Photographic techniques
Posts which focus more on the techniques used in photography and editing than on the subjects of the photos
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Gallery: less is more (minimalism in photography)
Keeping things simple doesn’t mean taking it easy. Sometimes it’s harder to leave things out when composing an image than to include them. There can be a temptation to cram everything in, to show it all in a single image. However, often your subject will have more impact on the viewer if it stands alone, free of clutter. This is something I try for in all my photography; leaving the non-essentials out of an image. But sometimes keeping it simple isn’t enough; I want to strip away almost everything to…
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Gallery: looking out from the shadows
Who hasn’t explored a building, maybe an impressive fortress or palace, and had one of those ‘wow’ moments as you emerge from the darkness of the building to an arch or window revealing the lightness outside?
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Friendly Friday Challenge: leading lines
Edward Weston said that, 'To consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk.' He is right of course, but that doesn’t mean it isn't helpful to be aware of these ‘rules’.
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Gallery: fabulous florals in a spin
Of course spring flowers are glorious in their own right. We love to see them both for their beauty and because they herald summer days to come. But I’ve shared so many in the past. So when Terri asked to see some fabulous seasonal florals I wanted to do something different.
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Gallery: of vintage wheels and shiny steel
While I have little interest in cars or motorbikes for themselves, I do find them interesting photographically speaking. And especially so old cars and shiny bikes!
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Gallery: playing with bokeh
Bokeh is a Japanese word that refers to blur used deliberately to heighten the impact of a photo, by isolating its main subject. It is an aesthetic technique and shouldn’t of course be confused with poor focusing or camera shake (both of which I am also capable of at times!)
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Gallery: Great Tit three ways
There are purists who say that only the shot as it came out of the camera is ‘true’. Others allow for a bit of mild cropping and straightening, nothing more. But some of us like to go further in the post-production editing process. So I thought it was time I joined the One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge.
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Gallery: ways of seeing
It’s all too easy perhaps to spot something photo-worthy, grab a couple of shots and move on. But I’ve found that the first shot you take, or even the third, is rarely the best. In the ‘old days’ of film photography, most of us could only afford to take two or three shots at most. If you wanted to come away with a memorable image it was important to take your time, walk around the subject and choose the best perspective.
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Friendly Friday Challenge: framing your subject
In setting my previous Friendly Friday Challenge about the ‘rule of thirds’, I should perhaps have started with a disclaimer. We talk about the rules of photography but what we really mean are guidelines. Guidelines that help you to create compositions pleasing to the eye; guidelines that help you create impact and draw the viewer in.
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Gallery: monochrome curves
The world is full of curves. A bend in the road; a gently drooping flower; the arch of a bridge; a spiral staircase. Animals curl up to sleep or to feel safer. Leaves gradually unfurl. The wind shapes a sand dune daily into new curves, and with time water does the same to hard rocks.
