Leading the Eye and Close Up Photography
Tension and imbalance can make images more dynamic. Diagonal lines and triangular shapes are key to this approach.
Lines with a high-contrast edge
Light shading - dark to light or light to dark
I wanted to show color as well as black and white with a mild green tint on the third example above.
Light shafts
Perspective
Focus
Separate planes
Close Up Photography
Postcard
What do my photographs say?
Photo Analysis
Feelings/mood: After reading more of Michael Freeman's "The Photographer's Mind" and looking at his photos, along with the rest of the assignment information and ideas, I couldn't wait to hop in my car and go to a few different places in Shelton to apply some new (to me) photography techniques. So even though it was raining while I took a lot of these (I protected my camera with a plastic bag), my overall feeling was one of excitement.
Subject placement: After last week I was thinking big as well as small so the whole idea of having a subject at all is something I'm thinking of in a larger overall context of range now. I've learned some strategies about where to place the subject for greatest effect and at the moment I don't like the edges, top, bottom or smack in the middle. Like bowling, I think the way to go is toward the middle third (from either side) pointing into the remaining part of the image. Direction and motion are important, as well as placement.
Multilayered: The image most charged with meaning for me is the third from the left under the Perspective heading. The road sign reads "No Outlet," and sits midway between a church and a cemetery. To me, this is a reminder that each of us has but a limited number of days on this Earth and we should make the most of them. Of the 200 or so assorted images I captured in half a dozen locations or more on a couple of shoots in as many days, the relatively few photos shown here were selected for being the best examples I could put together with what time, techniques, light and other resources I had available. Each is here for a reason, be it aesthetics or meaningfulness.
Depth of field: Several of these images do have areas that are out of focus. This is intentional in order that the viewer's eye focus on other areas. The strongest example of this is the purple thistle, second from right under "Focus."
Light: All of these images were taken in natural light, including the basement scene, the first under "Light shafts." Because I shoot Raw I rely on a bit of postproduction nuance to get the lights and darks dialed in to match more closely with what I was going for when I shot the photos. The auto flash did go off a couple of times when I took some of the close ups and I just let it do its thing because there really is a time and a place for the flash. As great as natural light is, cameras have a flash for a reason: to take better photos.
Improvement: The main thing I could have done better for this set of photos would have been to start earlier and put more time into it, beyond the considerable time and effort I did put in. Knowing and learning more and more about the nuances of digital photography I am coming to appreciate what a labor of love it can be. Plus, if I had started earlier I could have avoided the rain. That being said, as I have mentioned -- it rains a lot in the Northwest and I built some more experience in shooting in the rain. Always have a plastic cover - even a bag - to protect your camera and bring a handkerchief or a towel or a lens cloth because otherwise you'll get a lot of photos of the drops on the front of your lens.
Subject placement: After last week I was thinking big as well as small so the whole idea of having a subject at all is something I'm thinking of in a larger overall context of range now. I've learned some strategies about where to place the subject for greatest effect and at the moment I don't like the edges, top, bottom or smack in the middle. Like bowling, I think the way to go is toward the middle third (from either side) pointing into the remaining part of the image. Direction and motion are important, as well as placement.
Multilayered: The image most charged with meaning for me is the third from the left under the Perspective heading. The road sign reads "No Outlet," and sits midway between a church and a cemetery. To me, this is a reminder that each of us has but a limited number of days on this Earth and we should make the most of them. Of the 200 or so assorted images I captured in half a dozen locations or more on a couple of shoots in as many days, the relatively few photos shown here were selected for being the best examples I could put together with what time, techniques, light and other resources I had available. Each is here for a reason, be it aesthetics or meaningfulness.
Depth of field: Several of these images do have areas that are out of focus. This is intentional in order that the viewer's eye focus on other areas. The strongest example of this is the purple thistle, second from right under "Focus."
Light: All of these images were taken in natural light, including the basement scene, the first under "Light shafts." Because I shoot Raw I rely on a bit of postproduction nuance to get the lights and darks dialed in to match more closely with what I was going for when I shot the photos. The auto flash did go off a couple of times when I took some of the close ups and I just let it do its thing because there really is a time and a place for the flash. As great as natural light is, cameras have a flash for a reason: to take better photos.
Improvement: The main thing I could have done better for this set of photos would have been to start earlier and put more time into it, beyond the considerable time and effort I did put in. Knowing and learning more and more about the nuances of digital photography I am coming to appreciate what a labor of love it can be. Plus, if I had started earlier I could have avoided the rain. That being said, as I have mentioned -- it rains a lot in the Northwest and I built some more experience in shooting in the rain. Always have a plastic cover - even a bag - to protect your camera and bring a handkerchief or a towel or a lens cloth because otherwise you'll get a lot of photos of the drops on the front of your lens.