Getting Closer

Last week, I talked about how changing your perspective can help you emphasize your main subject, and reveal your unique view of the world to others. Simply climbing a little higher and looking down on the main subject, or getting low and looking up at it, can make an amazing difference.

Today, I would like to give you another tool to help you improve your images. A photographer was once quoted saying “If you don’t like your photographs, get closer”. Getting closer by either physically moving closer, or zooming into your main subject, is one of the most effective ways to quickly improve your images.
Just as looking down on your subject will help eliminate distracting elements in the image, getting closer will get rid of the clutter. Getting closer also simplifies an image. The more simple the composition, the more powerful the message it sends to the viewer.

Last fall, one of the stems from my wife’s foxglove plant was so loaded with flowers that it fell to the ground. I wanted to photograph it, before the flowers withered. So, I put it in my basement, shined a light on the flowers and took a photo.



As you can see, it is a good photo, and the flowers are pretty. But, it just didn’t jump off the page. So, I zoomed in, and took a closer image.



This image has much more impact. But, it still didn’t really jump off the page, the way I wanted it to. So, I combined the 2 concepts that have been presented so far in this blog; I got closer, and changed my perspective. I got down low, and looked up at the flowers.



This image had a much different look. Because foxglove is normally fairly close to the ground, and the flowers hang down, most people never see these flowers from this angle. It completely changed the photo. They kind of look like the flower from the movie “Little Shop of Horrors”.

People who have seen this image, without seeing the wider shot, ask me what type of flower it is. When I show them the first photo, they are often surprised by how different the last image looks.

The next time you take a photo, and it just doesn’t look as good as you would like, try zooming in, or walking a little closer. I can almost guarantee you that the second image will look much better.

Have a great week.

New England in May

David and I took a wonderful trip to New England the last two weeks in May. It was a special trip since we were celebrating our 20th anniversary!

We first spent several days in Maine. Some highlights included visiting Rockland where there are several interesting small art galleries, Bath where the Main Maritime Museum is located, Moosehead Lake which is really beautiful and shopping at Freeport, home of LL. Bean. Another important activity was eating lots of seafood and searching for the best strawberry rhubarb pie. Since they were all good I can’t declare a winner.

We next went to Vermont. We stumbled on a state-wide “Open Studio” day where artists opened up their studies over Memorial Day weekend. We visited some cheese factories and tasted quite a bit and bought some to bring home. We also briefly slipped into New York state to see Ft. Ticonderoga. It was Memorial Day and they had a remembrance ceremony with a fife and drum corps. We also just enjoyed driving around and seeing beautiful scenery.

Try a Different Perspective

Hello Again

Last week, I posted an article on using your camera to help you stop and smell the roses. The crux of that article was learning to see the world differently, and appreciate the beauty around you.

This week, I would like to begin talking about how to expand on the concept of “seeing” differently, and how to better reveal that beauty with your camera.

One of the amazing things about a camera is the ability to isolate the main subject from its surroundings. You can help people see the world in new ways.

However, if you simply point the camera at some object, and push the shutter, there are often a lot of distracting elements in the photo. These other items in the photo compete with your intended subject for attention.

There are two primary ways to really isolate the main subject of your photo, from the clutter around it; get closer or try an unusual perspective. Today, we are going to talk about how a different perspective can help you isolate your main subject.

Here is an example from my wife’s flower garden:




This lily was very pretty, but when I took a photo from a standing position, it blended into the rest of the flowers in the garden. I wanted to show the wonderful colors and textures of the lily, and pull it out of the clutter.

The answer to my dilemma was to change my perspective. Before taking a photo of any still object, I take a few moments and walk around it. If I can, I step up on something, and look down at the object, or get down low and look up at it. That is what worked with this flower. When I got down low, and looked up at it, the petals were isolated from the rest of the garden. The white petals against the blue sky had wonderful graphic lines and contrast.

A similar example is the Hibiscus, pictured below. I took a shot from the front, and it was pretty. However, it looked like hundreds of other photos that I have seen on the web. When I went behind the flower, however, I got a wonderful surprise. The light shining through the spaces between the petals formed a star. The green leaves behind the flower, formed a second star. It was wonderful, and I had to capture it.




The next time you start to take a photo of any still object, take a few moments, and look at it from different angles. You might be amazed by what you see.

Capture what you see with your camera, and you might make others take the time to look at the world around them, differently.

A New Way to Stop & Smell the Roses

Life is far too hectic. We are so busy that we practically run through our days. Those days fly by, and turn into weeks, months, and years. If we aren’t careful, we will find ourselves getting near retirement, and wondering where all the time went.

With all the pressures of work, family, hobbies, and the many other activities that compete for our time, how do we slow down, and see the beauty that surrounds us.

Here is a quick suggestion, take a camera with you, everywhere. Next, take a little time to think about what you personally like photos of. It might be photos of people, architecture, landscapes, or my favorite subject, flowers. Start watching for your favorite subjects on the drive to and from work, or while running errands.

You don’t have to take a great deal of time, but occasionally stop and take a photo. Once or twice a week will make a big difference. Stop on the way home from work, and take a photo of that interesting building you pass by every day. Pick your child up from school, go to the park, and take some photos of him or her playing on the playground equipment. Maybe on the way to work, you have seen a great landscape with the morning sun slanting through some trees. If so, leave 10 minutes early, tomorrow, and take a few photos.

After you have done this a few times, you will automatically begin watching for more things to take photos of. You might have driven by the same location a 100 times before, but something you hadn’t noticed before will catch your eye. You will begin to look for beauty in a new way. You will notice things like unique lighting, splashes of color from flowers that are blooming, or great lines from buildings or other structures.

The good thing about photography is that you don’t have to be an artist. It doesn’t matter if you can’t draw, paint, or create great sculptures. Anyone can take a photo. Most digital cameras have the ability to get the exposure correct, all you have to do is set the camera on auto, and take the shot. Of course, learning how to go beyond the “auto” mode will improve your photos, but you don’t have to learn a lot of technical information to take a good photo.

Here is an example from my own life.



I drive the same route to and from work, every day. One morning last week, I was on my way home, when I noticed some weeds at the side of the road. They had large purple blooms, and an unusual shape to the stems and leaves. I did not have the time to take photos then. So, I decided to leave 15 minutes early the next day, and take some pictures on my way to work.

That morning, I found an empty parking lot, close to the flowers, and pulled over. I carefully walked along the side of the busy road, and made my way to the flowers. The angle of the sun really made them stand out, and the texture of the buds was almost surreal.

I spent about 10 minutes taking photos, and downloaded them to the computer during my lunch.

I got some great photos, but there were bigger benefits. I took the time to really look at these flowers, and saw beauty that I would never have noticed, as I drove by them at 45 mph. I also posted some of the images on flickr, and other people saw these “weeds” in new ways. Since that day, a few of my flickr contacts have taken photos of similar plants. My photos helped them take time to see the beauty that surrounds them.

The Triad area is near a climate line. We are on the border between northern and southern climates. Plants from both regions grow here. This gives us a diverse range of flowers, and other plants. This diversity in flora is one of the main reasons that Greensboro has the distinction of being the 2nd worst place in America for sinus problems. It also provides a range of beauty that surpasses what is found in most areas of the country.

I challenge you to take your camera with you every day for 2 weeks, with the intention of seeing something in a new way. Stop at least once a week, and take a few pictures of something that catches your eye. I can guarantee you that if you try this, you will have a new appreciation of the beauty that surrounds you. Stopping to “Smell the roses” will become second nature.

In the next few weeks, you will begin seeing short articles with tips on how to take better photos. With a little knowledge, you can begin to show the beauty you see in more dramatic ways.