Archives For Photography composition

Spring Bloom

Jay Patel —  April 24, 2013

Redwood National Forest, California, USA

Spring is coming, and the question is – Where should I go shoot next? If you have not visited Redwood Forest National Park (CA) in spring, I would highly recommend you do so. I arrived at the park in pouring rain… and the next day, when I wandered into the woods I was greeted with by thousands of pink rhododendron in full bloom. Gorgeous!

It is difficult to shoot in a cluttered place like a forest, so for me, this was a exercise in composition. I calculated my hyperfocal distance in order to get as close to the flowers as possible so that they would stand out in the image. I selected a patch of flowers surrounded by green to create a fresh spring mood, and to make the flowers even more visible against a complimentary background.

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Focus as a Creative Choice

Jay Patel —  April 22, 2013

When I shoot, I pay particular attention to where I am setting my focus. When I’m shooting with a wide angle lens, I use the principles of Hyperfocal Distance to get everything in focus. When I’m shooting with a macro lens, I often use focus-stacking to get around the limitations of a narrow Depth of Field.

California, USA

While it may be technically feasible to get everything sharply in focus, is it always necessary? Or artistically pleasing? Take a look at the image above. For this shot of barnacles, I used focus stacking in an unconventional way. Rather than blending the sharpest parts of a series of images to get everything in focus, I chose to use the out-of-focus parts of each image – creating a soft focus effect around a single sharp barnacle. I also used a lens blur filter and the simple mask show below to further soften the area around that one sharply focused barnacle. As a result, the main subject stands out among other similar subjects.

California, USA

Here’s what a traditionally focus-stacked shot would look like. This image is more about texture and repetition than it is about showcasing a single barnacle.

California, USA

Do you use focus creatively at times? Feel free to share a link!

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Developing Creativity

Jay Patel —  April 15, 2013

How often to you hear photographers say that there is nothing to shoot because the light is really bad? When you hear yourself using that as an excuse – change your perspective. Instead of putting away your camera, see if you can get creative!

Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii (HI), USA

I took this shot late in the morning during our stay on the Big Island of Hawaii. The brilliant sunbeams appeared as mist from ocean spray blew through the trees. To capture sunbeams like these, you need bright sunlight… and mist or dust in the air. The particles in the air scatter the light, and create sunbeams.

Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii (HI), USA

I took this second shot to show you the conditions I was working with that morning. As you can see, the light was pretty harsh because the sun was up, and there were no clouds. Most photographers would classify this as “bad light” - but I see this as a great time to stretch your creativity.

Ok – so maybe this shot required certain conditions – the angle of the sun, the sea spray, the high trees near the beach. But this isn’t the only shot I took in bright sun while we were on the islands. I took each of the shots below when lighting conditions were less than optimal.

  • Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii (HI), USA

    Hilo, Hawaii

  • Lanai Kai, Oahu, Hawaii (HI), USA

    LaniKai, Oahu

  • Big Island, Hawaii (HI), USA

    Big Island, Hawaii

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Utah Skies

Jay Patel —  April 10, 2013

Paria Townsite, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Utah (UT), USA
In this photograph, the incredible geology of Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument seems to have found its match in the incredible skies overhead. When we visited this place with one of our students, he described the breathtaking scene before him with a wide-eyed “FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!” We visited this spot several times before the skies decided to put on a show.

This image highlights textures and patterns in nature. I chose to fill the image with different textures and repeating patterns. Because the colors in the sky were high overhead, I chose a vertical composition for this shot.

How many basic rules of the composition can you identify in this photograph?

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Geology Unleashed

Jay Patel —  March 13, 2013

The Second Wave, Vermillion Cliffs, Arizona (AZ), USA

Spectacular geology makes images like these seem effortless – but when the light goes a little nuts, the result can be even more unique and breathtaking. Here is an image from Vermilion Cliffs in Southern Utah, were spectacular geology is the rule, rather than the exception.

I used leading lines to draw the viewer’s attention into the image. I made sure that the leading lines pointed into the photograph – leading the eye towards an interesting element. This works better than lines that might lead the eye out of a photograph. This photo also relies on complementary colors to create contrast and impact. I used a circular polarizer to help bring out the colors in the rocks and the sky.

What other composition rules do you see in this image?

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The Wave, Vermillion Cliffs, Arizona (AZ), USA

Imperfections in Nature

Jay Patel —  January 29, 2013

I love to photograph Coyotte Buttes in Arizona, and I have been lucky enough to get a permit to visit the famous Wave formation more than once. It is a wonderful experience, and almost always different. On my last visit to this location, I tried to concentrate on highlighting some of the beautiful details in the sandstone – like this “imperfection” in an area that is know for its symmetry.

This photograph is all about composition. What makes this imperfection stand out? The rest of the photo is full of repetitive patterns that seem to echo one another. The imperfection breaks that pattern. I also placed it according to the rule of thirds and brought it nice and close to my camera to enhance its relative size in the photo.

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Pony Tail Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon (OR), USA

Composing with Intent

Jay Patel —  January 21, 2013

In many photography courses, Composition is taught as a set of rules – but the topic goes far deeper than any collection of guidelines. A photographer can use composition to set the mood, create depth, highlight perspective, and focus a viewer’s attention on an object of interest. In the video below, Varina and I discuss how we use composition with SmugMugs’s Rocky ‘Bowles.

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How do you use composition to engage the viewer in your own photographs?

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Maroon Bells, Colorado (CO), USA

Using Foreground in your Photos

Jay Patel —  December 10, 2012

Landscape photographers know that you can’t always get what you want when you want it. So, what happens when you don’t get those dramatic skies and perfect clouds that light up like a fireworks show? Do you just give up and go chat with your buddies on social networks? Or find the nearest Starbucks and tell stories about that one time when the light was perfect?

Not me! I try to scout the area for foreground elements that might help me create a photograph with impact. On our last visit to the Maroon Bells, I used reflections to add interest in the foreground of this photograph. I chose to fill the frame mostly with the reflections and fall colors. A small slice of sky is enough to provide a sense of  calm.

Reflections are not the only element that you can use to create an interesting foreground. In this next photograph I used colorful pebbles that were sitting  just below the surface of Bow Lake in Banff.

A vertical composition lets me fill majority of the frame with the colorful textures of the pebbles. Geology, flowers, flowing water, and other local elements can be used as interesting foreground elements. Get creative with whatever you find on location! When the sky doesn’t grab your attention, find something else that will grab your viewer’s eye.

Do you have an example of interesting foregrounds? Please feel free to share. To learn more about photograph please check our eBooks below:

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The Second Wave, Vermillion Cliffs, Arizona (AZ), USA

Storm Surge

Jay Patel —  November 14, 2012

I took this shot in Arizona’s Coyote Buttes just after a storm has passed over the Second Wave. Varina and I decided to stay and shoot the sunset, we got some gorgeous light over The Wave. After shooting the sunset, we hiked back by the light of the full moon.

This shot shows an example of a complementary color scheme. Blue and yellow lie on the opposite sides of the color wheel, and are considered complementary. I also used leading lines – a natural choice at this location. The challenge in this photograph was to balance out the exposure. I chose to underexpose the sky in order to make sure the brilliantly lit sandstone was properly exposed.

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Pony Tail Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon (OR), USA

Composition: Why Size Matters

Jay Patel —  October 29, 2012

If you have ever taken photographs in a forest, you know that it can be challenging to find a good composition in a cluttered environment. One of the techniques we use for cluttered scenes like these is to isolate elements by size. This helps them stand out against a cluttered background, and clearly identifies those elements as “more important” than smaller elements within the frame.

Take a look at the above photograph of Ponytail Falls in Columbia River Gorge (Oregon). I composed the photograph so that the waterfall and the foreground trees appear to be larger than the rest of the elements. In doing so, I was able focus the attention of the viewer on these three elements.

Here is another example from the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park (Washington). Here, I have used size to isolate the old tree and the two trees leaning towards it. Because of their size, they stand out in the composition, and the viewers attention is focused on them.

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