Ok seeing as my other thread generated some interest, tho I wasnt round much to maintain it, the question..... Why Fractals, what's their attraction? Me? I like the randomisation, not only with the difference types and kinds of fractals and variations you can get, but also the different programs and their differences. As you know, im a XD user, and it endlessly fascinates me with what it can do, but the work I see from UF users has the same effect, and frustrates me more so, as I couldnt figure it out :) But everytime you play you get something different, and the endless variations of colours is another attraction. I also have to say that I get more istant gratification from a fractal too, something like Terragen still takes ages on my system to render, its only with really big fractals I render for printing that take ages on my PC Stacey

E= Mass*Vaccumed speed "O" light squared..not cubed like water..

I like the combination of chance and control. And wrestling with the two to get something that is uniquely your own. Every other form of art I employ-- collage, Poser-- borrows from someone else. This is my one chance at originality. Even when I painted, I copied photographs and other paintings. This is the one chance to open up my brain and let color and shape just come in. Emily

I'm just starting to create my own web page and have addressed this question on my opening for fractals. :) My feelings towards making and viewing fractals: "Fractal Art {reflections of living patterns} Kaleidoscopes, upside-down clouds, water ripples and dappled sunlight have always been some of my favorite "living" patterns. The power and fragility of these patterns, so unique and breathtaking are all the more spectacular for their fleeting moments of existence" 2002 B. McKeown

Ummm........what they said! Hey, great answers, if a little incoherent at times LOL :)

Firefly said it far more eloquently than I could have. Thank you for expressing my feelings :) Fractals fascinate me. I will never completely understand the math/theory behind them (nor do I want to), but enjoy the magical/mythical/fantastic quality of the images. Creating the images gives me the illusion of controlling a bit of chaos. I'm never quite sure whether I've created the fractals or if they've created themselves. Blessed be

You're welcome Amulet (pretty nick) You and I seem to feel very much the same about fractals. Mystical, magical, wonderful and illusive :) Sometimes I almost think that "how good" (pleasing) a fractal comes out (based on hunt and click method) is determined as much from mood and karma as anything else!! I know that in order for me to notice and view "living patterns" I have to be in certain frames of mind. So, I guess needing that mind set for fractals isnt' really a surprise!

That's gorgeous, Arista!

It sure is. I'd like to see it when you're finished tinkering with it Arista :)

Audre's work would be perfect for a diamond sequence. She does some cool special effect's work in ZenoDream.I can think of a couple of her frames that I would love to sequence.But, the file size would probably be about 5-10Mb for an awesome framed work.Maby we can talk her in to voting for a piece to be animated? I have been covered up in animation's & am getting ready to re-furbish my Intranet ComputerI have downloaded about 20Gb of data in tha last 14 Day's..YeaHaw.

Yes!! I would love to see you do some of that to Audre's work. I wonder if she's paying attention here :) (probably drinking tea fractal with Entropic(grin))!!

Fractals have the advantage that you can go and "explore" some image universes before you start your image. You can let you guide to a start, you don't have to work from scratch. You can play until the game changes to "serious". You can let yourself inspire by your fractal findings. That makes it easy to begin.
Therefore fractal art is very often the art of finishing something, not only of finding something. But IMHO it is not so often the art of beginning. And that might be a disadvantage in the eyes of other 2D art forms and styles. And if you forget to really finish your image (find the right location, the correct zoom, the adequate colours and textures) you have restricted yourself to the pure finding phase. And you have to decide by yourself if it was art what you did.
To sit and plan an image, start with a white sheet or an empty working window is much more difficult. But it is very satisfying. My white paper is a new geometric design that has to be coded first before I start to create one or two or three images from it. Therefore I see my newer UCLs (that aren't public anymore) as a part of the creative process, as a part of the image or art.

Benoit Manedlbrot suggested that fractals reflected the way that the human brain "worked".

That is very interesting Smithgiant. Do you have a link to his theory? I'd love to read about that. I've recently been reading a book called Mindmapping by Joyce Wycoff that offers up some interesting theories too.

Nope...PBS ran a one hour special where Benoit talked about fractals and this was one of the many things he stated.

Fractals are certainly one of the chief ways world puts things together, especially living things, so it would not surprise me that it is the way our minds work. Language shares some qualities with fractals in that a finite quantity of items-- letters or words-- produce an infinity of form. Emily

I've been looking for links to Mandlebrot's theory as was previously mentioned. The more I think about what the mindmapping has said so far the more I think his idea may have something to it! I'm going to keep looking till I find something useful or give up :) if I do find a related article I'll post the link. I've been learning about what everyone calls "the organiz nature" of the fractal. I'm learning how to draw and how to look more closely at things. This was readily apparent in a small wildflower I sketched. It will be very interesting to see and note the future fractals I find in this new learning.

When I first got Ultra Fractal, I went straight to the bookstore, trying to find something on fractals or UF. What I found was a huge book by Mandelbrot himself that was way above my level of understanding. But I found a small paperback called "Fractal Geometry". I don't have the author's name, but you could check at Amazon or somewhere like that. It was very simply written so adults and children alike could understand, and gave histories on Mandelbroit, Benoit, Julia, and how fractal geometry is all around you in all the things you see everyday, as well, as how it is used in computing more things that you might realize. It was very interesting reading!! Perhaps that is what you are looking for, firefly.

Sounds interesting. I may even give it a look. You have to promise me that it doesn't get too detailed about the math behind the images. (I got sympathy grades from my Algebra teacher in high school ... )

LOL, that's why I didn't buy the book written by Mandelbrot himself! One would need several PHd's to understand it. :) This one was very easy to understand, filled with lots of black and white pictures of mandels, julias, and how they relate to the real world we live in.

Thank you CavalierLady, I will go looking for that book :) Sounds right up my alley! Sounds like I could even share it with my 11 yr old daughter, I want to get her going on fractals soon too :)