Newsletter No. 91: February 2013

Newsletter No. 91: February, 2013
© Chris Harris. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS:

1. The Greatest Show on Earth: The dawning of a new day
2. Keeping it Simple: One camera and one lens
3. Always Worth the Effort: A predawn walk through the city
4. Architectural Landscapes: Urban and Wilderness
5. The Meaning of Photography & Importance of Composition

Hi everyone,
The theme for this Newsletter is ‘Photography in Prague’.

Rita and I have just returned from the Czech Republic where we celebrated 12 years of being together with our first holiday. Having accumulated enough points to travel anywhere, I asked Rita where in the world she would like to go, and she chose Prague.

In sharp contrast to our Cariboo Chilcotin wilderness sojourns, we enjoyed two weeks of arts and culture at the highest level. We attended philharmonic orchestras, ballets, operas, contemporary jazz, small string quartets, and much more.

We also visited castles and museums, as well as chatting with present day Czechs in their small shops and restaurants. All together, we tried to incorporate an overall sense of the country’s incredible history and connect with the Czech people in their present daily lives. What an enriching experience.

From a photographic perspective, I almost didn’t bring my camera. I thought I might take a total break from my work, but I am sure glad I was convinced otherwise. In this Newsletter I will attempt to share my photographic experience and the challenge of making imagery in a completely unfamiliar urban landscape. Enjoy the journey!

Our goal here at the Gallery is to share the creative process, and promote the arts; thus strengthening our artistic community. Please share this Newsletter with friends. Thank you.

1. The Greatest Show on Earth: The dawning of a new day

When choosing our seats for the overnight flight to London, I chose the right side of the plane at the rear in the hope that I could photograph the sunrise. I wasn’t sure of the angle of our flight path, but as it turned out, I couldn’t have planned it better.

Notes on technique: Returning to my seat from the washroom, the above visual grabbed my attention. Not knowing if I was allowed to make photographs in the airplane, I took out my small iPhone and “click”; I captured a moment that was both compelling and thought provoking to me. iPhone image.      Not much technique here. It’s called point & shoot!!

The plane was dark and everyone was asleep or watching a movie when we opened the blind for a peek outside. The greatest show on earth was about to begin. I grabbed my camera, switched seats with Rita and went to work.

Notes on composition & technique: To give context, I sat back as far as I could to include the entire window. At f-4 it is out of focus placing all the attention on the subject that was important to me. EOS 5D Mark III; iso 1600; f-4; 1/50 sec.; 24-105mm lens; handheld

Not another person (other than the pilots, I hope!) on the plane saw this remarkable sunrise. Rita and I were the only ones. The beauty of a sunrise is fleeting, yet it is powerful enough to last in our memory for a lifetime. The beauty of a sunrise is ancient, yet it is as recent as this morning.

Notes on composition & technique: The wing would rise and fall, sometimes hiding the moon. I waited until the moon was above the wing, I waited for the colour, and I included the wing for context. What an amazing sight. EOS 5D Mark III; iso 1000; f-6.3; 1/160 sec.; 24-105mm lens; handheld

Rita and I will never forget the beauty and the excitement of this, the beginning of our journey to Prague.

2. Keeping it Simple: One camera and one lens

At first I thought I would take a break from photography and just enjoy two weeks with Rita sans camera. What a silly thought! I would have gone crazy! But I did keep it simple. I brought one camera body and just one lens, my 24-105mm lens. I also brought my light weight Gitzo tripod.

With only one lens, I never had to envision my surroundings as I would have had to if carrying a 14mm or a 300mm lens, for example. My vision and interpretations of the landscape were simplified. I saw everything as I would see it through a 24-105 lens. I enjoyed this simple approach and the challenge.

Notes on composition & technique: Not often do I place the centre of interest in the dead centre, splitting the picture space in half. I made two compositions at this location, one with the tree trunk just right of centre (because I felt the branches on the left were denser than those on the right) and this one. When examining the two compositions at home, I much preferred this composition. It spoke more strongly about simplicity which was the purpose of this image. Be aware of the single line and two rectangles; the basic elements of this composition. EOS 5D Mark III; iso 200; f-11; 1/6 sec.; 24-105mm lens; made on a tripod.

Why a tripod when I am trying to keep it simple, you might ask? Well, when I do make an image, I have to do my best at making the finest image possible. That’s in my DNA, I’m afraid, and I can only do that, from both a technical and artistic perspective, with a tripod.

Notes on composition & technique: Placing these trees in the centre was an easier decision because there were two of them. Here we have repetition of line and form set against two almost rectangular shapes. Due to the sense of balance, and the lack of colour contrast, I find this composition more peaceful. Examine how differently you are affected by the different moods of these two photographs and learn from that experience. I certainly have learned from examining these two compositions. EOS 5D Mark III; iso 200; f-6.3; 1/5 sec.; 24-105mm lens; made on a tripod.

3. Always Worth the Effort: A predawn walk through the city

Rita and I decided to get up early one morning and walk through the city as it came to life. With no tourists, little traffic, and the first sign of daylight burning through the mist, it was a delightful walk. It was also an awe-inspiring time for photography!

Notes on composition & technique: I remember walking further along the bridge I was walking on in order to include the tree on the right. This inclusion provided a sense of balance with the large structures on the left. EOS 5D Mark III; iso 400; f-8; 6 sec.; 24-105mm lens; made on a tripod.

The Prague Castle is said to be the largest ancient castle in the world, dating back to the 9th century. As you can imagine, in a few hours from when I made this image, there will be hundreds of tourists walking up this road to the castle. We seemed to have the city to ourselves, and I really enjoyed photographing in the low light.

Notes on composition & technique: To make this image I left the road and climbed up the steps. From here I played the dark silhouetted statue on the left against the bright street light on the right. I included the walls on each side to help steer our eyes outwards towards the city. EOS 5D Mark III; iso 400; f-11; 0.8 sec.; 24-105mm lens; made on a tripod.

4. Architectural Landscapes: Urban and wilderness

Several people responded to my facebook postings from Prague by saying, “I never knew you knew how to photograph in cities”. This got me thinking about the differences in how I approach my photography in each of these two very different environments.

Personally, I find that all the ingredients to making good imagery, in the city or the wilderness, to be extremely similar. The same facets in nature that attract me are also present in human architecture. I love the search for design, the arrangement of lines and form. I also love the contrasts of colour and tone. Below are a few urban examples that had me equally excited as photographing the patterned ground and fractals of the Motherstone.

 

Notes on composition & technique: Just as with patterned ground in the mountains, we have in this image a patterned passageway. There are lines of every kind, forms of every shape, and both tonal and colour contrast. To add to this, there is repetition of both line and form. All together, they create an extended sense of depth. I was so excited and enthusiastic when making this image; just like I am when photographing in the wilds of the Cariboo Chilcotin. EOS 5D Mark III; iso 200; f-22; 1/4 sec.; 24-105mm lens; made on a tripod.

Notes on composition & technique: What I wrote above also applies to this image. The greater warmth in this image is due to the lights and colour of the walls. EOS 5D Mark III; iso 200; f-22; 1/4 sec.; 24-105mm lens; made on a tripod.

Notes on composition & technique: Because I had only one lens, I found I had to move more myself in order to make the compositions I wanted. To create a greater sense of depth I moved to where I could include the window on the right. I then asked Rita to walk down the alley, keeping to the left of centre; left of the window in front of her. Examine how your eyes move through this picture space in order to realize the importance of each of the elements, especially the window on the right. EOS 5D Mark III; iso 200; f-22; 1/8 sec.; 24-105mm lens; made on a tripod.

This image above was made in the pre-dawn hours before people travelled these alleyways. This allowed me time to setup with my tripod, and contemplate composition without the interference of people continuously walking by.

5. The Meaning of Photography & Importance of Composition

Travelling for the first time to a tourist destination in the digital age, was a revelation to me. Never have I seen so many photographs being taken with so many digital devices. No wonder the meaning of photography has changed. Truly, it has lost its purposeful meaning.

I saw people literally running, snapping their cameras as they went. I am positive that when they got home they would not remember where they were or what they were photographing.

To me, the deliberate act of making (not taking) a photograph is to convey a message or a feeling from the photographer to the viewer. A great photograph will transcend the subject. It will speak for itself and require no explanation. It will also evoke an emotional response of some kind. Surely, the ‘snapper’ approach to photography will not generate these kind of images.

Notes on composition & technique: In this image I set up my tripod in a town square and made a deliberate attempt to study all the compositional elements. People were moving through the image, going up and down the stairs, and staring at me in wonderment as to what I might be looking at. I tried to ignore them, waiting for the moment when all was clear. This is a study of architectural design; line and form, as well as colour and tonal contrast. EOS 5D Mark III; iso 200; f-22; 1/30 sec.; 24-105mm lens; made on a tripod.

Notes on composition & technique: The attention to detail in the architectural design of buildings and even bridges, as is the case of this image, was astounding. I doubt this happens anywhere today. For this image of the famous Charles Bridge, I moved as close as I could with my 24-105 lens. I literally felt the pride of the stone mason laying each stone. It was a work of art and I enjoyed photographing it. EOS 5D Mark III; iso 200; f-16; 1/2.5 sec.; 24-105mm lens; made on a tripod.

I have to admit, I love the study of pure design. By doing this, I tried to capture the essence of the beautiful city of Prague.

I’m sure glad I brought my camera!