DigaPixBlog

Night is a great time to photograph.  The results can be stunning and surprising.  Finding the correct exposure has become a lot simpler with the advent of the digital camera.  With film you had no idea what the results would be until days later when you got the film back from the lab, but now we instantly know if the image is acceptable.

I like the way this photographer has placed the vertical column in the frame giving the composition a sense of place while acting as a graphic that leads the view up to the heights of the Farris wheel.  Without this element it could have been just a record shot of the wheel structure. 

It would have been nice if this photo could have been taken a little earlier so we could have had some light in the sky for texture.  The photo-artist may wish to burn the left hand corner to lessen some of the intensity of the lower portion of the column.

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Architecture is an art form like sculpture.  To photograph it in an artistic way the photo-artist must find a way to interpret it and make it unique and their own vision.  This takes it out of the realm of merely recording an object and into graphic art.

This photograph of the Jefferson Monument could have been taken from across the street showing this magnificent structure just like a thousand other tourist photos we have seen.  But the creator of this image selected to accentuate the detail and combine that with a strong graphic style.

The photo-artist elected to take this picture when the light was low on the horizon so that the shadows would be filled with reflective illumination to balance the contrast between shadow and highlight.  The strong blue sky creates a nice color contrast to the golden tans of the stone.

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The human eye is amazing in its ability to perceive light from extreme sunlight to deep shadows.  Our man made recording equipment, cameras, have limitations as to their ability to document severe lighting conditions.  When the whites have no detail we refer to it as ‘blown out’ and when the shadows look solid black it is said to be ‘blocked up’.  Most equipment has a latitude of four to seven stops.

The stained glass windows in this shot have allowed the photographer to shoot directly into the light and maintain  detail throughout most of the shadows in the scene.  The colored glass is acting as a neutral density filter which helps balance the intensity of light.  At the same time the hues in the windows have transferred some of their color to the surface of the stone.

The photo-artist has selected the smallest column in the lower right hand corner to be vertical while allowing the other columns and window to keystone.  This gives the feeling of an overwhelming power, like a wave, hanging over the viewer’s head. 

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Working with a subject, finding new ways to photograph it will often result in an outstanding composition that the photographer may not have seen at first glance.  Sometimes the photographer my try different lenses, or perhaps a new angle, sometimes just waiting for better light will make all the difference in the world.

This photographer has shot this lighthouse a number of times with varying success.  This image is the best I have seen so far.  The sky is dark and rich allowing the lighthouse tower and the American flag to standout in stunning contrast.  The building appears to be perched on a mound of green.  I like the fact that the photo-artist has elected to keep the flag pole somewhat vertical and let the tower and building keystone to the center. 

Perhaps I could suggest to the photographer that he try a little burning (darkening) of the building and tower to lower the tones.  This would complement the rich blue of the sky and give a more even exposure to the composition.

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The San Xavier del Bac Mission is located just south of Tucson Arizona on the Tohono O’odham Indian land.  This mission, which was constructed from 1783 to 1797, is one of the most beautiful in the southwest.  A major restoration has just been completed making this a must see (must photograph) if you find yourself anywhere near Tucson.

This photograph is a good example of working with a subject, looking at it from all sides at different times of day.  This shot was taken from the back of the mission near the service entrance.  If the photographer only had taken images from the front, which most would do, he would have missed this layering of domes and arches.  I feel the photographer has taken this image down to a point where it tells the story of the architecture of the structure without any distracting elements.

I would suggest to the photographer that they work with the layers on this image to give it stronger definition and saturation.  It appears to lack the dark tones that would separate the layers of white surfaces.  It will also darken the hue of the sky.

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When the photographer finds an interesting subject their objective should be how to interpret it not now to record it.  If we only record the scene we have merely created a snap shot, but if the photo-artist is able to make the subject tell a story that grabs the viewers imagination then we have a photograph.

This photographer has elected to place his subject in the environment in such a way that the landscape reinforces the story of this old cabin.  You will note the photographer did not fill the frame with the building but rather placed it off to the one third vertical line and left the rest of the scene filled with the expanse of the mountains.  He also let part of the old structure be obscured by vegetation which adds to the feeling of abandonment in the wild.

I like the sway back curve of the roof line and the slope of the side walls which give a ‘Li’l Abner’ feeling to this shack.  I would like to see a little richer sky which could be done by selecting that area and modifying the levels on the computer.

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We have all experienced a place or situation we wanted to photograph because of the atmosphere, there is a feeling about the time or place that we want to capture.  It’s a hard thing to do.  You can’t just record it, you must interpret it.  Sometimes this can be done by focusing in on a detail, perhaps there is a contrast within the scene we can exploit, or maybe some graphic interpretation will get the story across.

This abandon set of shops has a lot of potential and I can see why the photographer wanted to capture the feeling of this architecture.  The photographer has taken advantage of the exaggerated singe point perspective to lead our eye along the face of the building.  The pastel colors and poorly maintained aluminum awing takes us back thirty years to when this was a viable business district.

I would like to recommend to the photographer that they try a little more interpretation with this shot.  Perhaps get down lower, or higher.  They might consider cropping or finding interesting detail within the scene.  We should avoid recording the scene and try finding a way of emphasizing and integrating the atmosphere.

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Sometimes we have an image that we like but it just isn’t right somehow.  It could use something extra to make it different, more interpretive.  So we turn to filters, both on camera and on the computer.  Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t.

The photograph presented here was filtered on the computer to give an affect of rain on a window.  I like the placement of the primary subject off to the right looking onto the city below.  You will note that the horizon is about one third from the top of the layout.  The bulk of the image is in hues of brown and tan giving a nice muted effect.

There is one thing that concerns me about this photograph.  I feel the filter went a little too much over the top.  There is too much softness in the scene.  Perhaps if the gargoyle was a little sharper and the city was the same blur there would be more feeling of depth and less of a filter effect.  This could be done by selecting the gargoyle and applying the filters twice at different intensities.

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I am going to try to describe this as simply as possible without using my hands.  When photographing architecture with an SLR camera parallel lines have a tendency to taper together, what is call “key stoning”.  This is what happens when you shoot up at a tall building and the print looks like the top of the building is narrower than the bottom.  This is caused because the lens plane and film plane are always parallel.  “Key stoning” can be prevented with SLR cameras by not tilting the camera but keeping it perpendicular to the ground.  If you want to have true parallel lines in tall building shots you need to use a bellows camera with adjustable tilts and swings for the lens and film plane.

The photograph presented here is a good example of reducing “key stoning” while using an SLR.  The photographer has paid attention to the vertical lines and kept them under control.  The image is slightly under exposed but this gives a feeling of mystery while the architecture emits power and permanence, almost foreboding.  This is one of the cleanest architecture photographs I have seen in sometime.

There is one suggestion I would make.  Viewers are used to seeing some tapering of vertical lines but they expect the horizon to be straight.  Otherwise they consider the subject tilted.  In this image the stairs are the horizon and they are tilted about one half degree to the left.  It may be better to make these parallel to the bottom of the frame and let the verticals tilt a little.  Life is full of compromises.

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Interpretation of the subject by the photographer is what separates a snap shot from a work of art.  With practice a photographers get the eye, the ability to see the subject in their mind as the final result they hope to accomplish.  They don’t just photograph what’s in front of them but look for new ways to compose and express the scene.  This can be learned by taking a subject and working with it by shooting it from different angles, in different formats, at alternate times of the day to get lighting with different qualities.  If you only shoot the first thing you see you will get only record shots.

I like the color and contrast of the lighthouse against a graduated blue sky.  This is a strong graphic and can be used in your composition a number of different ways.  This image does give us the feeling of a cold clear day out on the point.

I would suggest taking the subject off the vertical center line of the composition.  The road in the foreground could possibly be used as a leading line into the scene but where it is placed now it has a tenancy to take us to the left edge of the layout.  Perhaps there was some fresh snow further to the right that would give a more pristine foreground, the footprints and tire paths may not be suitable for this image.

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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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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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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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Within nearly every photograph there is potential for improvement.  The computer gives the average user tools that extend the creative experience.  Through the use of these filters and adjustment we are able to mold an image to our vision.   This is not a cure all, sometimes it results in a better image, sometimes it only results in an alteration without resulting in an improved creation.

This photographer has added a filter to the stucco walls of this photo resulting in a more interesting texture to the surfaces.  The photo-artist must have spent a lot of time painstakingly selecting out the non stucco surfaces.  The composition has some potential with the stars and railing leading the woman up to the red door.

The photographer may not have had much control over the subject but it may have been more interesting if she were in something other than her waiting posture.   I am left with the impression that she is not going to ascend the stars but only stand there in anticipation of someone coming through the door.  She is tangent to the edge of the frame and this also gives her a feeling of inaction. 

In this composition I am not sure what we should consider as the subject; the door or the person.   Normally the woman would be the subject but the color and lightness of the door draws our attention away from her.  If the door is intended to be the subject then we have a conflict and the woman could just as well be eliminated if the photographer wished.

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Some photographs are not so much about the subject as they are about the mood of the scene.  They cause the viewer to draw on their personal memories and emotions to complete the unspoken story within the composition, to ask questions, and like a good novel to want to know more.

This image is about atmosphere.  The deserted street with the harsh shadows caused by a single street light gives this composition a feeling of three in the morning.  This little island of light surrounded by shadow makes me feel alone and isolated, not danger but desolation and aloneness. 

Normally having the focal point, in this case the light pole, in the center of the composition does not work as a graphic element.  But in this case I feel it adds to the drama and isolation if the story.  The tapering light and shadow to the right leads the viewer in that direction where the strong vertical shadow on the left tells the viewer “stay away, do not enter here”.

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In the Nevada desert on the rim of Death Valley stands the meager remains of a town that once numbered as many as 12,000 souls.  This town, one hundred years ago, was serviced by three rail roads, had schools, parks, electricity and of course 45 saloons.  This was a town built to last, but only had it a life of five years until the market crash of 1909.  By 1920 the population had dropped to fourteen people.

The three story bank building shown here was built at a cost of $90,000 in 1907 but only serviced the community for a couple years.  The photographer has taken this image at night with lighting, or computer manipulation, giving it a spooky feeling.  There is slight movement in the stars giving me the impression that this was a long exposure of a minute or more.

The photo-artist has elected to keep the left hand edge of the building vertical while allowing the street to appear sloped.  This is due to the key stoning of caused by the fixed film and lens plans in the SLR camera used.  The modified image below will show you what the image would look like if the horizon was straight and the building was allowed to key stone.  I think the photographer has made the right decision here.

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The light house was invented to repel ships, but it attracts photographers like a flame in the night.  There’s something about their majestic stature that makes us want to capture their image and shear the results.

The representation of the Pt. Lobos light house presented here is a text book graphic layout.  You will note the horizontal and vertical lines intersect in the lower right hand one quarter at the edge of the light keeper’s house.  An interesting side note is that the vertical line is also carried through to the two white vertical rope posts thus repeating the light house theme in miniature.  There are two leading lines, the path and the rope, that take us to the intersection point in front of the house.

This photograph was taken just as the morning fog is lifting and the photographer was able to capture just enough of the mist to show the blue sky starting to come through.  I like the negative space around the vertical shaft of the light house which gives it a majestic feeling.

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Last month there was a program on television about what the world would be like if humans suddenly disappeared, how long would our manmade structures survive.  How much time would elapse before they crumbled in to unrecognizable dust without us to maintain them?

This image of a derelict building brings that program to mind.  The photographer has tried to capture the feeling of abandonment, of lost hopes and dreams.  It’s not an easy subject to do, conveying feelings.  I feel the use of the color against the drab hues of the structure helps to get the point across that this was once someone’s home or place of business, someone’s life.

I would like to suggest to the photo-artist that sometimes less is more.  He may want to consider the removal of the bottom floor of the building with its red color and leave only the one colored window to stand in contrast with the rest of the low key structure.

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When we hold our camera up to a scene we should always be asking ourselves why am I taking this picture.  There is something that attracted our attention; something that said to us this is worth recording.  Once we know what we want to include in the photograph we must then exclude everything we can that is not essential.

The photograph presented here has many wonderful features going for it.  The first and most important to me is the selection of the time of day, shortly after sunset.  There is still enough natural light in the sky to give us detail and just enough to balance the exposure with the artificial lights.  The detail in the rides to tells us about the theme park at night.

If I were to make a suggestion it would be to remove the hotel and the orange ball to the right.  They are a distraction from your main theme the Farris wheel and the park.  They almost act as a second composition within the image.  There are a number of ways this photographed could be simplified.

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The use of computer software has opened up a whole new level of creativity to the photographer.  With the use of manipulation and filtration one single image can be transformed into a number of completely different versions.  One of the most popular is to convert the straight photo image into a painterly translation.

This image has been presented to us in two versions, both shown below. 

The water color version has the feeling of a twilight scene that was hand painted.  The use of blues and yellows gives us the feeling that the town lights have just been turned on and night is fast approaching.  Though the shapes have been distorted with the water color effect they are easily recognizable.  The layering of color in the sky leaves the impression of a sunset just past.  You will note that the horizon that the buildings sit on is about one third down from the top of the image.  With the reflections in the water we have a very pleasing balance.

The one objection I have is the selection of the caecilian used in the water.  I don’t think this vivid hue of blue is available in water colors.  I could be wrong.

The second version is intended to represent a charcoal sketch of the same scene.  I fine this image to have an entirely different mood.  It gives me the feeling of much later in the evining, almost a deserted feeling to the town, as if everyone has closed up for the night and the village is silent.  This version is much harder to read and understand the details.  The bridge is less recognizable and the reflections lack the balance we saw with the color version.  Because the river is black and a wide black border has been added the balance of the illustration is not as pleasing.  It is acquit but not as dramatic an image as the watercolor.

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Watercolor      Charcoal     Original 

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Photographing after sunset can be rewording by letting you take an ordinary scene by day and turning it into an exciting colorful photograph.  Reflections can offer opportunities to add an additional dimension to your image.

This photograph submitted for your consideration shows a great deal of thought by the photo-artist.  You will note the sky is not completely black.  This tells us that the photographer wanted us to get the feeling of night and still have detail in the tops of the building and the sky.  You will also note that the body of water acts as a tapering leading line down to the tall building in the distance.  It appears that a relatively small f-stop was used when you take a look at the star points around the street lights.  I don’t think this was caused by a filter. 

I would like to make a couple of recommendations.  First I think the image could be lightened up a little to give us some more detail.  Also a little of the sky and the water could be cropped to place the horizon on the center line.  This will focus our attention on the leading lines going to the single point perspective.

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I have seen a number of photographs over the past few years and have come to the conclusion that every artist needs to know the rules of aesthetics and then break them.  When it works you have something unique, when it doesn’t you have broken the rules.  How do you know if it works? Your own judgment will tell. 

Someone may criticize your work but if you like it that’s good enough.

This photograph of the Santa Barbara pier has a certain mood caused by the cloud filtered sunlight.  Not quite overcast but low key and homogenous.  The waves rolling in from the pacific are captured just at the end of a curl falling onto the sand. 

I feel the photographer has an over abundance of riches.  There is a wonderful sky and wave action that he is trying to capture and for that reason has placed the subject on the centerline of the photograph.  The photographer may wish to consider that this is one of those times when the rule of thirds should apply.  There are two ways to approach the problem, if you are unhappy with the current composition.  The sky can be cropped or the beach and water reduced. 

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When we find an interesting stationary subject too often we take the first photograph that comes to mind and walk away satisfied with what we have.  I have found that working the subject, looking from a number of angles and versions to shoot; will result in more images to select from.  My experience is that the last version or the first version are more often than not the ones we end up selecting but we learn what worked and what did not.   Take lots of versions, pixels are cheaper then film. 

Another thing to consider if you don’t want to do a lot of computer processing later is to bracket the exposure by at least one half stop, if you have time also bracket using a full stop.  This will give a number of exposures (lighter and darker) images to select from.

I like the near sanitary the photographer selected and the use of the plants in the foreground to give depth to the image.

I would suggest that the photographer work the subject and take the time to develop a number of options to select from.  They may also want to look for details within the scene to concentrate on.

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John Paul Getty was one of the first in the world to amass a fortune of over one billion dollars.  With his fortune he collected art from all over the world.  Much of his collection is found at the Getty Museum and the Getty Villa both located in Los Angeles.  In 1957 he said “A billion dollars isn’t worth what it used to be”.

This image is a study in symmetry.  The statue in the foreground appears to be contemplating the sky as she reclines.  The cloud formations add texture to the sky and there is a hint of sunset in the distance.  The lighting of this photograph is very dark and moody.

The photographer very well may want the overcast feel to the lighting of this image however it does make the photograph appear to be under exposed.  It is a shame there was not a stronger sunset to reflect in this wonderful pool of water.  Technically it appears that the saturation was pushed just a little too far.  The highlights in the clouds and the water have started to shift to a magenta color.  This could be caused by sunset afterglow.   I may be wrong about this but on close examination it looks like a color shift.

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Silhouettes can tell us a lot about a subject without reviling the details we normally would expect.  To do this they must be distinctive, interesting and generally recognizable.  But like any other image they must hold our attention and make us want to see them a second time.  This is a lot to ask of a black paper cutout.

The photographer submitting this image has captured a scene consisting to two opposing colors.  It is simple and direct.  The placement of the half sun is interesting and good seeing on the part of the photographer.  There is no detail in the shadows but we know (or think we know) instantly what we are looking at.  The vertical proportions are excellent.

There are a couple of suggestions the photographer may wish to consider.  I like the concept of the vertical object on the left holding the top and bottom of the image together however it is difficult to identify as a cactus.  If it had been turned just a little more so we could see the secondary arm better it would have made all the difference in the world.   We could try cropping to a square format and see what difference that makes. This would distill the image down to its bearest essentials.

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How lucky we are to find art all around us.  Much of it goes unnoticed.  It adds to the pleasure of life and the richness of our communities.  When we see manmade objects that enrich us we should give thanks to the artist in our hearts.

This photographer has come across just such a wonder.  The painter created a colorful representation of the growing vines that intrigues and amuses us.  The photographer went one step further by using enhancing filters on the computer to increase the feeling of the painted wall and apply it to the sunlit area in the bottom left hand corner.  This adds confusion as to what is real and what is imagined.  A little touch like this takes the image form a record of someone else’s art work to an interpreted version.

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Since the beginning of photography photographers have been altering their images to change reality.  This has been done in the camera with the use of filters, it the dark room using manipulation and today on the computer.  Ansel Adams is thought of as a genius not because of his camera but because of this darkroom alterations and controls.

Years ago we used to joke about needing a telephone pole filter, to remove them from the scene we were attempting to photograph.  Today we think it nothing to take out and altering what we find displeasing about an image with the aid of the computer.  At this time we have not excuse for not producing the blemish free illustration except we don’t want or don’t have a computer.

This photograph was taken because of the interesting graphic of the curved cover on the right side.  This is a pleasant visual and a subject that could yield a number of other images.  The lawn to the left is a nice counter point to the structure.

I would suggest to the photographer a couple alterations he may wish to make.  There are places in the grass where it has been worn through and there are small white items that could be paper or perhaps cigarette butts that make the lawn less than perfect.  This can be corrected on the computer by using the cloning tool.  Also the flower pots can be brought back to new condition by removing the dark chemical staining caused by watering clay pots with the use this same tool.

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In most images we are unaware of perspective.  It is present in most photographs though we take it for granted unless we see an extreme example such as single point perspective. This would be illustrated by the rail road tracks getting closer and closer together as they disappear into the distance.

This photograph is an excellent example of one point perspective witnessed by the bricks in the walls tapering toward a single point in the distance.  Except this image also has a secondary single vanishing point, the stairs leading to the open door. What I would call a very interesting combination of graphic elements.

Photographically this arrangement of perspectives along with the open door creates a claustrophobic feeling that tells a story of danger and mystery.  There is nothing menacing in the photograph but you know you don’t want to go up those stairs.

The photograph mentioned in their e-mail that they like the image but felt there was something wrong with it that they could not put their finger on.  At first I thought it was the colors.  I played around with differ hews but could not get anything that appealed to me.  Then it dawned on me “It’s not the colors, it’s the color”. 

I might suggest to the photographer that they convert this to dynamic image to black and white.  I have done a quick rendition below for your consideration.

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Architecture is art, good or bad it is art.  Sculptures we inhabit.  The photographer has many options when capturing this form of art work in their camera; all the way from record shots in order to interest a prospective buyer to interpretations of the soul of the building.  So we must consider how the image is to be used and who is the target viewer.  In our case we are looking for the photo-artist’s interpretation.

This submission defiantly falls on the photo-artist side of the ledger.  We see the work of one who is not satisfied with just recording someone else’s artwork but wants to create art of their own.  This graphic exudes overwhelming power and strength.  The monotone colors and off kilter perspective says this is a structure to be reckoned with and not just taken for granted. 

On the whimsical side this image reminds me of the SIFI move ‘Transformers’.  You almost get the feeling that this building is coming after you.

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