The Monday Lesson- Simplicity (in Cabo)
Objective: to simplify your photographs, make them easier on the viewer, make them more dramatic and emphasize the subject.
A compositional tool that I think is one of the most important is the idea of simplicity and emphasis. When your images are crowded with extra non important objects, lines, patterns or other elements it makes it hard to see what the image is about. You want your viewer to immediately be able see the subject. This doesn't mean that you can't have interesting or subtle details in your images, it just means that we need to be able to appreciate what the image is about. This is especially true of portraits. Far too often you see images where the background is so busy that it completely detracts from the person who is the real subject. There are always exceptions and some images are awesome loaded up with tiny details but that is usually when the image is telling you a story all about the details or the chaos. Street photography and journalism is an example of that. However, with the images that most of us are taking, simplicity is often better.
In an effort to honor this amazing place where I am this week (Cabo San Lucas) I shot all landscapes for you guys. When I shot these I tried to keep the frame simple and clean with clear focal points. See what you think. As with all the Monday Lesson images that I post here, these are pretty much straight out of the camera. They do not have any complicated digital effects on them. Well, I did have to remove lots of little annoying amoeba like spots because my sensor is dirty yet again! AAAAHHHH!
I love this one. The sun had not yet risen and you could see the moon still clear and bright in the sky. I took about 5 or 6 shots trying to get the moon where I wanted it, which was above the low point of the two rocks.
In this shot, I grabbed it fast while the other boats were off to the side. The picture would be far more complicated looking with a bunch of boats.
The view from my balcony- I specifically framed it to not see the balcony railing (stood up on a chair to do that) or the random few people on the beach.
With this one, I waited until all the boats were gone from my frame. I also moved myself so that the metal boat rail was not running directly up the sun's path on the water and the sun was directly over the rock.
I think this one is a good example of simplicity and the rule of thirds. I also like how the circles in the water help hold your eye on the turtle and kind of mimic his shape.
This one shows you how you can use the lines in an image to help guide your eye around the frame. The poles lead you into the lines of the water which then lead you over to the mountain on the side.
The water was amazing today. Here's a little collage of water shots that I just love.
I did manage to find one portrait today. When I shot this, I framed out the hardware on the boat that was in the bottom part of the frame and kept the background free of any distracting elements. I also used shallow depth of field. This picture cracks me up because he looks like he's posing.
So, for your homework this week, go find create some simple using some of the other things that we have learned about like the rule of thirds and depth of field and post links to them in the comments section here. I would love to see what you come up with!
Now it's off to enjoy happy hour and watch the sunset over the ocean. I know...that is the kind of thing I should just keep to myself.
Posted on Monday, April 28, 2008 at 07:17PM
by
Farrah Braniff
in The Monday Lesson, Travels
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1 Comment
Farrah Braniff
in The Monday Lesson, Travels
|
1 Comment
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Reader Comments (1)
love these pics! hope you're having a great time. miss ya!