nature

a photo study: tone

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Nikon D750   f/4.5   1/320s   85mm   100 ISO

This week’s photo study is inspired by my initial reading of Bruce Percy’s ebook, “The Art of Tonal Adjustment.”  Thus far into this photo study project, the majority of discussions about composition generally concentrate on the basics of photography; such as, the rule-of-thirds, rule of odds, leading lines, the color red, and so on.  Tone, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be a popular subject and one that has a variance of definitions. For example:

Hue is the color. Saturation is the purity/intensity of the color. Tone is the degree of lightness and darkness.

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Nikon D750     f/4.5    1/160   85mm   100 ISO

Tone is probably the most intangible element of composition. Tone may consist of shadings from white-to-gray-to-black, or it may consist of darks against lights with little or no grays. The use of dark areas against light areas is a common method of adding the feeling of a third dimension to a two-dimensional black-and-white picture. The interaction of light against dark shades in varying degrees helps to set the mood of a composition. 

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Nikon D750     f/4.5    1/160   85mm   100 ISO

A picture consisting of dark or somber shades conveys mystery, intrigue, or sadness. When the tones are mostly light and airy, the picture portrays lightness, joy, or airiness.

“Tonal range” is another way of saying what the difference is between the darkest and the lightest parts of a picture.

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Nikon D750    f/4.5   1/4,000    85mm   800 ISO

“Tonal contrast” is created when light tones and dark tones lie alongside each other. In any photograph it is natural for the eye to go straight to the highlights and then move about the image, taking in the details. 

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Nikon D750   f/4.5   1/320s   85mm   100 ISO

Tonal contrast is the basis of many successful black and white images. If you need help to see the tones in your color photos an easy way to do so is to reduce the color saturation to zero. It is easier to see tonal contrast in black and white images because there is no color to distract your eye from the brightness values within the photo. It is important to note that reducing the color saturation to zero is usually not the best way to convert a color image to monochrome.

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Nikon D750   f/4.5   1/320s   85mm   100 ISO

Throughout my inital research, I found Bruce Percey’s articles about tone to be an invaluable read.  Hope you enjoy.  

https://www.brucepercy.co.uk/blog/?category=Tonal+Relationships

How do you understand and demonstrate tone within your photographs? 

a photo study: low angle

This week’s photo challenge has been inspired by Ted Forbes’ Using Low Angle video.  Low-angle composition invites the photographer to create images with different and unique perspectives.

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Enya

We generally experience our daily lives at eye level and often feel more comfortable photographing at eye level. Low angle photography invites us to look up…to create images from any point below eye level which gives the effect of looking up at an object or person.  Also you can go to the extreme and show a worm’s eye view of the world.

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A worm’s-eye view is a view of an object from below, as though the observer were a worm; the opposite of a bird’s-eye view. It can be used to look up to something to make an object look tall, strong, and mighty while the viewer feels child-like or powerless. A worm’s eye view commonly uses three-point perspective, with one vanishing point on top, one on the left, and one on the right.

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To photograph low angle composition, you will need to crouch, bend, or get down onto the floor.  A personal note ― have found that when crouching I need to find a way to brace myself as without there often is a slight tremble which, sigh, results in a  blurred image. 

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A low angle perspective increases the height of the subject.

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It creates an image where the subject appears more powerful and  dramatic.

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It lends empathy to a viewer as through a shared experience of a toddler’s world within a playground setting or standing before three-feet ocean waves.

This angle is also great when you wish to capture the mood.

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I began this photo study project about 18 weeks ago with an intention to develop, expand, and share my understanding of photography throughout 2018. Regrettably, I am finding that this project is being negatively impacted by some vision difficulties which may require  eye surgery within the next couple of months. Consequently, I have decided to reblog some photo educational posts from other bloggers…sorta like using blogs as substitute teachers. I hope you will find them as inspiring and informative as I have.

To close this week’s photo study, please enjoy these two Ted Forbes’ videos on low angle photography.

a photo study: rule of thirds

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Photography is an art form and as such need not rely on rules.  Yet, it is important for the photographer to keep in mind that the composition rules help create balanced, dynamic, and interesting images that invite a viewer to stay and visit in comfort.

The Rule of Thirds

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

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The theory is that if you place your subject in the intersections or along the lines, your image becomes more balanced and will enable the viewer to interact with the story more naturally.  

With the rule of thirds in mind, it is recommended that the photographer should compose a photographer by asking, 

“what are the points of interest in this shot?”

“where am I intentionally placing them?”

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Studies show that the human eye naturally is drawn more to one of the four intersection points than the the center of the image.  Yet, sometimes a photographer finds that placing the subject right in the middle of the frame makes for a more interesting composition. 

Centering

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“Breaking” the rule of thirds opens the door to symmetry, creating balance on both sides of the image as well as the top and bottom. 

We find beauty in natural symmetry. A butterfly, for example, has perfect symmetry when it opens its wings. Snowflakes, flowers and seashells also gift us with the beauty of balance.   

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Depth of field

Scenes that feature a shallow depth of field may also not require rule of thirds placement. That’s because a shallow depth of field creates dimension in a photograph, and our eyes are drawn into images that have dimension. You will look into a shallow background even when you can’t identify what’s there, because your eye automatically wants to move through a scene that seems to have depth and dimension.

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Love to hear your thoughts about rule of thirds and see how you use this basic composition tool in your creative endeavors.

I hope you enjoy Saurav Sinha’s discussion about composition.