The Power of Three

One of the tools I use for gaining hits, "likes" and reach on social media is creating and posting composites of my photographs, usually grouped by similar theme, location or subject. I've discovered that when done properly, and with a thoughtful sentence or two, "likes" and visibility can increase dramatically. Plus I just enjoy the process of sharing and inspiring.

As with composing a single landscape or nature image I choose to emphasize groupings of three. Three is a powerful number. Look around your everyday environment and you will be surprised just how often it appears, particularly when it comes to architectural design, landscaping and visual art.

Aesthetics aside, for me there is both a spiritual and a restorative essence in three. I do my best to convey that personal meaning in both the images I capture and in the postings I share. I don't come out and say the reason I do it. I just simply do it and I prefer to leave that little bit of mystery for the viewer to discover and speculate as to my reason why.

Art should never be reduced to something that becomes so homogenous that it becomes impossible to discern the work of one photographer from another. The work should always hold true to serving as the honest visual representation of what moves the artist to create in the first place. That takes courage, particularly in the age of instant sharing and the implied social pressure of social media approval.

The power of three resonates deeply with me and I don't try to hide that fact in what I compose with my camera and how I share it online. Composition, arrangement and presentation. Look closely and you will see hints at something so much more than an attractive landscape. There are stories here, stories of heart, soul and spirit.