360Photography

Whereas photography is about vision, composition is about aesthetics.

In our previous readings in this series we learned how colour,  contrast and tonal range have a dramatic effect on the overall result.  Some teachers may say the first important rule in making successful pictures is composition, and indeed that may be so.  However,  I also like my intrepid readers to be unique and true to themselves.  Therefore, let’s argue that colour impact is more important than composition  ( remember folks, this series is for the novice and beginner  so please let’s not start a raging debate and muddle the waters. I want our beginners to have fun and explore for themselves – they will figure it out.) 

              I had the good fortune of being raised in the country, on a twisting gravel road that followed a meandering river. Not far from the family farm was one of those old-styled triangular framed bridges that crossed the river, and just beyond that was a drumlin where one could sit and breathe in the unfolding landscape below.  It was idyllic, and a magnet for artists’ easels.

When my daily chores were finished I would often climb aboard the 28-inch hand-me-down bicycle, with worms in pocket and alder fishing pole, and peddle to my secret fishing hole. Sometimes I would arrive at my destination, other times I would be sidetracked by an artist standing atop the Lloyd Hill (as we called the drumlin), adorned in beret with brushes in hand.

Invariably each artist would add the S-curve of the river leading in from the bottom right corner of the blank canvas following a diagonal until it exited in the upper left corner. The triangular bridge was always in the bottom right-hand corner of the canvas, our farm in the upper right hand corner.  The distant pine forests would create the far-off horizon line. One artist who often visited the same location would place an elm tree in the left foreground of the scene to add balance and colour, reflecting the season. Ironically, the elm was not in the vista lying before her eyes, but was a creation of her imagination.

Many of the elements of good composition can be found in this image. Can you locate the diagonal lines, the various “C” and “S” curves, and triangle forms in this image?

I liked this artists work best; she was not only painting the scene as it lay before her, but she was also adding her own elements —the elm tree— and expressing her mood and thoughts at that particular time. By breaking the realist rules of the day, she was making a statement with her art.

Some twenty-five years later I would often reflect on those early lessons that had registered by way of an artist tolerating the relentless gawking of a kid with worms escaping his shirt pocket.

What I found particularly intriguing, however, was how the artist would start with a blank canvas and then add elements as their imagination desired. By comparison the photographer starts with a full canvas and eliminates those elements that are undesirable.  Consequently we can say that a painter’s art form is an additive one, whereas a photographer’s is subtractive.

Over the next few issues let us explore some of the basic rules of composition by identifying the elements of pleasing aesthetics: the S-curve, the C-curve, how to create motion by using diagonals, forcing the viewer into the scene by way of using contrast and selective focus, how the use of triangles keep the eye moving within, and of course the time-honoured favourite of teachers everywhere … the Rule of Thirds.

Once we have explored the possibilities these guidelines can bring to our photography, we will then become rebels and toss them aside. Only by understanding the “rules” can we then effectively break them.

A newly hatched Blanding’s Turtle, identified as a species-at-risk, is only about the size of the largest coin you have in your pocket. When taking portraits of just about all living creatures, a good rule-of-thumb is to position the camera at eye level of the subject.

In the interim, what I want you to do is start making pictures with an awareness of where you are placing your subject, and objectively pondering why you made that decision. There is no substitute for actually being out there enjoying the craft that made us acquire a camera in the first place. As you study your results ask if the image translates the message you were trying to make in the first place. This is not philosophical rhetoric – there really was a reason you made that picture in the first place.

What was it?

Study and analyse your picture, and learn from your exercises. First and foremost, keep your picture making fun.

And remember, if you are having fun  you are doing it right.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Learning to See, Part VII

Digital Photography School

No Contrast – No Problem

The most beautiful composition can be dashed by improper use of color and contrast.  –CJ Rider

As we learned in our last entry, harsh light can work well with bold and dramatic colours, yet blow-out the subtle and delicate tones. The colour red supported by black, or gold surrounded by blue provide the photographer with easy choices in creating a pleasing composition. 

But what shall we do if there is no colour or light contrast, but only a monotone or duotone with which to work?

 Any photographer who has worked along Canada’s Atlantic coast learns very quickly that coastal fog can make a colourful scenic harbour appear flatter than a day old pancake. Likewise for the photographer who travels through Canada’s north where naturally ignited wildfires are permitted to burn themselves out, ultimately filling the sky with smoke as far as the eye can see.

 What we are beginning to recognize is that in bright sunlight that yellow dory on a Newfoundland beach or a MacKenzie Delta birch tree in autumn foliage will fairly jump out of the landscape. Conversely, if we were to remove the direct sunlight that same composition would turn those bright yellows into a muddy eyesore.

 As an experiment to reinforce this thought locate a window that you can easily peer out at any given time of day, perhaps the home kitchen or at the office. Next find a subject that appeals to you, but make sure it is only one element such as a tree or a building. Every time you walk past that window have a glance at the referenced subject and note how the colour and form of the subject will change depending upon the lighting conditions.

It should stand to reason that as we study the scene from our vantage the bark on the targeted tree or texture of a brick wall will take on a whole new meaning if viewed in overcast light as opposed to a bright sunny day.

 Now we have a eureka moment: If high contrast light emphasises boldness and will force us to search for scenes requiring these sharp edges, then by comparison we should be seeking scenes that are soft and delicate on non-sunny days.

 For the landscape photographer it is generally accepted that on those poor-light days it is best to keep the bland grey sky out of the scene. Instead, point the camera down and adjust the composition to showcase the colour, patterns and texture that is best seen under this soft light. Generally, when the sky is blue think of making big sky pictures; when the sky grey look to your feet.

Photo 1

Photo no. 1 is an example that breaks the general rule “if there is no definition in the sky leave it be.” In other words, on overcast days the clouds will usually be a bland and woefully white or grey. From our earlier readings, we have learned that the viewer will subconsciously be drawn to the lightest part of a picture. If there is no detail to the sky, then we usually wouldn’t include it in the photo.  In this case, however, the sky is the lightest part of the photo and an integral component to the story. There was a huge forest fire in Quebec and the smoke had blown east to Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland and Labrador. What the sky does, in this case, is complete the gradation of tonal range from dark to light, and allows your eye to move up and down the picture without distraction.  The side bar to any rule-of-thumb is that once you know the rules, then find a way to successfully break from that mold.

Photo 2

Garden photographers long for days of no wind with a very light moisture in the air. Such conditions allow a flower to purely come to life by allowing the vibrancy, subtleness, texture and detail to shine through. By having no shadow details, or very soft and indistinguishable shadow lines at most, we can then concentrate on the nuances and softness that such conditions allow.  In photo number 2, the lack of shadows allows the viewers eye to wonder right into the mix of a really nice stand of Showy Lady Slippers.    

And remember, if you are having fun you are doing it right.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Learning to See, Part VI

Digital Photography School

The colour of the object illuminated partakes of the colour of that which illuminates it. – Leonardo da Vinci

In our past columns (see links below) we have discussed such topics as how one colour can complement or distract from a bordering colour. We have also learned that to truly see colour one has to understand how shades of grey are comprised of mere percentages of black ranging from pure white to pure black. A primary objective coming from these discussions should be an understanding of how contrast plays a primary role and is an integral component of the final image.

Let’s look a little deeper into this concept and how we might apply this knowledge in our own picture making.

For the nature photographer there are essentially two core subject matters upon which we will concentrate our efforts, those being critters and where critters live. How each is approached and photographed will depend on a litany of variables, but essentially the one constant is that we will have little control over the lighting. The quality of that light, however, will often decide how we have to approach the image and what type of photograph to make.

Generally speaking, where I live on the Tropic of Cancer, the light will be best up to about two hours after sunrise, and from two hours before sunset. It can also be safely assumed the closer you get to the equator, the more quickly the light will become harsh with contrast and hard edges shadows after sunrise. Conversely, the closer you are to the poles the longer the “golden hours” of nice warm coloured light.  When the sun is high in the sky at noon it is often too harsh and creates far too much contrast to provide good photo opportunities, unless we adjust our approach.

Photo 1

 It has been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  This old gobbler, in photo 1, was having a difficult time locating a mate — evidently it wasn’t just me who thought he was butt ugly. His temperament wasn’t stellar either as I recall, let’s just say this was the last image of the sequence. With that having been said, the photograph was made around high noon and in lighting conditions that had far too much contrast for a pleasing image. By selecting a tight composition to take advantage of the contrasting colour it becomes possible to shoot throughout the entire day. Should this composition not be so tight, the image would have been far less effective. Identify the complementary colours in the scene and allow those to be the focal point while being somewhat oblivious to the subject.  In this case the red is the focal point and is accentuated by the blacks.

Photo 2

 If one is driving down a country road around lunch time, some great tunes rockin’ on the radio, a cloudless blue sky overhead, the arm thrust out the window ala truck driver style … well, what could be better?  Why a field full of beautiful sunflowers appearing over the next hill of course.

Should one compare the golden colour of the sunflower to the deep blue sky in image 2, you would soon realize that gold and blue are opposite on the colour wheel. As a consequence of being complementary colours (or very close to) they will immediately create a colour contrast that will work even when the light is harsh. All that remains is to get permission from the farmer to enter his field and compose the image so there are no competing colours in the viewfinder. Voila, you now have a successful photo taken at a time of day when most photographers are having a noonday nap.

If you think of the colour wheel and how colours complement each other you will soon intuitively be making photographs without even thinking of colour theory. When the scene looks good in the viewfinder it usually is, capture the image and analyse it at home.

And remember, if you are having fun you are doing it right.

Read the Full ‘Learning to See Series’ at:

• Learning to See Part 1
• Learning to See Part 2
• Learning to See Part 3
• Learning to See Part 4

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Learning to See, Part V

Digital Photography School