Symmetry - what is it?  In simple terms, this is where the two sides of a photograph are equally balanced if you split it down the middle.  Or perhaps it is when there is a balance achieved because both sides of the image hold equal weight.  Wondering what this actually means?  Well - maybe it's as simple as looking at these two birds - both staring at each other.  Actually, this is a mirror image of the same bird but using photoshop it was 'flipped' so the bird is now looking at itself.  Symmetry - draw a line down the middle of this photo of the birds and you will have a mirror image on each half of the photograph.

Nature's symmetric dog face

Let's look at this with respect to a pet photograph.  In the world of dogs - some have very symmetric faces as they are primarily one color.  But for those that aren't, such as this husky - nature provided Colt with a pretty symmetric face. If you're looking for a husky, he may still be available through Maxx and Me Pet Rescue (www.maxxandme.org) in Tampa, Florida.

Creating a symmetrical dog face

What happens if we take a dog's face that has very distinctive markings and create a symmetrical face? Does it look natural? A little eerie? or perhaps a little off?  Well - that's for you to decide.  This dog had a very distinctive white mark on one side of it's face. Using Photoshop, I created another copy of the dogs face, flipped it and then created a duplicate (or mirror) image on the other half of the dog's face.  Hence, we created a symmetrical face for this dog in an imaginary world.

That's it for this week's pet photography blog.  For more pet photographers sharing their take on this theme, head over to visit Tracy Allard of Penny Whistle Photography fetching pet and family portraits in Coppell, Carrollton and the greater Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex.

If you would like to book a custom pet portrait session, send an email to [email protected] or give us a call/text Linda at 813-610-2671 in the Tampa Bay area (Florida).