A Sense of Scale

There was good flow of water ripping over the edge of the falls at Shanty Hollow that day, yet the images I made just didn't seem to capture the effect of what it felt like to be there. What was missing was that sense of scale that one gets while standing at a location in person. As I worked my way around the edge of the pool at the base of the falls, I tried to visualize just how best could I capture this moment.  Then it became apparent. To capture the grand scale of the location...I needed to get lower...way lower...and shoot upward. I knelt as low as I could without getting the seat of my pants wet...it was a bit chilly that day...and framed the shot using a 18 mm wide angle lens oriented to the vertical. I used a small aperture...f/22...and focused about half way between what was directly in front of the camera and the rock wall where the water dropped. I was careful to include a good portion of the flowing water as it rolled over the rocks at the apex of the outlet stream. The result was a photograph that for the most part captured a greater sense of the scale of the location.

Scale is one of those things we rarely think about when photographing a location. In reality it's one of the most important things to be aware of especially in certain circumstances. The idea is to use scale to provide a sense of largeness or smallness to the moment. Doing it effectively can be a challenge, but there are techniques one can use to enhance the prospects of capturing a greater sense of scale.

One technique is to include something in the foreground...middle ground...and background in the same frame. This technique adds depth and distance to your composition. Usually a wide angle lens works best for this kind of shot...but can be done even with a 50 mm normal lens. In order to keep it all in focus, a small aperture is required...something like f/22...to extend the depth of field range. This often results in a slow shutter speed which also dictates the use of a tripod.

Another technique is to shoot with a wide angle lens from a low perspective looking upwards...like what was described in the first paragraph. These low perspective angles will automatically increase the sense of scale simply by the distortion effect of having part of the scene so close to the camera lens.

Image was created using five or six vertical shots stitched
into a single shot. The result added a lot more depth and
distance to the scene

Another way I've used to improve that sense of scale is use several images stitched together. This takes a bit of practice and some savvy using Photoshop...but it is a very effective method. What I normally do is to use a wide angle lens...18 mm or smaller...and take a series of images...usually five to six that overlap by about 30%. These images tend to work best when taken in the vertical or portrait orientation. Then using the panoramic stitching feature in Photoshop...stitch them into a great image than what would be possible using a single image.

Capturing scale often requires some forethought and a willingness to think through the problem. Recognizing when the moment requires a sense of scale may very well be the most difficult part of the process. It certainly requires the photographer to purposely set out to accomplish capturing that sense of scale as compared to capturing a routine image.

Scale is a great way to draw the viewer into your images. Capturing it requires some purposeful practice.

Keith

The Importance of Background

Way too much background clutter - Too many
things competing against my main subject - Not
a good example of an effective background

She was a talented young lady performing at Bowling Green's International Festival and I found myself taking a number of photographs during her performance that year. The light was bad...but I wasn't too concerned. These were just fun shots after all, so I did not take into account many of the things I would ordinarily look for. Later, after I had downloaded the images, I came across that series and right away realized I had made some really bad photographic mistakes...the worst being not paying attention to the background. Although the photographs were not terrible, it was obvious to me that the clutter scattered across the background had all but ruined the images. Oddly enough, I've used some of those images in workshops as examples of what not to do.

Much stronger background Isolates
subject and works with the story

Not staying alert to the background is one of the prime ways to ruin your photographs. This is most readily evident with people shots, but it also applies to all kinds of photography, such as wildlife, nature, and studies of shape and form. Background is important because almost every effective image requires an effective background and every image that is successful often owes that success to the effective use of background. It is rare that the two are not connected.

An effective background works by helping to isolate your main subject...yet at the same time it provides a sense of depth and connection to the story of the image. Backgrounds do not have to be something that is recognizable. Actually, they probably work best when it is not, but they do need to blend well with the subject. What you do not want is a background that competes with your subject.

Light background enhances the darker subject

Backgrounds can relate to the subject, or they can provide a contrast. Often it is how the color is distributed across it that influences the eventual outcome of the image.  Not all backgrounds need to be blurred blobs of out of focus color, they can be crisp and solid...but they must in both cases...complement your main subject.

Receding backgrounds with angles of light often
generate a wonderful sense of place and depth

What I look for in an effective background is something that will help to isolate yet provide a sense of place for my subject. Many times simply moving to the right or left a step or so will position my subject in such a way as to take better advantage of how the light plays across the field of view. A simple change of perspective will also make better use of framing. I also like to play against contrasts...something like dark against a light background...or light against a dark background. Color use is also important, and contrasts of color will often generate a vibration that is very catchy and powerful.

Sometimes, location dictates the background. Even so, by first thinking about how to use that location to give your image a sense of place, you may find yourself moving, bending, twisting, kneeling, or even climbing higher to position your subject against a background that works to bring out the characteristics you are looking for.

As I have said many times, there is more to photography that taking pictures. So when photographing your subjects...don't just concentrate solely on the main subject...think about placing your subject within the context of the environment and use the background to enhance and bring interest and strength to your composition.

Keith

The Poetry of Morning Light

A fine experience it is to have risen early to catch the first rays light.  Even on rather ordinary mornings, that first light of the day is always fresh and inviting. For a photographer, morning light best defines what they do and why they are there…it generates not only that initial glow of the day, but it speaks to those who experience it with the soft words of a poetic verse.

When I desire great light for my photography, what first comes to mind is the morning light. I suppose of the favorite images I’ve managed to capture, the majority were influenced most by the first caress that glows low across the sky. The colors change so rapidly during those fleeting moments, as a photographer I find myself rushing here and there to line up the shot before it changes again. Often, a few seconds can make the difference…a moment of hesitation…and it’ gone. I can visit the same location over and over, and each of those mornings generates a unique light show that showcases the qualities of what is there in different ways. It’s like a brand new performance each time. Anticipating the moment is what is required…having the ability see beyond what is current and recognize what is to come…then stand ready to capture what is displayed before you...can mean the difference between making the catch or missing it.

Countless mornings have greeted me over the years…most were routine…a few stood apart because the circumstances surrounding the moment were so captivating. 

Since moving to Kentucky, I've discovered just how poetic morning light can be. The atmosphere in this part of the country can often generate amazing secondary conditions that enhances the already high quality natural morning light. What adds to the flavor of those mornings is the song that is always present...a song that is filled with natures sounds and emotions. Many times when I review images I've taken on a morning shoot, I can remember clearly the sounds and emotions of the moment.  After all, photography is all about capturing emotions...capturing the light is but one aspect of why any given opportunity becomes important enough to photograph.

As amazing as the morning light is in Kentucky, one of the most magnificent mornings I've ever experienced took place in northwest Oklahoma on a goose hunt many years ago. It was a morning when I had no camera in hand. It was a morning when the constant Oklahoma wind for a change fell calm and the normally churning surface of Canton Lake spread silent under a canopy of stars. 

As the first vestiges of light began to glow on the horizon, every shade, every value was reflected on the surface and as daylight crawled toward its climax, thousands of waterfowl of all types exploded across the sky…circling…singing…calling out to their new day. My only desire at that moment was to lean against a willow tree and watch as the water’s surface was set afire by the brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows that used the sky as a giant pallet. Across this splendid example of what is best about the outdoors, nature presented herself in all of the magnificent glory intended by its creator. 

No camera could have captured nature’s poetry that was spoken that morning...but, the images, sounds, and power of those visual verses that were performed then have stood the test of time…for all other mornings have been tested against that single poetic example.