Often, there’s stories that can be found and told by making photos of abstracted elements of larger objects.
The detail of the flag in the left hand photo contains just enough so that we recognize the larger flag of the United States of America, but allows us to also see the texture of the fabric and its stitches, the undulating highlight and shadow tones of the banner as it ripples in the air, and the smaller highlights and shadows of the raindrops clinging to the cloth. Because the entire flag isn’t shown, it calls attention to there being much more to see.
In the image on the right, what the larger objects are becomes nearly irrelevant. It’s an riveting composition of simple graphic elements in saturated primary colors. Red, white, and blue invokes emotions in Americans, especially when presented in that order. Since our early childhood, we’ve recognized that at the colors of our national flag, a symbol of intense pride and patriotism. I’ve further reinforced that by displaying the image along with an image of the American flag. (This is a graphical composition I found in stacks of small sailboats, stored inverted on a dock in Manteo, NC.)
I usually go out with the intent of making grand photos of scenics or of larger objects, such as my aviation photography. Often however, the images that stick with me are those that forced me to observe and record much more carefully and creatively. I made the image of the flags while out photographing fall foliage. The right image was made during a trip to photograph the sunrise over a harbor.
Consider looking beyond the obvious, turning your lens to the little intimacies you’d normally overlook. There’s endless possibilities when you do!
Join us in affordable photo workshops on the magnificent Outer Banks of North Carolina, where we help you explore the large and small of the prime opportunities of the area!
May 29th, 2011
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admin |
Abstracts, Patterns |
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For this photo I was teaching a Sunrise Weekly Photo Workshop at Wanchese North Carolina. We photographed this pattern of fish hooks on a trawler at the dock. They use these hooks for a style of fishing called long line fishing. The fishermen play out a long monofilament line and every so often they snap on one of these baited hooks. This style of fishing is mainly used to catch swordfish and tuna.
While we were photographing these hooks, a fishermen came out of the cabin and explained what they are to us. He had a bandage on his thumb and we asked what had happened. He had gotten his thumb tangled in the long line as it was playing out behind the boat and the monofilament cut part his thumb off. He told us that it was the second time that it happened to the same thumb. Fishing can be a dangerous business.
April 23rd, 2011
Posted by
Dan Waters |
Patterns, workshops |
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By Dan Beauvais
Sometimes, great photo opportunities just happen. Too many times, my camera was at home when I stumbled upon a perfect image, and I’d have to settle for recording it in my mind’s eye. I’ve never found that to be a satisfying substitute. Have you?
I now try to bring a camera and a lens or two with me every time I leave the house. Even to buy shoes. How exciting a photo can you make on a shoe buying trip?
Sharing the building with the shoe store is vacation equipment rental agency, stocking everything from blenders for that poolside margarita, to beach umbrellas. And right next to where I parked my truck was a rack of rental bicycles. The rack forced the bikes into a pattern. Not being perfectly aligned, and some suffering a little “use” by tourists, the pattern of bicycle headstocks and tires had an organic feel to its rhythm. But there, in that long row of orange and red bikes, somebody placed the green one, breaking the pattern. A cool tone among that pattern of warm tones. A rimshot in the rhythm. And it’s what made my image catchy. It just wouldn’t have been the same without that break in the pattern!
Sing along with me.
One of these things is not like the others.
One of these things just doesn’t belong.
A perfect photo found me. And this time, my camera wasn’t home in the closet.
January 31st, 2011
Posted by
Dan Beauvais |
Abstracts, Patterns, Photo Tips, Uncategorized |
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