Shapes and Symmetry

Geometric Shapes

A picture showing predominantly geometric shapes is a picture that shows shapes that can be described by words like square, circle, or oval.

This picture, of the St. Louis arch, shows predominantly geometric shapes because the main subject of the photo, the arch, is a geometric shape.  I like this photo because of the yellow tint the photo has.  The photo has this tint because I took it after dark.  To get the image, I took an eight second exposure.  This allowed me to take a bright picture at night.  The yellow tint is caused by the lights of St. Louis reflecting off of the clouds.

Organic Shapes

A picture showing predominantly organic shapes is a picture of shapes that cannot be described with names like square circle or oval.

This picture shows the maple leaves in my back yard.  This picture shows organic shapes because the shapes in the pictures cannot be described with words like square.  I like this picture because of the bright colors of the leaves.  The reds and oranges give the picture a warm feeling.

Symmetrical Balance

A picture showing symmetrical balance is a picture that is the same on both sides.

This picture is of a building downtown photographed in the fog.  This picture shows symmetrical balence because the picture is the same on both sides.  I like this picture because the building looks like it is disappearing into the sky.

Asymmetrical Balance

A picture showing asymmetrical balance shows a subject that is not evenly balanced.  Asymmetrical balance is the opposite of symmetrical balance.

This picture is of an apartment building in downtown Portland.  The picture shows asymmetrical balance because of the fire escape on the left side of the building.  I like this photo because of the cars in front of the building.  This helps to show how tall the building really is.

Radial Balance

A picture showing radial balance shows something that radiates out from a center point.

This picture is of a fountain in Tanner Springs Park.  The picture shows radial balance because the cobblestones look like they are radiating out from the center of the fountain.  I like this picture because from this angle, the fountain looks like a "male" symbol.