Paradigm Shift
Many of my images drift toward the surreal, but not so far as to render them completely Daliesque... I think it’s important to keep an element of reality, but a purely documentary approach lacks creative impact. It has become increasingly difficult to find ways to be original.
I’m moving away from ‘literal’ interpretations of straight nature scenes. More abstract photography reacts to this fact - too often, nature photographers rely on scenic drama to make powerful images. A beautiful landscape combined with an amazing sunset can make for a stunning photograph. But Mother Nature is doing all the work – doesn’t the photographer merely record an event?
Nature photography, as an art form, has to reach out into new directions or it risks becoming stagnant. We have seen too many pictures of stunning landscapes or sunset skies. Too often nature photographers merely ‘chase the light,’ waiting for that perfect sunset over a dramatic high mountain lake.
I think we must take a more active role in artistic creation - not just leave it all to Mother Nature. It is just such artistry which makes full range HDR so appealing to me; when all light and its objects are captured, combined, then softly tone mapped, it’s the closest I may get to working magic from a ‘blank’ canvas.
Instead of just chasing Nature’s stunning image, I capture all light ~ then get a chance - to ‘paint’ an evocative creation...
Still, But Windy…
Our duality image (above) is the difference between a raw image and a final, full-capture tone mapped HDR image.
By full capture, I mean manually getting light’s full range using LCD histogram limits with as many shots as it takes.
The pale raw file lacks passion of adjacent, full color still water comingled with vibrant reflections of wind rattled leaves.
And, yes, between Lightroom and Photoshop, I used a brush, painted, masked, and, like Dali, at times sweated the small stuff.
“Is the real stump too light?”
“Should the tree be sharper?”
“Is the water like my daughter’s blue eyes now?”
“Can these reeds attain more lustrous depth; they make such a natural signature against our real stump!”
What are your artistic ‘reflections’ about Still Waters, Rattling Leaves…
And, how are you sloughing off stagnation?
Enjoy…
Many of my images drift toward the surreal, but not so far as to render them completely Daliesque... I think it’s important to keep an element of reality, but a purely documentary approach lacks creative impact. It has become increasingly difficult to find ways to be original.
I’m moving away from ‘literal’ interpretations of straight nature scenes. More abstract photography reacts to this fact - too often, nature photographers rely on scenic drama to make powerful images. A beautiful landscape combined with an amazing sunset can make for a stunning photograph. But Mother Nature is doing all the work – doesn’t the photographer merely record an event?
Nature photography, as an art form, has to reach out into new directions or it risks becoming stagnant. We have seen too many pictures of stunning landscapes or sunset skies. Too often nature photographers merely ‘chase the light,’ waiting for that perfect sunset over a dramatic high mountain lake.
I think we must take a more active role in artistic creation - not just leave it all to Mother Nature. It is just such artistry which makes full range HDR so appealing to me; when all light and its objects are captured, combined, then softly tone mapped, it’s the closest I may get to working magic from a ‘blank’ canvas.
Instead of just chasing Nature’s stunning image, I capture all light ~ then get a chance - to ‘paint’ an evocative creation...
Still, But Windy…
Our duality image (above) is the difference between a raw image and a final, full-capture tone mapped HDR image.
By full capture, I mean manually getting light’s full range using LCD histogram limits with as many shots as it takes.
The pale raw file lacks passion of adjacent, full color still water comingled with vibrant reflections of wind rattled leaves.
And, yes, between Lightroom and Photoshop, I used a brush, painted, masked, and, like Dali, at times sweated the small stuff.
“Is the real stump too light?”
“Should the tree be sharper?”
“Is the water like my daughter’s blue eyes now?”
“Can these reeds attain more lustrous depth; they make such a natural signature against our real stump!”
What are your artistic ‘reflections’ about Still Waters, Rattling Leaves…
And, how are you sloughing off stagnation?
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