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PHOTOGRAPHY

Before you make that shot . . .

Before one photographs a particular place or structure, one needs to stop and slow down (might I say without a camera) and take in the spirit of place.  Take a notebook along, or record in your mind what is special about the location or structure that you want to photograph.

What does this site have to offer that differentiates it from other sites?  Is it the lake or the trees?  The stream or the waterfall?  A sharp section of cliffs or a wide area of grassy plains?  What is the demeanor of the land?  How does the terrain speak to you?

Some photographers believe that the creation of a photograph begins with the capture.  Instead it is the steps that lead up to the photograph(s).

The first one or two pictures may or may not capture the spirit, but maybe the next one will.

Photography is definitely a vision thing, realizing what one envisions another sees something else entirely.  Either way there will be “keepers” made by both photographers, and the photographs will tell a story in both cases.

What about the light ? . . .

Check out how and where the light falls on a place or a building.  Check out overcast days for even light.  Overcast days will have pleasant diffused light — cool blue and gray in color.  If one wants to warm up the place a little, use an 81A filter over the lens.  Overcast sky moderates the intensity of shadows.

Architectural/location photographers should know of the sun’s ability to create shadows.  Depending on the structure, these shadows can be used to highlight the different elements of the structure.

When the sun is marked at mid-arc, a weathered or painted barn will photograph flat.  When the sunlight is lower to the horizon, the weathered or painted barn can explode with bold highlights showcasing the textured shadows of the building.

An architectural/location photographer, or any photographer, really needs to study the quality of the existing light on a structure in the morning, at noon, and at evening.  Using available light at the correct time of day to create an appealing photograph of a structure is a skill that, unfortunately, many photographers never learn.  Effective lighting will help the photographer retain and transmit the idea of the subject matter.

Different kinds of reflectors can be used to fix the light in different, subtle ways.

What about composition?

Composition is another important part of good photography.  Look beyond the simple subject matter and see if you can redefine.  This will help you conceive your final image.  Use the “rule of thirds.”  Focal points of pictures are more eye appealing and dramatic if they are not “centered” in the photograph.  Placing the subject of the photo at a one third point from top or bottom or from right or left will make the photo more powerful and draw the viewer’s eye where the photographer wants it.

Rules of composition that apply for normal daytime photography equally apply to night scenery, but one needs to be more careful about what makes it into the frame — like large, intense sources of light.   These should be avoided because this distracts the eye in the finished photo, and large, dark areas should be avoided because the ensuing picture can be thrown visually off balance.  A photograph made at dusk makes for a better photograph than one made at pure night because one still wants to see some detail in the photo.  This is where some of the magic in “night” pictures lays — not being truly night!

Some of the photographs that you can make might be close to your back door.  Look for other places that have not been photographed too often or not at all to see if you can bring a new light to the subject matter that you are contemplating shooting.

What about photographic equipment?

Nearly everyone believes that one must have expensive photographic equipment in order to make a grand photograph.  The more expensive the equipment, the better the photograph.  This is not true for one who has a good or trained eye for the camera.  Junk photos can be made just as easily with expensive photo equipment if one does not have a natural or trained eye for making a finished photo that expresses the photographer’s intent.

Do you find that hard to believe?

Many years ago a woman driving along happened upon a tractor trailer hanging half off a bridge.  She whipped out her trusty brownie camera and produced a photo of the accident that earned her a national prize!

It’s the eye behind the camera — not the price of the camera — that makes the difference in the photo in the end.

What about “fixing” photos?

 I do not believe in excessive digital manipulation of photos because it can convey weakness rather than strength in a photograph.  Manipulation can also produce too much “sameness” in light and feel of dissimilar photos that don’t necessarily fit the “spirit”of the subject, as discussed earlier in this article.

As an example of not fitting the “spirit” of the subject, I quote from the lessons on “Architecture” from New York Institute of Photography, Revised 1992, concerning adding clouds to the background of an architectural photo:  “When adding clouds, the photographer must be careful to match the general atmospheric condition, lighting, season and mood of the cloud negative with the lighting and conditions in the photograph.  If a building is clearly lit from the front, then backlit clouds will add a confusing feeling to the shot.”

In extreme cases I will use manipulation to remove unwanted objects that cannot be avoided otherwise.