10 Cool Geometric Photography Ideas to Try Today

Geometric photography involves discovering and capturing the geometry present in our surroundings through visual representation. By utilising our cameras, we transform geometric elements into impactful and vibrant images.

This article will explore ten concepts to help you begin your journey into geometric photography.

Understanding Geometric Photography

Remember studying geometry in school? No need to search for your old math textbooks; all you require is your camera.

I always found the way shapes fit together to form spaces intriguing. While I wasn't particularly skilled in math, my fascination with shapes led me to explore photography.

Lines, circles, spheres, and triangles. Nearly every physical aspect of the world is constructed from geometric shapes. In photography, geometric visuals highlight striking shapes and patterns.

Geometric photography is commonly seen in architectural imagery, producing abstract images. However, geometric shapes can also be applied in other photography genres.

Elements of geometric photography can be found in styles such as minimalism, fine art, and fashion photography. Geometric street photography is currently popular, and urban landscapes offer a plethora of geometric shapes to capture.

Lead With Lines

When you begin observing, you will discover lines all around you. Whether bold, thin, wavy, or sharp, there are numerous varieties of lines. These lines can be utilized to enhance the structure in geometric photography. The geometry of lines aids in visualizing our environment, defining space, momentum, and emphasis. Lines play a crucial role in both conceptual and physical designs, offering a framework for ideas and experiences.

In photography, lines can serve as the main focus, conveying emotions through shape and form. Leading lines create a visual pathway for the viewer, guiding their attention through the image. Horizontal and vertical lines help orient us within a picture. Lines are an integral part of geometric photography, forming the foundation of this visual art.

Repeat Yourself

Repetition is the act of repeating a subject multiple times to enhance its impact within an image. By identifying geometric shapes that repeat and form patterns in your images, you can highlight the geometry within the composition. This technique adds rhythm and structure to your geometric photography, making the shapes an integral part of the visual story.

Utilizing geometric patterns in repetition is particularly powerful as it makes a strong visual statement and guides the viewer's focus. Look for elements like brick walls, windows, tiles, and flowers to emphasize geometric qualities and create visual interest.

Suggest Symmetry

Symmetry refers to the visual balance of one or more elements in a composition, whether occurring naturally or through deliberate arrangement. This concept is often associated with the geometric characteristics of an image, providing a visually and psychologically pleasing effect. Symmetry contributes to a harmonious flow in a composition.

Attaining symmetry in an image does not require perfection. It can be achieved by incorporating reflections in glass or water, or by identifying similar geometric shapes in compositions. Simply suggesting evenly distributed geometric elements across an image can create the impression of symmetry, evoking a sense of visual balance.

Use Color

Colour plays a crucial role in enhancing geometric images by capturing the viewer's attention. Moreover, colour holds a deeper, psychological significance, as different colours evoke distinct emotional responses. For instance, red conveys passion, while blue signifies tranquillity. By incorporating colour, you add another layer of experience to geometric photography.

Integrating colour theory into your work adds depth and significance to your geometric photography. Employing various colour schemes can create stronger emotional connections, as exemplified by Turkish photographer Yener Torun in the image below. Colour can also help your images stand out.

Geometric shapes offer a canvas for introducing vibrant colour blocks. These colours can accentuate geometric patterns and shapes, introducing new dimensions to architectural photography. They enhance the solidity of blocks and lines, breathing life into abstract scenes.

Try Black and White

Black and white photography doesn't rely on colour for attention, instead, it emphasizes shape and form. The contrast between black and white is essential in creating dynamic shapes and lines, rather than blocks of color. Strong shapes can be found in black-and-white compositions, along with contrasting shades of grey.

Black and white photography. This type of photography focuses on the interplay of light and dark, capturing the areas where light meets shadows to form a world of shapes around you.

Go Textural

Texture is the physical quality that defines how an image feels, allowing viewers to engage with a photograph on a tactile level. Whether rough, smooth, wrinkled, or slippery, most subjects possess distinctive textural characteristics. Geometric subjects offer a variety of textures.

Polished metallic surfaces convey a sense of sleekness and contemporary style, while weathered geometric architecture can evoke a rough and aged feel. The rough texture of old bricks can almost be felt. Additionally, geometric elements can be utilized to showcase texture effectively, enhancing each textural aspect by segmenting the image into easily understandable parts.

Minimalist

Minimalism takes a less-is-more approach to art, utilizing a limited number of elements along with negative space to provide each subject with room to breathe. This artistic style favours geometric shapes and lines, often incorporating singular or repetitive forms such as squares, rectangles, or triangles. In photography, minimalism creates imagery that is stripped down to essentials, minimizing distractions and emphasizing the subject.

Over time, minimalism has evolved and can be observed across various photography genres. Geometric minimalism, in particular, remains a consistent theme, seeking to capture the beauty of geometric patterns through careful isolation and composition.

Get Some Perspective

Perspective plays a crucial role in a photographer's tool kit, often distinguishing between a mundane and a captivating image. It involves the spatial relationship between the photographer and the subject, allowing you to guide the viewer's entry point into the photograph.

By adjusting perspective, you can alter the visual experience significantly. For instance, shooting from ground level versus from above a subject looking down can produce entirely different results. In geometric photography, ordinary subjects are depicted in various situations and settings. Experimenting with camera placement in relation to geometric subjects can lead to unique and compelling perspectives.

Investigate Organic/Inorganic Subjects

In geometric visual art, shapes and lines are categorized as either organic or inorganic. Organic geometry is characterized by a flowing, relaxed, and smooth appearance, often found in natural surroundings. In contrast, inorganic geometry is typically sharp, dynamic, and man-made. Differentiating between the two can emphasize the underlying themes of a geometric image. Opting for inorganic geometric elements can convey a sense of modernity or vigour,

while choosing organic geometry may evoke feelings of tranquillity or connection to nature. However, there are instances where these two types can blend harmoniously. The flow or origin of the geometric elements in the composition will determine the overall mood of the image.

Find Geometry in Architecture

One of the most popular subjects in geometry is architecture. Throughout ancient history, humans have relied on man-made structures for shelter. These buildings have transformed into symbols of artistry and innovation in human habitation. Capturing the geometric elements in architectural photography reflects our inclination towards order and highlights the intricate designs of both historical and contemporary constructions. It showcases how the essential function of providing shelter can also be transformed into a form of artistic expression.

Geometric photography can concentrate on specific buildings or even zoom in on a particular architectural detail. Alternatively, one can explore geometric patterns in cityscape photography, where bold shapes and sharp lines dominate. Urban environments provide an ideal backdrop for photographers interested in geometric compositions.

Conclusion

Geometric photography attracts individuals interested in exploring the aesthetic aspects of the physical world by capturing lines and shapes present in both organic and inorganic environments. By emphasizing geometry, one can produce captivating photographs, reflecting the human inclination to organize and understand our visual surroundings.