Balancing Act
EmeraldIsle-JMS--150812_0025-Pano_141Sunset on Bogue Sound, NC
Bogue Sound near Emerald Isle, NC.
Have you ever photographed something that you couldn't wait to show to everyone only to come home and look at it and feel that something was not right? One issue may be that your photograph is not balanced. This can happen when a number of elements that your eye is drawn to - such as bright areas, in-focus areas, and bright colors - are all located in one section of the photograph. Another reason a photograph may look unbalanced is when certain objects appear to give more weight to a particular part of the photograph and overpowers the rest of the scene. Recently I have been paying a lot of attention to the balance of my photographs. Let's take a look at some photographs I took of Bogue Sound during a recent trip to Emerald Isle, NC.
EmeraldIsle-JMS--150812_0005-Pano
Unbalanced photo. Photo is too heavy on the right
This image was part of the first couple of frames that I took. Right away I realized that most of the elements that I was trying to capture were on the right side of the photograph. The brightest part, the sun, is on the right side. In fact, the entire right side is brighter than the left. The large clouds? Yep, you guessed it. On the right. Also, the warm color is mostly concentrated on the right side. Even the small line of grass adds an extra place for the eyes to land on the right side. Because of this I shift the camera to the left to try and bring more balance to the photograph.
EmeraldIsle-JMS--150812_0014-Pano_144
Unbalanced photo. Better but photo is still too heavy on the right
Better, but the photograph is still unbalanced. The large cloud really pushes the weight of this photo to the right. With that, I again shift the camera to the left to take the final image shown below.
Final Image with a nice balance
I moved the top of the large cloud to the center of the frame. The sun is now a little to the left of center and the warm color is spread more evenly throughout the picture. The cloud to the right now acts as a counter balance to the heaviness of the larger clouds being more on the left side. The line of grass is located near the middle of the frame so as to not tip the photo one way or the other. The final image is nicely balanced.
Vertical crop of the first image above creating a balanced image
Of course, another way to balance out the first two images would be to crop the image so that the final image is balanced. Here I took the first image and cropped it vertically to make sure all the elements balance each other out. The next time you are photographing a scene be sure to ask yourself if the image seems balanced. If not, then look for elements, recompose the image or go vertical to help balance it out.
All the photos are panoramas comprised of two horizontal photos - one for the sky and one for the water.
EXPLORE | COMPOSE | CAPTURE | PUBLISH
Playing With Leading Lines
Route 1,"The Ring Road", passes Mýrdalsjökull glacier
A leading line is a design element that helps to create depth while leading the person’s eye through the picture. They can also be used to draw attention to the main subject of the photograph. Leading lines can be man-made or natural. Whether it is a fence, cracks in rocks, a road, or some other element, using leading lines in your photography is a great way to create more dramatic photos. Let’s take a look at some examples.
Roads are perfect examples of leading lines and one of my favorite to use. Not only do they help to lead the eye into the picture but give the viewer the sense that they could be standing right there or driving down that same road. Leading lines are very effective when starting from a corner of the frame as the center line is in this example.
Fence line in Highland County, VA
Fences are also wonderful to use as leading lines. In the example above, the fence leads your eyes right to where the drama and color are in the sky. You can also see every other fence section pointing towards the center of the frame.
Morris Island lighthouse near Folly Beach, SC
In the lighthouse example the rocks form a curved line that leads the eye from the corner to the lighthouse in the water. These are just a couple examples of leading lines. Next time you are out photographing the world, be sure to look for leading lines in your next composition to add depth and draw the veiwer into the frame.
EXPLORE | COMPOSE | CAPTURE | PUBLISH
Off the Grid: Virginia and West Virginia Highlands
HighlandCounty-150728_0032_3_4_5-EditFoggy sunrise in Highland County, Va
Getting away, I mean really getting away, seems to be getting harder and harder these days. Luckily there are still places that one can go to get completely off the grid. Some may think that these places are just behind the times or worse yet “backwards”. But for a few days in the Virginia highlands I find myself not looking at my phone every 30 minutes for texts or emails. My kids go outside to create games and adventures on their own. We spend time talking, going for hikes and enjoying the mountain air. I find it to be a great way to recharge and really focus on things that matter: family, friends, conversations, laughter, adventure, the outdoors. No computer or electronic device will ever take the place of hiking to a rocky outcrop to view the valley below, coming face to face with a timber rattlesnake, or watching a black bear cross a field as you have a beer around a fire. Sure, I know that when we get back to “civilization” I will get back to doing all the things that the internet affords me to do. I understand that you being able to read this IS because of the power of the internet. But for now, as I type this, I have no internet access or mobile phone service and it feels great!
The Other Side of the Teton Range: Exploring Idaho Farm Country
Tetons-JMS-150710_1849_122View of the Teton mountain range from Idaho
When you tell people that you are going to visit the Tetons most people think of Grand Teton National Park located in Wyoming. And for good reason, Grand Teton National Park is one of the most picturesque places in the lower 48 with towering snow capped mountains, clear streams and lakes and abundant wildlife. However, over the pass into Idaho provides a entirely different, yet just as spectacular, scene. Rolling farmland full of wheat, abandoned buildings, and an endless sky provide ample opportunities for photographers.
Old farm building
Rodeo in Driggs, ID
Wheat fields with the Teton range in the distance
Abandoned house near Drummond, Idaho
Experience the other side of the Teton Range in Idaho during the 2016 Jennifer King Photography Teton Workshop.
The Grand Tetons Workshop Recap
Grand Teton National Park is without question a nature photographer's paradise. Very few places can provide a photographer with the opportunities for both glorious landscapes and wild animals in such a small area. The week before heading out the weather was clear and in the 90's during the day. As we arrived the temperatures cooled to the high 60's along with plenty of clouds and a chance for rain each day. The clouds and storms provided some drama to the sky making each grand vista even more exciting.
Moulton Barn on Mormon Row
Wild flowers on Antelope Flats
Tetons-JMS-150709_1290Bison, Grand Teton National Park
Bison on Antelope Flats - other animals sited were Pronghorn, Moose, Beaver, Great Grey Owl, Fox, and many others
All the participants were great even when waking up for 4:30 am sunrise departures. The days were long but the views and wildlife were well worth it. For more of my images from this workshop click here. Jennifer King Photography already has the 2016 Grand Tetons Worskshop posted so if you are interested click here.