Just wanted to share this shot from Imapix as an example of excellent use of color and focus. (Although it's also an example of good composition.)
Color can be just as important as lines and composition in drawing your viewer's eyes to the subject of your image. In this case, the warm tones of the budding flower contrast with the cooler tones of the green and blue foliage in the background. This contrast helps divide the subject and make it "pop" against the rest of the image content. Even though there is a spot of warmth on the right-hand buds, the main flower's vibrancy keeps it the clear center of attention.
Focus can also enhance the subject of an image. In this image, there are two aspects of focus on display. First, the subject is sharply focused, showing fine details that encourage your eyes to linger and explore. Secondly, a photographic effect called bokeh results in the background of the image being blurred and indistinct. You can produce bokeh by using a wide aperture on a lens. However, the smaller the lens, the harder it is to produce bokeh in an image. That means that it's very hard if not impossible to produce bokeh using a small point and shoot digital. When combined, sharp focus on a subject and bokeh result in an enhanced "pop" of your subject away from the background.
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So, you've got your hands on a digital camera, snagged a Flickr account and started uploading. But after a few days of browsing "Explore" photos on Flickr, do you end up feeling like your photos just aren't cutting it? Or hopefully you've avoided the hit to your ego and just are looking for a way to bring your shots up a notch? Here's your chance.
Fundamentally, photography is an art of presentation - we are capturing moments of light and showing them to our friends, family, and even strangers. For those captured moments to be effect though, they need to do more than just hit the eyes of the viewer - they need to create a response! You want your photos to make your viewer smile like you were smiling, feel awed by the scenery just like you felt when standing there, or feel moved to compassion by the scene that struck your heart. Today I'll show you some simple steps to help get your photos to the next level of effectiveness.
Composition is simply the way things are put together in your photo. Now, art is not like math - rules are made to be broken! But the basic rules of composition will let you form more effective photographs. After you understand and use these rules in your photos, you'll start seeing how to effectively break them as well!
Rule of Thirds
If you imagine dividing the frame into thirds horizontally and vertically, you end up with something like a tic-tack-toe grid. The "rule of thirds" says that the subject of your photo should be positioned at one of the intersections of those lines and that the horizon (if prominent) should be on one of the horizontal lines. Look at this photo and notice how the horizon line and position of the riders helps draw you into the photo and along the beach with the horses.
by mikebaird
Negative Space
Negative space doesn't mean "bad attitude space", it means areas of the photo that are left blank. You can use this empty space to help focus attention on your subject and enhance the mood or feeling you want to share with others. For example, a feeling of motion can be enhanced by leaving empty space in the direction of travel of your subject (as with the photo of the horse riders above). Detachment can also be enhanced by open space. Sometimes, negative space isn't blank space but rather a missing element, as in the last photo in this series.
by riotjane
by Luke Stearns
by erlin1
I've had this blog post drafted for a while now, so I'm just going to go ahead and post it. Do you have any examples of great composition to share? Post in the comments!
A US Air Force C-5 Galaxy from Lackland AFB flies over north-west San Antonio.
This was definitely how I was feeling on Monday! haha
Tilt/shift lenses are a type of lens that allows a "normal" D/SLR to mimic special photographic techniques that are normally only found on large format cameras. (Large format cameras are those old style cameras that look like they are made of a bellows.) One of the really cool uses for these lenses is to create a feeling of miniaturization - everything looks like it's a model on a toy train table instead of a shot of real life. The video below is a stop-motion animation made with a tilt/shift lens and gives a great demonstration of both time-lapse/stop motion filming and the possibilities of a tilt/shift lens.
Enjoy!
Helpless from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.
An ancient poster found in a Cracker Barrel. Bears a resemblance to the "RipStik" toy of today. Sorry for the crappy quality, had to use my cell phone. :-P
This was actually taken quite a while ago - last spring I believe? Never got around to processing these and posting them until now. Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, VA is a great place to get some scenic photos if you happen to be in the area!
This is just a beautiful minimalist composure. Enjoy your weekend!
Finally getting out of work... But I get to work tomorrow (Saturday) too. Yippee!
So, as part of my planning for heading back to Alabama, I think I'll take a bunch of my camera equipment with me. My friends Mark & Lisa have a Nikon DSLR that they're thinking about buying some extra lenses for and last time I was down we talked about some of the options. I figure I can bring mine down and maybe we can hang out one evening and check them out.
Also, I've unexpected come into possession of a Sigma 400mm f/5.6 lens. While I was talking to Mom about teleconverters, she dug this lens out and said "Oh, I'm not using this anymore, so you're welcome to it if you want." ORLY? So it's not a superb piece of optical work like my Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR, but it's free and it seems to work pretty well. Hopefully I'll get a chance to try it out while I'm in Alabama and see if I can capture some wildlife with my DSLR instead of the Casio EX-F1.
In other preparations, I have about ten pounds of mail to go through. :-/ (Note: If you measure you're mail in pounds, you're probably doing it wrong. lol) So I guess that will be occupying a huge chunk of my time before I leave. I want to run down to the post office today and see if they have a check for me. I got an invoice into work this week, but it was kinda late and I don't know if they'll have paid it this week or next.
Other random updates - I got a Visioneer Road Warrior scanner. After a few failed attempts at calibrating it, I finally got it working. I got it on sale from Staples.com for $149 and for the money I think it's worth it. The quality is hardly on par with a flatbed scanner, but let's face it - I bought this thing to scan receipts and submit expense reports. Mission Accomplished. So if you're a road warrior that is looking for something like this, I'd say "do it".
Well, also on the to-do list before leaving is to get the Christmas tree out of the attic for Mom. So I guess I'll go try to pull the boxes out of there with or without Dad. Wish me luck!
I've been thinking about starting a little project - a project to document the people in my life. Not the obvious close people though - all the miscellaneous people we all interact with but don't really know at all. People like your waitress at a restaurant, the person who cuts your hair, the attendant at the gas station.
It reminds me of the old "6 degrees of Kevin Bacon" game, so maybe I should call it the "One Degree Project". Here's the draft rules I think I'll start with:
- You have to talk to the person, no shots of random people in the mall, on the train, etc.
- Take a photo of the person with their consent. (Preferably in context.)
- The photo has to be labeled with a first name and a description of the context.
This history building near the USS Constitution pier was for rent. HDR conversion done using Photomatix.
Dear Autumn,
Welcome back!
Love,
Daniel
A really awesome CGI image of an abandoned cathedral including the steps taken to make it.
Cindy and I went to Scarborough Marsh ME a few weeks ago. Check out Flickr for some more shots!
My plans all center around getting to see my wonderful woman again! Can't wait!!!
A not-too-good HDR of the sunset in Prattville AL. Those clouds are the outlying rings of Tropical Storm Fay.
Wheat Field & Rainbow by Kathleen Connally
Normally, I use Flickr photos for the photo of the day, but this was just too gorgeous to pass up. I highly recommend checking out the larger version linked above as well.
A fearless bull frog hanging out in a pond in Mt. Auburn Cemetary, Cambridge, MA.
Just some photographic proof that's she's certified now! :-D
Cindy got to experience Wild Wonderful West Virignia on our last trip to the south. This is an HDR image I shot of the rocks at Seneca Rocks on our way to Fairmont, WV.
There's a new gallery featuring my friend Stacy. Go check it out!
Update: This gallery is no longer available. Sorry!
