Feline Symmetry, Balanced Frames and a Film Recommendation!

Welcome to the weekly Light Stalking community wrap!

Symmetry is one of those familiar themes in visual communication, however, its origin is more artificial than natural. Perfect symmetry is scarce in nature, and we humans seek to achieve it with our creations. On the other hand, everything sort of fits under asymmetry but just a few occurrences work it out.

Last week we started a new set on this symmetry and asymmetry. Luckily for us, Tersha gave us some guidelines for achieving this theme via a strategy. From there on, our talented members enriched the thread with their own perspectives.

Balancing a frame is a challenge, crowded scenes deliver distractions and empty pictures feel kind of dull. Feel free to contribute to the still open call for images. And remember, try looking for geometry, lighting, composition, nature, alignment and reflections as suggested before.

And if you need some inspiration, try diving into the work of renowned cinematographers (aka photography directors) like John Alcott and Robert Yeoman. If you feel alternative and adventurous, try finding The Colour of Pomegranates from filmmaker Sergei Parajanov.

Photo of the Week

The visual impact on this shot is notorious, you can feel the tension between these furry fellas! The crop is exquisite, it gives the precise amount of visual elements for us to enjoy the symmetry holding this frame. Not a perfect reflection of course, but a nice amount of symmetrical nature for sure. And what can I say about this bold exposure move? Fantastic, right on spot! It almost feels like an h-key shot, but with texture not going away; brilliant.

copyright – Wendy P

Thanks Wendy, thanks for giving such an example of what symmetry and balance is all about.

Weekly Photography Challenge Digest

Thanks Tersha and Dahlia for pushing our creative boundaries one step forward every week!

copyright – Rose Marie
copyright – Tersha
copyright – Wendy P
copyright – Wendy P
copyright – Elin Laxdal
copyright – Elin Laxdal
copyright – Wendy P
copyright – Tersha

For contributing, check out the original challenge post!

A Highlight on the Latest Activity at our Community

beth shared a fantastic shot of a hard-working mr. beaver, look at the reflection on its fur:

copyright – beth

she also indulged our sight with the Waterton Lakes in Canada,

around 9 on a wonderfully cloudy night 100s ii & 45-100mm lens @ 60mm, cropped to x-pan ratio in post.  1/50 sec, f/4.5, iso 800 with a tripod.

copyright – beth

And Light and Shadow shared this poetic frame:

copyright – Light and Shadow

Late September, hurricane Helene came through the North Carolina mountains, causing catastrophic damage to many communities and cities. The Blue Ridge Parkway was closed for several weeks but this section opened while we were visiting and stopped to view the vistas that were accessible. I have multiple seasons of this tree. The shapes of dead branches always attract me. Autumn colours were past peak and the midday light didn’t lend itself to full colour though I also have the shot that way.

Don't forget to check the photo contest winners for the Unseen Perspective; and remember, this month's photo contest is now open for entries. The theme is “Symmetry and Asymmetry“. Submit your photos for a chance to win $250 and please don't forget to vote as well.

If you want to make the most of your LightStalking user account, make sure to check the latest posts. Also, don't forget to swim the Mobile Monday Challenge! Last but not least, Check out the current reading throwdown, it has some nice insights and recommendations!

We'd Love To Hear Your Thoughts

Our Feedback Forum is a fine place for all those people wanting to grow fast as photographers. Here, you'll get your work reviewed by well-intended photographers, but you'll also have the chance to comment on the work of others. We believe in the power of feedback, and here are the latest shots shared in the pool:

The Shark Tank is a great place to learn and to discuss, but please read the instructions in order to get a better experience. Share your comments, opinions and doubts on any or all of the images above. We also will be delighted to see some of your own images. Remember all comments are given to the photographs; not the photographers. Also, don't forget to participate in our upcoming challenge!

Share:  

About Author

Federico has a decade of experience in documentary photography, and is a University Professor in photography and research methodology. He's a scientist studying the social uses of photography in contemporary culture who writes about photography and develops documentary projects. Other activities Federico is involved in photography are curation, critique, education, mentoring, outreach and reviews. Get to know him better here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *