Milford Sound Driftwood
When you boil it all down there are just three fundamental ingredients are that are the basis for every photograph. They are the subject, the light, and the air. The one that we usually spend the most time with and give the most importance to is the subject. It is what we aim our cameras at. Particularly in landscape photography I am as guilty of this prioritization as the next photographer as I can spend a great deal of time scouring the countryside looking for just the right thing to anchor my image. This fixation pervades all forms of photography.
Of course the subject and light are what we spend the most time obsessing on as these two ingredients get their share of attention when it comes to viewing an image. All well and good but in my opinion they are by no means the icing on the cake that can push an image to greater levels of visual strength.
Of the three most important ingredients in making a photograph, air is the one that is continually the most neglected. Huh? Air? Ok, think about it. Regardless of whether the location is outdoors or in or even what lens will be used, air is involved.
To what degree you employ this ingredient in your image making can have a significant impact on the visual outcome. Awareness of its presence is crucial in order to make it become visually alive and incorporated into your composition. While reviewing my images I have found that the ones that really visually jumped out and tugged on my emotions all incorporated air (clouds, fog, mist, rain, etc.). These really made the magic in the image.
In the attached image, the location is Milford Sound in New Zealand and the initial focus subject that the composition if built around is a simple driftwood log that is sized to scale well with the rest of the elements in the composition. The composition is well balanced to create good eye movement around the space. Illumination helped to set the tone and color of the light against which I tried to match the tone and texture of the water.
But it is the air, the fog and clouds that gives the image a great sense of visual depth and richness. By incorporating and giving the clouds and fog sufficient space in the frame they become the visual icing to the composition’s cake. So the next time you are in the field give some awareness to the conditions of the air and find ways to use it to your greatest advantage. There is an old adage that I have clung to over the years and it has never let me down. It goes like this: “When the weather turns bad the photography gets great.”
Milford Sound Driftwood
When you boil it all down there are just three fundamental ingredients are that are the basis for every photograph. They are the subject, the light, and the air. The one that we usually spend the most time with and give the most importance to is the subject. It is what we aim our cameras at. Particularly in landscape photography I am as guilty of this prioritization as the next photographer as I can spend a great deal of time scouring the countryside looking for just the right thing to anchor my image. This fixation pervades all forms of photography.
Of course the subject and light are what we spend the most time obsessing on as these two ingredients get their share of attention when it comes to viewing an image. All well and good but in my opinion they are by no means the icing on the cake that can push an image to greater levels of visual strength.
Of the three most important ingredients in making a photograph, air is the one that is continually the most neglected. Huh? Air? Ok, think about it. Regardless of whether the location is outdoors or in or even what lens will be used, air is involved.
To what degree you employ this ingredient in your image making can have a significant impact on the visual outcome. Awareness of its presence is crucial in order to make it become visually alive and incorporated into your composition. While reviewing my images I have found that the ones that really visually jumped out and tugged on my emotions all incorporated air (clouds, fog, mist, rain, etc.). These really made the magic in the image.
In the attached image, the location is Milford Sound in New Zealand and the initial focus subject that the composition if built around is a simple driftwood log that is sized to scale well with the rest of the elements in the composition. The composition is well balanced to create good eye movement around the space. Illumination helped to set the tone and color of the light against which I tried to match the tone and texture of the water.
But it is the air, the fog and clouds that gives the image a great sense of visual depth and richness. By incorporating and giving the clouds and fog sufficient space in the frame they become the visual icing to the composition’s cake. So the next time you are in the field give some awareness to the conditions of the air and find ways to use it to your greatest advantage. There is an old adage that I have clung to over the years and it has never let me down. It goes like this: “When the weather turns bad the photography gets great.”