Archive for the ‘Landscape’ Category
Wednesday, May 9th, 2012
Monument Cove and Otter Cliffs in Maine’s Acadia National Park. The curve of the shoreline in this photo adds a peaceful line that leads the viewer’s eye to the cliffs.
Lines, real and implied are an important component in any photo’s composition. Lines can be straight (horizontal, vertical, or at an oblique angle,) or curved. All lines work to divide your image into distinct parts, so you need to study your compositions carefully to see how these divisions work. Do they cut an image in half, creating a static feel, or do they divide the image into unequal parts which can provide an asymmetrical balance and more dynamic feel?
In general, horizontal lines are relatively calm. Vertical lines possess more energy, and diagonal or oblique lines are the most energetic of all. Lines also take the viewer on a journey through your photographs, as they provide a natural path for the viewer’s eye to follow while looking at your photo. Diagonal lines in particular, move your viewer along at a quick pace. Curved lines also give this sense of motion to a photo, but in a more peaceful, gentle way than a straight diagonal line.
Dawn over the Atlantic Ocean at Wallis Sands State Park in Rye, New Hampshire. I repositioned my camera for this photo so that the lines in the rock were at an oblique angle to give the photo more energy.
Whenever I’m composing a photo, I’m constantly repositioning my camera to take advantage of curved lines, and to change vertical or horizontal lines to oblique angled lines. The only exception to this is that I generally try to keep my horizon line or the vertical lines of trees, plants, and buildings straight (although purposely angling these lines can add more energy to a photo, and I’ll often choose that energy over a straight horizon line in an adventure photo.)
Waterfall at Castle in the Clouds in Moultonboro, New Hampshire. The relatively vertical flow of this photo has less of a sense of motion than the version below.
Waterfall at Castle in the Clouds in Moultonboro, New Hampshire. By recomposing this photo so that the water flows from top right to bottom left, gives the image a greater sense of motion and energy.
A man hikes over a footbridge near the Presumpscot River in Portland, Maine.The implied line (at an oblique angle) between the sun and the hiker adds to the sense of energy and movement in this photo.
Photos also have implied lines that you need to pay attention to. In many photos you will have a main subject as well as a secondary subject and if there is an oblique line between the two, the photo will have more energy than if that implied line is horizontal or vertical. Sometimes, all it takes is repositioning the camera by one or two feet to change this implied line and improve the image.
A woman kayaking in New Castle, New Hampshire.
In the above photo, the kayaker is the main subject, with the lighthouse serving as a strong secondary subject. The implied line between the two is slightly oblique. It’s a nice photo, but I think it could be better with a little more separation between the kayaker and the light.
Canoeing in Lily Bay at sunrise, Moosehead Lake, Maine.
In this paddling shot, the canoe and sun are the two subjects, and the implied oblique line between the two adds some needed energy to a photo that has a peaceful feeling due the horizontal lines formed by the horizon and the canoe.
Any questions? Please post them in the comments section below.
Cheers!
-Jerry
Find out more about Jerry at his website, and follow him on Twitter at @jerrymonkman
Tags: composition, Creativity, how-to, jerry monkman, Nature Photography, Photo Tips, photography
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Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012
“Hudson Valley Trail, New York”
In landscape photography we often discuss the many different ingredients that go into making a successful image. Things like composition, color, mood, light, and of course subject. And while these are all essential parts, the aspect I think is underestimated and not talked about enough is the relationships between these elements.
• How does the subject interact with the rest of the composition? Is the main “character” easily defined? Imagine a movie where you couldn’t tell who the main character was, or a song that did not have a recognizable melody. How quickly would you lose interest?
• How does the color influence the balance and design of the image? Saturated color is great, but only when a harmonious relationship exists with some other part of the composition, otherwise it loses its ability to convey a strong message other than “here’s a lot of color”.
• Are the tonalities balanced in a way that leads the eye in a meaningful way? Light is a powerful force in our search for evocative landscapes, but are you controlling the light through careful composition, and removing what may be distracting?
These questions are all based on relationships and how we use them in landscape photography. I’ll be covering these ideas in-depth in an upcoming article, but for now think about these concepts the next time you are out with your camera. Even simple things like using a longer focal length can have a dramatic impact on your ability to create stronger relationships. Avoid the temptation to capture it all, and use 70, 80, or even a 100mm focal length to narrow down your field of view and work with basic shapes, lines, and color. This technique will help you recognize relationships much easier, and your images will gain clarity because of it.
“We photograph something for two reasons: for what it is, and for what else it is.” – Minor White
Check out Robert’s website for images, workshops, webinars and more: LINK
Tags: Craft, Landscape
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Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012
Autumn Palette, Utah, by Bret Edge.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what steps I’ve taken over the last 11 years to become the world’s most reknowned landscape and adventure photographer. Clearly, I’ve also been daydreaming quite a bit. Seriously though, here are a five things I’ve done that have contributed to making me a better photographer.
1) Be Studious
I’ve looked at a whole bunch of photos. Thousands of them. And I don’t just look at them. I study them. I pick them apart and try to figure out what makes one photo stupendous while another one just sucks. How many times have you seen a photo of Half Dome, Delicate Arch or the Tetons from Snake River Overlook? Of all the images you’ve seen from these iconic locations which ones stand out and why? Was it the light or some nuance of the composition? Next time you’re sitting at home with nothing to do, scoot on down to the local bookstore. Grab a few coffee table photo books by your favorite photographers, sink into one of their comfy chairs and analyze a few of your favorite photos. Do this often enough and you’ll soon find yourself making the same analyses as you compose images in the field.
2) Photograph Often
Spend as much time as you can in the field. In 2000, just over a year after getting serious about photography, I had the opportunity to spend 5 weeks on the road. In that time I learned several valuable lessons, one of which was what that mysterious “depth of field preview” button actually does when you press it. I used my camera daily and by the end of the trip I knew where every control was and what it did, and I could operate the camera intuitively. There’s no substitute for knowing your camera inside and out.
This was in the pre-digital days, i.e. film, and I lost the photo album from that trip to an ex. But I remember looking at the photos from beginning to end and being blown away by the difference in the quality of images from the beginning of the trip to the end. Photographing something every day for 5 weeks had a profound impact on my creativity. Of course I realize we can’t all jet off on a 5 week road trip. But I believe that if you make a concerted effort to get out as often as possible, you will see improvement in your photography.
3) Mix It Up
After moving from Arizona to Colorado in 2002 I made the conscious decision to focus less time on photographing the grand landscape and more time on intimate scenes. Most people, even non-photographers, can see the beauty in autumnal aspens below a snow capped peak. Hell, even snapshots of a scene like that are likely to induce “oohs” and “aahs” from casual viewers. I wanted to be able to walk into the aspen forest and walk out with a successful image of those beautiful trees, with no mountain in sight.
My first few hundred efforts at intimate landscape photography weren’t so good. Actually, they sucked. But, I took those slides (still in the film days here), put them on a light table and studied them a la my first point. Doing this, and forcing myself to look at the world around me with a narrower focus, helped me develop a more refined eye for composition. I eventually got to the point where I was creating some pretty nice intimate landscapes. In doing so, I found that my grand landscapes also improved as I spent more time crafting cohesive compositions. The key is to really focus your attention on an aspect of photography that is entirely new to you. If you’re a macro photographer, try grand landscapes. If your wide angle lens has never actually been detached from your camera put on a telephoto and practice seeing the natural world through it. Just mix it up a little bit.
Raindrops on False Hellebore, by Bret Edge.
4) Don’t Fear the Critique
I’ve touched on this one before but it fits with this topic as one of the pivotal moments in my photography career came after a paid critique session. Bear with me as this story is a little long.
While living in Arizona I took a trip to Flagstaff with the ex who stole (and probably burned) the aforementioned photo album. It was fall, the San Francisco Peaks were dusted in snow and the aspen leaves were bright yellow. I had just switched from print to slide film. I shot a few rolls and dropped them off at the lab which, if memory serves me, was actually named “The Lab”. The next day I headed over on my lunch break to pick up the slides.
I tore open each box and laid the slides out on the light tables that had fancy loupes attached to the counter by a wire to prevent thievery. While viewing them another photographer came in to pick up his film. He told the lab tech his name and I immediately recognized him as a frequent contributor to Arizona Highways. I was standing next to greatness! He must have seen me gawking at him instead of my slides and made a comment about the images I was ignoring on the light table. We had a short conversation, I asked him what he thought of my images and he offered a couple short critiques. He said he’d be happy to offer more in depth critiques for $50 an hour. I bit and we set up a time and place to meet. Don’t ask me who it was because I can’t remember, but I think his first name was David (no, not Muench).
This guy looked at slide after slide and gave me invaluable feedback on each one. It was an eye opener as I’d never actually had someone look at my images with a critical eye. I also learned that there are about 50 different ways to say “this sucks” in a very pleasant and constructive manner. At any rate, his critiques were solid and really helped me define what it was about an image that worked or didn’t work.
These days you can still get your work reviewed and critiqued in person, but you can also do so online in critique forums. Keep an open mind and seek critiques often. Your photography is guaranteed to improve.
5) Never Stop Learning
Anyone who believes they have reached the apex of their photography career/hobby/obsession is a sad, sad person as far as I’m concerned. No matter how much you know there is always something you don’t know.
I don’t know squat about artificial light, I can’t understand how to operate a tilt/shift lens to save my life and there are still things about Photoshop that positively mystify me. I don’t do my own printing because the whole color management/profiling/sharpening for print/selecting the right paper thing scares the BeJesus out of me. I could spend all day writing about the plethora of things I don’t know about photography but that isn’t constructive.
Read books, attend workshops, watch video tutorials, follow blogs, join photography forums and subscribe to photo magazines. Identify a technique or an aspect of photography that confuses you and vow to master it. Push yourself to learn in whatever ways are available to you. The more you expand your knowledge base the more tools you’ll have at your imaging disposal to make dynamic photographs.
There is no true roadmap to better photography but these five tips should get you pointed in the right direction. Enjoy the ride!
What has helped you become a better photographer? Share your ideas in the comments section!
If you’re looking to take a photo tour in the red rock region of Utah, check out Bret’s trips in the Moab area: http://www.moabphotoworkshops.com.
Tags: Bret Edge, Creativity, how-to, Nature Photography, Photo Tips, photography
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Thursday, March 15th, 2012
This past weekend’s warm weather made for some great night photography. I’ve lived in Chicago for nearly 15 years (on/off) and it’s a very rare evening that you can see the stars, given all the light pollution, but this past weekend was spectacular.
I decided to focus on taking a few long exposures to capture the energy and beauty of the city. The great thing about a long exposure is there’s very little that can go wrong once you have the setup nailed. The key of course is having a sturdy tripod, cable release, and lot of patience. There’s a lot of math that you can do to help achieve the right exposure, but I’m a simple kind of guy (that means math dumb) so I prefer to set my camera on B (bulb exposure), select a higher f-stop and start taking test shots. I usually start at around a minute and work my exposure time up or down depending on available light.
City of Lights
City of Lights (ISO 100, 268 secs, f/16, 20mm focal range on Canon 16-35) — This image took a significant amount of time to expose properly, tipping the scales at nearly 5 minutes. Now, I could have stopped the exposure at around 3 minutes, but I wanted an image that almost appeared overexposed, because it’s much easier to add black back into an image like this versus bumping up the lights (highlights). Later I finished this image off in Color Efex Pro 4 using several filters to bring my vision into focus. In terms of composition, I decided to leave the airplane lights in the image because I felt it added to the overall “big city” feel and energy.
Lake Shore Drive
Lake Shore Drive (ISO 100, 27secs, f/16- Zeiss 50mm) — The hardest part about this shot is getting to the right location. I guess photography shares the realtor’s adage…”location, location, location.” I took this image from a pedestrian overpass that gave me a glimpse of the John Hancock building to help solidify it’s Chicago identity. You might think you need to take this shot over a very long period of time, but in the world of long exposure, this is a very quick shot coming in at 27 secs. Whenever you have a lot of fast moving lights the longer the exposure the softer and blurrier the lights will appear. Once again, I later processed this image using Color Efex Pro 4 and a few my favorite filters.
It was a wonderful evening and I hope you enjoy the images.
p.s. Side note: we still have a few spots open for my Chicago Workshops, where I’ll be discussing how to create images just like these. Hope to see you there!
Tags: Chicago, long exposure, night photography
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Wednesday, February 1st, 2012
Here we are in 2012. Already. It doesn’t seem like a year ago that we ushered in 2011, but calendars don’t lie. 2011 was an interesting year for me. I spent more time in the office building my business and less time in the field doing what we all love to do – photography. As I culled through images made in the past year it quickly became evident that I didn’t get out enough. I live in Moab, for God’s sake. Arches and Canyonlands are in my backyard. There is no legitimate excuse to not be out exploring this beautiful landscape more often. So, in 2012, I resolve to do just that. I’ll spend more time making images and less time marketing them. Not too much less, because I do still need to pay the bills.
Every year I squeeze in a few big trips, consisting of a couple weeks each, to locations throughout the western United States. Looking back on all the photos from our 2011 adventures brought back some wonderful memories. We celebrated my son Jackson’s second birthday at a campground in Death Valley, ate dinner by a campfire on the beach in Cape Kiwanda, summited a 14′er in Colorado (Jackson’s first!) and spent Thanksgiving week exploring Valley of Fire in Nevada. No doubt, I am a lucky man.
The images I’ve chosen to share as my favorites aren’t necessarily my best. One photo was five years in the making, another has tremendous emotional appeal, a couple I just really like and some were made in a place I’m now obsessed with and can’t wait to visit again. If I were assembling a 2011 portfolio to present to an art buyer only a couple of these would make the cut. The important thing is that these images mean something to me. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed making them.
Slot Canyon & River Rock, Nevada
I found this slot canyon by chance while wandering around Valley of Fire State Park one morning following a sunrise shoot. I was struck by the contrast of warm, colorful sandstone walls and the cool blue river rock in the mud on the canyon floor as well as the three dimensional feeling created by the wide angle lens and striations in the rock. It’s a short canyon but easily one of the prettiest I’ve ever seen.
Wildflowers and Storm Clouds in American Basin, Colorado
American Basin may be over-photographed but it’s still one of my all-time favorite alpine locations. The summer wildflower display is obnoxious in a very good way. We camped not ten minutes from where this image was made, in a tent on the roof of my FJ Cruiser. The next morning we summited Handies Peak with my son, Jackson. He was 2. And he knocked off a 14′er. Okay, so I carried him but still, how cool is that?
Storm Clouds Over Rock Point, Colorado
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park plays second fiddle to the nearby San Juan Mountains, which means you’re less likely to find yourself in a crowd. We visited the park for the first time in 2011 and I became enamored with the sheer beauty and ruggedness of the canyon. On this afternoon a breaking storm created dynamic conditions for photography. I was in the right place at the right time when a sliver of light shone through clouds on to the foreground ridge, lasting only a minute or two. These ethereal moments in nature are what we photographers are privileged to witness while the rest of mankind seeks shelter from the storm.
Pothole and Sandstone Buttes at Sunset, Utah
Made semi-famous by Moab photographer Tom Till, this large pothole with an impressive view of a slickrock wonderland has been on my list of places to photograph since moving to the area almost six years ago. It took a while to find it and even longer to wait for the right conditions (great light, good clouds, pothole full of water). In 2011 everything came together and I was able to make the image that had nagged at me for years.
Haystack Rock from McPhillips Beach, Oregon
The charming little town of Pacific City is home to Cape Kiwanda State Park and McPhillips Beach, sort of a local’s beach not commonly visited by the throngs of summer tourists. We discovered it by accident on our trip along the coast last June. Nearly vacant, it’s a beautiful little beach with some interesting basalt (I think?) rock formations that nicely frame Haystack Rock in the distance. I spent a couple hours photographing here before retiring to hang out with my family, running away from incoming waves and finally, dinner on the sand next to a roaring bonfire. It couldn’t have been a more perfect end to a more perfect day.
Cottonwood Trunks and Evergreens, Wyoming
I made this image during a short break while leading a workshop in the Tetons last autumn. Cottonwood trees have such beautifully textured trunks and their autumn leaves rival those of the stately aspen with regard to color intensity. Here I loved how the darker evergreen trees contrasts with the autumn grasses & leaves, and the bold patterns of the cottonwood trunks.
Sunrise Sky and Rock of Gibraltar II, Nevada
I’m having an affair. There, I said it. I’m in love with Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. I can’t get enough of the place. Luckily, my wife knows and even approves of this affair. On our last visit we hiked out to Fire Wave for sunset. While I was impressed with Fire Wave I was more taken by the Rock of Gibraltar and this massive expanse of wonderfully striated sandstone. I came back for sunrise the next morning. You can imagine my excitement when the sky exploded in color right at sunrise. Of all the images I made in 2011 this one may well be my absolute favorite.
The Sunflower Experiment, Utah
The Scott Matheson Wetlands Preserve just outside Moab is a quiet little sanctuary that seems to catch on fire all too often. The last wildfire that ripped through was the most devastating. Driving by one day I noticed thousands of colorful wildflowers mixed in among the charred trunks. The next day I returned with my camera and made several images of the sunflowers. This was my favorite as it is something entirely different from my typical photography. It was an experiment and I was thrilled that it worked out so well.
American Basin Hiker II, Colorado
I didn’t do much adventure photography in 2011. No idea why, but I’ve resolved to do a lot more of it in 2012. I made this image en route to the summit of Handies Peak in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. My son Jackson was in a backpack on my back as I photographed Melissa crossing a creek below a beautiful sky and craggy peaks. There’s nothing I enjoy more than exploring the outdoors with my family and this image brings back wonderful memories of seeing Jackson on the summit of his first 14′er!
Storm Light at the Fiery Furnace, Utah
One stormy afternoon I took a chance and headed out to a view I’d discovered that overlooks the fins of the Fiery Furnace, Castle Valley and the distant La Sal Mountains. One of three things would happen: I’d get struck by lightning and the whole afternoon would be screwed, the storm would rage on and sunset would be a bust, or it would be epic. Lucky for me, it was epic. It was cold and windy and every once in a while a passing cloud released a torrent of horizontal rain. But right at sunset, the clouds parted and the sweetest storm light I’ve seen fell on the landscape before me. It was an amazing day to be alive!
Three Sisters Sunset, Utah
Assignments are few and far between these days, at least for me. Early in 2011 I was hired by Utah State Parks to photograph Goblin Valley State Park and the surrounding area for a guidebook they were developing. GVSP is a alien landscape, a valley filled with thousands of little hoodoos that have, in fact, stood in for Mars in several movies. One of the most famous features, the Three Sisters, sprout from the surrounding landscape. I was incredibly fortunate to witness a glorious sunset behind the Three Sisters during my time in the park.
Breaking Storm Over Kane Creek Canyon, Utah
Last year I decided to create a new photo tour titled Undiscovered Moab. As the name implies, the tour will take us to locations that are rarely, if ever, photographed. I’ve been spending a lot of time four wheeling and hiking to remote locations while scouting for the upcoming Undiscovered Moab tour (April 21-22, 2012!). On this afternoon a storm was breaking over Kane Creek Canyon, flooding the valley with dramatic storm light below a sky filled with interesting clouds. It was awesome to stand on the canyon rim in complete silence while watching this scene unfold before me.
Virga Above the Bonneville Desert, Utah
En route to Death Valley last March, my son informed us that he had to poop. When a 2 year old has to poop you don’t have time to drive around looking for a bathroom. We pulled off to the side of the interstate and Jackson did his business. When he finished I asked Melissa if I could have a few minutes to make an image of the impending storm unleashing hell on the distant mountains. Thanks to Jackson and Melissa I was able to make this image, my favorite from the entire trip, with semi’s flying by just a few feet away.
And there you have it, my favorite thirteen images from 2011. If you want to see even more “Best of 2011″ images from some of my favorite photographers, check out “A Compilation of My Favorite “Best of 2011″ Image Collections“.
Read more about Bret and get info on his workshops here.
Tags: 2011, Bret Edge, Landscape
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Thursday, January 19th, 2012
With the above average temps that we have been having here in Michigan, the stream ice is about five weeks late, but better late then never. I always look forward to shooting the ice as it is my time to shoot abstracts. I’ve mentioned in the past that the abstract don’t sell, but I like them and it’s just fun being out in the woods.
Here is a nice shot of the stream and how I set up at the edge to shoot. I use my long telephoto macro lens in the 180 range, as it will reach out farther into the stream if I need to.
My camera is the Nikon D7000.
Who is taking the pictures of me? It’s a Panasonic GH2 on a tripod with self timer set at 10 secs.
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This first image was shot in the area you see me in above.
If I’m shooting out into the ice a ways, I will be at an angle that sometimes needs a little extra depth of field, so I will set the f-stop at f/16. With all this cool details, you want to get it all in focus.
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Found another nice group of patterns.
If I can get the lens fairly parallel with the ice, I will set the f/stop at f/8.
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And here is the shot.
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There are some little trickle streams and this one has some really nice patterns.
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I like when I find bubbles.
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Just a couple more.
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Thanks for stopping by and checking out my ice abstracts of 2012.
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You can visit Mike’s blog and learn about his workshops here: Tiny Landscapes
Mike’s eBooks are available in the OPG store here: Mike Moats
Tags: Macro, Mike Moats, winter
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Wednesday, January 4th, 2012
Inspired once again by Seth Godin and a recent blog post titled “the difference between a failure and a mistake,” I wondered how I might apply it to nature photography and the issues we all struggle with in our attempt to make successful images. Of course this applies to life in general, as Seth so clearly explains, but I think it provides many paths of exploration for those of us trying to be more creative with our photography.
Casscade Mtn, Adirondacks
Cascade Mtn fails on several levels, but mostly for me it lacks a clear path for the viewers eye to travel, which translates to a weak story. A lack of textural contrast makes the image rather busy, and the light in the background competes with the details in the foreground. I was experimenting with trying to omit the sky and horizon in order to create a lack of perspective, but it didn’t quite work out as envisioned.
As a workshop instructor, I work hard on trying to help students get beyond whatever is limiting their potential. Unfortunately the majority of reasons are due to mistakes and less often to failures. My goal is to reverse this and promote failure as a way to learning. Certainly I don’t want students strictly to fail as that would be rather frustrating and demoralizing in the long run. Who wants to come away from a workshop having only failed at their attempts?
What I mean is that by promoting failure as part of the process of succeeding, I can inspire students to take chances, try new things, and hopefully help them become more creative, successful photographers. It is so easy these days to stick to the tried and true, and get the predictable approval of those who view our images. But approval is not necessarily what we want as photographers if you want to stand out from the millions in the crowd. I much prefer making images that elicit a response or reaction, positive or negative, that keeps a viewer thinking about an image.
Partition Arch, Utah
Partition Arch was an attempt to bring together several elements in a harmonious composition, but doesn’t quite succeed. I was attracted to all of the various lines and how I would get them all to work together. Trying to balance the small trees in the foreground with the rest of the scene proved difficult once I started to work with my camera, and that is a good sign that what I’m feeling isn’t going to translate well to a photograph. I also couldn’t quite get the sky under control, and I feel it dominates the overall balance of the image.
My wife says that she knows if a she really liked a movie if she is still thinking about it a day or two after watching it. I think we can use the same relative comparison in photography. I will often make a sale a few days after an art show because the buyer couldn’t stop thinking about a particular image. And almost always these images are ones I took a chance on and pushed my comfort zone. Perhaps a new perspective or composition, a location I have visited hundreds of times, or a lighting situation that has almost always led to failure in the past. Sure there have many more failures that successes, but what it taught me was worth the effort, and has led to insights I would not have experienced otherwise.
The common issues I see students struggling with usually have more to do with mistakes than with failures. Here are some common ones: lack of sharpness due to a multitude of mistakes ranging from a) improper focusing, b) wrong use of hyperfocal distance, c) improper aperture, or other common issues such as a) not eliminating distractions, b) not being aware of contrast limits, c) wrong lens choices.
These can all be corrected in so far as they do not become mistakes that are repeated. Failures however involve an understanding of these mistakes, and then breaking the rules in order to attempt something new and interesting. For example, using a narrow depth of field in order to eliminate distractions, using extreme contrast as a way to lead the viewers eye, or using blur as a way to convey motion and rhythm in an otherwise static image.
Hudson Highlands, New York
Hudson Highlands tries to blend both a strong foreground and depth in the background to convey the sense of surprise and mystery I felt on this summer day day while hiking along the Hudson River. I like strong and bold foreground elements, and I’m constantly trying find ways to create both visually compelling compositions that also feel fresh and different on some level – almost like using different instruments in an orchestra to play the same melody. Somehow the tree in this foreground dominates in a way that does not complement the image overall, as the tension created is too great for the feeling I wanted to convey. I tried several different compositions, but it never felt quite “right” when I reviewed the images back home. The small trees in the foreground disrupt the rhythm I was after, even though the attempt was to minimize them by trying to emphasize the larger trees on the left.
Sometimes it is not so easy to differentiate between a failure and a mistake when we’re trying to be creative. That’s where practice becomes a mandatory part of the process. I have spent weeks shooting the same tree in my backyard just to learn the characteristics of every lens I own, or to master the cameras controls so that I can make adjustments instinctively. This way the mistakes become less frequent, and the failures become a way of improving my technique and my vision.
Here’s the thing, the best part of all of this seemingly depressing and frustrating work is that the you will experience successes, more than you will remember the failures. Each success outweighs the many failures by an exponential factor. I see them not only as positive rewards, but together with the failures as part of the journey we call creative photography. So go ahead and fail, because it will lead to insights you will not gain any other way. Those who view and enjoy your work will only remember the successes.
Beacon Light, Hudson Valley
As I mentioned above, I’m constantly trying to find variations on similar compositional themes, and here it works to my liking. Balance between the two dominant trees and the rest of the trees feels rhythmic and harmonious, the strong green color in the foreground is contrasted by the subtle blue of the sky in the distance and creates a pleasing diagonal, and the light adds the drama in a controlled manner that doesn’t over power the details. I can’t help describing these elements in musical terms, perhaps because they are ingrained in my psyche and influence the way I see the world. Hopefully you can appreciate these ideas and incorporate them into your views and feelings about your favorite subjects.
Thanks as always for reading, and feel free to share your opinions and questions about your failures and successes in photography.
Check out Robert’s website for images, workshops, webinars and more: LINK
Tags: Adirondacks, arches national park, Hudson Valley, landscapes
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Thursday, October 13th, 2011
Nothing in nature is permanent and I know that. Still, when I arrived at Skyline Arch on Tuesday to introduce some guided clients to my favorite spooky old tree in the entire Moab area, my heart sank. Lying on the ground next to the trail was The Tree. It wasn’t standing defiantly against the ages, its weathered limbs guarding access to Skyline Arch. No, it was on its side, clearly dragged off the trail with broken branches scattered about the red dirt like bleached, gray bones. No dignity, no respect at all.
I don’t know what I expected to happen to The Tree when its roots no longer dug deep enough into the earth to anchor it securely against the elements. Frankly, I don’t think I ever imagined I would live to see it fall. Over the years, The Tree and I developed a relationship. I’d show up once in a while with the goal of creating an incredible image and The Tree would laugh at me, sending me away dejected each time. The photo above is my best attempt at a portrait of this beautiful but curmudgeonly old companion. Not bad, but certainly not the exquisite piece of art I’d envisioned.
Last fall I took my wife and son to visit The Tree. We brought a picnic dinner, which we ate right underneath its curious watch. I brought my camera and tripod, hoping The Tree would be so kind as to give me a break. I enjoyed the process of setting up a composition with the help of my son, who insisted on pressing the shutter button for me. I moved left, right, back and forward. I zoomed in, I zoomed out. I got down low and up high. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Nothing. The Tree wasn’t having any of my and my son’s monkey business.
Not long ago I decided to photograph The Tree at night. I would arrive before sunset, set up the shot, and wait for darkness to come. Then, I would use a flash to illuminate the tree during a long exposure that would reveal a million stars sparkling in the night sky. Surely, that would be the image I’d desired for so long. As is all too often the case, life got in the way and I never made it out to Skyline Arch. I’ll never know whether I’d have been successful. Most likely, I’d have walked away crestfallen with the The Tree snickering behind my back as I retreated to the comfort of my truck.
I’ll miss The Tree. I won’t know what might have been. But therein lies a lesson that goes much deeper than simply making a photograph: nothing lasts forever and it’s up to us to make sure we don’t put off doing something today we may not be able to do tomorrow. I think this fall my family and I will pack up a picnic dinner and head out to Skyline Arch, where we’ll sit with the remains of The Tree and reminisce about the most beautiful old tree in all of Moab.
RIP – The Tree: ???? to 2011
Read more about Bret and get info on his workshops here.
Tags: arches national park photography, Bret Edge, moab photography
Posted in Commentary, Landscape | No Comments »
Monday, September 19th, 2011
Note: if you are in the Louisville area Monday October 3, come see Steve Gettle speak at a free OPG/SmugMug event! Details here.
Due to the fact that I had shows scheduled on the weekends when Michigan’s upper peninsula’s fall color is at its peak, I really thought I wouldn’t be able to do any shooting up there this year. Luckily, I caught a break as we had an unusually wet summer and a very mild early fall. The color was a week late this year, so I was able to take a few days and go up and work fall color.
We struggled a little with the weather because we had bright sunny, windy days. We did however manage to get some shots, but we worked hard for what we got. I say “we” because I traveled up with two good friends. Nature photography is often a solo endeavor, and I really enjoy that part of it. While I enjoy being alone in the wilderness with my thoughts and chosen subjects, it is also very nice to be able to share these experiences with good friends. The friendships and camaraderie I have developed with other photographers as we traveled the beautiful spots of the world is very special to me. I would say in my travels I have met hundreds, no, probably thousands of nature photographers, and as a group they are some of the nicest people I know.
Here are a few fall images from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. These first few images are a theme that I am often on the lookout for as I work fall color. In these images I am shooting a small section of a stream that is in the shade, with the water reflecting fall color that is fully lit by the sun. What is nice about working this subject is that it is usually something that can be done in the middle of a bright sunny day, when my gear would usually be packed up and I would be scouting evening locations.
This next shot was created using a much slower shutter speed in an attempt to call attention to the quite water captured in the rock’s crevice.
The following image is another subject you can work when the wind is blowing. This image shows crimson blueberry leaves with a couple of fern fronds. Because these plants grow close to the ground they are not blown by the wind as much as taller foliage.
On the final day we did get a morning with nice light and calm winds and I was able to make this next image.
Browse Steve’s images, read his blog, and learn about his workshops at his site www.stevegettle.com
Tags: fall, Michigan, Steve Gettle
Posted in Articles, Landscape, Vision | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, September 14th, 2011
If you spend enough time out in mother nature, she will occasionally come up with some cool stuff. I’m always on the look out for those unique opportunity to capture something special.
I was shooting ice abstracts on Stony Creek Lake, and found this outline of a ducks head in the ice.
I saw this face, two eyes and a nose in a flowing river. Some say the nose could be a trunk of an elephant.
In a gorge of upstate NY I found this heart carved in the gorge floor. Don’t know if it was man made or natural.
Here I am trapped in these bubbles shot at the edge of a small stream, bubbles created from a small waterfall.
We have all seen faces in tree trunks, rock walls, etc, look for cool stuff like this when you are out in the field.
You can visit Mike’s blog and learn about his workshops here: Tiny Landscapes
Mike’s eBooks are available in the OPG store here: Mike Moats
Tags: Macro, Mike Moats, Nature
Posted in Commentary, Creativity, Landscape, Macro | 1 Comment »
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Learning to Recognize Relationships in Photography
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012“Hudson Valley Trail, New York”
In landscape photography we often discuss the many different ingredients that go into making a successful image. Things like composition, color, mood, light, and of course subject. And while these are all essential parts, the aspect I think is underestimated and not talked about enough is the relationships between these elements.
• How does the subject interact with the rest of the composition? Is the main “character” easily defined? Imagine a movie where you couldn’t tell who the main character was, or a song that did not have a recognizable melody. How quickly would you lose interest?
• How does the color influence the balance and design of the image? Saturated color is great, but only when a harmonious relationship exists with some other part of the composition, otherwise it loses its ability to convey a strong message other than “here’s a lot of color”.
• Are the tonalities balanced in a way that leads the eye in a meaningful way? Light is a powerful force in our search for evocative landscapes, but are you controlling the light through careful composition, and removing what may be distracting?
These questions are all based on relationships and how we use them in landscape photography. I’ll be covering these ideas in-depth in an upcoming article, but for now think about these concepts the next time you are out with your camera. Even simple things like using a longer focal length can have a dramatic impact on your ability to create stronger relationships. Avoid the temptation to capture it all, and use 70, 80, or even a 100mm focal length to narrow down your field of view and work with basic shapes, lines, and color. This technique will help you recognize relationships much easier, and your images will gain clarity because of it.
“We photograph something for two reasons: for what it is, and for what else it is.” – Minor White
Check out Robert’s website for images, workshops, webinars and more: LINK
Tags: Craft, Landscape
Posted in Commentary, Creativity, Landscape | No Comments »