First Light, Arches National Park
One of the hardest principles of good composition to teach is that of simplicity. Elimination of everything in the frame that does not enhance the image creates a composition that will have much more power and impact on the viewer. Slowing down is the key. In today’s world, we are so used to multi-tasking that slowing down and simplifying anything is against our nature, yet doing so, I have found, allows me to enjoy life so much more. I see differently when I take the time. My vision becomes more clear. My photographs become more powerful.
This is an image that I made while at Arches National Park recently. I had hiked in to Landscape Arch in the dark in order to be there for sunrise. As the sky grew lighter, I turned around and this is what I saw. It was not what I had come for, but was a pleasant surprise. These four plants, catching the first rays of morning light as they grew out of solid rock were a better composition and much more powerful and meaningful than the arch I had come to photograph. So many times I have hit my own “Brick Wall” and wanted to give up, but persevering, stretching and growing, I was able to overcome and move forward, much like these plants in this sandstone environment. There are many images in nature that when simplified, can relate to our own lives. Parallel meanings are often hid behind confusion, that when we slow down, become observant and eliminate the excess, we will find. When we do, our art becomes powerful.
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