A couple years ago, I watched an interesting show on Discovery or National Geographic or some such channel; it was about beauty. Basically, they were trying to come up with a scientific explanation for why certain things (or more specifically, people) are more beautiful than others. Thier conclusion was that the single biggest factor in determining beauty was symmetry.
Paul Graham, in his classic essay Taste for Makers, says "Good design uses symmetry. I think symmetry may just be one way to achieve simplicity, but it's important enough to be mentioned on its own. Nature uses it a lot, which is a good sign."
Graham goes on to say, "The danger of symmetry, and repetition especially, is that it can be used as a substitute for thought." Maybe it's a good thing the water level is pretty much back to normal now up at Big Bear Lake; it will force me to put more effort into my kayak-based photography there, rather than taking the same easy symmetrical reflection shots over and over again....
[ photograph above: Big Bear Lake, 2004 ]
