Tag: waterfall

Best Big Sur Photograph of 2013

Best 2013 photograph of Big Sur. The results are in. Come check it out.

You have spoken; the results are in.  You have chosen your favorite Big Sur photograph from 2013.  And the voting for first and second place was very close.  But this is your your clear favorite – Pfeiffer Beach Tunnel.

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Pfeiffer Beach is always exciting in winter when the sun’s rays penetrate the tunnel as the waves come roaring through.  It’s exhilarating to say the least.  I chose this one from the scores that I shot that afternoon because, in addition to the golden glow the rays cast on the inside walls of the tunnel, the water appears as a wall about to sweep through.  It’s the moment right before the explosion.  You can sense the power about to be unleashed.

For a limited time you can purchase a gorgeous 16X20 gallery-warp canvas of this beautiful photograph on Fine Art America for only $70.  That’s a 30% discount from the regular price.  But hurry, this offer ends at 5:00 PM Pacific Time on July 3, 2014 and there are only five canvases available at this sharply reduced price.  Check out this special offer.

“So, what was the close second?” you ask.  I don’t think you’ll be surprised when you see it – another display of awesome power.

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Mastering Composition – What?

Asking yourself, ‘What am I photographing?’ can lead to stronger images that communicate the excitement and inspiration you feel.

Composition is one of the four pillars of a strong landscape photograph (See Making a Photograph – The Four Pillars).  There are many approaches to mastering composition and certainly countless excellent books on the topic.  Many books discuss the elements of design and how they relate to composition – line, shape, form, texture, pattern and color.  Others go into the various rules of composition – rule of thirds, golden rule, leading lines, near / far, layers, frames, etc.

All of these rules or principles are very analytical and, I think, are necessary and useful building blocks.  Often creating a strong composition is very much of a problem-solving endeavor.  But in the end I believe the goal of the composition is to support what the artist wants to communicate through the image.  And this comes more from compositions that just feel right, not ones that are mechanically created from the rules.  That’s not to say that one is not aware of these principles as the composition is being worked out.  Rather these principles are like words in a sentence.  They are carefully chosen so that the sentence as a whole communicates the author’s message.  There are several techniques that lead us to this goal.  And one of them is to ask yourself, ‘’”What am I photographing?”

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Ansel Adams – The Making of 40 Photographs: Nevada Falls

Get insight into how Ansel Adams worked a scene to come up with his flawless and powerful compositions.

There’s so much to learn from studying Ansel Adams’ photographs, especially when you read what he has to say about them in “Examples – The Making of 40 Photographs”.  Each narrative seems to have its own distinct lesson.  The narrative associated with Nevada Falls is a study in working a composition.

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