Photographing Patterns Effectively

Patterns occur everywhere in nature and even in urban environments. Try looking for a pleasing repetition of shapes—pay attention to the manner in which the elements are spaced across the scene.

if your subjects are multicoloured and you want to bring out a certain colour, adjust the White Balance of your camera accordingly. here the colour blue has been hightlighted to bring out its vibrancy.

When you photograph a pattern, make sure that you fill your frame with it. Try to avoid including any background element as it might take away from the dynamism of the pattern. Invariably, this will also increase the emphasis on the size and number of elements in the frame.

A macro or telephoto zoom lens will be your camera’s perfect companion to shoot such repetitions. A macro lens will help you highlight the intricate miniature patterns of nature, while a telephoto zoom will help you to zoom in closer and fill the frame. In this particular image, a focal length of 60mm was used to photograph the bees up close. You need to remember that for shots like this keeping everything in sharp focus is important. To achieve this, set your aperture to f/8 or higher.

—Suprabhat Giria