I've used some of these pictures as examples before? That's part of what I'm trying to teach here. You should try to use what you've learned in each assignment and apply it to all the others. If you combine more than one trick you've learned in the same photo, you may surprise yourself at how good the results will be!

Now, go out, shoot, and share!

Next Assignment: Action!