by tmoffett | Dec 1, 2010 | Composition, Landscape
Morning Haze, Sawtooth National Forest
Perspective helps create depth in a photograph. We have been discussing this concept in one of my classes. There are several ways to show perspective in an image. The obvious one, linear perspective, showing how parallel lines seem to converge in the distance, is overused by the students in the assignment. It is nice to see diminishing or aerial perspective used occasionally. This image shows the use of aerial perspective, which is created by the atmospheric haze. When accompanied by backlight, it often not only enhances the feeling of depth, but can create a mysterious feeling as well.
by tmoffett | Nov 30, 2010 | Composition, Landscape, Photographic Technique
Against the Sky
Photographs are all around us just waiting to be made. We need not travel to exotic locations to create art (although sometimes it is a nice diversion!), we just need to open our minds (more so than our eyes) to see what is around us. I preach to my students that if they find nice light they will find nice photographs. It is not about where you go but how you see that makes a great image. I have made many photographs in my own backyard.
This image can illustrate this point. On a late autumn morning, these dry grasses going to seed blowing on the hillside were not much to get excited about. However, after watching them for a few minutes, decided that they needed photographed, or really I felt the need to photograph them. As I viewed them against the hillside, they became lost in confusion, but by changing my angle of vision, dropping low and shooting from the opposite side I was able to isolate them against the hazy blue sky. The blue complimented the yellows of the dry grass, the angles provided by the soft wind and the soft light compliments of light overcast skies created a simple, yet interesting composition. It is all about your viewpoint.
by tmoffett | Nov 26, 2010 | Composition, Landscape, Photographic Philosophy
Wintery Reflections, Payette Lake
I see things simply. Somehow I can find the simple elements that together make utter chaos. We live in a a very fast-paced, even chaotic world, that unless we somehow simplify, will drive even the best of us insane. For some reason I was blessed with the ability to see simply, not just simply see. I admire photographers who can photograph the busy, complicated scene and have it make sense, but for me, I cannot do that. My style is to find the one element within a chaotic scene that shows simplicity, isolate it and render it in a quiet manner. I don’t know how I do it, it just seems to happen.
When looking at things in a simple way, consideration of space becomes crucial. Negative space creates a setting for the main subject, and can either make or break the impact of the image. If the placement is perfect, then large amounts of negative space enhance the visual impact of the photograph, imperfect placement will kill it. Being able to quickly evaluate a scene and make adjustments to maximize the impact before pressing the shutter is critical to the success of a simple image.
I love giving my students the assignment to photograph simplicity and then watch them struggle. Young people today are multi-taskers to the point of not even being able to recognize simple things. They live fast and complicated lives. Yet when the power of simplicity clicks in their minds their whole attitude changes for the better. A whole new world opens up for them to explore. It is a wonderful transformation to witness. Your challenge today is to find something simple and create something wonderful from it!
by tmoffett | Nov 24, 2010 | Color, Composition, Landscape, Photographic Philosophy, Photographic Technique
Autumn Breeze
One of the keys to great photography is to isolate your subject. So many times I see images that have numerous main subjects. They are confusing to look at because I don’t know what I am supposed to look at. It seems that the photographer has “taken” a picture without thinking before pressing the shutter. When creating a photograph (vrs. taking a picture) I am always thinking while I am working. I work slowly so that every detail is considered. The first thing I consider is what the main subject really is. Are there conflicting subjects? If so, how do I resolve the conflict? Would the photograph be better by eliminating part of it? Maybe there are multiple photographs to be made instead of just one.
The second thing that I consider is how to isolate the subject so that there is no question as to what the viewer is to look at. Do I use a wide open aperture so that the background blurs out or is the background an important element of the image? Can I change my camera angle so as to isolate the subject against a non-distracting background? That was the case in the photograph above. The sky was dark enough to not distract yet had some texture in the clouds for interest. The bluish tint in the sky perfectly complimented the golden color of the dry grasses, making it an ideal backdrop for the photograph.
Taking time to think while photographing can make all the difference between just taking a snapshot and really creating something nice! I would much rather return from photographing with one really nice image than a hundred mediocre snapshots.
by tmoffett | Nov 16, 2010 | Color, Composition, Landscape
Framed
Hiking through Ecola State Park near Cannon Beach with Christeena and my camera was a great way to spend an evening. We had no timetable. No place to be. Just enjoy the company and the scenery. We all need a break now and then, and this one proved to be just what I needed to refresh my spirit. I love being with my family, but that is not always a vacation! However, when it is just the two of us it is very much that needed vacation.
This image I found while descending a trail in the park just before sunset. The back lit leaves made a perfect frame for the haze filled mountainside. The haze cut the contrast to just manageable and created the illusion of depth in the image.I don’t usually photograph with the subject dead center in the frame, but this time it worked. It is those situations that are different like this that I am always on the lookout for. Breaking the rules with a purpose. That is what makes photographing exciting for me.
by tmoffett | Nov 2, 2010 | Color, Composition, Landscape, Photographic Philosophy, Ramblings
Warming Trends
I grew up, photographically speaking, on black and white. Numerous hours were spent in the darkroom honing my craft. I have become a better photographer due to my printing my own work. The darkroom hours helped me to develop my vision. Not only did I search for images while with my camera, but I spent many hours with the enlarger searching my images for the real photographs. I wish all new photographers could have those experiences. They changed the way that I view the world… in a good way.
I began photographing in color only after starting to photograph digitally. I still use my black and white mentality when working in the field, but often when I return to my digital darkroom (office and computer) I find the color to be a very important part of the images. So I started leaving the color in. It has been a fun and rewarding journey that has led me to explore avenues that I think I may not have tried before. I now see more than tones, I see the warm and cool hues that work together with the tones in an image to create mood and feeling. My life has been enhanced through the use of color.
My use of color has led me in recent months to explore abstract color photography as a means of expression. I guess that should not surprise me as I have always loved abstract art. I love the work of Piet Mondrian as well as that of Jackson Pollock. In my photographs I see more than just abstract design, I see feelings and relationships. I see warmth as the sun breaks through the clouds and and warms the sand as the cool water recedes. The water and sand mix and blend along the shoreline, just as humans mix and blend their lives throughout the days and years of their existence. There is meaning in everything, we must just search to find it. My Shorelines and Horizons series of photographs have been just that, an outward expression of innermost feelings and passions. They have become more than just photographs, they are pieces of me.
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