In the November/December 2012 issue of BackHome Magazine, one of my photography articles along with a few photo's were published. I'd like to share it with you.
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Digital camera technology has transformed the world of
photography. This advancement in
technology has provided low cost, high quality photography equipment to the
masses and more and more people are beginning to explore that world.
We’re going to look at ways you can improve your
photographic technique that applies to all types of digital cameras by exploring
concepts of what makes a great photograph and how to take advantage of your
high tech digital cameras.
I start all of my photography workshops with this statement:
“Photography is all about Light”. Most people tend to focus on the wrong things
when it comes to taking photographs…they place the emphasis on the object or
subject believing that the object itself is what makes a great image. Obviously, we do photograph things, and
locations like The Grand Canyon offer some wonderful photo opportunities, but
great photographs are less about the things we photograph, and more about how
we photograph them. When we approach our
photography from the concept of light rather than the subject, even ordinary
everyday objects can become great subjects.
It’s not the quantity of light that is important it is the
quality of light that matters most. Jack
Dykinga a world class nature photographer once said,
“Cameras and lenses
are simply tools we use to capture our unique vision on film. Concentrate on equipment and you will take
technically good photographs, but concentrate on seeing the lights magic colors
and your images will stir the soul.”
Too often novice photographers get caught up in the
equipment game believing that a certain camera or a special lens is required to
produce that great photograph. The equipment simply imparts various technical
qualities to an image. It is you, the
photographer, who captures the image.
How you use light and how you compose the image based on the quality of
light is what generates that great photograph.
The camera and lens are only the tools you use to accomplish this. Virtually
all consumer level cameras available today are quite capable of taking very
high quality images. It’s just a matter
of following some basic principles. So,
let’s look at a few concepts that can help us understand what makes a great
photograph.
Effective Use of Light:
Generally speaking, for outdoor photography, there is a time called ‘The
Golden Hour’. This usually refers to the
first thirty minutes before and after sunrise, and the last thirty minutes
before and after sunset. It is during this
golden hour that the best outdoor photographic light exists where shadows are
long, and the light is rendered in warmer tones. I’m not necessarily speaking about sunrises
and sunsets, but it is this soft warm light that is cast across the landscape
that will often transform what would commonly be considered ordinary into
something extraordinary.
This transitional light will often create a tremendous
amount of mood and energy. Use the warm
cast or reflected light to soften and add a dynamic to your images that harsh
midday light will not.
Overcast days can often provide the very best light for
certain kinds of photographs because of its soft diffused nature. This is
critical when attempting to photograph places like inside of a wooded area. When
the light is bright, it will create harsh high contrast conditions in wooded
areas where the range between the lights and shadows are so far apart, that
most cameras will struggle to capture the scene effectively. Either the shadows
will be too dark or the light areas will be blown out. The soft diffused light of an overcast day
will provide great, even lighting allowing for a more complete exposure.
Waterfalls are also
better photographed on overcast days than bright sunny days. The lower intensity of the diffused light
allows for longer shutter speeds which generates those great flowing water
photos. With the lower light intensity,
shooting from a tripod is a good idea as it will allow for a steady shot.
Foggy mornings are some of my favorite times to photograph because
the fog will diffuse and disperse the light and impart a sense of mystery and
suspense to the scene. As the sun begins
to rise and burn off the fog, new opportunities present themselves that allow
for those great beams of light casting through the trees.
One mistake I see from novice photographers is always having
their subject fully lit from the front.
A great technique to try instead is backlighting, or having your subject
illuminated from behind, or from the side.
With a little practice, using this kind of lighting can transform your
images especially with people as it will generate highlights and emphasize
shape and form as well as create character and drama.
As important as effective use of light is in photography,
almost equally as important is composition.
I define composition as an
effective positioning of the elements within a scene in such a way that all the
elements work together to create a single story. The concepts of composition ordinarily would
require an article all unto itself, but we’re going to look at some basic
fundamentals of what makes an effective composition.
Composition - Rule of Thirds:
Imagine a tic-tac-toe grid on your image with crossing lines that create
three distinct blocks at three different levels both vertically and
horizontally. Near the center there are
four offset points where these lines converge.
The rule of thirds and how it applies to effective composition is based
on this visual configuration.
In most cases, effective composition is created when the
image can be spaced into these three areas with the main point of interest
falling on or near one of the converging points that are slightly offset from
center.
Inexperienced photographers tend to place their center of
interest in the center of the image.
Sometimes this actually does work, but in most situations you should
offset your main center of interest to where it falls on or near one of those
converging points on the grid, and space out the scene to where it is broken
into thirds. Offsetting your main
subject will allow you to impart a higher interest level in your photograph.
Composition - Keep it
Simple: There are three words that
resonate in my mind every time I take a picture….simplicity, simplicity,
simplicity. Your purpose as a
photographer is to find order amongst the chaos. Simplicity does not mean that
an image lacks for complex details. What
it does mean is that everything in the image is there for a reason and there is
nothing there that detracts from the story.
Too many elements in the image confuse the viewer. By keeping your compositions simple helps to
generate images that carry tremendous story telling strength.
Composition – Symphonic Melody: The first time I used this term in
a workshop I received a lot of puzzled looks, but it actually makes a lot of
sense once you understand what it means.
Symphonic Melody (SM) is the engine that drives the impact of the
photograph. It determines the character,
flavor, and even drama of the image. Use
of color and contrast are two elements that help define SM and are often
associated with mood and energy. Ask
yourself…what mood do I want to convey? Then, search for ways to isolate that
mood. Look for contrasts of color, look
for angles and expression of atmosphere.
Symphonic Melody is a way of blending physical elements into an
emotionally expressive image.
Composition – Get Lower: Photographing
kids can be challenging. Many times I see photos of kids that were taken from a
standing position looking down on the subject often distorting the perspective,
or the subject(s) are lined up with their hands to their sides with a forced
grin plastered on their faces.
It’s important when
photographing kids to kneel down to their eye level. Use a telephoto lens to allow you to back off
far enough to avoid encroaching into their space. Also, by using a telephoto lens, something in
the neighborhood extending out to 200mm, and a relatively large aperture
setting (f/4.0…f/5.6…etc) you tighten up the depth of field and create that professional
looking isolation effect against a blurred background. Fill the frame and catch their expressions up
close. To avoid harsh shadows and squinty eyes photograph in a shaded area or
on an overcast day.
Children are best photographed when they are actively doing
something as opposed to posing. Give
them something to do, or to hold, keep talking and encouraging and shower them
with praises. Your images will be more
powerful and personal and they will capture more closely the personalities of
the kids. One more thing…be mindful of
the background, you don’t want a distant light pole sticking out of someone’s
head.
Composition – Look
Beyond the Ordinary: One of the best ways to generate effective
compositions is to think in terms of looking beyond the ordinary. By this I mean to avoid the cliché photos
and think about what is most important about what you’re observing. Focus your efforts into looking beyond what
you might ordinarily photograph.
Instead of photographing the barn, the
tractor, the flower patch, the sky, and the fields behind all of that in one
single image…focus in on one thing…simplify your composition…look at the
textures on the barn door. Look at the
lines and angles in the design of the tractor…focus on one single flower and
position your camera so the light you capture shines thru the flower instead of
on it. In short, look beyond the obvious and seek out those things that define
the greater scene from a smaller perspective.
Taking effective photographs in the digital age requires
understanding simple basic principles of how to use light and composition. By applying some basic concepts of
composition with an understanding of how light affects the mood of an image,
your photography will take on a newer, more polished look. Always remember photography is about having
fun and enjoying the process, and most importantly…it’s all about light.
Congratulation on your article!
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