Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Chapter Sixteen Visual and Multimedia Storytelling 493 subject seem powerless or struggling. Low angle shots can make them seem daunting, imposing or threatening. Experiment with angles to give your audience fresh perspectives. Framing Framing Skilled photographers frame shots using elements within the environment. Shooting through a window, through a barbed wire fence or into a mirror can provide drama to your image. The frame focuses your viewer’s eye where you want it to go (Figure 16.8). Patterns and Symmetry Patterns and Symmetry You are surrounded by symmetry—man-made symmetry, such as a house with two identical windows fl anking a centered door, and natural symmetry, such as the walls of a narrow canyon. This repetition of shapes can make strong, interesting shots. Patterns surround us in similar ways, sometimes in obvious places like fabric curtains or brick walkways, and sometimes in more surprising places, like people waiting in line who coincidentally wear alternating colors. The journalistic power of symmetry and pattern comes when the pattern is broken by an unexpected element (Figure 16.9). Our eye is drawn to a singular red coat in a sea of gray, or the pink-haired student in a cafeteria mob of neutral colors, or when all the adults are saluting to the left and a child kneels to the right watching ladybugs. Figure 16.8 Keep your eyes open for opportunities to frame your subjects within the photograph. What are other common objects that could be used to frame subjects? Photo by Stefano Byer, The Harbinger, Shawnee Mission East High School Figure 16.9 Santa’s red suit stands out in the sea of black and blue choral outfits and draws the eye to him. Photo by Danielle Norton, Hauberk, Shawnee Mission East High School