The Tips: Perspective

In life as well as in art, perspective is a very valuable thing.

Framing & your zoom lens are two of the most powerful tools in your arsenal for taking great photos.  Sometimes it's best just to try and capture the scene in front of you as is, such as a landscape or a wider architectural shot or a skyline.

Blue Ridge Mountains; near Asheville, NC

Venus flytraps; Chapel Hill, NC

Other times, zooming in can shift the entire dynamic of the photo, where you can make the big seem small, the small seem big, or highlight the details that would otherwise be overlooked.

Riverfront Bench; Elizabeth City, NC

When I was a kid, I used to get a magazine where the back cover was an extremely zoomed photo of something; the puzzle was to guess what it was.  It was usually something innocuous, like a zipper or the wing of a bird, but it was my favorite part.  I'd like to think those puzzles helped lay the groundwork for my photography style, as I get really excited about finding those minor details that pack major visual punch.


Shifting your framing & employing your zoom can help make a good picture a great picture.  You may also need to be a little adventurous with your positioning: could that picture be better if you climbed up/over something or crouched under to peer through something else?  (Of course, be sure that you are always keeping an eye on your own safety, as well as honoring laws & regulations!)  Walk around your subjects if you can; you may find your own photo puzzle.

Flaming Wing; NC Zoo; Asheboro, NC

The Series: Sunsets

I've always had a thing for sunsets.

It seems strange.  I've usually lived on the east side of things: the eastern coast of Florida, the eastern part of Iowa, the eastern seaboard.  I'm much more a morning lark than night owl; sunrise is my favorite time of day.

But sunsets are an entirely different kind of magic.

Depending on the weather, the air quality, the temperature, or your elevation, sunsets can be anything from mundane to extraordinary. 

Shooting them can be tough, as sometimes they're so fleeting or change so rapidly that you have to work quickly.  But this is a chance to experiment with your ISO settings, filters, and exposure to capture that scene in all its beauty.

Sunset from a plane; over Jacksonville, FL

Sunset over Blue Ridge Mountains; Asheville, NC

Sunset over Iowa City, IA

Sky on Fire; Durham, NC

The Shot: Heron on the Roof

Sometimes you'll find shots in the most unexpected places.

While the deck of my previous residence was a frequent stop for local songbirds, most of the residents of my new neighborhood prefer the pine trees that line the creek behind my home.

I've suspected the creek was home to a Great Blue Heron for some time - I see it flying overhead every few weeks.  But this past weekend, I became substantially more sure that it's a resident rather than merely a frequent visitor.

My cat was out on the deck, as she often is on nice days, but instead of quietly observing her domain, she made quite a commotion.  I stepped outside, looked down along the levee, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.  It was only when I turned to go back indoors that I saw what caught her attention:

Great Blue Heron.  On my roof.  You just don't see that every day.

I stopped and stared for several moments.  This wasn't exactly an everyday occurrence.   

Be ready to be caught off guard.

Advances in cell phone cameras have provided many of us with a quick, at-the-ready way to capture those moments that crop up.  With the increase in mega-pixels, HDR options, and editing software, some of our mobile photos can hold their own with those of point-and-shoot digitals.  Of course, they have their limitations in zoom, filters, and aperture settings, but sometimes you have to make peace with the shot you can get, as waiting for the shot you want may cause you to lose the scene altogether.  I snapped a quick shot on my iPhone, whose zoom wasn't strong enough for the detail those feathers deserved.  The heron seemed comfortable on its perch, so I ventured back inside for my camera.

Get to know your equipment.

Keep your camera in a designated place.  Store it in a carrying case that is both protective and easily emptied.  Have your battery in a designated pouch.  Know the layout of your camera's hardware to install your battery quickly.

I came back outside to find the heron still atop the building, where it stood long enough to capture a few more shots before it took off on its next adventure:

The Tips: Framing

One of the quickest ways to make your photography more interesting is to shift your viewfinder.  Framing is often the difference between a mediocre photo and a great one.

A rogue branch can ruin a great shot

Let's start with the basics: how often have you taken a picture, only to think, "I wish that random branch wasn't there" or "That person looks odd with the top of their head cropped off"?


When composing your shot, pay attention to the margins.  Be careful not to cut off the tops of trees or branches to make it look like a random leaf is coming out of nowhere.  Watch your zoom, as while going in close may call attention to a particular object or person, it may also give your shot a strange, disembodied look. 


On the next level, think about the overall composition of your shot.  Many digital cameras will have a display setting that divides your display into a nine-box grid. This isn't just to help you line up a perfectly straight horizon (although it is very useful for that!); this is echoing a larger concept: the rule of thirds.  

Old Well; UNC-Chapel Hill

When you think in thirds, you introduce elements of asymmetry into your shots.  By shifting your focus and your subject away from dead center, you take an otherwise static picture and give it spark.  

McCorkle Place & Old Well; UNC-Chapel Hill

Sometimes symmetry works in your favor, particularly when the landscaping is designed to enhance it around a building, a landmark, or other feature.  Of course, you can also introduce some elements of asymmetry into the surrounding areas, just to keep things interesting.

Old Capitol; University of Iowa

Along the same lines, when thinking in thirds, don't give up on halves.  Adjusting the framing of a shot to run diagonally rather than vertically or horizontally can provide that interesting element to the picture.



Shifting your subject can also introduce movement into your picture.  A friend of mine spent a semester conducting research in New Orleans; among great shots of Jackson Square during a rare snow, she captured a great picture of the trolley.  With the car off to the left, the tracks traveled to the right, beckoning your eye to follow their path, as if the trolley would start moving if you looked at it long enough.  You can also take advantage of the various aperture settings on your camera to leverage your surroundings - take the overall composition of Lower Manhattan glowing in the background and add in the cars crossing the Brooklyn Bridge to create a shot that incorporates all of these elements:

Lower Manhattan from Brooklyn Bridge

The Tips: Embrace a Sense of Humor

It is easy to zero in on the artistic with your work -- seeking out that perfect angle, that perfect composition, that perfect combination of colors, that perfect something that will become The Shot that will rival the great masterpieces of art.

But there's also something to be said for capturing the whimsy and humor in the everyday. 


I often debate with a writer friend about whether writing fiction or non-fiction is more fulfilling.  She argues that life has too many loose ends, so fiction enables us to control the story, tying them up neatly and achieving resolution that gives us a certain catharsis and satisfaction.  I argue that the loose ends and lack of resolution are what makes non-fiction so interesting -- also, I've discovered over the years that the quirk of life provides so much more material than anything I'd be able to create out of my own imagination.


The same can be said for photography.  Just as we stumble into great stories, we often stumble into great pictures.  Some of those unsought finds capture the absurdity of life in ways we couldn't have planned and we simply have to stop and take a moment to laugh at them:

Okefenokee Swamp Park; Waycross, GA

This remains of my favorite shots, not for its artistry (it doesn't really have much) or for its great lighting or color (it doesn't necessarily have those, either), but for the sheer luck in its composition.  My only regret is that I missed the corresponding shot of a group of tourists walking up to another gator sunning itself on the bank of the pond, which easily could have been titled "Hey, Y'all, Watch This!"


It's the row of cars parked along a pedestrian walkway signed "No Vehicular Entry."  It's the man taking a cigarette break next to an industrial propane tank blazed with "Flammable" signs.  It's that scene that makes you stop, look, and think.  And then you chuckle or laugh outright.

The Tips: Be Adventurous

More often than not, a great shot can be right in front of you: the flowers in your garden,  the cardinal at your feeder, the sun setting over your backyard.  There's something to be said for taking the time to see the simplicity of the every day through the lens of your camera - take a moment to step back and look at things with a fresh set of eyes.

Sometimes, though, letting your curiosity guide you pays off even more.

The Eno River flows north of the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill metro area, eventually feeding into Falls Lake.  It is completely different in character from the Mississippi: its channel is smaller making its depth much more variable with the rain, while its banks are mostly preserved as part of a state park filled with trails, picnic areas, and the occasional campground.  

Several years ago, North Carolina was one of many southern states caught in the grip of a severe drought.  Local lakes were well below normal levels and area municipalities were implementing various restrictions and regulations to conserve what water was left.  I spent an afternoon exploring the Pleasant Green section of the Eno River State Park, where the river was really more of a creek due to the lack of volume in its flow.  Susceptible to flash flooding, the banks were carved by erosion, leaving tree roots perched precariously in midair.  I scurried my way upstream, following the water's edge, pausing to capture the miniature rapids that formed over the branches and rocks that littered the bottom of the now exposed channel.


Some way up the channel, I came across the outflow from a tributary creek.  I pondered whether to continue up the main path or to veer off towards this new discovery.  With apologies to Robert Frost, I took the path less traveled.  I scrambled over the rocks and picked my way around the tree branches, determined to see how far the stream receding into the woods.  My curiosity was soon rewarded:

Waterfall, Eno River at Pleasant Green

My last trip out to Kitty Hawk coincided with an October coastal storm.  The weather was far from ideal for swimming and sunbathing, with waves crashing upon the storm and a 40mph gale making the 55 degree weather feel even colder.  Even in these conditions, I was still more inclined to be outside than in my hotel room.  Since the pier in Kitty Hawk was reserved for a private party, I headed down NC12 towards Avalon Pier.  It was all but deserted, save for the woman minding the pier shop and her daughter's family that had come to visit before her shift was over.  I paid my $1 for access to the pier and walked out into the weather.

Kitty Hawk from Avalon Pier

Normally elbow-to-elbow with fishermen and pelicans, the eerily empty pier stretched out into the ocean, at the same time both beckoning me to go further out and warning me to stay closer to shore. I ventured out to the end of the pier, exposed to the wind, putting my faith in the fact that these piers are built to withstand most of what Mother Nature can throw at them.  


It's an eerie thing, being alone on a pier, over a hundred yards out over a churning ocean.  The sky hung heavy, like gray velvet, draping itself over the coastline with a damp chill.  


Whether it's clamoring up a river tributary or hanging onto the railing of a pier swaying in the wind, allow yourself to follow your curiosity.  More often than not, you'll be surprised by what you find.

[Disclaimer: Always be aware of your own safety when shooting, particularly in potentially severe weather.  No shot is worth life and/or limb.]

The Tips: Patience for a Grasshopper

Good things come to those who wait.

Patience is a virtue.

These adages ring true in a variety of situations, especially when you find yourself with a camera in your hands.  Capturing wildlife is tough: critters fidget.  Even a seemingly simple shot of a flower can be difficult on a windy day.  

Be aware of your physical limitations, whether imposed by you or your environment.  That perfect angle for that perfect shot may lead you to scramble over the rocks of a riverbank to get into position, but more often than not, you'll find yourself trying to hold perfectly still, hoping your subject does the same.

Monarch; Tryon Palace, New Bern, NC

A few weeks ago, I found myself engaged in a dance with a monarch, willing it to come around that milkweed at just the right angle, to open its wings at just the right time.  What I wanted and what Nature allowed me to have were two different things; you have to make peace with that concept.

It can be frustrating.  It can even be painful when crouching in a flowerbed with a trick knee.  But in the end, like with all things we love, it's worth it.  

 

Grasshopper; Roanoke River, Weldon, NC

The Tips: Rethink the Mundane

Anything can be interesting if you look closely enough.

Fall leaf; UNC-Chapel Hill campus

There is a beauty in simplicity, in the things we see every day and either take for granted or ignore completely.  As the seasons change, they bring new temperatures and warrant new wardrobes.  Fall arrives and we marvel at the spectacular color of the trees that paint the landscape in shades of red, orange, and gold.  Once the leaves descend from the branches, they seem to disappear from our line of sight, suddenly becoming just a nuisance, merely something to clear from our yards.  Yet against the faded bricks of a cobblestone walkway, the vibrant colors still cling to a shadow of their former selves, as if begging to be noticed one final time before being scooped into a yard waste collection bag.  


Take a moment to see the simple and small things around you: not every shot needs to be a sweeping landscape or sparkling skyline.  For example, as I sit here writing, I am looking at the crown molding and how it comes together in the corners of my living room.  I'm now thinking about corners: molding, baseboards, bricks and mortar, wood planks...the purpose of a corner is to bring things together.  
Now my mind is running with the concept: how many other corners do I encounter on a daily basis without ever having noticed them as anything other than something to pass on my way to somewhere else?  A potential series is forming - interiors, exteriors, ceilings, floors...all because I paused for a moment while staring at the wall. 


Stare at your walls.  Look more closely at the trees after a rainshower.  Take a moment to ponder the bright spark of curiosity in your cat's eyes as she follows a glint of sunlight across the floor.   Embrace the banality of your surroundings.  You may find your own corners to be quite interesting.