• Photography

    Symmetry: Photography Composition #4

    Symmetry What does symmetry mean? How does it relate to composition in photography? Basically, symmetry means that if you fold a picture in half, each side would be a mirror image of the other.  When we come to photography, the concept becomes less strict. After all, we are not trying to follow mathematical rules, but rather attempting to create an aesthetically pleasing image. It’s all about creativity. Whether the picture is exactly symmetrical or not doesn’t matter. Like all art, it’s more about storytelling. What is it you are trying to say with your photograph? Some of my pictures in previous posts are examples of using symmetry in composition, like…

  • Photography

    Off Centre Framing : Composition #3

    Off Centre Framing Knowing how to use off centre framing is an important aspect of composition. Most subjects benefit from this type of placement, it tends to be more interesting and visually appealing. Why is that? Well, it encourages your eye to wander around the image and explore all of it, not just one object stuck in the middle of the frame. Of course, sometimes it’s appropriate to centre your shot. I did that in the Pink photograph because I wanted to emphasize the symmetry of the flower. See Fill the Frame for more details. Having the main subject on the right seem to suit the eye best, but it…

  • Photography

    Negative Space: Photography Composition #2

        Negative Space Yesterday’s blog post about Photography Composition was about filling the frame in order to draw attention to your main subject. The opposite also holds true…You can use negative or empty space to enhance your main subject too. It’s just a different way of approaching your goal. You want your image to be more than just a record. It’s your unique interpretation of the scene, your story to tell. In Fire Ghosts, above,  I wanted to draw attention to the boy holding the fire rods and  the way the flames looked like ghosts. It was a night shot, so processing it as low-key was relatively easy. I wanted all…

  • Photography

    Photography Composition #1: Fill the Frame

      Photography Composition I’ve been asked to give a presentation for my camera club, Happy Snappers on Photography Composition next Tuesday. I remember doing something similar at my previous club, but I have no idea where my notes are.  So here I am, starting from scratch…Probably a good thing, it will keep it fresh, I hope. There are many different tips for helping you create more interesting pictures, but I wouldn’t get too caught up in the rules. We are all individuals and see things differently. What’s important is that your picture says what you want it to say. Are you fascinated by the hundreds of poppies dotting the cornfield,…

  • Blog

    Journalling ( Day 17 )

      The Challenge for Day 17: Pick a Fight The challenge for Day 17 is to write about something you are passionate about, promoting it as beneficial to society. If this involves annoying some people, all the better. Hmm. Not usually one to pick a fight, but some things are worth taking a risk for. So here goes, my thoughts on the importance of journalling in this modern day galloping world.   Journals and Diaries In the past, everyone seemed to keep a journal, most often in the form of a daily diary. Many of these have been lost, but those that remain provide us with great insight into the…

  • Blog

    Dream, Hope, Fly ( Day 16 )

    The Challenge for Day 16. The challenge for Day 16 is to write about hope, that thing which pushes us forward even ( Or especially ) when the going gets tough. It came up in a previous post of mine, Hope, so it’s obviously something close to my heart. This time I thought I’d expand it a bit and talk about hope in relation to following a dream. The quote below is by Jonas Salk, author and medical practitioner, the man who developed the polio vaccine.   There is hope in dreams, imagination, and in the courage of those who wish to make those dreams a reality.  Jonas Salk      Dream…

  • Blog

    Writing Evaluation ( Day 15 )

    The Challenge for Day 15:  Writing Evaluation We are just at the half-way mark of the challenge and today Jeff Goins asks us to record our thoughts on our progress. Are we feeling overwhelmed or energized? Has your writing improved? Have you noticed any changes in how you approach your writing?   Overwhelmed or Energized? Sometimes it can be difficult to churn out 500 words a day, especially something fit to put in a blog post. The irony is that publishing is not part of the challenge, but many of us add it to the list ourselves. Why is that? Well, I can only answer for myself, but I know…

  • Blog

    Happy Mars Day ( Day 10 )

    The Challenge for Day 9 The prompt today for my 500 Word Challenge is to ” Write about Writing.” The joys, the pitfalls and how I’m coping with the Challenge. We seem to have days for everything now, so why not have a Happy Mars Day? And I mean the planet, not the chocolate, but I guess both could work at this stage. Just check out Twitter!   Happy Mars Day Why am I calling today Happy Mars Day? As you might know, I’m currently taking part in a Creative Writing course with Pauline Clooney. Each week we get a story prompt, usually quite open to interpretation. One particular week the…

  • Blog

    Free Writing ( Day 4 )

    Free Writing The email from Jeff Goins today is to do some free writing. Now, this is a concept I’m quite familiar with because it’s something I do regularly as part of my creative writing course. Basically, you just keep writing for a set period of time, usually on a suggested prompt. You are supposed to keep going no matter what. No self-editing or revisions, the grammar police are banned. The aim is to encourage creativity. This is how Jeff describes it:   “Master the art of silencing the inner critic, letting go of perfectionism, and embracing your art.” Jeff Goins   So, if you can’t think of anything, you…

  • Blog

    Before Coffee (Day 3)

    Before Coffee Help! The latest email from Jeff Goins suggests that the best time for writing is first thing in the morning. He even recommends getting up an hour or two earlier each day, just to write. Before coffee, before food, before anything.  Now, anyone who knows me can testify that I am not an early riser.  And to make it worse, it takes me ages to tune into life. But, maybe that’s the whole point…Perhaps waiting for the fog to clear is the wrong approach? Tomorrow, I am going to find out one way or another because I intend to take up this part of the challenge in the same…