Photographic Repetition

Transamerica Building, San Francisco

"A master painting has multiple repeating threads running through it. These hold the painting together and unify it in much the same way a great symphony is tied together by a repeated main theme. Variety in these repeated elements, as in music, adds interest to the painting. Repetition, variety, unity, harmony are characteristics of all great symphonies and of all great paintings." (Barry John Raybould)

Old style Overtaken by the Modern

Repetition has long been a staple of any artistic medium. The uniformity soothes us. We like it when everything is organized, and lined up. Of course repetition has many uses. It can be used as the subject itself, as in the above photo of the Transamerica Building in San Francisco. Or this photo on the right that juxtaposes the repetition of the sleak modern architecture with it's singular recurring pattern, and the early modern building and its many recurring patterns in the center.

Roast Duck

Repetition can also be used to draw attention to your subject. The Photograph on the left is so cluttered with reflections, that without there being multiple ducks hanging in the window, the viewer might not know that the duck was the subject of the photograph. (Now granted, I could have used a polarizer to clear up the reflections, but I wanted the chaos of it, I wanted it to be a "through the shop window" kinda thing.)

Chinatown

Repetition does not have to be the exact same thing being repeated. In this photograph on the left, the cars, and the buildings are the repetition that create a path through the image.
Repetition can also provide a frame of reality in a surrealist view. The photo below uses the reflections in the window of a building to show a distorted view of other buildings. I used the buildings repetitive architectural cues to provide a counterbalance to the distortions.

Reflection in San Francisco

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