Schoenherr wetland with phragmites and cattails, backlit by morning sunlight
As a follow-on to my previous post, I thought of a situation that I encounter quite frequently, and imagine other photographers do also. (At least I hope they do!). If it all comes naturally, then keep it to yourself ok? It will be your little secret. 🙂
On my many hikes in the woods, I will look at a scene and all I see is a chaotic mess. Nature is a pretty bad housekeeper around here. Twigs, logs, sticks, thorny vines, downed trees, rotting logs, messy ponds all can be hard to make any sense of. Sheesh, this place needs a maid.
When I encounter situations like this, I often ask myself “What is the connection in what I am seeing?” If there is no connection, then a chaotic scene will probably make for a chaotic photograph. If you can’t formulate an answer to that question, then it may be time to move on, or realize you aren’t looking deep enough.
When you find it though, it helps to emphasize it as much as you can. This was the case with the backlighting in this image.
I made the image last weekend when poking around a wetland that is close to my house. The edge of this wetland is pretty messy with phragmites everywhere, some cattails in between. With overcast light, or harsh mid-day light with deep shadows, this looks like a messy wetland. However, in the early morning, this scene seemed to change. I thought the warm, backlit glow of the morning sun was just the connection I needed that linked many of these elements together visually. I no longer saw each element on its own here, no harsh shadows to separate them, but I saw them as a collective group. At least for me, I saw a cohesiveness that seemed much clearer versus this same scene at a different time.
Many of our ventures into the field should cause us to question what we are looking at, look for those relationships. We might just find some answers we are looking for.
First off, Mark… just a beautiful image and I am really enjoying the use of textures that you are adding to a few of your images (it creates depth and texture).
Why we are drawn to the images we take is a very interesting question. The key is being aware when we are and acting upon it. I find myself taking photos of the same subject matter often and think “you’ve already done this!” But… I listen to the voice that calls and surrender to the urge to snap away. I’m rarely disappointed and that is the gift for listening to one’s intuition.
Thank you very much Diane. I try not to doubt my intuition either. However, I often find a thick fog between my intuition and my conscious judgmental side.
I just discovered your blog. That’s an excellent photo, and it’s nice to have your thought process behind the photograph. As an experienced photographer myself, my biggest struggle is to answer the question: what am I trying to do or say with this photo?
Art, a belated welcome to you. I think if we answer that question, we all are bound to make better images.
Lovely colors in that shot! Very nice. Sorry for my recent absence, but Spring’s my big business time & I’ve been taking full advantage!
No worries Lana, I appreciate the visit.
This is a wonderful image! There is a lot going on and yet it maintains a certain harmony. The repetition of verticle lines certainly contributes to that, but also the tonalities are still soft even though the color has vibrancy. I also think your comments are right on.
Many thanks Paul. I know we see much the same way on many images, and I certainly appreciate reading your confirmation of what I was going for.
I like both yours and Earl’s terms for the secret to the success of this image: “connection” and “harmony”. My training, in another discipline, would have led me to use “theme”. I have considered more than once collecting your words of wisdom in one place for reference and reminders before leaving the house with a camera. One thing I am certain about is that if this picture were hung in a room in my house, I might never want to venture from that room. In front of this, is a place to sit and quiet oneself, to put aside the chaos outside.
Trust me Anita, I have thought about doing the same thing as far as trying to accumulate these posts… if only to remind myself to “practice what I preach.” My memory is not so good at times, and sometimes I am inspired writing these things but it comes up blank in the field! 🙂 Thanks a lot for your very kind thoughts. Hey, if one of my pictures relieves anyone’s stress, I consider that a great accomplishment!
That is a gorgeous image. I bet it will become a good seller for you! Yes, I struggle with the chaos in my wooded landscape and I don’t photograph it unless there are unusual circumstances. Fog, macros, etc.
That would be an added bonus Roberta. It is always a nice feeling when someone lays out their hard earned money for something you invested personal vision in.
Mark, I think of it as as an element of harmony, the quality of forming a pleasing and consistent whole, but we’re talking about the same thing. Certainly connections don’t always exist or at least we can’t see them, sometimes chaos is simply chaos. There have been times when I’ve thought I’d captured an element of photographic harmony to later view the photo and realized I totally missed it — if it was ever there.
In this photo certainly the back-lighting was that element. Beautifully seen, captured and processed — well done, sir!
Thanks Earl. You bring an interesting question to my mind – is it possible to have connection with little or no harmony, or harmony without connection?
Perhaps the first one can exist in a photograph that is more about tension. But I don’t think you can have the harmony you speak of with no connection – the two go hand in hand.
Beautiful shot Mark.
I think wider scenes are harder to shoot (well) for this reason, with macro it’s easier to cut out the clutter and find a simple connection to something if you only have a small area to consider. I think that you’ve really nailed this with the connection between the light & the plants. It make me want to go there even though I’m not that keen on being outside in the nature (expect underwater of course, there even the slugs are amazing ;)). Thanks for sharing
Thank you Suzy. I appreciate that others also see the connection here. Sometimes I think that I see it but it is not easy for others.
Ha! Good comment about the slugs. Yeah, quite a bit different between them on land and u/w!
Hey Mark
Nice redo on the site.
I love this shot man .. really, really well done.
That idea of finding a connection is really important, I think. it might be rhythm, or balance, or harmony, or something more dynamic; I definitely find when I look at photos I’ve taken that “miss the mark”, what’s missing is some connection. I’m probably no further along in trying to identify it before I shoot, but I see it much more quickly now when I review images than I used to.
Cheers
Carl
Hey Carl – thanks a lot, I appreciate it. I agree with you. Sometimes even in reviewing my own past work I struggle to answer that question again. It seems like if the connection was strong enough, I wouldn’t forget it.
The perspective and lighting on this is remarkable, especially for a subject that many take for granted. The better photographers see the potential.
Thanks Ken.
I like “or realize you aren’t looking deep enough”……that says a lot!
Yeah, that is what I try to argue between me and myself. But it often goes like “See deeper!” … “I don’t see any more” …. ” try harder” 😉