43 Natural Wallpaper

Elgol, Scotland

HBL 500 C/M,
150MM, F/5.6,
SEC.

Homogenous surfaces and repeating patterns that appear in various forms of nature are rewarding subjects for photographs. When such a photograph is artfully composed, it can be difficult to discern the subject in the image or its scale. As a photographer, you shouldn’t shy away from these ambiguities. In fact, I suggest just the opposite; an image that obviously comes from the natural world but is difficult to pin down can be very refreshing. The image then becomes an intricate graphic or pattern. This example shows a one-square-yard area of a cliff on Scotland’s west coast. I can only infer that a combination of salt water and a rock type prone to erosion gave rise to this pattern. In any case, it will leave the viewer scratching his or h....