monochrome

lens-artists: breaking the rules

Ritva writes that “we work so hard to learn the photography rules, at least I do but now it is time to BREAK them!! The problem is just that in order to break a rule, you must know that there is a rule in the first place!”

The composition guidelines (rules) used within this image:

Sub-framing – a picture in a picture is a technique which invites a viewer’s eye into an image through the use of natural or man-made elements. This invitation to the viewer to be guided from the foreground to the background also adds depth to an image. They may take multiple shapes or forms and may either dominate an image or constitute a small component in a wider composition.

Does the composition of this image invite you to be guided from the foreground to the framed tree in the left upper corner?

Rule of odds – guideline created by how the composition within an image may gift us with the balance we unconsciously seek

Does the three blurry bells gift you with a sense of balance? Or does the line composition have a negative affect on balance? I find that my head tilts in an attempt to fit the image into a sense of expectation.

Rule of thirds:  the element of composition that begins with dividing an image into thirds, horizontally and vertically, creating nine imagined sections.

This image is created with five layers, do you find that the composition may have some how upset the rule of thirds?

lens-artists: five favs

As I spent part of the afternoon revisiting photo files in response to Tina’s invitation to share five favorite photographs, I began to ponder, “What are the variables within photographs that come together to create a place within the heart of the eyes?”

Photographs tell of silent, vague, faded memories. Photographs are of visual moments that have grasped one’s attention. Photographs share times of exploration, of travel, of life. Photographs are representations of impermanence, light and shadow, fantasy, composition, challenges, points of view, …

Even  in Kyoto—
hearing the cuckoo’s cry—
I long for Kyoto. ~Buson

an image created in 2013 that awakens memories of 1960s
an unforgettable smile
a telling of impermanence
a pear
a time of light and shadow

Thank you Tina for this quiet Sunday of reflection.

lens-artists: exploring color – b&w

This week Patti invites photographers to explore a couple of questions in regards to black and white vs color images: 1) When is it best to use one vs the other? 2) What’s the benefit of each one?

First I have to admit that even though I have read various articles about what types of photographs are ideal for black and white, I generally move in and out of an experimental flow of emotional responses.

For example the first image was edited in Capture One from a raw file to a jpg. The black and white image was edited in Silver Efex Pro2. The last was edited in Color Efex Pro 4 which, for me, invokes a stimulus response of soft and gentle.

As I’ve been experiencing difficulties using Photoshop and Capture One due to upgrades, I made the very difficult decision to cancel both subscriptions. Anyone have any recommendations for editing programs that will work with an ISO 13.7.3?

Thank you for visiting.

lens-artists: above

Ritva (Ritva Sillanmäki Photography) has invited lens-artist to “… Shoot From Above this week! Let’s get creative with a top-down perspective. Let’s have fun”.

Bird’s-eye View

When photographing a subject from above, it is known as a “bird’s-eye view”. This could be taken from up in the sky, such as when flying in a plane, or could simply be taken by standing on a ladder, slightly above your subject. Photographing from this point of view can make viewers feel as though they are superior to the subject – such as a stern father looking down on his misbehaving child – or protective over the subject. If the subject is an inanimate object, it can sometimes make the viewer feel as though there is a separation between them and the subject. (cited: The New York Film Academy)

lens-artists: this made me smile

An authentic smile … arouses an authentic feeling of freshness, and I think the smile belongs only to human beings.~ Dalai Lama

If we want those smiles, we must create the reasons that make them appear. ~ Dalai Lama

I love smiles, and my wish is to see more smiles, real smiles …~ Dalai Lama

Leya has invited bloggers to “share something that made us smile, made You smile – and make the world smile with us! Old or new smiles, big or small, we welcome them all!”

A smile awakens a smile. A frown returns a frown.