Rural Kentucky
just may be one of the most enduring charms that reflect the nature of this
state. There are so many variations on that theme a photographer could spend a
lifetime chasing all them. Travel down almost any back road and before long one
of those iconic scenes rolls into view. Time it with the best light or seasonal
conditions and a wonderful opportunity to capture something amazing will make
your time out and about well worth the effort.
About a month ago I managed to rediscover an area located
just a few minutes drive from my home. How and why I managed to pass up this
location over the years I can only wonder, but it did not take long to see the
merits of the scenic value that presented itself.
Capturing Rural Kentucky requires a rustic artist mentality.
The photo mechanics are the same, but visualizing the shot first is most
important. Oddly enough, I tend to look at rural Kentucky from a black and white perspective.
The captured images may be in color and have their own strengths and impact, to
truly capture that nostalgic sense of what the area holds, you have to look
beyond the distraction of color, and see it as a black and white image.
The sky is most important and in most cases needs some kind
of texture and of course clouds are what provide that texture. A flat gray sky
by itself is rather…well flat and gray and provides little impact to the scene
in most instances. That can be overcome by using the values of other elements
in the scene to fill in the sky. By changing your camera angle to fill the sky with
a tree or a grain silo or something different can break up the bland nature of
a gray sky. Another trick is to keep the sky element to a minimum by cropping
the shot to create a suedo-panaramic effect. This technique can produce a
wonderfully nostalgic look to you shots.
If by chance you have clouds…and almost any kind of clouds
with texture will work…you now have an opportunity to include the sky as part
of the rustic scene. By using a polarizer filter you not only reduce glare, but
darken the sky to add a dramatic look that can enhance the effect of the shot.
When thinking in black and white, I often think in terms of
sepia tone or at least something in that regard to give the image an old time
look. Often what appears like an ordinary rural scene that we simply ignore
most of the time can be transformed into a throw back rustic style image that
carries an amazing amount of charm.
Rural Kentucky
is one of those almost never ending supply of photo opportunity that those of
us living here should take more advantage of. With a simple change of light,
season, time of day, or camera angle, one location can be captured in multiple ways…all
of them exhibiting a unique flavor of Kentucky.
Keith