Hello, photography friends! I wanted to share a new discovery I've been having while shooting lately. I realized that taking a good photo isn't just about looking at the subject; it's about seeing the lines and patterns that naturally guide the viewer's eye. When you look for lines, simple objects become instant art!

These three recent pictures show exactly how you can use simple lines and shapes to bring a photo to life.

Following the Flow: Lines in Nature

This close-up of the leaf is pure geometry and pattern.

What I Found: The smooth, light-colored veins aren't just details; they act like natural leading lines. They start small and branch out, pulling your eye across the entire green surface. This pattern creates a sense of order and balance. By filling the whole frame, you make the leaf feel large and complex, turning a simple object into a vibrant, abstract piece of art.

Simple Shapes: Combining Two Centers of Attention

This picture uses simplicity and strong lines to connect the earth and the sky.

What I Found: The white stone spire is full of repeating patterns and vertical lines that draw your attention up. The bright blue sky provides a massive amount of clean negative space, which forces your eye to jump between the two subjects: the dark pigeon on the pinnacle and the distant crescent moon. The clean vertical composition makes the temple feel grand and powerful, while the moon adds a quiet sense of scale.

The Pop of Color: Focusing on the Pattern

This photo is a great lesson in making a tiny subject demand attention.

What I Found: I used shallow depth of field—meaning all the background (the grass and soft leaves) is blurred. This immediately directs all focus onto the insect. The jewel beetle itself is a marvel of color and pattern—the metallic greens, blues, and yellow spots are intensely vibrant. By isolating the beetle this way, its tiny, complex pattern gets to be the absolute star of the shot.

What I'm Taking Away

I learned that composition is easy when you stop looking for things and start looking for lines that move the eye, and patterns that bring a sense of design.

• Lines: Veins, edges, or shadows that guide the eye across the frame.
• Patterns: Repeating shapes (like the temple spires or the veins) that bring order.
• Simplicity: Using a clean background to make your subject's pattern truly shine.

Sometimes, these little discoveries feel like finding hidden messages in the world, don't they?