RHE Media Photography
  • Home
  • About
  • PhotoActive Books
    • Photographing Landscape Whatever the Weather
    • The Water's Edge
    • Using Free Image Manipulation Software
  • PhotoWise Books
    • Developing a Photographic Style
    • Exploring Black & White Photography: A Masterclass
  • Blog
  • Contact

PhotoBlog

Using form, lines and textures

5/19/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
The use of form, line and texture has always been a good way to begin exploring subjects without colour. If you explore subjects in direct sunlight then the form, line and texture are accentuated - the textures introduced by the sunlight hitting the subject provide far more contrast, the light areas become lighter and the shadows cast are much darker.
 ​
If you first consider ‘Mesquite Sands, Death Valley’ you will be struck immediately by the strong foreground sand patterns and shapes that occupy a large portion of the image. I might have been tempted to make a more open view of the sands by using the camera in a landscape format (i.e., not having the camera set to vertical) and taking in more of the surroundings. However, on this occasion I knew that the strong, low and direct sunlight would accentuate the sand patterns and I selected this as the main part of the composition, with the distant sand dune shapes and textures occupying only ten per cent of the photograph. My camera was pointing down at a sharp angle so the patterns are exaggerated even though they were only a few centimetres deep and wide. Sometimes some shapes may be apparent and others may not and you have to allow your ‘mind’s eye’ to see what you can create in making an exposure.

Nikon D800e 24 mm PC-E lens, f13, 3rd sec, 0.6 Neutral Density Hard Graduated Filter

 
In woodland areas the exploration of form, line and texture can be taken to its limit. The reason for this is that trees present you with many intersecting lines, the bark of trees is full of texture and the overall form of trees is beautiful.

​The image ‘Beeches and Pine Plantation’ was not only an exploration of forms and lines, but also of the tonal contrasts that are always evident in woodland and which can sometimes be tricky to deal with. On this occasion I was firstly fascinated by the tonal differences between the almost white trunks of the beech trees set against the dark and dense pine plantation. After I established that I wanted to use this as part of my composition, all I needed to do was make some order out of the chaos of the woodland, which is often easier said than done. As I walked about I noticed that in one particular position in the woodland I was able to get a separation between the beech trees but also to place them against the darkest part of the pine plantation. To further accentuate the forms of the beech trees I placed them running vertically through the frame. Using forms, lines and textures in woodland often requires the photographer to be somewhat ruthless in making compositions. This is because the more of the beautiful environment that you leave out of the frame the more the finished photograph becomes understandable and digestible to the viewer.

Nikon D800e, 70-200mm lens, f16, 0.8 sec.



Picture
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    bloggers

    Our bloggers are all experts in their fields. Please contact us if you would like to submit a guest blog post for inclusion here.

    Archives

    May 2019
    January 2019
    July 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    April 2015

    Categories

    All
    000 Hours
    10
    Black And White Photography
    Image Manipulation Software
    Landscape Photography
    Photographic Style
    Photographic Talent
    Photography Ebooks
    Photography For Children

    RSS Feed

RHE Media Limited                                                                                 
Registered in England No. 08769581
© 2020 RHE Media Ltd

Registered Office: 
Little Oaks, Green Lane, Exton EX3 0PW
Proudly powered by Weebly