Light, Shadow, and Texture.

Hand by Alleah

There are  few simple truths to photography- photography  literarily means "writing with light," so without it or with poor light, the images will be poor as well.  That light produces shadow, which in many cases becomes the secondary point of interest in a photograph.  That same light also accentuates texture, another element of art that is so crucial in photography.

In this image by high school photographer Alleah, all three of those photographic elements are demonstrated to a successful degree.  The subject matter, whether one decides is the hand, the light, the shadow....is up to the viewer.  The interpretation of the image is also up to each individual-loneliness? Darkness? A touch, a loss?  We all approach a photograph from our own past, our own experiences, which is why photography can be so powerful.

When I first saw this image, I looked at it from a technical perspective-perfect light, shadow, texture and composition.  It was only later when re-visiting it that I started to look deeper into it-what does it mean to me?  What did it mean to the photographer?  The test for me is can I go back to a picture over and over and still like it...a lot.  I do.

Hundreds and hundreds of photographs are made in this class......it's refreshing to come across a few that really stand out-and touch our visual being.

Nice Suprises

Haley's Water

With a Fall semester class and a Spring on that follows, we get a chance to photograph completely different subjects at times.  Each semester I like to get the students down to the Listeman Arboretum just on the edge of town.  It's just a 3 or 4 minute ride and contains enough variety to give the students ample opportunities to make pictures.  The fall of course presents bright colors and in the spring the new growth carpets the forest floor.  When we make this outing, I try to instill in the students they need to try and "see" things differently-sometimes that's accomplished by changing the camera's (and our) perspective-moving in, getting down, shooting from above, backing off....whatever it takes.  Also, don't hesitate to press the shutter-out of hundreds of images, maybe there are really only a few that will make the cut.

One that really did was the photograph above-Haley had spend a good deal of time along the Black River, which runs along the arboretum.  Fall color reflected in the water so the obligatory wide landscape shots were taken (by maybe all of us) and some of the rapids that flow through here.  Haley took those, but I think one of the best pictures was this close up of the water-with color above and below the surface.    The variety of color, of shape and a near perfect composition set this image apart from so many others on this day.  I know for me-it just presents a feeling of what fall is-pretty hard to describe in words, but sometimes photographs do a much better job.  Sometimes editing hundreds of photographs and viewing more, one comes across a nice surprise-this surely is one of the best.

Past student-High Key

High Key-Abby

Atypical class day is looking through recent blog posts to see who put up new words and pictures.  Frustratingly lately, there have been few.  When work is posted, I'm excited to see what photographs have been shot, what manipulations have been applied and if assignments have been fulfilled. Again, that fulfillment has been lukewarm at best lately and I try to get across that the shutter has to be pressed....a lot in order to have successful images to share.

When students venture outside of classwork, and experiment with their camera, or in editing software, it can be really rewarding for me to see what they see.  A past student, Alyssa, was (is?) someone like that.  In class one day we ran across a high key photo and talked about how to shoot them or edit images to get that effect.  It wasn't long and she fired off 50 or 100 frames of her favorite subjects (brother and sisters) and posted up the best.  This one was my favorite-the composition, reflection in the eyes and the slight smile.  A great photograph in my opinion.  Just reinforces the thought that experimentation can pay off.

Lovin The Tamaracks

The Slightest Curve

The Tamarack.  Our only conifer that changes color and sheds it's "leaves" (needles) each fall and when it does-it's showy and beautiful.  A scouting slash hunting trip down a forest road in western Clark County lead me past swamps I used to visit frequently.  The destination was a man made dyke from the 1960's where ducks have been hunted in the past.  It's tiny, barely enough water for a canoe and decoys, but years ago, it did produce from time to time.  It was also a chance to check out grouse spots during the bumpy ride out there.  No ducks when Molly and I arrived, but we did bust a pair of immature Bald Eagles perched out on the drainage ditch.  The place has potential for a future hunt in any regard.
That rough "road" is Abbot Ranch Lane, and I'll assume at one time, someone tried to run a farm out here, but the soils are poor and draining the swamps did little to help.  It's now all a part of the county forest and offers prime hunting and outdoor recreation instead.  Also a chance to see and photograph the most colorful of wetlands....which I love.  Something about that spicey swamp smell that is the best perfume any outdoorsman could ever want and which brings only the best memories back from hunting trips in the past.  Well worth slowing down, taking a breath and appreciating what's before us for a minute or two.

The Swamp Bouquet

Gold and Rain Approaching

Home of the Green and Gold

Derivative Lite

Research any of the following photographers and focus on someone you relate to, admire and have an appreciation of their style.  Write a 1-2 paragraph report in your own words on why you chose this photographer.  Conclude the assignment by duplicating their style in several images of your own.

Photographers:

1. Seung Kye Lee (fine art nature)
2. Léon Leijdekkers (fine art B&W)
3. Guy Tal (fine art landscape)
4. John Paul Caponigro (fine art)
5. Tony Rath (underwater)
6. Ryan Doco Connors (portraiture)
7. William Burrard-Lucas (wildlife)
8. Olivier Du Tré (fine art nature)
9. Aaron Feinberg (fine art)
10. Ed Leveckis (fine art & portraiture)
11. Philippe Sainte-Laudy (fine art & nature)
12. David Sanger (travel)
13. Ron Niebrugge (wildlife & travel)
14. Michael McAreavy (landscape)
15. Craig Ferguson (travel & environment)
16. Gary Crabbe (travel)
17. QT Luong (nature & travel)
18. Jim Patterson (underwater & nature)
19. Jessy Eykendorp (nature)
20. G Dan Mitchell (landscape & nature)
21. Mike Cavaroc (nature & wildlife)
22. Dan Heller (travel)
23. Patrick Di Fruscia (fine art landscape)
24. Trey Ratcliff (travel & hdr)
25. Patrick Smith
26. Brian Matiash (urban & street)
27. Manuel Guerzoni (street)
28. Neil McShane (Fine Art B&W)
29. Jay Patel (landscape)
30. Varina Patel (landscape)
31. Peter West Carey (travel)
32. Matt Suess (fine art & hdr)
33. Marsel van Oosten (wildlife)
34. Ben Locke (fine art)
35. Rebecca Jackrel (wildlife)
36. Michael Kern (wildlife)
37. Inge Fernau (nature)
38. Dixon Hamby (iphoneography)
39. Richard Wong (travel & landscape)
40. Matt Weber (street)
41. Agustin Rafael Reyes (travel)
42. Helen Sotiriadis (various)
43. Pierre Beteille (photo art)
44. Ryan Brenizer (wedding)
45. Sarah R. Bloom (fine art)
46. Daniel Sroka (fine art)
47. Greg Schmigel (street)
48. Star Rush (iphoneography)
49. Chun Tong Chung (street)
50. Mike Moats (macro)
51. Ben Fullerton (adventure)
52. David La Spina (travel)
53. Vincent Favre (nature)
54. Mihailo Radi?evi? (street)
55. J A Mortram (environment & social documentary)
56. David English (street)
57. Laura C. Williams (wildlife)
58. Victor Lacken (HDR)
59. Patricia Gil Mayoral (landscape B&W)
60. Kalle Björklid (music)

Bonus: For more great photography insights to other great talent follow…

1. Miki Johnson
2. Andy Adams
3. Jim Brandenburg
4. Erika Larsen

A Fall Sampler

The Back Yard

There are so many pictures to be made in the fall, yet sometimes it can be very frustrating because it's all been done before you know?  Not by me maybe, but by someone and when looking at others' photos I start to wonder why I should even press the shutter.  Because........ sometimes you just have to, just have to get those photos out of the way.  But to be fair to myself, I also have to because no matter how many fall photos others have made, I still love it, love the colors and smells so most likely, every year, I'll be out there clicking away just for myself.

In any regard, here are some I liked during a couple hikes lately-a week later, most of those colors are on the ground-wind and rain made sure of that quickly-sad, but it's the way of the seasons.

Molly at Attention

Red Oak Complementary Colors

Red Oak Depth of Field

Molly with Long Shadow-Arndt Road

Black and Gold

I love getting the pup, or in the past- pups, out in the winter for a hike.  The spring is kinda sloppy and the summer can get a bit buggy.  But fall......no doubt my favorite time of year and as always, it goes by too quickly.  It's like the first sounds of a crow or blue jay call in August, the first color of leaves start in some swamp and that spicy smell is in the air, and soon the trees are bare and more than a nice chill is in the air.  Fall is over, the gun season here and after that marches in winter and snow...not that that is a bad thing either.

But for right now, for a few brief weeks, it is autumn and I try to spend every minute I can out there doing something.  I've always said fall should be twice as long to get everything done- hunting, mountain biking, photography, Harley rides, fishing and sometimes, just out hiking with the pup.  The "pup" in this case is Molly, who has made a few appearances in this blog.  This is the first "real" fall to enjoy with me.  Last year she was recovering from a broken pelvis and eye surgery and missed any good kind of lab-in-the outdoors time.  Hopefully she'll do well in her first hunting season.

Black and Gold

For starters anyway, we ventured out into the county forest on some game trails, it was early morning, sun just hitting the tops of the trees and the camera was in hand.  I tried to make some photos along the way and it can be a lesson in frustration, because what you see with the eyes and what you smell don't show up on the sensor.  Fall can be hard to make good pictures, and we think it should be easy.  As I looked thru them, it started to be clear that on this day I was most interested not in shooting color (I thought I was) but rather Molly in the color, smelling only dog smells, running here and there and returning to heal along side me.  These images made me happy and I enjoyed them again and thought I'd share.  Maybe as the peak of color slides into place this week, some real fall photographs will find their way into my camera, but for now, I'll take these.

Molly on Old Fiber Optic Line