Frame…Symmetrical

   The framing of this symmetrical photograph was made near a parking lot where thousands of people come to visit Zion National Park in Utah. Upon seeing these two trees my first impulse was to admire their shapes and proximity. But before I could recognize the beauty of their shapes I removed the name or label of the object to see clearly the undulating shape. It is a practice of being aware and sensitive to the concepts of visual design and the aesthetics of photography.

“Two Parking Lot Trees”, Zion National Park, Utah, 2000

   Awareness of interesting shapes starts before lifting the camera viewfinder to the eye. Photographers are no different than other visual artists. They seek a resolution to shape and form. Whether rock, tree or urban geometry; photographers constantly search the horizon looking for interesting objects because of their shapes. Photographers constantly exchange the name or label of the object for a found treasure of shape and form. Being aware of primary (circle, square, triangles) and secondary shapes (ovals, rectangles) helps to see order and stability in two-dimensional compositions.

The eye, like a grazing animal, feels its way over the surface.
… Paul Klee

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