We can observe symmetry in nature — in flower petals, starfish, seashells, or snowflakes. In photography, symmetry appears when parts of your composition mirror each other. People associate symmetry with proportion and balance and get drawn to comforting, visually perfect, and harmonious pictures.

The most basic symmetry type is bilateral symmetry, which occurs when the composition is divided horizontally or vertically into 2 mirrored parts. To create it, imagine a horizontal or vertical line at the center of your composition and make sure two halves of the scene look the same and balance each other.

Radial symmetry implies more than 2 symmetric parts. It's often associated with ripples and involves the repetition of the same pattern in rounds.^[1]