DigaPixBlog

Nature has constant wonder and beauty for the eye.  Too often it only lasts for a moment and then it passes.  As a photographer we must be prepared to capture these images with instantaneous spontaneity.  Once the moment has passed you can’t go back, so be prepared for the unexpected. 

This image is an excellent example of what are often called ‘Gods Rays’.  They have been interpreted in paintings since the Renaissance.  But unlike the painter the camera captures only what is there without additional embellishment.  This photograph is as inspirational as any nineteenth centenary painting.

One of the interesting features about this composition is the contrast in color above and below the clouds.  The blue-gray above represents misery and the yellow-gold below can be seen as hope and warmth.  This is an interesting graphic going on within this simple composition.  You will note that the landscape rises from the horizontal plane to the mountains on the left.  The clouds mirror this rise from right to left.

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Is it better to capture a field of flowers or to concentrate on the detail in a single peddle?  By showing less the photographer often says more about a subject than if they show too much.  That is to say simplicity more often than not gets the messages across better than complexity. 

This interpretation has the feeling of liquid light.  The brilliant butter yellow has had a soft focus filter applied to the top area of the image allowing the focus to become sharper the closer we get to the center.  The hue goes from bright gold to muted yellow-orange.  The use of black as a background, something I normally don’t recommend, works very well with this composition giving a stark contrast between the subject and background.

The green stem is at an angle giving the feeling of a gentle breeze.  Two peddles wrap around the orange and brilliant yellow as if they are holding the light in a cup of peddles.  There is a wholesome freshness about this photograph that makes the view feel contented.

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It’s difficult to get nature to cooperate, if it is aware of the camera it’s gone, if it’s oblivious to us it does what it wants not what we wish.  This image must have been very difficult to get.  These little creatures are fast and have the uncanny ability to disappear just as you press the shutter. 

I like the placement of the subject off center in the frame rather than bulls eye in the center.  The focus is excrement keeping the subject in fine detail while giving the background a nice soft effect. 

Extremely dark subjects are difficult to photograph because if they are against a light background the camera does not have the latitude to capture both the darkest darks and the lightest lights.  Either the whites will be blown out or the blacks will block up.  In this image the photographer came up with the best exposure possible but still lost much of the detail in the black.

In the distant background there is a strong graphic element passing through the image.  This is a distraction from the subject.  The photographer may want to consider cloning this out of the composition.

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As armature photographers we start out wanting to record events and people in our lives.  Then we want to take better pictures.  Next we find that creating art is our goal.  All the while we are using the same tools to capture an image.  What changes is the eye of the photographer.  Not all take this journey but for the few, the ones that love it, that remain true armatures it can be bring a lifetime of joy and creativity.

This photographer is at a point in their life work where they are experimenting with the optics of water drops.  Finding ways of using this phenomenon to create unique images has become their fascination and fortunately they are shearing it with all of us.  With time this photo-artist will find other facets of the art form to work with and grow into new styles and techniques. 

I would suggest that the photographer consider the blue cast in this image.  If the photo-artist wished to modify this hue it can be done using computer software to manually or automatically adjust the levels, contrast and color.  I think it will add snap to the image.

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It was not so long ago that only black and white photographs had any chance of being called art.  Color was just a gimmick and any true artist worked in shades of gray.  Today judges are open to color because there is so much really good work out there and some images cry out for color.

This stunning composition falls flat in black and white.  The color gabs and holds the viewer’s attention with hypnotizing power.  You have trouble taking your eyes away once you are engaged with this image.  The color is what does it and gives the power of those eyes.

The shot is sharp as a tack.  This is even more outstanding when you consider it was taken with a long 400mm lens.  The cropping is perfect giving us only the information necessary to tell the story.  At the same time the background to the left is black while there are dappled hues of tan along the left frame suggesting night and day, a subtext of this story.

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A writer for Time magazine meets a photographer working for National Geographies in a bar.  The writer says to the photographer “I saw your spread in last month’s issue.  The photographs were great.  What camera did you use?” To this the photographer replies “Well I read your article last month and it was wonderful.  What brand of typewriter did you use?” 

Too often photographers want to tell you what equipment they used to take a particular shot when it’s the image that’s important and not the method of getting there.

This image of a remarkable lighthouse uses the technique of including an interesting foreground to keep the photograph from becoming a record shot of the subject.  Too often interesting subjects are recorded without any attempt at interpretation.  This photographer was thinking “how can I make this photo different from all the rest I have seen.”  This is what I call making a photograph your own.

I like the way the subject of off center but perhaps there could be a little more room at the top.  The top of the column appears about to piers the edge of the frame.  I would also like to see this image with good morning or late afternoon light rather than the flat overcast light in this composition.

Speaking of equipment, I have seen a number of photos from this photo-artist and they all appear to have a soft quality.  I think there may be something wrong with the camera or lens.  Try taking the same shot with two different cameras and see if there is a difference in the sharpness of the results.

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Have you ever wondered why a pet rabbit won’t go fetch a ball?  In mammals play is an important way for infants to experiment with adult behaviors necessary for survival.  Predator infants will pay at stocking, pouncing and biting while pray animals infants will amuse themselves by running, leaping and kicking.  As young social animals play also helps establish social ranking.

You can see in this photograph how play skills could be adapted for survival of the fittest or the pack.  This image is a good commentary on the behavior of our pets.  The photographer has captured the action of her dogs participating in a game of who can take.  This is a contest that would be necessary for their ancestors to learn in order to survive.

As a photograph the exposure on the subjects is good but the background is way over exposed.  I would like to suggest coming in a little closer and leaving a bit more room at the top of the frame where the action is taking place.  The cropping should be used to focus our attention and can be done in a number of ways.

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When shooting sunsets the photographer often needs more than just a nice colored sky to hold the viewers attention.  The foreground adds depth and interest to the image.  As much attention should be given to the quality of the foreground as is given to the primary subject for one often cannot stand without the other.

This photographer has selected the interesting silhouette of beach grasses to frame the setting sun.  The graduation of color from pink to blue sky gives a pleasant sensation.

I would like to suggest that the sand in the foreground is a little distracting and could be removed.  This may work very well as a narrow horizontal image.

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Why do we take and keep photographic images.  Because the photographer or someone likes the shot or feels there is a use for the image.  A nonpartisan viewer may not know or understand the photographs presented, that is not what is important.  What is important is that the photographer places value in the shot.

This macro shot of an ant trapped in a spider’s web is a very unusual subject.  The photographer has captured some interesting detail in this creepy subject.  As a viewer I personally find the subject to be a facet of nature I would rather not observe up close.

One of the issues with macro photography that has to be overcome is depth of focus.  In this image a smaller aperture may have allowed the entire subject to be in focus.  I would suggest trying to get more detail in the spider web otherwise the ant looks like it is suspended in midair.

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There is a photography business called Stock Photography.  Stock agencies take the work of photographers and keep it on file for use in advertising.  For this the user pays a feed depending on the use and the photographer gets a royalty from the agency.  I had an acquaintance that shot for a stock company and she told me about an image taken by her without any particular use in mind. It was of the sea and sky, not a particularly interesting image and she could not think of who would want this shot for advertising.  Rather than through it away it was sent off to the agent with some other shots.  A few weeks later she was told that a military defense contractor wanted to use the photograph in a national advertising campaign about anti-submarine warfare.  The theme of the add: “Is anyone out there?”  This just goes to show that almost any photographed has value to someone.

This photograph is almost exactly like that shot; a few clouds, the horizon and water.  There is little or no subject.  But she was able to make money off her image.  In this scene the exposure on the clouds is nice with some good detail however the sunlight on the water is completely blown out (over exposed).  The photographer has done a good job of keeping the horizon level.

I would recommend that the photographer work with the levels and curves on the computer to add a some tone to the dark side of the spectrum, however there is no way of recovering the highlights.

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When I look back at products made a hundred years ago I am amazed at the artistic detail that went into some of the most common items; filigree and scroll work on industrial machines, masonry sculptures on buildings high above the street, flowing design of utilitarian products.  This was the industrial age, why go to such trouble to make commercial products with such artistic detail?  It must be our need to create art and craftsmanship even in the tools we use every day.

This nineteenth century device, I don’t know what it is perhaps a coffee grinder, shows this attention to detail in the spokes of the wheel.  They could have just used straight lines but rather the manufacturer elected to produce interlocking arks reminiscent of a fine crafted geometric sculpture.

The photographer has framed the subject in such a way that we only see three quarters of the object.  We can tell that it is symmetrical so there is no need to illustrate it in its entirety.  This leaves something to the viewer’s imagination.  The back drop, the lace curtains, gives the feeling of a Victorian home.

The image has been altered with a soft focus filter along the top of the subject to give it a dreamy effect.  This is nice but may not have been necessary to this extent. 

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One of the things we try to avoid when photographing is placing the subject to near the center of the composition.  This is called setting on the bull’s eye.  This makes the subject static and often creates a boring composition.  Thats not to say it does not work sometimes but generaly its a good idea to avoid it.

The photographer has captured this seagull backlit so the wings are nicely highlighted during its glide through the thermals of air.  It makes us think of how wonderful it would be to be able to sore with ease and see the rest of the world below. 

I would like to suggest that the photographer place the subject off center to avoid the dreaded bull’s eye.  This was a difficult exposure with the backlit subject. You will notice that some of the whites are blown out particularly around the bird’s head.  This does not give us good definition for the animal’s features. 

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There is no such thing as right and wrong when it comes to photography, well almost nothing.  If it works and the viewer is interested in the image no matter what rules you break it’s still a good photograph.  There’s the rub, if it works for the viewer!  And how does the photographer know if it works?  The only way I can answer that is to say experiment and see.  But your work must be intentional, not just luck.  That’s where talent and practice are required.

This is an interesting experiment in the use of a subject not being as strong as the supporting graphic elements.  The skull is small in relation to the strong lines of the roof eves.  The viewer’s eye is constantly pulled away from the subject and upward to the roof and beyond.  The photograph has been converted to a black and white probably because the color in the eves was distracting from the white wall.

I applaud the photographer for experimenting with this image but I might suggest that the material they had to work with was not conducive to a strong image.  I also think that a little work needs to be done with the contract and curves on the computer.  The image as presented appears to be a little muddy and soft.

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In the days of film, slide film in particular, we were restricted to the format size of the film.  Today with computers and our ability to print our own stuff the format size is no longer an issue.  So don’t be afraid to crop images to sizes that fit the subject or composition.

This landscape was taken during the golden hour of morning or late afternoon.  Notice how the hues of the summer grasses, which would look pail and dry in mid day light, are rich and golden at this time of day.  The right light can take something that is flat and uninteresting, rich and attractive.  I like the shadow in the foreground that separates the hills from the plants along the bottom edge of the frame.  If anything I would like to see a little more of these to give us a stronger foreground.

The photographer may wish to consider cropping out about half the sky.  The clouds are nice but not essential to the story of the California landscape. 

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The rules of graphics help us explain why an illustration works or why in most cases it fails.  This is not to say that the photo-artist needs to follow the rules all the time.  They are only tools to help us understand the composition of an image.  If the photo-artist is able to break the rules and have a successful image they will have something special.

This image of the common tissue dispenser is an interesting graphic design.  There is a strong diagonal line of the counter top and edge cutting across the top of the layout.  The face of the counter and chrome dispenser are also on this same one point perspective line.  The reflective face of the metal surface revels some interesting vertical patterns and textures.  I assume the photo-artist intended the sickly yellow hew over the image to give the feeling of distress.

I would like to suggest to the photographer that the perspective of the face of the counter ending abruptly into the wall so close to the primary subject leaves little to the imagination of the viewer.  The effect may be too much of a record shot of the subject with not enough visual interest.  Some cropping is possible, and color shifting can be done, but some subjects are difficult to carry though to the imagined results.

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When photographing we generally try to get the best example of the subject as possible.  This means if we are photographing flowers we don’t want any wilted of damaged examples in the frame.  We need a subject that will be interesting if the image is to hold the viewer’s attention.  But not all images are about perfection.   The photo-artist may be going for the opposite effect, telling an anti-beauty story.  This may or may not have the desired effect on the viewer.

This macro image of a bee (?) is similar to some other images we have seen recently.  It appears to have been shot using a small flash unit which has given the insect a metallic look.  The translucent wings are nicely separated from the background.

The photographer may wish to consider the following suggestions.  The insect has been photographed almost directly from the top.  Giving it a very flat two dimensional look.  Perhaps a more dramatic angle would be more interesting to the viewer.  The photographer may wish to consider using a background with texture and patterns, to give a feeling of nature.  The solid black is too much like a photograph of a lab specimen.  Flash on a macro shot seldom works well.  It flattens out the subject and gives a very unnatural look to the image.

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When a photographer has a stationary subject to work with they should try to photograph it in a number of different ways.  Don’t just be satisfied with the first composition that comes to mind.  If possible photograph it from different angles and at different times of day.  Work with it.  Try every far-out composition you can think of.  This will broaden your perspective and understanding of the subject.

It looks like this photographer tried a few different layouts of this lighthouse before settling on getting down below the horizon and using the windblown reads to tell the story of the relationship of man and nature.  By making the grass taller than the light house he is symbolizing mans attempt to overcome nature.  This is a very imaginative composition.

There are a few suggestions I would like to make.  In the center bottom of the image is a lens flair that could have been avoided with the use of a lens hood or simply your hand or hat shielding the lens from the sun.  Near the right hand edge there is a wooden post protruding into the scene.  This could be removed with a little cropping and still not affect the overall layout.  The last thing I would recommend is working with the ‘layers’, ‘curves’ and ’saturation’ on the computer to eliminate the washed out effect.

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Ah yes our pets, our child, our loved ones are what we like to photograph the best.  The moment we see these images a smile comes over our face and we think with our hearts and emotions, this is wonderful.  The questions is will others share our attraction to this photograph without knowing anything about the model.

The dog in this picture is a magnificent specimen.  He looks healthy, happy and relaxed.  The lighting appears to be overcast or in the shade which has eliminated any shadows.  The grass is tall and luxuriant, it nice place to rest.

I know at times like this we often cannot make changes without disturbing the subject or the mood but the photographer may want to try to remove the stem of grass intruding on the face of the subject.  Overall it is a nice shot but not much interest in being generated for the viewer.

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With macro photography the viewer often looses perspective and without a reference point does not know just how big the subject being photographed is.  It becomes proportional to its surroundings.  So a subject a millimeter long may appear to be meter in length.  This can be used to the photographer’s advantage in giving the viewer a sense of wonder.

This may not be most viewers’ ideal subject; my wife said “yuck” when I showed this to her, but it is a superb macro shot.  When I first saw this photograph I thought this was a huge tarantula spider.  But on closer examination of the size of the leaves I came to realize the true proportions of this tiny creature. 

I like the diagonal graphic of the red and white stem crossing from the top left hand corner to the lower right.  The green leaf blocks the end of this graphic at the bottom corner but that adds interest and depth to the image.

The photographer had excellent control of the focus.  You can see every hair on this handsome fellows body and legs.  The viewer has the sense that they could reach out and feel the fur.  Now that’s a nice thought isn’t it?

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There are some images and subjects that are beautiful but taken of often by different photographers in the same way that they become indistinguishable from one another.  The goal is to find an approch to photographing the common in such a way that the viewer is seeing the subject in a new manner, from a different perspective.

This is a lovely image.  The natural colors of this creature attract the eye of everyone (emperor and commoner) alike.  The graphic of the neck and head of the peacock coming into the frame with the display of feathers creating a royal background is stunning.  I particularly like the small yellow/green scale of feathers claiming from the neck to the fan display.

This is an excellent example of this image but so common I feel I have seen it a hundred times before.  I would like to see some more originality and creativity with this subject.

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I think of this blog as if you were presenting your images in a gallery and the person in front of you, not knowing you are the artist, is giving their comments about the work being displayed.  They are neither right nor wrong, it’s only their opinion you are over hearing.  What is important is the level of satisfaction the photo-artist has with their work.

This is an interesting study in texture; strong weathered stucco surface, dramatic stains and an interesting graphic.  The surface taken at an oblique angle has a nice three dimensional effect; you can almost feel the rough and bubbled texture.  Blood red rust stains add drama and mystery to the composition making the viewer question where they emanate from.  The graphic of the conduit in placed so that it does not terminate in the corner but at a more acceptable distance from the top of the frame.

I would like to suggest to the photographer that the image may be a little muddy.  Other than the lamp there are no whites in any of the surfaces and the color of the stains could be brought up a little to give a more dominate effect.  But as always this is the photo-artists call.

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There are little critters out there the average person stays away form of swats when they get to near.  Creatures from a branch if life with infinite variety filling every niche of the face of the earth.  And yet humans, except for the entomologist, never really see.  They are aliens that we only think of a repulsive, but look again they are also fascinating.

Our little friend here was photographed in a moment of relaxation.  The photo-artist was able to hold the focus on the tiny subject and capture every detail.   The photographer has done a nice job of blurring the background which has smeller hews to the subject and the plant it is resting upon. 

If you draw a line from corner to corner on the square format you will see that the subject is on the center of the frame and the angle of its body is at forty five degrees. 

I would like to make two small suggestions.  In the lower left hand corner there is some dead plant material, this could be removed with a little cloning.  If some of the top and left hand back ground were cropped out the subject would be taken off center. 

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If we look closer and closer at familiar objects at some point we see details of structure that transforms the subject into a thing we would not normally recognize, details that we had no idea where there.  Details that can fascinate us and make us ask how is it possible that things came to be.

This macro or perhaps micro shot of the familiar hibiscus shows detail that we had no idea was there.  This must be what the bee sees on it journey into the heart of the flower.  The photographer has placed the yellow filaments at a forty five degree angle disappearing into the floral axis like cables entering a mine.  The image gives us the feeling that we could go deeper and deeper into this abyss, like we’re looking over the edge of a crag.

This image is truly letting us see a familiar subject in a new way.  I had no idea that these soft peddles were covered with stalagmites. 

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Some images work because of their detail and some because of their simplicity, their lack of detail and extraneous information.  The hint of an element can tell the whole story without the viewer being aware of it.  In a good photograph a little information can go a long way.

This shot would tell an entirely different story if the ghostly silhouette of the rider in the background was not present.  It would just be a horse running out of a cloud of dust, but the horseman riding away from the camera tells us that this was one that got away, one that is not going with the herd.  This image would be a good candidate for one of those inspirational posters, ‘Breakaway from the Herd’. 

The golden light in this photograph is remarkable, adding a hue throughout the composition resulting in a natural sepia tone tint.  The photo-artist may want to think about cropping a little off the left side to make the subject a  less centered.

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Slow shutter speeds, when used by a knowledgeable photographer, can add life and movement to a photograph.  This is particularly true when only a small portion of the image, most often the subject, is in motion.  When done well it makes the viewer see the world in a new way.

This composition has a number of things going for it.  The train and platform present a strong single point perspective to the layout. Our subject about to enter the train is in motion with ninety percent of his body in blurred movement, while his left foot is stationary on the platform.  The image appears to have been converted to black and white and them the red lights were allowed to come through giving the appearance of a hand tinted print.

I was going to suggest to the photographer the possibility of a little cropping but after trying it the image became to sterile.  However eliminating the bright lights in the upper left hand corner by cloning may be something the photo-artist would consider.

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Patterns within photographs can be used as subjects or backdrops that add meaning to subjects.  Often they are most effective when the pattern is interrupted by an anomaly such as one item out of place or a sudden shift in color or texture. 

This photograph uses patterns as an element that adds interest to the subject.  Can you envision how the composition would change if the subject was placed on a solid asphalt surface?  The pattern of stones is laid out in waves as if the woman were walking on fossilized water. The photographer has only shown us a portion of the woman and allowed us to imagine the rest of her attire.  We can see she is a person who likes funky combinations, blue jeans and stiletto heels. 

In the image at the top of the frame the feet an tail of a pigeon are visible.  The photographer may want to consider trying to clone this out.  Also, on the copy we received, the image appears to be a little soft.  I think the sharper this composition is the better.  Overall it’s a very clean concept.

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Composition generally requires some element that connects the parts to make a whole.  There are some images that forget to do this and the end result is a number of subjects, or pictures, within the photograph.  If they are not connected by some thread the viewer becomes confused and the image is disjointed.

This photograph has two strong subjects, the primary subject is the horse in the lower right hand corner and the secondary is the rock in the upper left.  These could have become unrelated except for the strong graphic line of the layered light coming through the dust.  This subtle light obscures much of the landscape which keeps our attention on the relationship of the two primary elements as our eye flows from the upper corner downhill to the horse and back again.

This illustration gives me the feeling of being under water.  The light appears to be cascading downhill and filling up the landscape with a translucent ether.  The horse appears to have lost its way in the gray world of this mass of particles suspended in the air.

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News photography is about grabbing people’s attention about events they could or should be interested in.  In most cases it is meant to illustrate a story, but in some cases it has enough hummer or interest to stand on its own.  If you are old enough to remember the last page in the old Life magazines you know the type of photograph I am talking about.

This photo journalist has selected something we don’t see every day.  This huge crane was required to lift the power pole over a house from the street.  It’s something we may take for granted but we don’t see very often.  The photographer has selected a vertical format which enhances the feeling of great height and distance.  The crane dwarfs the pole and the house. 

This is an interesting event but not dramatic.  The photographer has handled the composition well and reduced the amount of information down to only that which is essential to the viewer to get an understanding of what is happening. 

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Fill flash is a useful tool too often overlooked.  It can be used to fully or partially stop action, fill in shadows, balance light intensity or light color.  It is best used when it is least noticed, like the music in a movie score, if you don’t notice it is when it is the most stressful.

This photograph uses fill flash to illuminate the three crosses on an overcast day.  If the photographer had not used the flash he would have had to increase the exposure and lost much of the detail in the sky.  The fill light also gives the subjects a surrealistic feeling as if they are standing out separately from the prairie below and the sky above. 

I like the effect but it is not very subtle.  There appears too be a little to much light on the grass.  It is nice that you were able to reduce the amount of shadow cast by the intense light of the flash.

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“If you take a picture of a child and you like it it’s a snap shot, if your neighbor truly likes it it’s a picture but if the world likes it it’s a photograph.”

This is a world class photograph.  What joy, what fun, what can one say except I love this image?  The child is so genuine in her joy that this universal image can be related too by anyone.  You can almost hear her child’s giggle as she attempts to hole each ethereal globe in her hand.

The composition has allowed a little extra room from the right hand frame for the bubbles to float into.  The dappled background is dark enough to let the highlights of the floating spheres to standout.  I think the child is a little soft but this does not detract from the overall feel of the shot.

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