A Voyage of Discovery

It's not everyday that feels like a new day because sometimes revisiting the past can take me forward...kind of like , ' back to the future ' . In this way I can appreciate what I saw before and use the knowledge to develop my photographic style . Some of the first pictures that I ever made , the images that seem to speak to me with the most understanding today are in a style that persists many decades later . Of course we all recognize our own images but taking the time to review what has been done before will definitely help me recognize that style whenever I look through the viewfinder. So if you are a collector of photographic images don't keep them in a box somewhere instead take them out and look at them from time to time and you may start to recognize a style that is unique to you .

I'm always drawn to the lines in the landscape , something about the abstract nature of a landscape yet there is still a suggestion of the literal landscape . This is a style that I have developed over time ,  a style that I recognize as being unique because I have looked back to the future .

Every Picture Tells a Story

Why do I take pictures ? This is a valid question to ask yourself . It is a question that I have answered many times and there seems to be a recurring theme to my response . I'm not talking about selling my work , although that is always a pleasant surprise when someone wants to support what I do by giving me money . I'm talking about the non - material benefits I receive .
There is a map of my life and the photos are guideposts that help me to find my way . Whenever I review one of my images I can see the invisible details , the story behind the photo . I am reminded of the weather perhaps or how I slipped and slided down the side of a wet ravine to capture a waterfall image that had been niggling at my conscience each time I walked past the site .

                                                                             

                                                                                 
This map is the main reason I shoot photos . Of course another benefit I receive is a deeper appreciation of the physical world . A camera's ability to freeze a moment in time by its very nature allows me a glimpse of my thought process .
We live in such a material world and it is too easy to walk on by without consideration of the natural world . Looking for beauty in everyday things helps me appreciate my surroundings more .

                                                                                 

                                                                               
What I was thinking before I pressed the shutter does matter. This mental reflection helps me to understand myself better and where I fit into the physical world .
So , yes it is possible to achieve fame and fortune as a roving photographer but it is important to connect with yourself first and foremost .

Stop , Look and Listen

In our never ending quest to find the new ,  iconic ,  undiscovered location consider this . As you walk along is there something that catches your eye . Stop and look , be aware of your surroundings and listen to yourself . What was it that I just saw ? Why did I notice something ? This is your new , undiscovered location . Maybe it is a color .                                                                                                                              

                                           

This scene was just a flash of color as I hiked along a forest trail . Easy to miss ? Probably , but I was aware that something caught my attention . By taking the time to stop  I noticed what it was . All I had to do now was compose the picture in a way that emphasized my view .

Sometimes it is the way the light illuminates one thing . Whenever my creative eye is blocked and nothing seems to be worth making a picture there is a trick/technique that usually works for me , I look for the light .

Light and shadow , two pieces of a picture . Stop , look and listen and the world takes on a different view .

The Golden Hour

The color of the light is the reason the period after sunrise and before sunset is called the Golden Hour . The low angle of the suns rays to the surface of the earth are dispersed by the atmosphere creating a brilliant golden glow .This effect is pleasing to everyone and landscape photographers are no exception . Look at any  website dedicated to landscape photography and notice that many of the images are captured in this type of light .

 

However , a famous photographer once  said , " the best light for taking photographs is available light " .  This statement is worth considering because as photographers we just want to take pictures . The reality is that we don't walk around and see everything bathed in a golden glow all the time . Sometimes the light is diffuse and lacking direction .

This diffuse light occurs on those days when the sky is overcast and the suns rays appear to be shining through a large white umbrella . Coincidentally this is the best light to photograph waterfalls because the low contrast preserves detail in the water which is so easily lost in bright sunshine .

Other times the light may be reflected off of a colored surface such as the sky and this color will appear in the image . There are many lighting situations that can all be used to advantage . The landscape has so much to offer that may be revealed at anytime . The point is don't wait for the golden hour at the expense of missing other opportunities throughout the day . So much to see and never enough time .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Beyond the Garden Gate

Beyond the garden gate is really about how far I didn't go to take these pictures. I gave myself an exercise that would force me to stand in one place and take a series of photographs . The idea is not a new one and it is always good practice , something we all do a variation on when we work on a subject...look at it from different angles and changing lens perspective .

The first thing I noticed was how the light was behind the grasses and was creating a beautiful luminous glow.                                                                            

As I started to work with this idea simply changing camera orientation presented a different view .

Choosing a shorter focal length gave me a wider perspective , all without changing my position .

Then I rotated my body 45 degrees and from the same spot took this picture .

Another small rotation revealed this image .

                                                                                                                           

Finally , a rotation in the other direction offered this view . Both of these pictures are the same subject just using a different focal length .
So from this exercise , standing in one spot and using the tools at hand many different pictures were possible.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Less is More

So you're probably wondering how this expression applies to photography , what does it mean . It's always a good practice to walk around your subject if possible . Changing angle of view or perspective will present alternatives to choose from in the editing process . Of course it is best to have an idea to begin with rather than realize your vision through the viewfinder but moving around the subject helps to develop an idea . When the first impression is too much detail , working the subject will usually help to create a more distinct picture . Quite often the scene can be reduced to  a few lines or shapes or color and the image becomes stronger . This sequence of pictures will help to explain this idea .

When I saw this landscape I knew there was a picture here , I just had to find it . I was drawn to the powerful triangular design created by the mud slide and the strong horizontal line  of the rock face .

Changing the orientation of the camera seemed to weaken the overall design but there was something that kept me interested .

Then I saw a small plant growing that I knew could add foreground interest to the picture .

                                                                                 
Getting closer to the small plant made it larger in the foreground and gave the image a base to sit on.Finally I had my picture but I knew that I could make the image more dramatic in post process . So this was the final result .

                                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                           

The Language of Light

Although the ancient Greeks did not know that light could be captured and stored in a box they did understand something about the nature of light . There was a great deal of thought put into understanding the physical properties and I suppose that much consideration was given to the ephemeral qualities as well . I want to focus on the language of light . All that is required , like any language is to follow the cadence and the rhythm . This will not give you a literal translation but it will open the mind and allow for interpretation , an excursion through the landscape . When I start to think and visualize in this way it doesn't matter where I am because the language is familiar and the subject becomes the light .

             
 I'm not referring to the qualities of source or direction or colour although these do have an influence on the interpretation . I suppose pattern is appropriate because  that is what cadence and rhythm means to me and ultimately becomes an integral part of the message .

See the light and open a door to another way to interpret the world as we walk through this life .