Photo Journal Episode 3 - Finding My Eye
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 06:52AM Review the photos in your inspiration file and look for connections - sounds easy enough but for some reason I have found it quite difficult, perhaps because of the diversity of photos I find inspiring. Eventually I began to find some common themes: lots of nature especially sea and plants / flowers bright colours and variegated textures and in terms of composition often something in the foreground. Many of the shots are focusing on small details of the scene
First of all I compared three beach pics the first two were taken on the same beach on the Isle of Wight, the third at Bamburgh in Northumberland.
I think what they have in common is water (obviously!) big skies with cloudscapes which I love, and plenty of texture both from the clouds and the sand and rock pools. The colours in all of them are striking too. I was brought up by the sea on the Isle of Wight ( this very beach in fact) and I didn't realise how much I missed the light and space and the big skies until we started going there regularly again when my son was small.
Moving on to texture and detail I have chosen three contrasting pictures but with a common core focusing on the small details. The first one was also taken at Bamburgh
the second is part of a kind of bench / installation in a designated wild flower meadow
and this third one is again an image from my garden
I love the textures and the colours in these three pictures the frosty leaves, the rich colour on the bench blending in with the pine cone and the 3D effect of the footprints in the sand.
Focusing on composition I am posting three examples where I have composed the picture with a tree or plant in the foreground. Since starting this course I have realised that for the most part I am a 'happy snapper' and haven't focused enough attention on the composition of my pictures. These are three where I have given it a go, all taken whilst on holiday in Sicily last summer.
My favourite of these is the waterfall picture where I have, (entirely by accident) ,managed a sharp foreground and blurred background which I think suits the subject well.
Have just realised that I take different pictures while on holiday as am trying to 'capture the moment' whereas at home I am often trying to see the 'sacred in the ordinary' and focus in on small details of everyday life.
Reader Comments (10)
Love the term "Happy Snapper"! I also love the last photo and the first one.
I understand about the holiday shots compared to the non-holiday pics. I'm hoping that as I get more practiced in -as you so aptly defined-"Sacred in the ordinary" the skill will come out in the vacation photos.
Hello Barbara, I really enjoyed reading through your post & you have some really beautiful scenes here. I am drawn to the first image with its beautiful tones & reflection of the skies in the sand, the wildflower meadow with its sandstone? bench drawing out the colours in the scattered leaves before it & the second last image with its light & shade, i love the composition of this one. Something I noticed in all of your images of the horizon is that you have taken them on a very slight diagonal, it really creates an interesting effect to the image, in some way it illustrates that the world is indeed round, i can even see it in the waterfall image, brilliant :)
Hi Barbara,I really resonate with your description of finding "the sacred in the ordinary." That's something I feel I'm looking for also. The photograph of the wildflower with the intriguing rock formations behind it is a wonderful example. Your beach shots are lovely too--especially the sunset one. I'm glad I finally found your blog here. Somehow I wasn't able to link to it from your comment on my page.
Hi, I really love your first shot of the sunset at the beach really beautiful. Your third beach I also like - the sky looks huge (if you know what I mean).And your last shot is just beautiful. Well done!!!