Sunset Water

 

As I've said to my photography students many times, there's nothing like that late afternoon sunlight to illuminate the imagination and reinforce the search for an original point of view. I found myself walking down the to the shore after supper tonight and just as the sun was low in the sky, thinking that the sunlight seems different, even at the same time of day, every time I go down there to "find" some pictures. The concept of "shadows" was also sitting in my thinking, and I think that may have directed me toward looking in the directions I chose. Here are my two favorites out of forty or so. I used a 75-300 mm telephoto lens.

Macros

We've been shooting some "macro" things in class, and it is always interesting to talk about design around the abstract qualities these images tend to have. Color, shape, and texture take on a different and important sense in these pictures, providing students with the resources to discuss design principles and elements.

We have some challenges at times trying to identify where the images are from and what the specific source might be, and the ideas of perception and noticing interesting compositions are well served by the "macro shots".

Welcome back from April Vacation!

Late Afternoon Sunlight...

... is often the best kind of light to use in getting photos. The color is usually warmer and the low angle of the sun produces shadows that are hard to match for drama and visual effect.

The first two pictures I'm posting here were taken in my garage with light coming in from the west in the late afternoon. The top one was something I noticed looking through windows from two rooms away. Captivated by the shapes formed on the wall and the shadows of the bicycle, I shot a dozen pictures of various compositions, balance of light and dark, and camera angles, choosing the one here as my favorite.

As I looked around the room, I noticed a pan of dahlia and gladiola bulbs that had been dug up and held over the winter that the light was playing around upon. Some of the roots were highlighted and gave an interesting visual texture of various values of the dominant brown color. I moved in close, switching my camera to "macro" mode, and captured five or six images. Here's the one I like the best.






Finally, a close up of an amaryllis blossom in the house. Gorgeous reds, try downloading this photo (screenshot would work) and looking at the "histogram" for this shot... kind of cool!

Close Up Landscape/Seascape

I went out front after supper with the idea of capturing a few images, and when I got back at my computer to download them I had shot 65 pictures. Here's one that could serve as an alternative or creative type of landscape or seascape.