Creative Nature & Outdoor Photography Read online

  TO JED—FOR ALWAYS BEING THERE, AND FOR SHARING IN THE JOY OF PHOTOGRAPHY

  Copyright © 2003, 2010 by Brenda Tharp

  All rights reserved.

  Published in the United States by Amphoto Books, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

  www.crownpublishing.com

  www.amphotobooks.com

  AMPHOTO BOOKS and the Amphoto Books logo are trademarks of Random House, Inc.

  A previous edition of this work was published in the United States by Amphoto Books, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, in 2003.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from the Library of Congress.

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2009931352

  eISBN: 978-0-307-78660-9

  Cover and interior design by Lauren Monchik|

  Front cover photograph by Brenda Tharp

  v3.1

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  BRENDA THARP is an award-winning photographer, writer, and teacher specializing in travel, nature, and outdoor photography. Her images have been featured in numerous magazines and books, and she teaches throughout the United States, including Maine Media Workshops, Santa Fe Photographic Workshops, the Rocky Mountain School of Photography, Point Reyes Field Seminars, and BetterPhoto.com.

  She can be found at www.brendatharp.com.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  This book would not be possible without the success of the first edition, so I’d like first to thank the thousands who purchased it, especially those who are using it as a teaching guide for their own classes. Thanks, too, to the students who attend my workshops and allow me to share my passion for photography. Thanks to Lewis Kemper, Ben Willmore, and Jack Davis, just to name a few, for being key players in helping me get on the digital track and to grow as a digital photographer and artist.

  I am so grateful to Victoria Craven for seeing the potential of my idea and commissioning the original book, and to Julie Mazur for inviting me to revise it to reflect the industry shift into digital photography. Many thanks also to Carrie Cantor, my project editor, and to the book’s designer, Lauren Monchik, for their creative efforts in producing a great revision to this book.

  My deepest gratitude goes to my family and friends for their encouragement and ongoing support. Thank you for continuing to cheer me onward as I pursue my dreams.

  CONTENTS

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  INTRODUCTION

  chapter 1 LEARNING TO SEE

  chapter 2 LIGHT: THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENT

  chapter 3 VISUAL DESIGN

  chapter 4 CREATING VISUAL DEPTH

  chapter 5 CREATING EFFECTIVE COMPOSITIONS

  chapter 6 WORKING WITH COLOR

  chapter 7 THE EXPRESSIVE IMAGE

  chapter 8 ARTISTIC INTERPRETATIONS

  chapter 9 A DEEPER VIEW

  chapter 10 EVALUATING YOUR PROGRESS

  WHAT’S IN THE BAG

  RESOURCES

  INDEX

  INTRODUCTION

  “A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense, and is, thereby, a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety.”

  —ANSEL ADAMS

  “WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY WITH THIS PHOTOGRAPH?” Someone asked me this question many years ago at a photography workshop, and it is still the driving force behind my photography. The question hovers in my subconscious with every image I pursue, and it influences every action I take to create a photograph. To me, “What are you trying to say with this photograph?” is the most fundamental of all questions regarding creative photography.

  Nature and outdoor photographers want to share the beauty of a landscape, the drama of light, and the action of wildlife. Travel photographers want to share the faces of a culture, a slice of daily life, and a sense of place. Photojournalists want to share the moment or emotional situation before them. We’re all really after the same thing: to create images that express what we see, feel, and experience in the world around us. Whether we are aiming for artistic interpretation or realism, the common goal is to make our photographs as creative and expressive as possible.

  Why then, do so many images fail to convey what the photographer really saw or experienced? They are side-of-the-road or edge-of-the-crowd snapshots, static records of what was seen.

  LEAF, ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH. When I saw this leaf, the pattern reminded me of an aerial view of canyons and tree-topped mesas. To keep some sense of place, I included the red sand that is typical of the area. 90mm tilt shift lens, f/16 at 8 seconds with polarizing filter.

  Those photographs don’t move us—they don’t invite us in to explore the visual scene or to experience the moment. Usually, the photographer approached the scene as a removed observer, and the results showed that. No matter what you’re photographing, if you’re not feeling connected with what you’re seeing, viewers won’t engage with the final picture. Ansel Adams once said, “There is nothing more useless than a sharp photograph of a fuzzy concept.” When you aren’t clear about what you want to say with the photograph, the resulting visual message may say nothing. At best, it may only communicate the facts in a less-than-exciting way.

  If you want to photograph more creatively, you’ll need to begin looking at the world differently. Engage the great outdoors with a sense of awe and wonder. Crawl on your belly in meadows and climb mountains to new heights; touch the trees; smell the flowers; feel the wind. When you make photographs from the perspective of your experiences, your photographs will be much more compelling.

  SNOW-COVERED BERRIES, UTAH. A fresh snow in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah provided a great opportunity for pictures. 70–200mm lens at 200mm, f/6.3 at 1/30 sec.

  If you view life through the filter of your experiences, you’ll see the world uniquely. If you want to make awe-inspiring images, decide now that you’ll have as many awe-inspiring experiences as possible. Look at the world with curiosity and wonder, and you’ll see many great things. Then draw from your own creative well of experiences when you make your photographs.

  As a child, I spent a lot of time outdoors with my family. We hunted for fossils in Pennsylvania and canoed on the Delaware River. We hiked Mount Washington in New Hampshire, picked wild blueberries in New York, and played at the Jersey shore. I developed a love for the outdoors and a respect for the fragile beauty of my world. Those experiences created the filters through which I view the world, and they built the foundation of my passion: to share that view through my photographs.

  NINE PIPES NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, MONTANA. 24–105mm lens at 36mm, f/ 16 at 1/8 sec.

  Yet even with a deep connection to the outdoors, my early pictures were horrible interpretations of what I saw! For all the passion I had, I lacked the technical understanding of how to get my vision onto film. My understanding of design, perspective, and color were also very rudimentary. Determined to change that, I began attending workshops. My photographs quickly became better technically, yet there was still something missing in many of them. Searching for some magical technique, I enrolled in a workshop with Sam Abell, a National Geographic photographer, who is now a legendary instructor. When Sam reviewed my portfolio, he said, “These are nothing more than postcards; they don’t communicate the real experience of being there.”

  MORNING FOG, TUSCANY, ITALY. A thick blanket of moving fog covered the hills below our hotel, creating a wonderful mood, and we spent the entire morning before breakfast photographi
ng the changing scene as it ebbed and flowed. 70–200mm lens at 200mm, f/ 16 at 1 sec.

  Ouch! Thinking back on it, the photographs were pretty mundane. Sam challenged my “bystander approach” and encouraged me to become more involved in the photograph. I learned a valuable lesson that week: In those pictures, I was missing. After that epiphany, I ended the week with some very good images. I continued to photograph after the workshop, but the results were inconsistent—my photos were either great or pretty bad! I hadn’t quite broken my old habits, so I enrolled in more workshops, studied books on art, photography, and the creative process, and made many more photographs. I learned how to use the tools—cameras, lenses, and flashes—to express my vision. More important, I learned about the art of seeing and how my feelings about a subject affected my vision of it.

  With the shift into digital photography by so many, for a time I was worried that the fundamental reason people photographed might be lost. So many of us, myself included, got swept up in the technical issues of pixels, file formats, and storage. And then there was the concern about proper processing of our digital images. “Workflow” became the buzzword, even when we didn’t understand what that really meant! Those on the leading edge of the digital wave rode it and published articles and DVDs on workflow, processing RAW files, and every other technique out there today. It was truly overwhelming for many photographers. My students in workshops would complain that they felt lost and confused about all the technical jargon. And so my workshops changed to accommodate some of those needs. But fundamentally, I refused to depart too much from what I believe in—that despite whatever technical prowess we develop, our pictures are only great if we start with a solid concept of what we want to say and apply these techniques to express that. While there are software programs that claim to turn your pictures into “works of art” with their unique effects, the picture still has to start out with a good composition. Even though I am now photographing only with a digital camera, my primary focus and intent have not changed.

  This book addresses the aesthetic aspects of photography, covering technical aspects as well in the chapters on light and special techniques. It isn’t really a beginner’s book; however, even a beginning photographer can learn the aesthetics before mastering the technical. Because art and technique overlap, I do discuss some essentials of the craft—understanding light, creating visual depth with perspective and lenses, and composition—and how they relate to making expressive outdoor images. For example, the chapter on composition is not just about proper placement of the subject; it also discusses other key elements: dominance, balance, proportion, and color.

  The goal of the book is to teach you how to use light, design, composition, and other creative techniques to make photographs that go beyond the ordinary. Along with these fundamental topics, you’ll also learn how to use motion, mood, and color to make your images more expressive. You’ll be shown ways to create abstract photographs and artistic effects—both in-camera and by applying selected software applications that I have found fun and useful. Finally, and most important, I hope you’ll discover what it means to capture the essence of your subject.

  The text, along with the visual exercises, will help you develop your own creativity, but the book requires some effort. Read the section on design and learn how shapes, patterns, and lines enhance your photographs, then go out and look for those design elements. Study the sections on perspective and composition, and apply those ideas to create unique viewpoints and make clean, uncluttered visual statements. The concepts in this book can make a profound difference in your photography, but success lies in their application.

  You may be asking if it’s possible to learn to see more creatively. The answer is a resounding yes. Creativity is nothing more than a combination of inspiration, visual perception, and imagination, along with some technical skill. You can learn how to discover all of these qualities within yourself. Seeing light, utilizing design, and creating good compositions can all be learned. All it takes is a little effort to absorb the ideas covered in this book, a willingness to ask, what if?, and the courage to act on your curiosity. Always remember that while craft and art are important, it is the creative vision that makes the difference between an ordinary shot and a great photograph. This realization alone will push you into the realm of creative photography.

  It is my sincere hope that this book will provide you with the tools you need to develop your vision and that it will serve as a guide in your discovery of personal creativity. The information I provide here is the foundation and springboard for your experimentation. Step up to the line and be willing to participate in the learning process by reading and doing the exercises. Open your mind, your eyes, and your soul to what’s around you, and share what you see through your photographs.

  {CHAPTER ONE}

  LEARNING TO SEE

  “What you see is real, but only on the particular level to which you’ve developed your sense of seeing. You can expand your reality by developing new ways of perceiving.”

  —WYNN BULLOCK

  THE SUCCESS OF ANY PHOTOGRAPH RELIES UPON these key ingredients: great light, a dynamic composition, good visual design, and an interesting moment. I don’t always succeed in getting all of them in one picture, but when I do it’s exhilarating. This accomplishment motivates me to keep honing my vision, my sense of design, and my timing.

  The effectiveness of a photograph depends entirely upon the photographer. You decide whether the light is right for your subject and whether it is interesting. You select the point of view, design the composition, and choose the appropriate camera settings. Before you do anything, however, you must intuitively answer the question, “What do I find interesting about the scene or subject?” It is not enough to say, “I like the trees.” Why do you like the trees? Maybe you love their pattern or how the light creates tree shadows on the hillside. In precisely identifying what you find interesting—for whatever the reason—you clarify your vision, a key part of the process of making memorable images.

  Equally important is articulating how you feel about your subject and what it means to you. One day, I was teaching a workshop at Point Reyes National Seashore, and my group headed for the beach. The winds were fierce, and the students were reluctant to have their cameras sandblasted while photographing. But I was not willing to bail out. I went onto the beach and discovered that the blowing sand grains were at about knee height. If we didn’t get lower than that, we could photograph—provided we could steady our tripods in the gusts. So we began to explore. The wind had scoured the beach and piled up the grains of sand, sorting by weight and creating great erosion patterns. It reminded me of Bryce Canyon in miniature and created an interesting abstract photograph full of texture.

  SANDSTONE, UTAH. 100mm lens, f/ 16 at 1/15 sec.

  Once you’ve identified what interests you and how you feel about it, you have the basis for all the actions and decisions you’ll make to create the photograph. You’ll choose the equipment, as well as the creative tools of light, composition, color, and perspective, based on what you want to say. Many years ago, I learned the value of making a checklist for creating a photograph. I still use one, although it’s now an intuitive process. Each question relates to concepts or equipment:

  What do I want to be dominant in the scene?

  What do I want in the frame, and what can I eliminate?

  Where do I need to be for the best angle of view?

  How much depth of field do I want or need?

  Do I need a slow or fast shutter speed?

  Would a tripod help?

  What’s the range of light?

  What’s the color of the light?

  Would a filter help?

  Is there a creative technique that would better express my vision?

  REFLECTIONS, OZARK NATIONAL FOREST, ARKANSAS. 70–200mm lens at 135mm, f/ 22 at 1/10 sec.

  With each answer, you build your creative image. Although many of these questions relate to technical issues
, answer each one from the perspective of what you want to express with your photograph. If you want to show the vastness of the desert, you should not choose a telephoto lens. Similarly, if you want to show the texture of a landscape, you most likely won’t lie down on the ground to achieve your point of view. Using a list may sound like a way to stifle creativity, but, surprisingly, the opposite is true. After a short while, a written checklist becomes a mental list, and then simply an intuitive feeling.

  To achieve a level of skill at handling your camera equipment intuitively, you need to practice daily, like a musician. Carry your camera everywhere. Even if you can’t make quality images, for lack of time or due to other limitations, practice working with the camera and your lenses. Master your camera’s controls, and know and understand its features. Learn which way a lens rotates to focus closer. Know how to compensate exposure on your camera quickly, how to switch between auto-focus and manual focus and between aperture and shutter speed priority modes, and how to change the focus points quickly. Master the fundamentals of photography so you’ll no longer need to be fussing over what shutter speed or lens to use when the world is showing you its magic. The camera should be a conduit for creativity, not a technical block.

  To develop visual skills, you need to constantly look at the things around you. It would be wonderful to be able to stop and take time to photograph whenever you see something interesting, but that’s not always possible. Make it a daily practice to at least see and compose, if only mentally. Not only will you improve and stimulate your photographer’s eye, but you’ll also improve the quality of your day as you see beautiful and interesting things. Look at the day with awe and wonder; it’s a present for us to appreciate and share.