by tmoffett | Dec 13, 2010 | Architecture, Color, Photographic Philosophy
House By The Sea
Photography is more than just creating Fine Art images. It can be used for many purposes. A camera is a great documentary tool. Snapshots definitely have their purpose. I have and use a point and shoot camera for this purpose. Photographing life as it happens is a great thing to do. I forget too easily what my kids were like just a few months ago, and photographs of them in their activities helps keep those memories alive. I have not posted any of these documentary images in the past, but have been considering doing so in the future. It is part of who I am and what influences my art.
I am not an architectural photographer by any means, however as I was returning to my car after an evening at the ocean I noticed this interesting house, so I took a moment to photograph it. The sun had long since descended below the horizon and the last light was fast departing, so I had to hurry and get what I could get. Maybe someday I will return when the light is perfect and try this again. I can visualize the color of a nice sunset reflecting off the windows. As is, this is a nice documentary image that reminds me of a great evening that I had on the coast this past October.
by tmoffett | Dec 11, 2010 | Architecture, Color, Family, Ramblings
Whitetail Resort
The Christmas Spirit is supposed to be cheerful and happy, however around my house the stress and tension levels seem to escalate! I am not a shopper, but shopping needs to be done. I want to be involved in the Christmastime decisions, but I only last about a half hour at the store before I get edgy and am done. I like to go with a list, get what is on the list and get out. Others in my family love to browse. It drives me crazy! It is my challenge that I must overcome. In an effort to promote the Christmas Spirit I attempt to control my emotions so everyone can be happy! When I succeed in this effort, I notice that our home is a much happier place.
This image reminds me of one of the best Christmastime experiences in my life. I post it as a reminder to myself that Christmas is about being selfless and making others happy. By putting others first I find the strength to persevere the commercialism of the season and find the peace that can enter our lives at this time of year if we allow it.
I wish all of my readers a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of holiday seasons. Now it’s time to start the shopping!
by tmoffett | Dec 10, 2010 | Color, Composition, Landscape
Little Redfish Lake
In landscape photography, creating a sense of depth in an image is important. While the image is rendered on a two dimensional piece of paper, it is the illusion of three dimensionality that draws a viewer in. It can help you to feel as though you are there, standing in the midst of the image. One way to help create this sense of place is to effectively use foreground, middleground and background within the frame. A dominant foreground can be created by using a wide angle lens. Once captivated by a strong foreground, middleground and background are needed to create movement and interest in the photograph. This compositional technique can be seen in the image above of Little Redfish Lake. The rocks in the foreground are luring you into the image, and then the eye moves throughout the scene to the trees on the left and the mountains peeking through the clouds further back. then back to the rocks. Creating this type of visual movement is critical to the success of a photograph.
by tmoffett | Dec 9, 2010 | Landscape, Photographic Technique, Photoshop tips
John Day Fossil Beds, Painted Hills
On our way back to Idaho from the Oregon Coast last summer, we stopped at the John Day Fossil Beds Painted Hills Unit. We had never been there before, and thought it might be a good rest stop. We arrived about an hour and a half before sunset, just as the light was starting to get good. We were not disappointed in what we saw. It was the perfect place to shoot panoramics. Up to this point, I really had not done much as far as shooting multiple images and stitching them together into a panoramic view. I decided to try that technique here. The image above is created from nine individual images stitched together in Photoshop. While I don’t use this technique very often, it is useful in some situations and is fun to try occasionally.
While Photoshop makes it quite easy to stitch images together, there are a few things to keep in mind to in order to get better results. First, anything in motion will make it more of a challenge. This applies to clouds, water or even foliage that is blowing in the wind. Second, the foreground is easily distorted, so be careful what you place there. Third, While Photoshop does a fairly good job of stitching the images together, carefully check and double check the seams! Some cleanup with the clone stamp or healing brush is nearly always necessary. Paying attention to these three point will greatly improve your results.
by tmoffett | Dec 8, 2010 | Color, Composition, Photographic Technique
Sunset At The Docks
Color. When I was a developing young photographer (I’m still developing, just not so young anymore!), color was not an option. I carried only black and white film with me. I saw things in black and white. I thought that color only complicated matters. I was a simple photographer, therefore I simply shot black and white. Don’t get me wrong, I still love to work in black and white, but I have started to really enjoy working in color as well lately.
Color adds a whole new dimension to photographs. If not careful, it can destroy the impact of a photograph by getting in the way of the composition. It can complicate matters significantly if not used simply. On the other hand, if used correctly color can add power to an image. Photographs where color is the subject excite me! They are powerful.
I think that learning to see in black and white early on in my career has helped my color photography in the latter years. By seeing and photographing tones as opposed to hues, the image already has a strong visual foundation and adding in color then oftentimes will strengthen an already strong image. Working the other way around, seeing hue first, sometimes the image will lack in strength of tonality. At least that is how it is for me.
A great self assignment that can help in color vision is to make photographs where color is the subject. Take out the color and the image loses all impact and meaning. This can be difficult, but is a good exercise to do occasionally. I have given this assignment to one of my photo classes and am excited to see their resulting photographs in the coming days. I am hoping to be inspired to push my vision of color even farther!
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