Results and Feedback for the "Patterns" Weekly Photography Assignment

[keithsnell]

Thank you to everyone that participated in the "Patterns" assignment.  I was very impressed with the submissions this week, which I thought included several "exhibition quality" images.  Great work!  I hope everyone had as much fun "playing" with this assignment as I did.

This assignment was more of an exercise in "seeing" interesting patterns around us, and presenting those patterns to the viewer in a pleasing composition.  As I mentioned in the assignment description, it is often thought that patterns appeal to viewers because of our innate desire to find order in the world around us.  Exercising our ability to "see" and present these patterns in our images strengthens our compositional skills and adds another powerful technique to our repertoire.

Naomi's Nature's Pattern was a beautiful image, and I appreciate that she told us how she processed the image.  Although the frame around the image adds an interesting effect, I felt that it "interrupted" the pattern before it had a chance to complete, and wondered what the image would have looked like without the frame.  This was a very beautiful image, expertly processed.  It's good to see Naomi back with us again.

Nature's Pattern
Photographed by Naomi

It was Rebecca that noticed (and commented) that the shadows reinforced the pattern in Alan's [Ribot's] image Can't Remember if I was Coming or Going.  She made a very good point.  I don't think the pattern would have been as strong, or the image as effective, if it had been photographed at a different time of day.  This was an important reminder to pay attention to shadows (easily overlooked) when we are composing our images. 

Can't Remember if I was Coming or Going
Photographed by Alan Albrecht [Ribot]

Based on her submissions to this and other assignments, I'd have to say that one of Joyce's [csrdrunner] "signature" techniques is very effective use of linear perspective to evoke a sense of depth in her images.  Her images very effectively draw the viewer into the scene, and guide them through the foreground and middle into the distance.  Compositions that invite the viewer into the scene add a "cognitive" depth to the image that invites us to linger and imagine what it was like "being there."  When I view Joyce's Last Rays image, I don't just see the view under the pier, but also imagine the surrounding seascape and sound and smell of the surf.  Oh, and nice use of a repeating "pattern" too

Last Rays
Photographed by Joyce [csrdrunner]

Congratulations to Joyce, whose Count as You Go image received the most votes for People's Choice.  This was a wonderful composition of several repeating patterns that drew the viewer far into the image.  It was interesting to note that this image was taken with a 2.5 second exposure, so obviously it would have been impossible without the use of a sturdy tripod or camera support.  I've awarded this image Editor's Choice for Artistic and Technical Merit.

Count As You Go
Photographed by Joyce [csrdrunner]

Lars' Beats Me image was one that made me smile.  During a recent conversation we had following the "Abstract" assignment, Lars mentioned that his inspiration came from Salvador Dali's "surrealists" works.  You can thank Lars for coming up with a great topic for our next weekly assignment.  I was thinking about "Surprise" as a topic, but have decided instead on "Surrealism."  I think this will be another very fun assignment, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Lars comes up with next.

Beats Me
Photographed by Lars

My Rusty Grid image was one of those "blend into the background" sort of scenes (part of an old junk pile) that you wouldn't notice unless you were purposely looking for "patterns."  I was on a walk with my 3-year old son and 8-month old daughter, and so my challenge was trying to take a decent image with my daughter bouncing in my arms and trying to grab the camera.   I liked the way this seemingly simple pattern "evolved" throughout the image, and the 3-D effect the shadows lent to the scene.

Rusty Grid
Photographed by Keith

Rick's [trvlrick] image submissions were great examples of finding patterns in everyday items.  I was impressed by the way Rick controlled the lighting, using soft side-lighting to emphasize the textures and patterns, and using a black background to eliminate distractions.  This image could have benefited from a little more sharpening in post processing in order to bring out the texture and patterns even more.

Bodie's Dog Toy
Photographed by Rick [trvlrick]

Thank you to everyone that participated in the "Patterns" assignment.  There were several "exhibition class" images submitted for this weeks assignment.  I'm impressed!

Viewers are encouraged to respond to this thread describing why you like a particular image, or think it was particularly successful at meeting the guidelines of the assignment.

Keith