In modern times, pursuing photography can feel like walking into a hurricane. It seems that with every passing day, we are bombarded not only with millions of new images, but new gear that seems to need upgrading every few months. And, recently, we're being told that we need to apply...
Composition and Art Category Archive - Page 3
Composing Upside Down and Backwards
Before I started shooting with large format film, something that almost scared me away is that composition on these cameras is completely backwards. It’s also upside down. And I’m not talking in metaphors – the image on the ground glass, used for composition, is totally opposite from the real world.
For Better Wildlife Photos, Shoot at Ground Level
At first glance, photography may seem like a reflection of reality. Yes, the camera sensor faithfully captures photons from the scene that pass through your lens. But which scene should you point at? It’s all up to your interpretation. Or, to match the theme of this article, down to your interpretation.
The Effects of Print Size in Photography
How does print size affect the emotional feel of a photo? It may seem like an image that works at one size will be equally good at any size – but in practice, I don’t find that to be true. Instead, the best print size changes from photo to photo. It’s all about what you want to say.
Taking Better Pictures Isn’t Always About Photography
Three years ago, near the start of the pandemic, my photography ground to a halt. There’s still a gap in my Lightroom catalog where May and June 2020 should be. I’m glad that my break was temporary, but it crystalized to me that there’s more to being a good photographer than just pressing the shutter button at the right time.
Bad Weather Makes Good Photos!
Last week, there was rain in the desert. I was so surprised to visit some of the driest places in America – Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Canyonlands, and more – and see them under storms and fog rather than the blue sky. It’s not “good weather” by most definitions, but it was perfect for landscape photography.
The Laughing Kookaburra: Decisive Moments in Wildlife Photography
The term "decisive moments" is usually associated with the famous photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. His domain was photographing the everyday life of the French streets with his Leica and 50mm lens. An all-manual film camera is not exactly suited to action photography. To capture the decisive moment required anticipation, practice, and a...
From Idea to Print: The Darkroom Process
Last week, I talked about the process of visualizing and composing with large format film during my trip to Yosemite in the fall. I’ve been working in the darkroom to print those photos, and today I finally have some results to publish and discuss!
From Idea to Print: 12×20 Film in the Field
It’s a snowy day here in Colorado, which puts a damper on my plans to visit our studio and test more lenses in the lab. (I do, however, have the Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 and both teleconverters in hand for testing once the roads clear.) Instead, I’ve spent the day developing film.
Behind the Photo: The Rapids of the Yellowstone River
A couple of months ago, I took an abstract/intimate landscape photo that I was happy with, and some people have asked me how it was made. It’s a somewhat tricky image to parse, so today I thought I could go behind the scenes and show how I took it.