DigaPixBlog

The fundamental principle behind photography is capturing light on a recording device.  The quality of that light determines the viewers perception of the subject recorded.  The same model will be perceived differently depending on how the light strikes it on how that light is reflected and recorded.

This photographer allowed a single point source light to pass over, around and through the subject to give this plant a strong crisp feel.  Against the solid black background the subject has a three dimensional look with strong textures and subtle shifts in hues of green and gold.  The viewer will note the rim light on the edges of the leaves and the top of the flower.  If the position and intensity of the light were to change the character of this image would not be the same.

The composition is based on a diagonal line graphic which gives an uplifting feeling to the scene.  The horizontal leaf across the top acts as a stop to this upward travel like a lid, preventing our eye from wondering off the page.  This would be an entirely different composition without that leaf.

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Finding new ways to express common subjects is one of the challenges the photo-artist faces every time they present an image to the public.  This can be done by finding a new angle of view, a different crop, tighter shot, better light, computer manipulation, etc.  If our images are to standout they must have something new to say about familiar subjects.

The photographer of this common image elected to use the computer to create his vision.  By converting sixty percent of the image to black and white and selectively leaving a portion in color the layout takes on a new feel and meaning.  The photo-artist came in close to eliminate background distractions.  This particular type of plant has very graceful curves to the leaves that have grace and flow.

I like the way the creator of this image elected to have the green wash on the surface behind the protruding cone.  The photographer may wish to take another pass at removing all the unwanted color down in the lower left hand corner, there is still a hint of green in that area.

PS: This plant is not a cactus, its a succulent.

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The ability to see faces and animals in the clouds is a human ability I don’t think any of natures other creatures can do.  We look up at the shifting vapor and imagine all sorts of creatures and things in the ferment of the passing mass.  This tenancy in imagination also can apply to other objects such as rock formations or the patterns on our ceilings.

This image taken of an orchid displays what appears to be the face and wings of a bat.  A very colorful bat, but that’s what I saw when I first opened this photograph.  I like the way the photographer has come in close and eliminated much of the background and even the tips of the orchids peddles.  The bright colors are most interesting.

However I do have one major problem with the image as shown.  It appears to be soft and out of focus.  I think this was caused by too much cropping.  With a micro shot like this we need something within the composition to be crisp in order to keep the viewer’s eye from wondering.

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Keeping a sharp eye out while photographing nature can result in some extraordinary finds, that small extra something that makes an ordinary scene into an extraordinary image, the detail that acts as an epiphany around which a story realized.

This photographer had his eyes open when he came across this small caterpillar hidden within the flower.  This creature works with the flower to add another dimension of life to the subject.  The clear blue sky backdrop lets the whites and yellows of the flower jump off the page.

I would like to make a few suggestions concerning this photograph.  First the focus appears to be off as if the image was blowup too much on the computer perhaps due to cropping to tight from a larger scene.  One of the flower’s yellow anthers is cutting across the neck of the worm.  It would be nice if this could be avoided.  And the last item concerns the visible background between the peddles of the flower.  I would recommend selecting this area and cloning in the same blue as seen at the top of the flower.   

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There are all sorts of filters out there that have nothing to do with the computer.  By using simple tools the photographer can achieve some interesting results.  Look of such things as reflective surfaces, obscure glass, screens, even fog will change the appearance of a subject.  One cool technique is to smear some Vaseline on clear glass, not your lens, to get a very interesting soft focus filter.

This photographer used ribbed glass to shoot these flowers.  The distortion form the vertical pattern in the glass has created a segmented scene as if the image were chopped up into strips and pasted back together.  Note there are little beads of water on the transparent surface.  I like the brilliant colors of the flowers that appear to be accented by the distortion through the glass filter.

I would like to make one small suggestion.  The vertical lines appear to be tilting as they move from left to right.  The photographer might consider making the pattern vertical or accentuating the tilt to make it look more purposeful.

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Symmetrical or semi-symmetrical subjects can cause a dilemma for the photographer trying to select a composition.  Sometimes they can work on the center line of the illustration but they can appear static and graphically boring.  Or they can be placed off center but where?  With no leading lines this layout may result in an uninteresting composition.

This photographer has gotten up close to capture the circular pattern in this hibiscus flower.  He has determined that slightly off center would be the best place for the pistil leaving the pin wheel pattern of the petals on the center line of the image.  I believe this was a reasonable compositional choice.

I think I should point out the image is not quite sharp.  When photographing a subject it is normally important to keep the intended focus of our attention as sharp as possible.  The photo-artist may want to try using a ’sharpen’ and ’sharpen edges’ filter on the computer to make the pistil area snap.  This will give more of a feeling of depth to the image.

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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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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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When someone reviews our work we need to keep in mind that it is the photographer’s opinion of the image that is important.  If the photo-artist has achieved an end result that they are pleased with no matter what another may say it the image is a success.  The person doing the critique is only expressing their opinion which is colored by their experiences and predilections.

The flower photographed here appears to have been filtered for effect.  It has a soft pink cast overlaying the subject.   The photo-artist appears to have eliminated most of the black level layers thou when you check it there are still quite bit of the dark part of the curve in the photograph. 

I don’t know what it is about this simple flower shot that makes me feel threatened.  Perhaps it’s the open mouth, the blood red haze, or just the feeling that this plant could eat meat.  Does this remind anyone else of the Little Shop of Horrors?

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One of the jobs of the photographer is to show us the ordinary in ways we have not seen before.   Even things of beauty need to be captured in ways that makes the viewer think, that this is the prettiest or most interesting or dramatic I have ever seen this before.  If we just photograph the subject as we all see it we have only created a record shot.

This photograph of a lovely flower garland will catch the viewers attention immediately just because of the perfection of nature.  These blossoms are at the peak of their bloom.  The photo-artist has gone the extra step of adding a blurring filter to the background to keep the viewer’s attention on the subject.  This picture appears to have been taken on an overcast day or with overhead shade.

The photographer may want to consider cropping in a little closer so the viewer is drawn into the bouquet rather than only observing it.  Because the lighting is soft the color is muted and if the photo-artist wished it could be punched up some to give a more vibrant feel to the image.

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Descanso Gardens is a public garden located in La Canada Flintridge California.  E. Manchester Boddy purchased the land in 1937 and names his estate ‘Rancho del Descanso’ meaning ‘ranch of rest’ in Spanish.  Have you ever wondered why there are so many different types of camellias in the gardens?  Part of the land was once used as a commercial camellia nursery.

This image may not have been taken at Descanso Gardens but it is a nice example of perfect flower.  These blooms have a tendency to develop brown edges too the peddles very quickly but this example is at its peak of beauty.  The gold around the heart of the flower is reflected by the auburn of the background.  On the left is a leaf reaching into the composition, almost as if it were a finger about to stroke the fragile bloom.

This is a very sensitive depiction of the Camellia, nicely cropped to keep our attention focused on the center of the flower.  The focus is a little soft but perhaps the photo-artist was going for a little dreamy effect.

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There is an old saying “You can’t have too much information”.  That is not true in photography, the photographer needs to edit their work to determine if the composition contains unnecessary or distraction elements that can and should be removed or reduced.  The artist has to ask themselves “What information is important and what can be eliminated”.

I raise cactus and succulents as a hobby and cactus blooms are some of the most beautiful in nature, in my opinion.  This image has an interesting metallic feel to the flower, I don’t know if that is nature or if the photo has been manipulated.  In either case it is interesting.  The placement of the bee, which is about to enter the flower, is intriguing, so high in the composition.  This photographer has handled the depth of field nicely.

I would suggest that the image be cropped down to force the viewer to concentrate on the subject.  The background is not essential to the subject and we can let the audience supply their imagination to fill in the surroundings. 

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Flowers are difficult to photograph because we have all seen so many of them represented in images over the years.  Many if not most are just record shots of nature’s beauties.  It takes the eye of an artist to interpret the flower and show it to us in a new way. 

This ball of glowing color and light tells us that this photo-artist has seen beyond the pretty flower into the heart of the subject.  The photograph was taken up close cropping out the environment and getting to the lines and colors displayed within the subject.  The inner illumination radiates light like a fire within a smoldering volcano.  Notice the cant of the axis of the compostion; about twenty dagrees off the horixontal, this adds addtional interest to the layout.

This image would be eye catching at any size form a postage stamp to a wall size poster.  It is color and simplicity that sets this composition apart.

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The human eye is attached to the human mind and thus sometimes makes us see what we want to see.  We all know someone who we think is good looking but we can’t get a photograph of them that meets our expectation.  This is because when we look at a subject our mind interprets what we see and often ignores the minor flaws and only sees the good.

This picture of wild flowers has a lot of potential but may need to focus in on what attracted the photographer to the subject in the first place.  I often say that you should decide what turns you on about a scene and then take everything else out. 

Perhaps the attraction that the shooter saw was the combination of the lavender flowers against the golden poppies.  If so you could try isolating that area of the scene.  This will concentrate the views attention to what you saw in your mind’s eye.

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When a viewer looks at a work of art they want to be inspired, they want to see the world in a new way.  Their first thought has to be that’s wonderful, I’ve never looked at it that way before.  If their first thought is that’s nice, but I could have done that, then the artist has not succeeded.

The image of the wild flowers presented here is nice; the contrast between the golden poppies and the white tuffs has a pleasing and natural feeling.  Flowers are one of the most difficult subjects because we have seen so many photographs of them. We, as viewers, become jaded and the pictures start to all look alike unless the photographer has done something dramatic to capture our attention and interest.

This image, thou pretty, has no single focal point that we can recognize as the subject.  Sometimes a graphic element will carry the illustration but in this case the brilliance of color has no pattern or theme that we can relate too.  I would recommend getting in closer and finding interesting details and shapes that will hold the viewer’s interest and let them see this world through the eyes of the photographer in a new and dramatic way.

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Symbolism has a long tradition in art; it is perhaps the foundation of art.  We as humans have the ability to read subtext and meaning into any work of creative expression.  It is in our literature, our paintings and even our television shows.  Look at such painters as Edvard Munch and William Blake for fine examples of symbolism.  Their work is often dark, often disturbing.  Or read my favorite of all writers, the short stories of Franz Kafka. 

This image is about much more than a cluster of ranunculus, more than the subjects themselves.  The photo-artist wrought me about his concerns regarding the symbolism he read into this photograph.  In part he expressed the following “a comment on racial barriers in our society”, “the white flower rising above its mixed company”, “just look at them, they’re arrogant”.   I would interpret the symbolism in a similar way except I don’t feel it necessarily has the racial overtones.  In it I see it the class struggle in society, the betters standing aloof from their inferiors.  To me the flower on the left is a loner longing to enter the group and be accepted.  If I were to name this image I would call it ‘The Outsider’.

What we see in an image is a reflection of ourselves, our experiences, our fears and dreams.  This photograph is a Rorschach test taken with a camera, an image that would make Carl Jung proud. 

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We have talked about the epiphany element in some photographs.  The one detail that if it were not there it would be a different image with a different message.  Not every composition has an epiphany element; in fact very few are altered with the removal of a single small detail.  But the works that have this turning point are often taken to a higher level.

Normally the subject in the photograph submitted here would be the tulip with dew drops.  The single hanging tear drop captured seconds before its plunge into oblivion changes the entire subject matter and story.  We are drawn into this macro reflective world of the single drop and see a different world.  Our eye and our imagination dive into this single point of interest while the composition and graphics of the rest of the image complement our passage into this other reality.

The only detail that concerns me is the quality of the green stem.  Rather than being in soft focus it has the texture of a slightly pasteurized surface.  This may have been caused by the digital capture techniques in the camera.

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The Descanso Gardens located in La Canada California was originally a commercial Camellia garden run by the owner of the Los Angeles Daily News, E. M. Boddy, until the county took it over in 1953 and developed the 25 acres into the public facility we enjoy today.

This time of year the tulips are in bellum and just asking us to photograph them.  The image presented here is an excellent example of what you will find at Descanso.  The photographer has captured this fire on a stem in all its spectacular hues.  I like the choice of background with its dappled shades of green.  The decision to not show the entire flower and crop the left side adds a little interpretation keeping this from becoming a record shot. 

The photographer has also supplied us with the same image that has had a posterized filter applied.  I think I prefer the original without the alteration.  I would like to make one small suggestion to the photo-artist.  If the saturation were increased a little we would get even more brilliant color in the flower peddles. 

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Look for repeating patterns.  They are all around us.  Repartition of the same subject, the same shape, the same color can result in an interesting image.  They don’t have to be all exactly alike; the mind’s eye needs to interpreter them as the same.

This image was taken last week a Balboa part in Encino California.  The cherry blossoms are spectacular this time of year.  The low morning light adds shape to the branches of the trees while illuminating the strong colors of the flowers.  There is a pattern of trees that leads us back into the scene.  The photographer has elected to look through the grove rather than full face along a front which we have seen so often.

I might make one suggestion to the photographer.  There is a small, skinny tree along the right hand edge that takes away from the pattern of the other trees.   Perhaps this could be cloned out.  This will allow our eye to follow the natural path of the patter to the left.  You might also experiment with the saturation of the color.  It is nice the way it is but with our expectation we can enhance even nature’s best efforts.  As you can see I am not a purest.

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With the advent of computer software to manipulation photos in the late 1980’s a new art form was created.  For the first time the average photographer, for a reasonable cost, could manipulate their images in ways only the expert dark room technician could achieve.  That’s not to say that all attempts at altering photos is good art but we are able to create interesting compositions.

The photograph presented here has a nice abstract feel along the lines of the early nineteenth century painters.  The filter used gives movement to the scene with its elongated swelling lines of distortion.    I like the dark path going up the center of the frame at an angle.  It helps to accent the angle of perspective of the flowers on the right while the flowers on the left are a massive anchor of color.

The original photograph, while colorful, was probably a rather ordinary image.  The computer manipulation was able to take a mundane scene and transform it into something more dramatic, if you don’t suffer from vertigo.

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It’s that time of year, the wild flowers are out.  They attract photographers like a magnet.  There is no better way to spend a spring day than shooting in the field; it gets the hart beating and your senses on full alert. 

This image of California Golden Poppies which were shot in Arizona (would that make them Arizona Golden Poppies?) expresses one of those days.  The air is clear the sun is bright and for a few minutes or a few hours our mind can be distracted by nature.  I like the gold offset against the rich dark blue sky.  It allows the flowers to pop in the image.

There are a few suggestions I would like to make to the photographer.  When shooting something beautiful watch out for the background.  The sky works well but the dark tree abruptly transitions to a less appealing scene.  In the lower left hand corner there is an out of focus plant that does not harmonize with the patterns of the poppies.

It’s OK at the time of the shoot to remove items you don’t want in the image and it’s legitimate to move your angle of view to eliminate background distractions.

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Selective focus is an important tool to draw our attention to a particular subject or area of a photograph.  The eye is naturally drawn to that which we can see and understand easily.  Knowing how to achieve this effect with the use of lens selection and f-stop control is essential to every aspiring photographer.

The photograph of the Gazanias is alive with color.  The focus draws our attention to the center of the flower in the lower right hand corner.  The center of the same type of flower at the top is completely out of focus and thus not as observable upon first looking at the image.  I like the soft blues and greens of the background.  In this case so far out of focus they are unidentifiable.  The composition is pleasant with the layering of the flowers.  This would make a good catalog shot.

The only thing I noticed, at least on the version of the image I received, is that the center of the flower in the lower left in not completely sharp.  This could have been caused by a slight movement of the subject, maybe a little breeze and to slow a shutter speed.

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I love cactus.  But I don’t know about the Cholla.  This native of the American Southwest and Northern Mexico is sometimes called the Jumping Cactus.  When you walk by them the long prickly spins grab to your clothing without your being aware that they have attached to you and before you know it, if you are not careful, you have a number of spiny balls hanging on your garments, as if they jumped out and grabbed you.  And they are no fun to get off your person.

This photograph has nice depth of field focus drawing our attention to the cactus fruits.  The side lighting gives good definition to the spines that are in focus.  I like the touch of blue sky leading to a point directed to our subject.  This would make a nice text book photograph.

I think that I would suggest cropping in a little closer to the subject to focus our attention on the upper part of the subject.  The spines in the lower left corner are in competition for our attention.

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It is very difficult to get your image just right in camera.  The computer has made it possible to make corrections and alterations to images in a matter of minutes that would have taken hours in the darkroom just a few years ago.  The digital camera and the computer, unless you are a purest, have given us tools that expand our horizons and allow everyone to correct their faux pas’.

The photograph of these blossoms consists of flowers that are ever increasing in size from background to foreground.  This repeating pattern gives the impression of growth.  Each visible peddle appears to be fresh and desirable.  The original image (see below) had a large white area in the lower right hand corner that was quite distracting however the photo-artist removed that disturbing element to his credit.

I would like to recommend to the photographer to bring up the whites and increase the contrast. This will brighten up the image and make the flowers more luminescent.  The photo-artist must have considered removing the branches in the upper left hand quadrant, but I would ask them to consider it once again.

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I would like to discuss style.  Photographic style is difficult to define, it’s like art you know it when you see it.  It’s a photographer’s unique signature, a look and feel about their work.  Once you have seen a few of their images you are able to pick their work out of a lineup of photographs.  I am not talking about always shooting the same type of subject, but about the feel of the body of work.  Some photographers and painters find what is popular with their audience and only product that illustration in slightly different versions over and over again.  That is not style that is commercial illustration.  Style is having the “eye” that produces consistent work and with experience no matter the subject matter.

I have only seen a few works by this photographer but I see the style in her work.  It might be referred to as Zen photography, images that have grace and simplicity with very little wasted information.  This style can be applied to any subject, be it landscapes or still life, flowers or buildings.

The combination of color and hew give this image a soothing tone.  The cleanness of the subject with the slightly curving stem leading to the flowers has a grace found in the classic forms.  You will note that there are four flowers not three.   This breaks one of the magic rules, but in this image it works quite well.  Would you have a better subject if there were only three, I don’t think so.

I would like to make a suggestion to the photographer.  The pink flower in the lower right and the pink in the background may be distracting and out of harmony with the rest of the image.

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I have always been of the opinion that the old slide (transparency) film photographers were challenged more than the negative film shooters because they could not manipulate their images after the facet in the dark room.  There is a movement of photographers today that want to take the perfect digital image in camera with minimal post computer manipulation.  To do this they have to exert more control of the setup and environment of their subject at the time of the shoot.

The photograph of this flower has a very nice bright and fresh feeling.  It just feels clean and cheerfully.  I like the water droplets on the peddles and the magnified images within some of them of the flowers in the background. 

There are a couple of suggestions I would like to make to the photographer.  When you are shooting take a close look at the background.  In this case the yellow flower in the background on the left merges with our subject.  Another recommendation would be to throw the background more out of focus by using a larger f-stop.  (Did you know that most motion picture cameras are set at f 5.6 to keep your attention where the director wants your attention to be focused?)

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When we photograph things that are under our control we take on the responsibility of making sure that everything about our subject is just the way we expect it to be in the final illustration.  This is particularly true of still life or table top photography.  We have the time, we have the ability to select our subject and we have the human eyes to see any imperfections that exist and correct them.

I like the orientation of the subject in this photograph.  With the tip of the stigma just peeking over the rim of the corolla like a small golden sun rising.  The lighting is nice and shows good contour and texture in the whites.  The overall shape of the peddles is pleasing and fluid.

There are a few things I would like to call to the attention of the photographer.  First there is what appears to be dust on in the white areas of the subject.  Upon closer examination some look like dust on the flower and some appear to be small round circles that may be the result on dust on the lens or dust on the photo receptors in the camera.  I would suggest that you do some tests with your camera to make sure your camera’s sensors are not dirty.

On the right side of the flower there appears to be a crease in the peddle, possibly caused by handling.  If you see this in the future you may wish to select another subject, after all shouldn’t a lily be perfect? 

There are two other things you may want to consider.  I would be nice if we had a greater depth of focus.  The focus point appears to be at the rear of the flower leaving the front tip soft.  Look into hyper focal focusing.  And last of all you want to watch getting the types of the subject tangent to the edge of the frame.  You are ok here but very close and I think you would have a tough time printing and matting this photograph without making one of the tips touch the edge of the frame.

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Macro photography allows us to enter an unseen world.  It can be like another dimension of things we see all the time but actually never see.  As we know the macro lens has a limited focal distance which we can use to work in our favor by allowing us to select what will be sharp and what will be soft background.

This macro shot has called our attention to the droplets of water on the underside of the tulip.  Please notice the detail in the very small mist droplets.  This has added a texture to the surface of the flower where none existed before.  I particularly like the shadow crossing the face of the subject.  This selective light inserts drama to surface of the flower and helps to bring out the sparkle in the major water drops.  The limited depth of focus shows us the stem of the plant as well as another  in the near distance without causing a distraction for the subject.

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How many pictures have we all seen of the Eiffel Tower?   A lot I am willing to bet.  We have seen it photographed dozens perhaps hundreds of ways.  It is the true photo-artist that can photograph the Eiffel Tower in a new way that makes us think of it afresh.  The same is true for the common flower.

When you are photographing flowers look for ways ot seeing the subject anew.  This photo-artist has selected to let us see the underside of the common subject but more than that he has used graphics and simplicity to get the point across.  The green stem articulation in the lower left hand corner gives us the impression we are seeing the subject immerge into the frame.  Lighting of this area gives it shape and actuates the repeating patterns.  At the same time the petals become translucent with delicate back lighting.

Another item you may want to notice.  The focal depth of field is extruding.  This macro image must have been shot at f/64 (just kidding) in order to get this resolution.

I would call this simple but elegant.

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Flowers are fun and simple to photograph.  First you are starting with one of nature’s finest creations, pleasing to the eye and fragrant to the olfactory sense.  The trick is finding a way of illustrating this in a new way.

This photographer has filled the frame with the subject.  I it has the appearance of multiple Japanese fans overlapping to form a kaleidoscope of color.  The placement of the head of the stigma is interestingly located in the upper left hand corner while the base of the floral axis if near the center.  I particularly like the soft light emerging from around the base of the petals giving us wonderful separation.

The only flaw I perceive, and there is little or nothing the photographer could do about it, is the color of the stigma buds.  They are gold / yellow that does not separate well form the background color.

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