Experience A World of Enjoyment in Photography

 

Experience A World of Enjoyment in Photography

By Jeffrey M. Bowen

 

Years ago I was lying flat on my back in the middle of Yosemite National Park while attempting to photograph a picturesque pine cone hanging from a nearby branch.  I heard voices nearby and glanced over to see a group of individuals with cameras being led along by an elderly white-bearded man.  He stopped the group, and asked them, “What the heck do you suppose that guy is trying to do?”  I heard a bit of laughter, but did not mind because I knew who the old man was:  the world-famous nature photographer Ansel Adams!  Quite often, I had been told, he led workshops in the park.  Apparently I inspired curiosity.

 

I think photography should be artful and inspiring.  It helps us express ourselves differently.   For me it is a journey.    I have taken thousands of photos and learned from just as many mistakes.  I started with a box camera and black and white snapshots back in the 50’s.  Over the years, I graduated to color slides and carousel projectors, then to color snapshot film processed by the local drugstore, and finally, in the 1990s, to digital photography with results processed via Lightroom and Photoshop and posted on the internet.  These days I find that my smart phone often produces fine results.  Although I have and use them, you really don’t need a fancy 35 mm camera with multiple lenses.

 

What you do need is some forethought.  What story do you want to tell? What do you want your viewer to think or feel?  Key is to frame a setting and position your subject within it.  My facebook friends call this composition.  They advise not to aim into the sun.  Maybe, but not always, because backlighted shots can be dramatically effective as long as they don’t wash out altogether. Typically, the best results come from positioning your subject sideways to the main source of light.  Also, I advocate leading lines.  In other words, guide the viewer’s eye from foreground into the background by encouraging curiosity about what lies just beyond. 

 

 Imagine a grid of four evenly spaced lines, two vertical and two horizonal, over the scene you want to shoot.  Consider placing your key subject near one of the four quarterly intersections of those lines.  Don’t always aim directly at the middle.  Another imaginary grid is called the golden spiral.  Arrange your setting so the eye is drawn first to the foreground, then circling around to the top of your scene, then spiraling back around to the middle.  If possible, have something you want people to see at all three locations—foreground, top or background, and finally in the middle.  Really, it can be dramatic!    

 

As for positioning yourself to take a photo, go low.  Get on your knees if necessary (probably not your back), but try to shoot at the same level as your subject.  It tends to capture the viewer’s interest from foreground to background, and it reduces the distortion that comes from aiming downward or upward.  Second, try to move closer to your subject than you first thought possible.  The more detail, the more expression you can capture, the better.  But be a cautious about getting too close to your subject because it can cause an unappealing fisheye effect.  Finally, before you shoot, stop and look behind you.  Maybe that beautiful scene you are ignoring is right behind you.  One more thing:  focus clearly on your subject, and decide beforehand if you want to blur part of the photo to deemphasize the background.  Camera controls called the lens aperture and shutter speed can be used to accomplish this manually or automatically.   

 

Let’s say you are considering a scenic landscape shot, but it needs to be livened up.  Put something alive into it.  It can be a person or an animal.  It need not be your main subject and can be set off to the side.  Yet it draws the viewer’s eye, creates purpose and adds interest.

 

 What if your idea is just to create the memory of a person?   In that case make them your main subject, but encourage them to smile or look happy, and ask them remove anything that may shade or obscure their face.  Reflections on glasses can be really frustrating. Avoid having them squint into the sun.  Rely on indirect light, or have them look off to the side.  Remind them stand up straight and do something with their hands.  If the photo is a selfie, hold the smart phone slightly up above you, and look up to the camera.  This compliments the face and shows the background too.

 

I advocate color in my photos.  The capability of digital cameras to differentiate colors is astounding, and post processing can add richness and nuances.  I never hesitate to manipulate or refine shades of color in my final products.  Sometimes we hesitate to shoot on cloudy days, but we should not.  Cloud variations are always intriguing. Some of the most beautiful shades derive from the color absorption experienced on overcast days.  But be cautious about too much saturation.  My facebook friends definitely prefer colors and scenes that look natural and real.

 

Whether it is about technology or technique, photography should be fun – and something you can spend your whole life learning.  One of the interesting ways to improve is to view video tutorials on You Tube.  No need to emulate Ansel Adams, just enjoy your triumphs, learn from your mistakes, share results with friends and family, and cherish the memories they create.