To understand is to perceive patterns. – Isaiah Berlin
I love photographing patterns. When you practice the Art of Seeing, perceiving patterns is an important skill to have.
Life is a great tapestry. The individual is only an insignificant thread in an immense and miraculous pattern. – Albert Einstein
My all-time favorite pattern image I’ve ever captured are the flowers in the feature shot of this blog, each flower smaller than my little finger. I’ve probably published it in a blog before, but when I think of patterns in photography, this is the image that comes to my mind. We’ve all heard the phrase, “a carpet of wildflowers”. This was such a carpet. Carpets are all about patterns.
The immense and miraculous pattern of life is all around us. Just take a look.
Art is the imposing of a pattern on experience, and our aesthetic enjoyment is recognition of the pattern. – Alfred North Whitehead
Sometimes it’s fun when the pattern transcends the subject. I think this abstract image of a bare-branched tree looks like it could be not a tree, but the pattern in a marble slab.
Find beauty not only in the thing itself but in the pattern of the shadows, the light and dark which that thing provides. –Junichiro Tanizaki
Photography is, of course, all about capturing light in all its variations, and the juxtaposition of light and shadow is one way to perceive and capture patterns. I found a delightful play between my subject and the shadows reflected from it in the water in this image of Bog Bean flowers growing in a pond along the McCarthy Road this summer. Bog Bean looks pretty inconsequential when viewed from a distance, but up close the fringed flowers are exquisite.
Nature uses only the longest threads to weave her patterns, so that each small piece of her fabric reveals the organization of the entire tapestry. – Richard Feynman
Repetition is the only constant that all patterns share, and a major component in why patterns can be so aesthetically pleasing.
Though at first glance the natural world may appear overwhelming in its diversity and complexity, there are regularities running through it, from the hexagons of a honeycomb to the spirals of a seashell and the branching veins of a leaf. … -Philip Ball
Patterns are universal. Even in the most literal sense of that word. Think of the spirals of galaxies, or the patterns of stars in the sky. Those same patterns can be found in the tiniest things, too, such as the spirals of a snail’s shell or the patterns of wee flowers in a springtime meadow.
“The natural world is built upon common motifs and patterns. Recognizing patterns in nature creates a map for locating yourself in change, and anticipation what is yet to come.” – Sharon Weil
There are patterns in our lives, too, from everyday habits to the grander cycles of the seasons or the progression from birth to death.
Finding patterns is the essence of wisdom. – Dennis Prager
The better we are at recognizing and understanding patterns, the more resilient we will be, able to withstand the unexpected changes in our lives.
“There are patterns which emerge in one’s life, circling and returning anew, an endless variation of a theme”. ― Jacqueline Carey
People like patterns. They give a sense of order to what otherwise might seem to be chaos.
“Pay attention to the intricate patterns of your existence that you take for granted.” ― Doug Dillon
One of the patterns in my life is seasonal transience, like our hunter/gatherer forbears. I have been living that lifestyle for over 40 years. It is the pattern of life that makes me happy, but it is definitely not for everyone. What are the patterns of your life? Do they still make you happy?
When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge. – Tuli Kupferberg
When our patterns no longer serve us, it’s time to break free and discover new ones. If you answered “No” to that last question, you might want to consider letting go of some of the old patterns in your life.
Thank you so much to Ann-Christine, Leya, for this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, Perfect Patterns.
What a strange pattern the shuttle of life can weave. – Francis Marion
May your thread in the tapestry of life be beautiful and wonderful. Happy Holidays!
I got about 5 miles down the road, and out of nowhere, there appeared a sign – Hostel! Wow, a cheap, dry place to spend the night – and MAYBE I can try for Ruby Beach again in the morning!
