When similar shapes, lines, or colours are repeated at more or less
regular intervals, they create patterns. I’ve seen an abundance of
these patterns, both natural and man-made, surrounding us – cars in a
parking lot, people lined up for a movie, a row of pine trees. You can
use these repeating forms to imbue a photograph with a sense of
orderliness and harmony that is as pleasing to the eye as a melodious
refrain is to the ear.

At the same time, the rhythmic effect of pattern can convey deeper
feelings about the subjects in the picture. The pattern formed by the
windows of the skyscraper eloquently expresses the repetitive
rhythm. In the disorderly placements of bark on the tree trunk, we
sense the unpredictable pattern of nature.

Because patterns are strong visual forces that give harmony and unity

to a picture, even the merest suggestion of a pattern can be eye-
catching. This is especially true when the elements come together by

chance.