Here the key is that the three hillsides are different from each other. In the flower picture is was the similarity which tied them together. In both it is the diagonal and nearly equal arrangement which unites them.
Tuesday 15 September 2009
1 2 3 Number II
Here the key is that the three hillsides are different from each other. In the flower picture is was the similarity which tied them together. In both it is the diagonal and nearly equal arrangement which unites them.
1 2 3 Number I
Threes are powerful. This photo is stronger because of the three flowers across the diagonal.
Perfect Weather
Dull. Grey. Overcast. Perfect weather for photography!
An intricate and weathered subject like this would be hard to properly show in strong sunlight. The big "softbox" of the overcast sky has filled in the shadows and brought a slightly surreal dreaminess to the scene and sbject.
Wandering Eyes
When we see something in real life our eyes wander around the scene. In a photograph we present just a part of a scene. Try not to frustrate the viewer's eyes.
In this picture you can start with the valley in the lower right and follow it up until it is out of sight. The line of mountains at the top points to the upper right corner. This is visually satisfying. Rocks and other recogniseable things that are chopped in half can be visually frustrating. Also, any logical "V" shaped lines that have their apex cut off.
As with all such advise, let your wandering eyes be the judge.
P.S. The picture was distorted when I first posted this. Now fixed.
Namaqualand Colour Riot
To bring out the riot of colour which was the main subject I let most of the field of view blur with a large aperture. To give context I left a line of flowers in sharp focus for contrast. To further accentuate this zone I picked a place where some flowers were standing up slightly higher.
These are artistic judgements which have to be made at capture time. Photoshop cannot fix any of these things later.
Share A Dream
The key here was seeing the light and the scene and using a large aperture. Learning to see a scene as the lens will render it is something that can only come from experience so keep shooting and remember what you did for each picture.
Expand Your Horizons
Usually a wide lens is best used in close. Rare is the scene in nature which is compelling over a wide area. Usually a strong sunset is best taken in close with a telephoto. In the exceptions to rules can come strong photographs.
See Something New
On a nice clear night it's easy to see a swirl of star trails in the mind's eye. I saw the full moon shining a cool soft light on this electricity pole and reached for the telephoto rather than the wide...
Tell A Story II
This one tells everything you need to know about these strange bearded telegraph poles we saw all along the southern edge of the Kalahari.
Purple Tower
On the way into the shopping mall. Saw the sky, took my camera out. Always carry the camera!
Yes You Can
Be it ever so humble, this remains my most popular picture to date on Flickr. It was shot for a competition on Strobist.com and very nearly didn't happen. The creation of this shot required hours of setup time and many many iterations of the shot (and pots of tea brewed). I could have given up but I'd be short one of my most popular shots.
Don't give up.
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