Two Up

So there is ‘The Rule of Odds’. Which says photographing items in odd number multiples is a secret recipe for success. One, three, five, seven... etc. Yet there are so many famous photographs of pairs. The Dianne Arbus series of ‘Twins’ comes instantly to mind. Why? How? You ask.  

Exactly.  This weeks exercise is so we can figure this out.

Whatever you photograph this week, find a pair and experiment with them. Try some of these different combinations, which I will list now:

1. Both taking an equal part in the composition. 

2.  One being dominant, visually over the other. You can do this by varying their size, and have one closer to the camera, one in sharper focus, or one more blurred, one obscuring part of the other (see my included example of Pandas).

3. Compose for balance between the two.

4. Compose for imbalances between the two.

You can explore any subjects you like. Some suggestions:

• Two identical flowers

• Two people

• Two dogs  

• Two balls

• A pair of shoes

• A pair of hands

• A pair of eyes

• Two windows  

• Two cars

• A pair of forks

I am sure you get the idea. Now if you were to choose two dogs, they would need to be the similar size otherwise I don’t think you will really start to understand what’s going on between the two. So choose something reasonably identical to make it easier. But, as always, without a learning risk, little is gained. If you choose balls, perhaps you could experiment with their size.

I recommend you try this exercise with a couple of different pairs of subjects. So you may like try with the two dogs, two apples and two flowers. 

When posting, post only your resolved photographs. The ones that you think work. Let’s see if we can figure out why each one works. This is a great opportunity to analyse and comment on the work of others. Why do they work? Is it an impossible task? 

Two Pandas.  Cradle Mountain Tasmania.  

Two Tulips. Leura

Photograph and text copyright © Len Metcalf 2019