California Sea Lion
So what to water lilies have to do with sea lions? I was rescuing some more images from Picture Purgatory and came across a couple that seemed to have a similar concept to them. I couldn’t help but notice how important the elements other than the main subject were to the image. Isolation is great for creating drama and impact, and just as background creates an important role in isolation, it can also create a supporting role as well. The extra elements may cause you to have more curiosity about what is going on, change what is being communicated entirely, or give you a better sense of place. Of course the pitfalls are when those elements are not helping your main subject and become a distraction.
Instead of just a sea lion on a beach – I wonder – why is this particular sea lion hanging out with all these harbor seals? The sea lion’s body posture is quite a stark contrast to the posture of his beach-potato companions. Even the coat is a bit of a contrast, sleek vs. patterned and furry. I suppose that is what I like most about it. The other image, a simple water lily. The lily pads in the frame just add another supporting element. Sometimes our subjects like a little company in the frame.
Water Lily & pads
Good points, of course!
Hey Mark,
You need to keep digging in your picture purgatory – you seem to have an endless supply of gems in there!
Ron
Both of these are really beautiful photos. I like the Sea Lion especially. There is something really captivating about his posture.
Lana, Ron, Laurie, thanks a lot.
yeah…….those photos are great……i must confess that i can not say which one a I like more…….both are great….:)
Very, very nicely done sir, keep up the good work!
Nice post, and nice photos, especially the sea lion.
both pictures are beautiful, but I must say…the sea lion just stole my heart! It makes me want to pet him, he is so cute!
I love the sea lion photo, they are one of my favourite animals. No intelligent and inquisitive.
Clearly the sea lion knows a thing or two about composition and has deliberately positioned himself in a surround where he will stand out. Classic animal posturing