Tip of the month; April- Composition

So, welcome to my new ‘tip of the month’.  Sorry i couldn’t think of a more original name for it, but how many ways can you say ‘tip of the month’? (it sort of does what it says on the tin).

 What’s the tip?  Well every month i am going to attempt to enlighten (hopefully) beginners and those new to photography. *

*note here, i’m not pretending i ‘know it all’ about photography, or am trying to sway people’s own methods.  If you have a system that works then stick with it, but hopefully a few can benefit from my tips.

April: Composition

What is it that makes those stunning photographs so special?  Light? Probably (but that’s another story, or in this case tip).  The location? Perhaps, but you still have to capture it.  The camera then? Doubtfully.  No, even though all of these factors contribute in varying amounts, there is something that isn’t listed.  Something in my opinion that is so important that it can undoubtedly make or break an image.

What is this amazing factor?  (come on its slightly obvious).

Got it?  Good.  Yep, composition is the business.  Lead in lines, horizons, rule of thirds.  If all this is gibberish to you then hopefully i can help.

So what it composition? Well composition is the makeup of the photo.  How things are placed for maximum (or minimum) effect.  You can have golden light, a beautiful location, and a Canon 5D, but without good composition you might as well go home.

There are several factors to consider when ‘composing’ a photo.  First, what is your subject? For instance is it a mountain summit, or a specific tree, or a person?  In any case you will want the viewers’ eye to be ‘drawn’ to this subject as it is the focus point of the image. 

To do this you have several ways.  You could for example use ‘lead in lines’.  These are objects such as walls, fences, and rivers (i.e. they act as lines).  By placing these where the viewers’ eye will fall they can be used to ‘lead’ them to the main subject (fig 1.).

 Fig. 1

Another way is to use the almighty (and slightly confusing) ‘Rule of Thirds’.  This is a method dating back thousands of years throughout art, and if used correctly can have a major effect of an image.

Basically (and it’s way too easy to draw something like this out) the Rule of Thirds is a grid; two lines horizontally and two vertically across a picture, essentially cutting the image into nine boxes each measuring a third (following ok?).  Where the four lines of the grids intersect, these are places where subjects of importance should be placed. 

So for example; instead of placing a tree as the main subject in the centre of the frame, which is a common mistake, by placing it on one of the intersects we can maximise the effect the tree has. 

The Rule of Thirds should never be forgotton about, and although it is slightly complicated to first grasp hold of, the technique will eventually become second nature.

Another factor not to be forgotten about is cropping.  Cropping is what the frame has and does not have within it.  A far too common mistake is to rush taking a photograph and thus including all sorts of unwanted objects ranging from leaves, to people to your own hand!

These can be extremely distracting in an image and can lead the eye away from the intended subject.  There’s one simple way to prevent this; take your time.  Check what’s in the frame and what isn’t, and if you see something you don’t want, either zoom in or re-compose.

Another point to remember is that many digital SLR’s do not show a true representation of what you actually take.  This is due to the sensor size in relation to the viewfinder (but it doesn’t really matter why).  Therefore when composing you have to take into account that the scene through the viewfinder is already ‘cropped’, and thus it may be necessary to take a test shot to see the actually image.

Ok, well that’s about it folks.  Hope that was of some help, or just made for interesting reading.  Just remember the 3 key points to composition; Subject, The Rule of Thirds and Cropping and you should do just fine.  Till next time, happy shooting.

Rich

 

Summer’s Coming….get the raincoat?

Its April, summer’s here.  Yey!

Paddling in the Lakes, sunbathing in the back garden (if i had one….) and taking our canine counter-parts for elongated walkies in the hope of catching some great sunsets in the warm evening glow.  Yep that was summer for you.

Last summer; freezing my you-know-what’s off on The Isle of Skye, whilst trying to juggle stopping my camera from getting soaked (the plastic bag works every time) and catching a usable shot of Portree in between the breaks of cloud.

Summer, it ain’t what it used to be. 

Looking outside now.  Fair enough, it isn’t dismal.  Sun’s making a watery effort to break through the rain clouds (sorry just had to) and the wind’s not so bad that i can have the window open.  But photographing weather it most certainly is not.

You just can’t seem to catch it these days (and yes i know i sound like your great-great-granddad reminiscing on the ‘old days’ when they still used the cane and didn’t have any of these ‘DV’ player thingies’ ), but it’s true.  And you know it is.  Were all doomed for a list of long cold summer’s filled with nothing but torrential rain and overcast skies. 

So with the recession on us and the crowds flocking to Seathwaite instead of Spain, are we all in for a disappointment?

Well, a quick look at http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=longrange;sess= is likely to swing your mind this way, with the words ‘rainfall totals quite a way above usual seasonal amounts ‘ hitting home hard with the fact that our long hot summers are a thing of the past.

So as photographers the outlook is pretty bleak eh?

Well not necessarily so.  In fact the weather, if utilised correctly, can be one of photographers’ main allies.

Some of the most dramatic and powerful photos of the century have been taken under pretty ‘crap’ weather conditions, but that’s not to say it’s all easy as point and click.

Far from it.

A break in the clouds, the sun shines through and illuminates the landscape played out before your feet, camera ready you snap away only for it to dawn on you that you’ve got the lens cap on (believe me it happens to the best of us).  Hurriedly taking it off you realise in vain that the clouds have reformed and are once again casting their miserable overcast on the terrain. 

B***ocks.

Yep, its happened to every photographer out there and don’t bother to deny it. (Still it’s not as bad as pressing the ‘delete all’ button after a days shooting, which of course i definitely haven’t done)*.

*lie

So how can poor weather be used to our advantage?

Well firstly you’ve got to have your wits about you.  It’s no good not being ready and missing that one minute in the day where you actually have light.  Secondly snapping away as you normally would at ‘beauty scenes’ won’t work, its miserable weather and let’s face it; even Ashness Bridge looks a little less aesthetically pleasing in the rain (where doesn’t).

A technique i prefer is to take what the light illuminates, as opposed to the light itself.  For instance the light is breaking through the clouds to lie on a mountainside.  Instead  of buggering your camera meter by trying to capture this event and having lens flare everywhere (that’s unless you’re rich enough to have a camera  to handle light situations like these, some people are way too lucky), point towards the mountainside, and zoom and crop out the distinctive features.  Perhaps this is a wall, or where bracken meets a grass field, the main thing is that you focus on something distinctive, a subject.

Thirdly if you are going to brave the bad weather, then you are going to be faced with some of the harshest lighting conditions a photographer can face.  Therefore you must know your meter readings.

Usually evaluative metering will be used (for those who don’t know the jargon this is an overall reading of how light the image is), however in difficult lighting this can easily be foiled, and result with washed out colours and over exposed skies.   

So instead i would recommend using Spot Metering.  This takes a reading of how light a specific area is, enabling you to take that ever elusive sun ray, or that momentary light on the side of a mountain, or reflected in a lake.

Well hope that helps.  If you are daring enough to don the waterproofs this summer (let’s face it we’re going to have to at some point) then remember these points and you should be on your way to taking some half decent photos. 

Oh, and one last thing.  Don’t whatever you do leave the lens cap on.

Happy shooting

Rich

 

Britain’s favourite view? No MY favourite view

Britain’s favourite view; any ideas? No? Let me help you out. (The picture above’s a clue).

For those of you who never watched the show, aired on ITV a couple of years ago, or like most people, have just purely forgotten about it completely, I’ll help you out.

Wastwater. Yes, Wastwater is the place we are looking for; holder of the prestigious title of Britain’s favourite view, hosted by no other than Sir Trevor McDonald himself.

‘So what?!’ I cried, upon watching all the ‘arse kissing’ (as I like to refer to it) the Lake District got afterwards. Wastwater has just happened to by MY favourite view for years!

Ever since going camping to the National Trust site at the far shore of the lake, over looking the mighty Great Gable, I have been entranced by this place. Its beauty captured my imagination and inspired me to return several years later with the sole intention of photographing this magnificent wonderland.

Wastwater; England’s deepest lake, is flanked on all sides by awe-inspiring scenery. Whether it is the sheer power of the Wasdale screes, the might of the Scafell range, or the quaintness of St Olaf’s church; one of the smallest churches in England, the Wastwater’s surrounds really are vivid and varied.

If taking landscapes is your thing then look no further than the Wasdale area.

Upon arriving at the very same campsite I’d stayed at previously, I choose the perfect area to pitch. Out of the way, flanked by trees and just a few yards away from a small river that runs past the site. Tranquil. (Word of warning, choose you timings right as midges are a bugger to avoid here).

So, all settled, time to get to work.

So many places, where to start?

Well I decided a must to come back with was usable images of Great Gable; which prominently stands out at the end of the valley. After this was the church- obviously an attraction. Then Wastwater itself, although hard to reach by the site (unless like me you happen to love getting your feet soaked every time you go out with your camera).

I get back to my tent and begin to review my shots through the cameras lcd screen.

‘Mmmm’ I say to myself, ‘a bit naf’, (which apparently to everyone else equates as quite good, but hey we should always be our harshest critics).

Disappointedly, I pack my gear away a begin to kick my heels about hoping (praying) that the sunset will bring the light I am looking for.

Time goes by.

Haha. Hear we go. Camera back out, sandals on and off we go. Time to get some real photos.

As I leave I have one location in mind; a gorgeous little pool a mere 5 minutes from the campsite. Why? Because to me it spells sheer beauty. The pool’s water is clear; perfect for polarising, and reflects the light bouncing off the quaint little rope swing hanging off the tree by the pool side. Just too good to miss.

So feet soaked (what a surprise) I stand knee deep in the water, camera poised ready for the sun to get just low enough to emit that gorgeous golden light I am looking for.

Later sometime after sundown, Camera swung triumphantly on my back I walk back to camp, the sound of my flip-flops doing just that. But hey, what do I care, I got what I wanted (and no it wasn’t getting my feet wet).

 

Waiting for the mist

Time unknown (bloody early though):

I am stood on the shore of the ever famous Derwent Water, camera poised, ready for action.

Problem is, i can’t see a thing; that’s the Lakes for you though.

Still no matter, i’ll wait i tell myself.

Over my photography career that waiting has rewarded me with some of the finest photos i have ever taken; lets hope its worth it then.

Time goes by and in my boredom i snap away, practising composition technique. Wait.

Is that a mountain i see? And a boat? Hands fiddling about i hurriedly take a couple of shots, hoping for the best. i check the viewfinder. not bad i tell myself, nice character. Still, the mists clearing there’s better to come.

Half an hour after, i’m still waiting.

An hour. Yes here it is; what i’ve been waiting for.

The mist clears to reveal a perfect reflection of the landscape, topped by a magnificently deep blue sky.

Now I can start. It just shows good things do come to those who wait.

 

Valentines at The Rampsbeck

Valentines at The Rampsbeck

February 14th. Me and my girlfriend have just stepped off the tourist laden bus to begin walking down the lane to the Rampsbeck hotel.

After a rather pointless 10 minutes of wandering along the road to where we thought (I thought) the entrance was, we finally find the car park and entrance.

First sight; a car park full of Jaguars and BMW’s. Great (he says with an envious sigh), no surprise there though. After a painfully embarrassing greeting by the staff where we were asked for our non-existent licence plate number, we were taken upstairs to our room.

Going through the corridors you see traditional art; paintings depicting something that wouldn’t look out of place on a cover of Tess of the D’urbervilles. The hotel has three types of suites; standard, superior and deluxe. We would be spending the night in a standard (purely because it was all my budget could stretch to).

The steward leaves us with me wondering if I was supposed to stretch my generosity to give him a tip.

First nosey into the room; not bad. Not bad at all. The large double bed stretches to, if not a balcony view but at least a raised view, of the gardens and beyond to Lake Ullswater.

The furniture is oak, and gives me a feeling as if I’m staring in a Jane Austin remake. On the bedside table is a Bose DAB radio, the exact same as the one I own; a great little touch that makes me feel like home.

As I go into the bathroom my feet feel the delight of the heated floor; pure heaven. The walls are tiled and polished.

Enough nosing around; I collapsed onto the bed. Flat out.

After my mid- after noon laze we both went for a look round the gardens that caught our eye from the suite. But before that stomachs must be fed so we went down to the magnificently decorated lounge for a very British tea and sandwiches. The lady acting as our host/ receptionist made us feel very pampered, attending to our every needs without being disruptive in our stay.

The staff here are all very well mannered, and extremely polite, something I am still adapting to after 18 years of staying in 2 star Travel Lodges. Which isn’t surprising given the hotels reputation (and price).

After lunch we go for our walk. The hotel is 18th century and the 18 acres of land surrounding do its heritage justice, perfectly kept and tended to. The gardens lead down to the lake and numerous jetties that stretch out into the water like extended fingers of a hand. My girlfriend stands on one of those fingers whilst I am at the palm, snapping away (probably boring her) with my camera.

The light isn’t exactly what you’d call perfect, in fact it’s pretty dismal. Never mind I say to myself. Its Valentines Day; what could possibly spoil this?
‘Right’, I remind my partner, ‘were off’ (cue sighs of relief).

Dinner is served any time after 7 so we order then thinking to get ahead of all the loved up couples that would inevitably land by the night. Looking at the menu (which I had been dreading; I never was one for fine cuisine), I rack my brains trying to picture what ‘Pan fried Diver scallops with Jerusalem artichoke purée, truffle dressing and Sakura cress’ would look like. No matter, all part of the experience, I say as I randomly choose the four course meal for us both.

Dinners settled, now up to the room to get showered and ready.

7pm. Upon us both walking down the staircase to the lobby, we are ushered into the dining room. We are seated right next to the window, perfect.

Candles lit, wine poured and dinner is served. The waiter keeps coming to check everything is satisfactory, when really satisfactory was blown far out of the window long ago to be replaced by amazing. My wine glass never seems to empty (probably because it the waiter didn’t allow it to), and just when I finish one bottle they bring another (ah heaven).

After dinner we decide to hit the bar to top the night with a drink (or several). My eyes wander to the piano playing itself (am I really that drunk?) as I order the drinks. We relax, we drink, Valentines Day draws to a close.

Morning. 9am. There’s a gentle knock at the door. Excellent, breakfast as ordered, impeccably timed.

After a breakfast of croissants and cereals we begin to pack, the weekend being over.

As we leave to get the taxi home (yes I splashed out this time), we fall back down to earth…..back to reality.
.

 

A Trip to See the Seals

My mum looks a little worried as i jokingly tell her i’ll drag her to shore if the rickety old boat we are about to board sinks. 

In truth the chances are all that will happen will be my £400 lens gets soaked or i drop a filter into the water.

We had both come on holiday to the Isle of Skye.  Staying in a quaint little cottage next to the northern shore, where the wind blew so hard i’m surprised the car was still there in the mornings, we had travelled the length and breadth of the island. 

Our journey was about to end at Duvegan Castle (not literally we hoped).  The castle lies on the north western coast and stands magnificently above the shore, looking onto the horizon.   

After a quick nosy around the gardens, we head to the interior.  The castle first opened to the public in 1933 and since then has attracted thousands of visitors every year to see its vast Hebridean heritage.   

Inside you will find priceless artefacts; heirlooms of over 8 centuries, passed down from generation to generation.    

Owned and lived in by the Macleod’s all this time, the castle has not been shy, having starred in several television appearances such as Mountain and Made of Honour.   

As we go back in time travelling round the castle we get a feeling of the pride and dignity of this great Scottish family.  Portraits depicting clan members are hung in many of the numerous rooms. 

After our tour around the castle we then proceeded to the shore where we intended to take to the seas to see the highly popular Seal colonies.  

Aboard the boat now.  There’s a worrying amount of water in the hull and the motor sounds like Derek trotter’s Robin Reliant.   Still not to worry, my mind is too distracted by the sights around me.

 As i talk with the man who holds our lives (and my camera) in his hands, i discover all about these playful mammals.  They remind me quite strongly of dogs, the way they are either play fighting or lazing around in the afternoon sun (not that there was much of that about).  

 We arrive back to shore feeling satisfied, if not a little sea sick.

  If you are planning a trip to Skye i would highly recommend seeing the Seals, and unless you happen to have even littler faith in boats than me, you won’t regret it.

 

Art or Science?

It’s an age old question; nothing inspires more controversy among photographers than this simple question.

Is photography art or a science?

A better question in my opinion would be; is there an answer to this?

My answer; unlikely.

Its almost certainly down to opinion, and where you stand depends on your ethics as a photographer.

I’m personally in the ‘art’ side of the pitch on this one. Why? Well it’s all too easy to fall into the trap that modern technology has prepared for us.

Taking photos is now easier than ever with the release of digital media, bringing us the miracle to snap an unlimited amount of images, view, retake and perfect them.  All this of course 2o years ago would have been the impossible.

So, aspiring photographers must not be tempted to fall onto the band wagon of over utilising this factor. 

In my opinion there are two types of photographers; traditional photographers (who i like to think of as the artists) and image processers (the scientists).  The former are the photographers who go out and wait hour after hour, potentially day after day, for the right light, those who spend hours before hand getting the right composition, an age picking the perfect spot.  The latter are those who go out with their cameras, snap a handful of photos at varying exposures and merge them in Photoshop.  Those who spend more time processing than taking.

Not that i’m accusing the latter of not being photographers; after all the world of photography is developing fast, and we must keep up with it.  Therefore it is your ethics and methods that define you as either an artist or a scientist (photographically speaking of course).  And thus it is possible to answer this conundrum; it is merely up to you…………….

 

The morning mist settles on Castlerigg Stone Circle

The morning mist settles as the rising sun tries to break through to cast its glow upon the age old stones. As the rays pierce through the grey wall, a figure is outlined. Then another. And, wait, another. Are these figures of the past, come to perform their pagan rituals?

 Doubtful. No as you peer through the fog you are most likely to realise that these mysterious shapes outline only the approach of yet another camera wielding tourist, come to catch a glimpse of the sunrise at Castlerigg Stone Circle.

As a photographer myself, admittedly I can hardly preach.

Though upon visiting Castlerigg for the first time, I realised that it was not what I had expected. Fair enough I had anticipated the hordes of tourists, the snappers and the ever inevitable VW Camper parked alongside, but what I hadn’t foreseen was the horrific bright blue rope cordoning off the ancient stones.

I just couldn’t believe that me and my friend had drove all the way here with the intentions of getting a perfect shot, only to find that we had either the prospect of a serious Photoshop session or turning back. So much for preserving the natural beauty of a shot.

So, going against all that i stand for in landscape photography, i decided that the last resort would have to be used;(cue dramatic drum role) the clone tool.

So i cheated. So what? Well yes as a landscape photographer i understand the controversy involved with processing images; i happen to stand on the ‘au naturel’ side of the front. But in this case i really didn’t have a choice. I like to call it no-man’s land. A thing all photographers can learn from. If you are going to process an image then keep it to the minimal; only do what you have to.

 In this case cloning out the rope was vital, or else i wouldn’t have got a usable shot. And i assume the rope wasn’t planning to go anywhere soon.

 Apart from that (that being a painfully boring hour making sure none of the rope was visible), all was left was the exposure, sharpening and contrast; in my world five minutes of tweaking.

I have to say, it’s one of my favourite shots. One of the images i’m particularly proud to put into my portfolio. I had to wait at least an hour or so for the right light, not to mention the waiting to get a shot tourist free. But it was worth it. I’ve attempted to capture the mysterious feel you get about the stones as you stand there. I especially like the light on this one, the way it produces the shadows and highlights the stones.

 Of course that’s my opinion on it, and i would appreciate your critique; positive or negative (easy on the negative though).

Thanks again

Rich

All contents and images copyright of Richard Byers

 

First an introduction

First an introduction…..

Hi all and welcome to my new blog.

The idea for a blog initially came when I went for an interview a few weeks ago.  The interview was for a photography degree (what else), and being honest the only person who has ever been so critically harsh about my photography has been myself. It just made me think. As photographers we should always be our hardest critics, but for once I would like to tell the world what I was trying to do with that ‘beautiful chewing gum’ (they’ve been called worse believe me).

So where does that lead us?  Well my main aim with this is to say my thoughts; the where, whys and hows, but also what message I am trying to get across with my photography.   Also my blog will be a place where i can log my thoughts, whether they be on current new, photography, life or just whatever else catches my imagination.

So how does one get into photography?

Well, my passion for photography sprang from my love for the outdoors, snapping with my small compact whilst going for walks in the Lake District fells.

Since then I have developed my photographic skills so that I can portray my images how I intend them to be.

I mainly take landscape photographs, however I also try my hand at sport and wildlife images. 

I try to make each of my photographs unique, often spending hours waiting for the perfect light.  Once taken each image undergoes a minimal amount of processing (let’s say five minutes; levels, curves, and sharpening for those who are interested) as I strive to keep the natural feel and show the photograph in all its natural beauty.

I’m going to keep coming here to post my blog regularly so if you’re interested in my work, please do keep popping back to check my updates.

 

Many thanks

Richard Byers