Elements of Composition - Part II

This is a continuation of my Elements of Composition discussion--Part I of this entry was posted on February 24, 2011. In Part I, I discussed the first six of twelve elements of composition and I continue that discussion with the second six elements.

1. PRINT PRESENTATION - The image should be able to stand on its own. Ask your self, "Would I hang this image on my wall?" If not, you need to find another subject, better light, more elements of composition, etc. to move your answer to yes. Not to say you should not take a shot that you won't hang on your wall, as there are many reasons to do so. I often take what I call documentary shots or snap shots as a means of noting a location that I plan to return to in more favorable conditions.
2. CENTER OF INTEREST - This is where the photographer wants the viewer to concentrate the eye. You will use many of the elements of composition discussed here to help the viewer move through your image and land on and stick to your center of interest. That interest may or may not be a specific subject within your composition but it may be the light, a pattern or color of the image.  All can be strong centers of interest and every thing you do should direct the view to this center.
3. SUBJECT MATTER - Is your subject clean and distinct? What you exclude from your image maybe just as important as what you include. Keep it simple and do not include conflicting subjects. The simpler the scene the easier it is for the viewer to see your subject. A shallow depth of field is often used to isolate the subject in a scene.
4. COLOR BALANCE - does the image accurately reflect the colors you saw when you snapped the shutter? Good harmony between colors will enhance your image.  An orange sun against a blue sky adds a warm/cool color contrast which appears to darken the blue sky and intensify the orange glow of the sun.  This is no accident as these colors are exact opposites (complementary) on the color wheel as are green/red and yellow/violet combinations. If your image includes a person, their skin tone should be the focus of your color balance efforts. People know what good skin tone looks like and when its off its an immediate distraction.
5. TECHNIQUE - or the approach used to create the image.  Were the art principles adhered to when creating your composition.  You must first know the rules of good composition if you plan to break them and succeed. In most cases breaking the rules results in a less desirable composition, but their are occasions where a better image can be created by breaking one or more of these rules.  A good example of this may be a reflection where you place your horizon line across the center of the image to emphasis the symmetry of the scene.
6. STORYTELLING - is your images' ability to evoke the viewer's imagination. Flowing water is often shot at slow shutter speeds to evoke a sense of motion. The viewer can easily imagine water running through a stream or down a water fall and evoke the imagination into hearing what the scene may have sounded like. If a picture is worth a thousand words, what words do you want your viewer to hear?

Put these element to work for you in your photography and you will be pleasantly surprised at their ability to enhance your imagery. Again, I hope you found this information useful and I encourage you to leave your comments below. Also, should you have suggestions on future discussion topics, please feel free to leave those in the comments as well.

Elements of Photography Series - Composition

ELEMENTS OF PHOTOGRAPHY
A new topic for me, I will begin with this entry, to discuss photography topics that will make you a better photographer, I call it my Elements of Photography Series and I kick the Series off with Elements of Composition. Please keep in mind that my focus in on landscape and wildlife photography, but many of the topics I discuss in this Series will be applicable to all types of photography.

ELEMENTS OF COMPOSITION - Part I
What is composition? For a photographer, composition can be defined as the careful placement and arrangement of all elements in an image that matter. I have complied a list of twelve elements that matter or that should matter when you snap the shutter. I will discuss the first six in this blog entry and the next six in my next blog entry. It would be rare for an image to have all of these elements, but the more elements you can include the stronger your composition will be and you will be well on your way to taking better photos.

A highlighted and underlined word or set of words in my text below indicates a hyperlink to a image or document that supports the concept under discussion. Simply click on these links to be taken to the web page and view the image or document as it will open in its own window. Close the window and continue reading when finished.

1. IMPACT - or engaging subject matter--does the image "WOW" the viewer. I have on several occasions stood at the edge of Horseshoe Bend just south of Page, Arizona photographing this bend in the Colorado River and it never fails that each and every person that approaches this viewpoint lets out a "WOW" as they peer over the edge into the canyon and river below. This "WOW" factor is hard to find, but you know when you have found it by listen to those at the location or listening to those who view your image.
2. CREATIVITY - does your image standout from other images on the same subject. Anyone can drive up to Tunnel View in Yosemite Valley, hop out of the car and snap a nice image. This is known as an iconic location made famous by others who came before you. While there is nothing wrong with taking an iconic shot, it should not be the only shot you take. In this location what is likely to make your capture different from the others is your timing and what is happening with the light and the weather. You should also look to shoot from different perspectives from higher or lower vantage points. Night shots with star trails or moon phases will be less photographed than daylight images at an iconic location. Try zooming in and isolating a portion of the view or take multiple images for a panorama.
3. TECHNICAL - are all the camera settings technically correct when you press the shutter button. Knowing what all the buttons, switches and menu settings do on your camera and when best to implement them will go a long way to ensuring your composition stands out. Exposure and color balance must be accurate, dynamic range should not be compromised and your subject should be in sharp focus if that is your intent.
4. SUBJECT PLACEMENT - where you place your subject will go a long way to strengthening your composition. Probably the best know rule here is the Rule of Thirds, which dictates your subject placement along the lines drawn if you where to divide your frame into thirds both horizontally and vertically. And where these lines intersect are your strongest areas of subject placement. Also look for framing or leading lines that draw your viewer into the frame or patterns, rhythm, or symmetry should you not have an isolatible subject. Avoid placing your subject in the dead center as this is almost always the worst possible place for it in most cases. In the case of scenic landscapes I also like to see some depth introduced by having a distinct foreground, middle-ground and background around the subject as an attempt to create a more three dimensional capture by juxtaposing the near to far relationship.
5. LIGHTING - type of light and direction of light. The best light brings out the texture and detail in our images. It is often found in the golden hour that 30 minutes before and after sunrise or sunset. What makes this light so good? When the light source is low on the horizon it can give your image depth and dimension and we come closest to conveying three-dimensionality in our two-dimensional image. Also since the light hitting our subject is now further away it becomes softer as it must now pass thought more atmospheric dust and is filtered down to mostly longer wave lengths at the red (or golden) end of the visible spectrum. This reduces the dynamic range of the light and allows a camera to capture the entire range of light in a single frame. Direction of the light is also a key component to how your subject stands out or not. Front, side or back lighting all have a place in how best to illuminate your subject. Physically move yourself into several positions to determine which angle works best for your particular subject.
6. STYLE - a photographer's individual way of capturing an image. Most photographers do not know what their style is or how to create a style. Ask others who have seen a large body of your work to articulate what they think may be your style. The more people you ask the quicker you will get confirmation and be able to hone in on accentuating this quality that makes your compositions unique. You can now pay close attention to this attribute/s when composing future captures. What would you say is my style?

That concludes this installment for now, be sure to check back in a few week for the final six Element of Composition. I hope you found this information useful and I encourage you to leave your comments below. Also, should you have suggestions on future discussion topics, please feel free to leave those in the comments as well.

Top 15 Images Comprise Best of 2010 Gallery

The votes are in and the winners have been posted in my Best of 2010 Gallery. Thanks to all of you who voted, I was surprised to see so many participate in the voting. You voted for your favorite 10 images out of a select field of 50 finalists. As a result, I had a number of images tied with the same vote count forcing me to increase my top 10 to the top 15 images. Not a problem--they are all winners to me. Thanks again for voting! Click on this link to go to my Best of 2010 Gallery.

Share the Experience

I am honored to have all three of my entries chosen as finalists in the 2010 Share the Experience Official Federal Recreation Lands PHOTO CONTEST. Voting is now underway, you may vote once a day for one photo only, everyday, now through 1/31/2011. By voting you not only help me but you are entered in a sweepstakes drawing for an Olympus Stylus Tough-8010 Camera valued at $400. My three entries shown above from left to right are, Star Gathering, Rolling Sand Dunes, and Sunrise Point. Please vote daily by clicking on the above link. All photos in this blog are copyright © Greg Clure, all rights reserved.

UPDATE: My "Star Gathering" image won the third place prize in this contest, you can check out all the winners on the National Park Foundation 2010 winning enteries page.

Best of 2010

Last year was a productive year for Greg Clure Photography. I was fortunate enough to visit many highly photographic areas of California, Utah and Nevada. I added close to 200 new images to my website galleries but took many thousands more. Now, I have a dilemma. I want to pick my top 10 images of 2010 for my Best of 2010 Gallery. I have narrowed it down to 50 and need your help, or rather your vote, on the top 10 images as you see it. Visit my Best of 2010 Gallery to browse my top 50, then vote by one of the following two ways before January 31, 2011: 1) Simply comment to this posting below with your top 10 picks. In the comment box you only need to indicate the number of the images you have selected, for example; 1, 5, 14, 26, 34, etc. , this number is found on the thumbnails when inside the Best of 2010 Gallery. 2) Visit my Best of 2010 Gallery and add your top 10 picks to the "My Favorites" page by clicking on the "Add To Favorites" button located just above each image. A count will then appear in the upper left-hand corner of the page, just above the logo, indicating the number of images you have placed in your "My Favorites" page. Click on this link to go to your favorites page to review your picks. Once you have finalized your top 10, click on the "Share" button in the upper-right hand corner of the page and e-mail me your picks. Thank you for voting and come back after January 31st to see the winning top 10 images of 2010.

2010 Fall Color Tour

This years fall color tour found me traveling to the Eastern Sierras, the White Mountains and Zion National Park. With colorful leaves the quest of my tour, I scoured the famed Bishop Creek drainage for some high mountain autumn scenery. The North Lake area was at or near peak fall display as was Sabrina Lake and the South Bishop Creek water shed the first weekend of October. Friday afternoon and Saturday morning I was able to get some awesome images of this area before moving on to the June Lake Loop area. Although mostly green still, I drove the loop and looked for pockets of color but with the cloud deck dropping lower each hour that afternoon I decided to look elsewhere. The winter storm bearing down on the area forced me to retreat to lower ground and I decided to try my luck at Mono Lake for sunset. Mono Lake is a large saltwater lake in the lower elevations of the Eastern Sierra. Known for its tufa formations which were created by freshwater ground seep and have since been exposed as lake levels have dropped creating an otherworldly landscape. Unfortunately, the heavy cloud cover to the west obscured the sunset and made for a less than spectacular photography session. I decided to come back at sunrise hoping the heavy clouds would not be factor in the eastern sky. As luck would have it, this turned out to be a good decision as the sun cleared the White Mountains to the east and illuminated the tufa formations, darkening the lake waters and reflecting the light under the cloud canopy to the west I was able to capture some once in a lifetime images. The light quality was special that morning as it began to sprinkle, a rainbow appeared...then a second...and finally a faint third. Only for a few short minutes did the entire rainbow become visable from end to end. By mid-morning I was exploring a few other Sierra drainages hoping to find some more fall color. I checked out Lundy Canyon, Convict Lake and McGee Creek with not much luck as the cloud deck was too heavy and visibility began dropping as the morning turned to afternoon. When it began to rain I packed it up and headed south to the town of Big Pine before heading east to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains. Check out all the new fall color image additions now in my Eastern Sierras gallery. By mid-afternoon I was walking among the oldest living things on earth. The Ancient Bristlecone Pines are upwards of 4800 years old. Although it was still cloudy with occasional light sprinkles I hiked one of the Schulman Groove loops and was able to capture a few good images when a break in the clouds drifted by and provided a dramatic back drop the rocky mountain peaks and weathered wood of the pines. The next morning, I returned to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest only to retreat as the brunt of the winter storm was now upon me so I headed for home. You can check out these new images in my California gallery. Zion National Park would be my next fall color photo destination the first week of November. Located in southwest Utah this area tends to have the best fall color in late October and early November. My first fall sunset in the park would be at a bridge over the Virgin River featuring yellow Fremont Cotton Woods in the foreground and the Watchman slopes drenched in golden warm light of the setting sun in the background. The next day I went to the Towers of the Virgin, a chain of peaks best viewed from behind the Zion Museum, at sunrise to capture these peaks as the sun begins to illuminate the mountain peaks form the east. The remainder of the day was spend up and down the canyon photographing the area and I returned once again to that bridge for sunset over looking the Virgin River. The next morning I was up before dawn and on my way to the Subway. The Subway, located in the east central part of Zion NP, is a bend in the Left Fork of North Creek, a tributary to the Virgin River, that has carved out a tunnel like subway channel in the sandstone creek bed. This 9 mile round trip hike is mostly uneventful until you are within a half mile of the Subway portion of the creek. As the creek widen, waterfalls and wide cascades become more common and just before the Subway a very photogenic crack that channels the water for about 50 feet comes into view. Finally, the Subway appears, punctuated with blue-green pools of water that cascade form one to another highlighted by soft reflective light from above. The rounded side walls channel the light through the subway tunnel in a magical kind of way. Not to mention the bright yellow and red leaves on the trees above as well as on the creek bed add to the magic of this mysterious place. I spent the majority of the day here before hiking back out but I still had time to go to that bridge again in hopes of capturing some color in the high serous clouds stream overhead at sunset. The next morning after trying my luck at the Towers of the Virgin at sunrise, I made my way out the east entrance of the park stopping to photograph more fall color along the way. Once out of the park I headed over to the Coral Pink Sand Dunes SP and then on to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. After spending the night at the Grand Canyon I made my way back toward home with one final stop at the Valley of Fire SP in Nevada. You will find all my images from this trip in my Utah Gallery, enjoy!

Convict Lake Backpack - A Photographic Journey

Title: Lake Mildred Sunrise / © Greg Clure

A bad day on the trail is better than your best day at the office. I try to go backpacking 3 or 4 times a year and this trip is number three for 2010. The Eastern Sierras is a favorite location and I go with a group of seasoned backpackers self-named "The Old Goats". This time we hiked from Convict Lake, located just south of the Mammoth area, up Convict Creek to a campsite at Lake Mildred. A medium sized alpine lake with a large alpine meadow and meandering stream behind the lake. Mid-August finds the wildflowers in full bloom at 9,000-11,000 foot elevation level in the Sierras. Typical of a three day weekend trip, we drive-up on a Thursday afternoon, camp at a location near the trail head, then head-up the trail Friday morning. We make camp, do some local exploration and rest. On Saturday, we day-hike further and higher, generally to more alpine lakes and streams. Sunday morning finds us packing up and heading back down the mountain and driving back home. We camped at the Convict Lake campground Thursday night. At sunrise we were visited by the local deer. A group of three came right up to our campsite in their efforts to munch on some flowering shrubs for breakfast. I don't generally take my 100-400mm telephoto lens with me on these backpacks due to its 4 pound weight. Although nice to have for wildlife, it was not missed as the deer came within 5 or 6 feet of my camera and my 24-105mm lens was perfect for a couple of up close and personal deer portraits.

Lake Mildred is about 4.25 miles up the mountain from the trail head at Convict Lake. The trail mostly parallels Convict Creek to Lake Mildred with a 2,000 foot elevation gain, this trail is up hill all the way. There is one creek crossing that requires water shoes where a bridge once stood that was washed out years ago. The issue with crossing a fast flowing creek is the slippery rocks. While no more than knee deep water where I crossed, it was slow going requiring careful foot placement to maintain balance and prevent a slip into 50 degree water with a 42 pound pack on my back. After crossing the creek, we had a little over a mile to our base camp and the effect of the higher altitude could definitely now be felt as each step forward seemed to be twice as hard. There were only a few one or two man campsites at the lakes edge so the size of our group dictated we camp in a larger site down a small hill from the lake's edge which turned out to be a good thing as both nights were extremely windy and the depression provided some protection from the 60-70 mile an hour wind gusts. Friday afternoon, after eating a late lunch and setting up camp, I wondered around the lake taking some shots of both the lake and the streams coming in and out of the lake and was able to get one keeper at sundown as the sun had dropped to the mountain's edge creating a mountain silhouette, a sun star burst effect and blue sky. A simple yet pleasing image considering the harshness of the late afternoon light. The temperature was great, with cool nights and mild day temps, most of Saturday was overcast which made for excellent hiking conditions. The wind rarely stopped blowing most of the weekend which made photographing the area very difficult. I like to shoot moving water at slower shutter speeds to render that velvety motion feeling of flowing water, but the wind blowing the vegetation around required a higher shutter speed to freeze it from blurring and negate the wind's effects. So, I had to compromise, with a little faster shutter than I would have liked and I needed to wait for a lull in the wind to snap the shutter each time. At sunrise on Saturday morning, I was able to get a few good images from the shore of Lake Mildred with the sunlight hitting the top of Red Slate Mountain with warm, golden alpine light for the background with some wildflowers in the foreground and the lake in the mid-ground. In another shot, I used some drift wood protruding from the lake as my foreground. After breakfast, we dawned our day packs and headed up a 700 foot climb to Lake Dorothy, a very large alpine lake ringed by step cliffs and backed by three high mountain peaks. I was able bag a few more shots here, one from the end of the lake looking down the length the of the lake to the three mountain peaks but angled upward emphasizing the approaching storm clouds. The other photo was taken from the shore at a low angle emphasizing the blue shades of the lake's water. Another 500 foot climb found us at Lake Genevieve, another good sized lake highlighted by the densest wildflower covered creek inlet I had ever seen to date. Tall flowers, two to six feet high tightly packed along the creeks edges at peak bloom. The dominate flowers being the yellow Five-Finger Cinquefoil and the white flowering California Corn Lilly were punctuated with a smattering of bright red Indian Paintbrush and deep blue-purple Larkspur. With loads of green leaves and the rushing creek water I was able to capture a number of good images here in between wind gusts. You will find four example of these wildflowers in my Eastern Sierra Gallery along with all the the other photos mentioned above. Oh, by the way, since most of the group fishes, we had plenty of fresh trout to eat Saturday night after returning from our day hike, mostly 8-10 inch Golden Trout and one large 14 inch Rainbow Trout. The Rainbow was caught from Lake Dorothy and the Goldens were mostly from Lake Edith, which is located just above Lake Geneieve and a few from Lake Mildred. Fresh fish does not get any better than this! Sunday morning, I took a few more shots around Lake Mildred at sunrise before packing up and heading back down the trail. A good trip, it could have been better without the wind, but you have to take what your given when it comes to nature. Please visit my website gallery for all the fine art images taken on this trip at, www.gregclurephotography.com/eastern-sierras.