Photo ABCs

E is for Edges!

Composition is a huge subject, I'm only mentioning topics that make quick tips. I'll talk later about the rule-of-thirds, which most photographers a familiar with. But first I'll mention placing the subject at the edge of a photograph for effect.

While this isn't a technique that works very often, sometimes placing a subject at the edge can make the viewer spend just a little more time with the photo, and create a little visual tension. Here I placed the singer near the edge, in part, to give more prominence to the background, which was the banner advertising the Lotus Music Festival. I also changed the colors to a sepia look, since the stage lighting gave a distracting color cast.

D is for Diagonal!

A strong diagonal element in a picture usually adds interest. Here, the lime squeezer adds a strong diagonal element to a picture full of geometric shapes: circles, arcs, lines, and lots of color. The tablecloth lines form an opposite diagonal. All of these shapes and colors give the eye plenty to do.

To license this image, please visit here.

D is for Diagonal (cont.)

This photo shows a strong diagonal line, geometric elements, (the tiles, which is repeated in the umbrella), and my favorite colors, red and yellow. Whenever you can find a different viewpoint (in this case a bridge, looking down), it can make for an interesting shot. This is also a case of finding the background I wanted (the sidewalk patterns and diagonal line) and waiting for an interesting subject to appear.

O is for Ordover Gallery

Thanks to everyone who came to the Ordover Gallery last night, for the opening of my show, Botanicals.

Eighteen of my flower pictures hang on the wall, along with beautiful black and white shots of the Eastern United States by Will Gibson.

Will and I will give free talks beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday, February 18. It is a chance to delve a little deeper into the creation of a photograph. Please come! (there's also a nice farmer's market Sunday afternoon next to the gallery.)

The Ordover Gallery is open Wed.-Sat. 10-5, Sunday noon-5. Click here for directions.

G is for Gallery!

Viewing the work of others is instructional and often inspirational. I find that going to art museums is especially valuable. In San Diego we are fortunate to have many fine museums and wonderful galleries. Quite a few excellent galleries are on South Cedros Street in Solana Beach. On the third Thursday of each month the galleries of South Cedros St. open to the public. It is a great time to meet artists and friends.

Tonight, at the Ordover Gallery in Solana Beach, you can mingle with other photographers, enjoy wine, cheese, food, and chocolate, and see eighteen of my flower pictures, as well as photos by Will Gibson, and other Ordover Gallery members. I hope to see you there!

V is for Valentine!

Happy Valentine's Day!

If you like flowers, I have a gallery show opening tomorrow night, Thursday February 15, at the Ordover Gallery in Solana Beach. I will have eighteen very colorful and abstract flower pictures hanging. I hope to see you there! For more information click here.

C is for Color! (cont.)

Photos can present themselves anywhere. Driving near Barstow, California, I noticed the bright colors of the wall of a convenience store. When I saw the bright yellow frame of the newspaper rack, the diagonal line, and the bilingual text, I knew there was a photograph.

C is for Color! (cont.)

Always look for color. Especially RED! It's no accident (so to speak!) that stop signs are red. Nature photographers will put a red jacket on people in their pictures to make for a more interesting picture. It's also no accident that the canoes in Lake Louise are painted red-- they know that they will appear in promotional photos and look good on the intense blue (cyan?) water.

These stop signs were stored near a police station in Ensenada, Baja California. Shooting upward gave them an interesting arrangement, and also gave a clean and contrasting background.

C is for Color!

I love color. I always look for it. When traveling in a country like Mexico, at least in tourist areas, color is plentiful. If you see something like this:

take the picture!

Also, remember that you are in charge of the picture. There's nothing to stop you from rotating the top flute to show where you are. The diagonal lines make for a more dynamic composition, and the soft lighting (taken in the shade) is more pleasing than harsh sunlight would have been.

B is for Black and White (cont.)

Photoshop is great for removing color casts in pictures. When shooting raw it is quite easy, when shooting jpgs it's still fairly easy. There are rare instances, though, when it's nearly impossible! Converting to black and white can save the day.

Here is a shot of Jamesie and The All Stars, a "Scratch Music" band from the Virgin Islands, playing at the Lotus Music Festival in Bloomington, Indiana. The lighting was very dim, and completely red. The color cast proved very difficult to remove.

I finally realized that by converting to black and white and adding a slight tint, (and increasing the contrast), that the color cast no longer mattered: