Symmetry in photographic composition
“Symmetry is the most basic and enduring aspect of beauty. Use symmetry to convey balance, harmony, and stability. Use simple symmetrical forms when recognition and recall are important, and more complex combinations when aesthetics and interestingness are important.”
Universal Principles of Design, Lidwell et all 2003
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Reflection symmetry
Water, windows and mirrors present opportunities to capture natural reflections. On my quest to see the midnight sun in Norway this year I discovered that the 24 hour daylight often gives perfectly calm conditions at one or two in the morning. This is a 3-image panorama stitched in Lightroom; the reflection is entirely natural and was not created in post-processing:
Emma Davies, 2022
Rotational symmetry
When elements rotate around a central point they create designs that are complex and pleasing. In my online camera club this month we had Julieanne Kost from Adobe as a guest speaker and she shared her “smokeflake” Photoshop technique which uses this principle to create intriguing and unique pieces.
Start with a photograph of steam or smoke and then follow the steps in her short video below.
Translational symmetry
“Translational symmetry” is a complicated way of saying “repetition” but is a legitimate form of symmetry. When one element of a scene is repeated without being rotated or reflected, translational symmetry is the pleasing result:
