Summer is coming to an end, and after months of adjusting to unknowns, many of us are wondering what autumn and the new school year will bring. One thing seems certain: We will still be adjusting to new unknowns and—since recent travel has been so limited—we will still be looking for new ways to experience and learn about our own neighborhoods.
One way to do that is to take a camera, even if it is just the camera built into your phone, on some walks and hikes in your area. Develop a story, view your neighborhood differently through a camera lens and create new memories. Here is a story from me, some photography tips, and some local places I recommend stretching your imagination and photography skills. (For more photography tips, look at my earlier post, Composition + Consideration.)
From a nearby tree, a fox jumps right in front of you with a camera in its mouth.
Narrator: You feel as though the fox wants you to take photos.
You: No one is bothered this fox jumped from a tree?
The fox looks longingly into your eyes as you take the camera.
You take the camera. The mysterious fox disappears.
He might be gone, but he left some amazing information in that camera with you!
Let's take a look at some of the photos he left behind for us!
I love to jumpstart my creativity with fox imagery because the fox, KITSUNE in Japanese, is common in folklore and known for possessing unique abilities and wisdom that increases with age. This piece above is one of my takes on a Kitsune.
The First Concept we will be discussing with composition is Fill The Frame.
WOAH! I wonder if he was hungry when I took this photo?
Filling the frame with your subject, leaving little to no space around it can often be amazingly effective. It helps focus the viewer completely on the main subject without any distractions. It also allows the viewer to explore the detail of the subject that would not be possible if photographed from farther away. Filling the frame often involves getting in so close that you may crop out elements of your subject.
Here, the focus is the owl’s eyes, while other parts of the owl are cropped off and the background is completely blurred. The technique is effective here because it feels like the owl is looking right at you, doesn’t it?
With that being said, I want to share something interesting about composition that strays from the "rules."
What are the Elements of Composition?
What does that even mean?
Points, Lines and Shapes
Those are the elements. No matter what you are shooting, you will be shooting points, lines and shapes (organic and non-organic). Let's look at an example of this in an architectural shot:
If you look at this photo of this wonderful architectural entryway to the Brooklyn Museum in Tokyo, Japan, you will see many lines, shapes, and points. When I say points, they can be the rocks, they can be the singular tiles, or they can be the points of intersection of these tiles. Or, they can simply be that more organic shape of a bike as a larger point in the distance. Please look while squinting your eyes and see how all this comes to life with a different blurred perspective.
See anything different?
Like I said in the previous blog post, you may not be thinking consciously of all these concepts and rules while you look for shots. When you are out shooting, just shoot. But when you find subjects, you can always squint and start to find how to best frame and work with your subject and environment.
Let's look at the next photo!
My goodness! Another beautiful memory. (I have so many beautiful memories of this area in Tokyo, so this is special for me). I remember taking this photo and realizing the memories that would forever be captured with this photo of this location.
That reminds me of something else we should discuss!
Double Hitter!
When discussing composition again, something that can easily be used to break molds and structural concepts of composition is COLOR!
Color as Composition:
The use of color itself is an often-overlooked compositional tool. Color theory is something that many designers use in their different capacities and are all very familiar with. Certain color combinations complement each other well and can be visually captivating. One of these color combinations is Red/Blue. Have you also noticed how many movie posters are tones of blues and orange/red? This is deliberately done to grab attention.
As you travel around, you can keep your eye out for complementary color schemes that can become a subject for your next shoot.
The other tool? How about INTENT!
There is a secret of composition. It is not that you should follow the rules, like the rule of thirds or anything else, but rather the big secret is the intention behind your composition.
Intent is the most important aspect of your composition. As in the photo above, it does not necessarily mean it is visible to the viewer, but you have MADE it visible to the viewer. Here is some food for thought:
Nothing in the photograph should happen by accident. Everything must have a reason to be in the frame. It is almost impossible to avoid, since you will end up putting more conscious thought into how a photo appears. When that conscious thought comes into play, you begin to create a story, purpose and "intent" in the frame that may have never been seen before. Your eye and your reasoning are your sharpest tools and your biggest secret to killing your shots.
A familiar fox appears again and seems to open its mouth, seemingly asking for something.
Narrator: The fox stares deeply into your eyes as he asks for the camera back.
You: Oh man, I thought it was mine to keep.
The fox leaps, grabs the camera delicately in its teeth, and disappears into the wood.
Local Places to Stretch Your Photography Skills
Did you know that there are foxes in our area? I will be taking my camera out on a hike, hoping to find a fox or two to help me further develop the story here.
If you are interested in photographing wildlife, you will probably need a couple of telephoto lenses so that you can get a quality photo without interfering with the animals in their natural habitat. Even without this, you can have fun taking photos of the animals you see and stitching them together with a story line.
Regardless of the subject, our local parks and trails provide ever-changing photography options.
Verona Lake Park
Highlights: The lake, of course, which also provides habitat for more wildlife, including birds, than you might realize. Go early in the morning or later in the day when the animals are more active. During the day, there is a plethora of human activity on paddle boats, swan boats, gym equipment, the playground, the bridge, and the boathouse. You will always find something new!
The Hilltop Reservation
Quiet trails, mountain bikers, lots of dogs and wildlife too. Flora that changes with the seasons. You can simply walk the paved loop or venture off on wooded trails. Explore!
South Mountain Reservation
There is so much to explore in South Mountain’s 2,000+ acres, that you could find something new every day. There are miles of wooded trails, waterfalls and streams, a dog park, historic sites, and horseback riding. There is even a fairy trail —think of the photo stories you can create around that. Maybe you will even be inspired to add a fairy house to the community.
The more developed section of the reservation includes a paved trail around a lake, miniature golf, a tree top adventure course and the Turtle Back Zoo where you can take photos of animals you won’t likely find in your literal backyard.
Of course, South Mountain Reservation is also the home of Codey Arena, where you can often find me coaching and skating, working on all those skating tips I have been sharing. Come say hi and learn how to skate!
A few days taking photographs here, and you will have more photos to organize and edit than you will know what to do with.
There are so many other great locations for photography in our local area. This is just a tiny sampling. If you are looking for more ideas, let me know.
I hope I see you out shooting photos soon. If you want to share your photos and creative story, head on over to my Patreon, and share your shots on our Community Discord!