Symmetry
Video: Symmetry
Challenge level
DIFFICULT
MODERATE
EASY
Main subject and supporting elements you might need
Good for scenes such as architecture, landscapes, and object groups with the main subject in the middle and mirror elements on the left and right.
Symmetry
If your aim in photography is to create an image that is appealing to friends, family, and followers on your social media accounts, don’t depend on luck. A good image comes about through thoughtfulness and planning. A chaotic image won’t generate many ‘likes.’ People like freedom in their lives, but in photography, they prefer a sense of order and structure. They like a well-composed image, and this comes about from the careful arrangement of objects within a scene. Keeping things simple is often the best, and the simplest of all the artistic composition rules use the principle of symmetry.
What is Symmetry?
When an image has symmetry, it means one side is the same as the next one. There’s an imaginary line running through the center of the image, and one half is a reflection of the other. This is called reflectional symmetry because that imaginary line is like a mirror.
Examples of Symmetry
A symmetrical photo is admired for its classical style of balance. It’s no wonder that tourists stop and stare at Greek temples, French palaces, and English castles. They are all examples of line symmetry that exude feelings of strength and majesty. Temples have a repeating pattern of columns, palaces have hundreds of windows in a row, and castles have a series of tall towers—and in each of these examples, the symmetry is used to suggest power and grandeur. Even the gardens of monarchs often feature perfectly placed vegetable plots, corridors of clipped hedges, and trees trimmed into aesthetically pleasing shapes. It’s beautiful, but it also shows an attitude of control over the environment. In a positive way, symmetry does this for the composition of your photos: it gives you control over the outcome.
How to Use Symmetry to Make a Statement
On an iPhone, the Wise Camera app has a symmetry composition tool made by crossing a vertical and horizontal line. Positioning your subject along one of those lines makes the image steady and peaceful. Depending on the style of photo you are taking, you can use either of these mirror lines to compose your image. The vertical line is useful for portraits of people. Place it down the center of their body to show how each side of the image is similar. This style of photo works best when the background is the same in each area as well. A close-up photo of a person’s face is a great version of symmetry. Having the vertical line running between their eyes and down their nose makes a perfect mirror image effect. The vertical line is also useful for pictures of buildings where the left and right sides are symmetrical. Position the line through the middle of the building to show its structural integrity.
Use the horizontal line in situations where the top half and lower half reflect each other. This is often found in landscapes, especially when there are reflections on still lakes. After heavy rain, colorful street scenes reflected on wet city roads create another mirror image that is rewarded by the strategic placement of the horizontal line. Any type of reflective surface, such as puddles, ponds, and polished cars, provides the mirroring effect that is perfect for symmetrical composition. The glass and chrome of modern architecture also produce reflections that are fantastic for portraits. Have your subjects rest their back against the surface of one of these buildings and ask them to turn their face towards you. Don’t bother taking a basic photo when you can use mirrors to create a symmetrical, stylish, fine art portrait instead. Look for reflective surfaces next time you walk through city streets and note some locations for future shoots with friends.
When you place your subject in the center of the iPhone’s screen, you give the image a strong sense of purpose. It stands out as the feature subject because the viewer has nowhere else to look. It’s a form of composition that has a lot of stability. It’s not the best choice for action or lifestyle shots, but it’s perfect for portraits where the subject is directly facing the camera, for close-ups of human and animal faces, abstracts, architecture, and macro photography.
Editing for Symmetry
In street photography, sometimes photo opportunities arise before you are ready for them. Whenever this occurs, don’t hesitate, shoot first and edit later! Imagine the scene of two businessmen in grey suits facing each other while shaking hands. After snapping the photo, you might realize they were standing mirror-image to each other. Unfortunately, because it was not noticed at the time, you weren’t able to take advantage of this form of composition and didn’t line them up in the middle of the frame. This is when the Wise Photos app becomes a handy editing tool. Open the app and crop your image, so the men’s hands meet at the centerline of the symmetry option. You will create a fantastic photo with a powerful and compelling focus point.
Symmetry is an under-used composition tool. Some photographers avoid it because they think it is too simple, but I cannot entirely agree. Using this artistic composition rule with intention stops it from being boring and shows thoughtfulness instead. There are many genres of photography where symmetry can be used with creative effect, so grab your camera and go hunting for subjects that benefit from the mirror-line composition.
Conclusion
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Photography, like any other art form, is deeply rooted in storytelling. Unlike music, movies, and books, which unfold their narratives over time, photography captures a single moment. Through artistic composition, we can guide the viewer's eye across the scene, effectively telling our story with an image.
Positioning the main subject in the center of the scene, using a large portion of the frame, conveys a message of omnipotent power. This intentional placement ensures the viewer's eyes are immediately drawn to the center to possibly admire the main subject. The tilt of your camera, vertically up or down, can emphasize the height of the main subject or its grandeur.
By having similar supporting elements on the left and right of the main subject, a sense of order and control is created, elevating the subject's status of power while achieving balance. This symmetrical arrangement not only captivates the viewer but also subtly guides their emotional response to the imagery.
Is this the story you wish to tell? If so, then employing symmetry in your artistic composition will serve as a powerful tool, allowing you to tell it with both visual harmony and impactful precision.
Storytelling Corner
