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Gallery: what makes a photo dramatic?

The golden hour (soon after sunrise and before sunset) is frequently (and rightly) cited as the perfect time to take photos. The light is softer, and the warm colours create an appealing atmosphere. But sometimes the harsher light in the middle of the day can create interesting shadows, especially for some subjects. Landscapes tend to look flat in such light, but buildings can look very dramatic, as can portraits (particularly black and white).

For this week’s Lens Artists challenge Patti asks us to explore what makes a photo dramatic. In my selection below I’ve echoed some of her suggestions such as skies and silhouettes, and also added a few of my own ideas. I’ve not included any buildings however, as my recent Seeing buildings in black and white post offered plenty of dramatic examples.

Disclaimer: some of these shots have been edited to increase the drama, e.g. boosting the contrast, and yes, some have been shared previously but fitted this theme too well for me to omit them!

Dramatic skies

This is one subject for which the golden hour can offer drama, if there are spectacular cloudscapes for instance. And a reflection, as in my first example below, can make the shot even more dramatic, as you get two skies for the price of one!

Dramatic sky reflected in still water

Clouds from above

Dark clouds and glimpse of sun

Dramatic silhouettes

A silhouette takes the idea of contrast to the extreme, with the dark areas of the photo completely black, and the lighter ones providing the contrasting backdrop. And again, the golden hour, sunrises and sunsets provide some of the best opportunities for these.

Silhouetted elephant drinking in a river

Sunset with trees in foreground and birds flying

Pink sky with silhouetted trees and buildings

Dramatic subjects

So far I’ve talked about lighting, but I wanted to also include some photos in which the subject matter provides the drama. Often these are action shots, but they can also include dramatic landscapes such as mountain ranges (as in my feature image of the Torres del Paine in Chile) and waterfalls, or extreme weather. Of course these can overlap, as my images show.

Large waterfall with people on a rocky promontory

Mountain ridges with dark clouds

Swirling mists and orange sun

People lined up along tilting window in a skyscraper

Woman surfing

Whale's tail with island in distance

Dramatic portraits

There’s no getting away from the fact that older faces make for more dramatic portraits, especially in black and white. Their features have more contrasts and seem to tell the story of their lives.

Man with a curling moustache wearing a turban

Elderly man with cloth hat

Lady in a hat and sunglasses

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