by tmoffett | Aug 5, 2010 | Black and White, Composition, Portraits
Ben
If you only know me through this blog, you may think that my only subject is the landscape. If so, today may be a surprise for you. My interest in photography began with the landscape, but then I turned to portraits for more than 15 years. I have always loved landscape photography and felt like I could express myself better there than with other subject matter, but I had a family to feed and portraiture and wedding photography is what made that possible. I still do a fair amount of portraiture, but my own personal work is almost always landscape.
You will notice, if you study my portrait work that I believe that simple is better. I feel that way about landscapes and portraits. It is my way of seeing the world. By simplifying a portrait, I am able to more readily make the subject known. It is always about the subject and never about the background. Whether in the studio of outdoors on location, the subject and lighting always take precedence over the background. If the first 2 are good, the background will be fine. Many times I see portraits that are really all about the location, the scene or the background, and the subject just happens to be there. This way of thinking and designing a portrait is backwards. It may be a great scenic image, but when the main subject takes a back seat to the background then it has lost its power. I would rather have nothing in the background than something that overpowers what I am trying to show.
by tmoffett | Aug 4, 2010 | Color, Composition, Photographic Philosophy
Simply Blue
As a young child we notice everything. Our minds soak up every detail that we see. As we age we tend to ignore most everything, actually seeing less than we ignore. Then we pick up a camera and want to make photographs with impact and feeling. We must train ourselves to see those simple things that we have learned to ignore. In the fast-paced world that we live in, this can be a most difficult task. For me, I must slow down and savor the moment, oftentimes sitting and looking and thinking, taking in everything, the sights, the sounds and the smells. Then I am able to make creative decisions about what it is that I want to portray.
I like simple. I think my photographs, for the most part are simple. Life is better when lived simply. Busyness and confusion are all around us, easy to find and see. Finding the simple is becoming harder and harder, which makes it so rewarding. It is all around us, but we must search to find it. It does not present itself readily because we have learned to ignore it. When found, though, it is like a breath of fresh air, calming and peaceful. My goal in my landscape photography is to find the simple in the crazy and untamed world in which I live.
by tmoffett | Aug 3, 2010 | Black and White, Landscape, Photographic Philosophy
Haystack Rock and The Needles, Cannon Beach, OR
Of all the days that I have been at Cannon Beach, there has only been one time that there was no haze. It was wonderful. Clear and an approaching storm, I could not have asked for more. Perfect lighting for black and white, which is my favorite medium to work in. I know, with all of the color images that I have been posting, that is hard to believe, but when I conditions are really there for black and white, I feel as though I am in heaven!
I learned black and white in the old days, with film and the Zone System. I still look at it the same. I must be able to get the tonal range correct. There is no faking it. For a quality image it must be captured correctly in camera and then post processing done to perfection. It is not easy but it is always worth the effort. When someone mistakes a digital image for one done with film and a darkroom I know it is perfect.
This is one of my favorite images of Haystack Rock. As the tide was receding it left the saturated sand that reflected the image of the rock very nicely. As I set up and watched the scene unfold, the clouds began rolling in, and with a few minor shifts of the camera position I was able to place this cloud in perfect position. Swooping across the image just above the Needles and Haystack as if trying to get over them without touching. I watched as the waves lapped at the base of the rocks, the storm came and went, it was awesome. The scene was speaking to me. If we decide where we are going, what we want out of life, then dig in solidly and when winds and waves of life attack we will not be moved.
by tmoffett | Aug 2, 2010 | Color, Composition, Landscape
Texture in the Tetons
Texture is an interesting element. It creates detail in a picture that we like to explore. It can create interest where it might otherwise be boring. It can also create busyness that can be a distraction if misused. Simple composition packed with texture is most effective.
I happen to be fortunate to be at the base of the Tetons one evening during some stormy weather. The clouds lifted just enough for the suns rays to penetrate and create just enough illumination for near perfect balance between the foreground and background. The rays themselves make an interesting secondary subject on the left side of the image as well. The light quality is very important, but look at the texture here as well. we have three different kinds of texture at play. First, the foreground, the grasses and foliage are all texture, leading the eye to the log structure which is number 2. Due to its being nearly surrounded by the foreground and its different type of texture, the eye finds it as a resting place. Having a resting place is essential in an image packed with texture, otherwise we bounce from one thing to another and it becomes exhausting to look at.
Our third element of texture is the mountains themselves. By being backlit, the contrast is reduced and the mountains become less dominant, the perfect background. this image is not so much about the the building or the mountains, but more about light and texture, visually a great combination.
by tmoffett | Aug 1, 2010 | Color, Ramblings
Wintery Morning
With the high temperatures that we have been having, I thought it would be nice to cool down with winter image today. Christeena and I were on a weekend getaway and decided to brave the sub-freezing temperatures to make some images of a beautiful winter morning on the lake. We try to get away occasionally to recharge our batteries. With 5 children at home and work and other responsibilities, it is easy to get in a rut. These little getaways help to plan and proceed and remember to live life, not just complete life. We each have jobs to fulfill, but marriage and families are more than just jobs. If we don’t take time to relax and reflect together with those that we are close to, then life will just pass us by.
Today, take some time for yourself, tell someone you love them, do something that is a diversion from your everyday routine. It will make you a better person!
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