Field notes · Look · Try · Compare
Noticing stripes in a photograph
Follow the width, spacing, and changing direction of stripes.
Marceline, Adventure Time · Photograph: Yenra
Captured: 2013:04:05 17:56:27
Stripes give your eye a set of edges to follow. Some are broad and bold; others sit close together and become a fine texture. On clothing, those edges curve, fold, and change direction with the fabric. Looking closely at a few examples can suggest a small experiment with an ordinary shirt, scarf, or piece of striped cloth.
Notice the width and spacing
The red-and-dark bands across this sweater make broad horizontal shapes. Behind the figure, metal cables run vertically. Follow a band across the torso, then look at one of the cables. Their different directions give you two paths through the photograph.
The raised arm changes the pattern's direction. The stripes belong to a garment that bends and turns, so they do more than repeat across a flat surface. Notice where a band continues around a fold or disappears at an edge. Those changes can help you see the shape of the clothing.
Begin your own study with a comfortable, familiar setting. Lay a striped scarf on a table or ask a willing partner to wear a striped top. Look at the width of the bands and the spaces between them. Then notice the edges in the background. A small change in viewpoint may bring a stripe beside a contrasting line, or give it more open space.
Follow stripes across a surface
Portrait in a black-and-white striped top · Photograph: Yenra
Captured: 2014:04:06 11:32:41
In this closer portrait, the black-and-white stripes sit much nearer together. Their repetition makes a finer pattern across the top. The straps introduce another direction, while a shoulder and the edge of the garment interrupt the repeated bands.
Try following one stripe as far as you can see it. Where does the surface bend? Where does the pattern meet a seam or leave the frame? Looking at these small changes can reveal structure that is easy to pass over when you first notice the whole outfit.
These photographs show different people and clothing. Each is a separate example to explore. With your own fabric, try a wider view and a closer one. Compare when the stripes read as individual bands and when they begin to feel like a texture. Choose the distance that lets you enjoy the relationship you noticed.
Watch direction change with a gesture
Kaito, Matryoshka, Vocaloid · Photograph: Yenra
Captured: 2014:04:05 18:52:57
Three white stripes follow the blue sleeve toward the bent arm and gloved hand. The gesture brings that pattern near the face. Trace the stripes, pause at the bend, and notice where your eye travels next.
For a portrait experiment, invite your partner to choose a relaxed arm position. Make a starting picture, then try one small change together. The angle of a sleeve can alter the direction of its stripes, while a change in framing can alter how much of that path you see.
Review the pictures with a specific question: where does the pattern lead my attention? You may enjoy a stripe that points toward the face, a bend that echoes a nearby shape, or an arrangement that feels pleasantly unexpected. Keep one version and write a sentence about the detail you would like to explore again.
Look back with curiosity.
- Which stripe or group of stripes catches your eye first?
- Where does the pattern change direction?
- How do nearby shapes support or contrast with the stripes?
Keep exploring
Noticing patterns around a portrait · Finding rhythm in repeated shapes · Seeing clothing as shape
Browse the complete Tekko 2013 and Tekko 2014 galleries.