The Art To Making Photos
An interior view of St. Sebastian's Church in Salzburg, Austria.
There’s an art to making photos, but it doesn’t have to involve an arts degree or weird and wacky post processing.
Have you ever had trouble making photos?
Perhaps you were tired or uninspired. Maybe the weather was bleak or the light uninteresting.
Despite the best intentions and the desire to make a great photo you found yourself unable to see an interesting subject or composition.
Let’s explore some simple ways to overcome all those problems and help you make more creative photos, more often.
A Detail From Salzburg Cathedral
The photos in this post were made in the lovely St. Sebastian’s Church and Cemetery in Salzburg, Austria.
The light was low, yet the dynamic range inside the church and the adjoining cemetery was high.
As well as holding the camera very still, to avoid camera shake, I had to position myself in such a way that minimized the contrast between the lightest and darkest parts of the scene.
While the interior photo of St. Sebastian’s Church includes both very dark and very light areas the photo itself is quite acceptable.
That’s because the darkest tones help to shape the church pews and altar, while the lightest tones emphasize the shapes of the windows.
I added a subtle warm tone to this black and white rendering to emphasize the feeling of tranquility I experienced in the beautiful St. Sebastian's Church.
Statue of Mary and Jesus at St. Sebastian's Church in Salzburg, Austria.
A tripod would have allowed me to manage the low light levels and reduce the contrast of the scene through a HDR (i.e., High Dynamic Range) sequence.
However, as I didn’t have a tripod with me, it made sense to concentrate my camera’s attention on a range of beautiful details throughout the church.
I used the same approach when photographing the four arcades, built in the style of an Italian campo santo, surrounding the adjoining cemetery.
The above image of the statue was one such example. It illustrates Mary holding the baby Jesus.
Their elevated position, above the congregation, was no doubt designed to emphasize their revered status in the church.
The lines and textures within the statue make it a great candidate for rendering into black and white.
However, as gold is such an evocative color, I’ve resisted the urge, at least for now.
Frankly, I think I’d produce a better result in black and white, perhaps with the addition of a heavy warm tone.
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Wanting It To Happen Isn’t Enough
The moral of the story is that it takes more than just being there with your camera at the ready. What’s more, wanting to make a great photo isn’t enough.
Sometimes you have to look hard to find the subject and work to make a good composition.
The above arcade, one of four surrounding the tiny St. Sebastian’s Cemetery, was shaded from the much brighter outdoor sunlight.
I positioned myself in such a way to exclude the bright light from entering the composition along the right hand side of the frame.
That simple action dramatically reduced the dynamic range within the scene and allowed me to produce the very highly detailed image you see above.
Details Speak Of Larger Things
One way to do so is to minimize clutter within the frame. It’s okay to think global, but by concentrating on local elements you can often find a way to explore larger concerns. Here’s some examples:
Explore the forest by photographing a leaf or a stand of trees
The face of a young child can speak to the wonder of the world
A pathway can suggest the hope that exists at the beginning of a journey
Beautiful detail of the altar at St. Sebastian's Church in Salzburg, Austria.
Composition, Contrast and Exposure
Concentrating your attention on an interesting detail within the larger environment is a great way to minimize clutter in the frame.
This will allow you to concentrate your audience’s attention on the subject or message you wish to explore.
Fortunately these smaller details are often more evenly lit than is the case with larger scenes, making it easier to manage contrast and achieve a good exposure and fine detail.
That’s exactly what I achieved in this study of the altar at St. Sebastian’s Church. It was the gentle light and relatively low contrast that drew my attention to this colorful and highly detailed scene.
Photography is a Physical Endeavor
Next time you’re having trouble making photographs consider the detailed view as a way to explore larger ideas.
Look left, right, up and down. And, by all means, turn around. You never know what interesting or unique opportunities for great photos will appear when you do.
Photography is a physical endeavor and moving around an environment will ignite your creativity and help you discover the following:
New subject matter
Interesting perspectives
Elements of composition (e.g., shapes, lines, textures, color)
Inspirational light
Movement can mark the beginning of a great photograph. More often than not movement is the best thing you can do to turn a lackluster moment into a creative opportunity.
Let me say that again. If your struggling to make a good photo do the following:
Move yourself and/or move the subject.
Headstones and plaques at St. Sebastian's Cemetery in Salzburg, Austria.
Light and Making Photos
Look at these beautiful headstones and plaques sheltered from the weather along one of the four arcades surrounding St. Sebastian’s Cemetery.
I just love the luminous tones and warm, buttery colors in this highly detailed study.
You can see why verandah lighting is one of my favorite light sources. It’s simply gorgeous.
Whether you’re photographing portraits or creating still life images verandah lighting will help you produce amazing results, no matter the weather.
Light is the most important consideration in photography. Paying attention to light and learning to utilize it, both creatively and to solve technical problems, is essential to learning the art of making photos.
