A local photographer showed up at my shop with some scenic/landscape photographs he had made and asked me for a critique of them.
Photographers get excited about the subjects they photograph and sometimes forget, or never learned in the first place, some basic rules for photography. Rules that are actually procedures and guidelines that can be followed to make photographs more exciting for viewing. Although I enjoyed his series of photographs of Helmken Falls in British Columbia’s Wells Gray Park, I noticed two problems that I discussed with him.
The first is a very basic concept in photography – depth of field. Depth of field refers to the “in focus area,” or sharpness of a picture at different distances when the aperture diameter changes. Depth of field is the area around the subject that remains acceptably sharp. The farther things are away, the more depth of field one can achieve, and the closer things are, the less depth of field. To control depth of field one uses the lens aperture.
Photographers new to this medium think of the aperture only as a means of controlling the amount of light reaching the sensor. However, the aperture also controls depth of field.
Control over depth of field is accomplished by increasing or decreasing the aperture’s size. For example, the smaller the aperture opening (f/16) the more depth of field; and the larger the aperture opening (f/4) the less the depth of field is. So f/16 will give more “in focus area” in front of and behind the subject than f/8. Regardless of the F/stop one should have a shorter in focus area in front of the subject, and a longer in focus area behind the subject.
The ratio is approximately one-third in front, and two-thirds behind. So to obtain maximum depth of field in a photograph use a smaller aperture opening like f/11, and focus one third of the way into the scene.
The second thing I pointed out was his composition. I wondered what it is that makes photographers disregard the basics of compositional strategies and just snap away excitedly. My assumption is that many photographers are so excited about the subject they are photographing, and possibly the camera they are using at the time, that they forget to make the subject interesting in their final photograph.
With his scenics of the waterfall, as exotic and colourful as it was on that day, he ignored something fundamental in any properly composed photograph called “The Rule of Thirds”. This so called “rule” states that we shouldn’t place the main focus of interest in the centre of the frame, but should place it on an intersection line, or very close to it, created by dividing the picture into a grid of thirds.
That photographer’s pictures would have been stronger if he had paid attention to compositional elements that would make his image interesting by placing important or interesting visual information at intersections.
I have photographed those falls alongside other photographers many times since I moved to British Columbia 40 years ago; spring, summer, fall and winter.
Sometimes they have been excited, as with the fellow I critiqued, and just pointed their cameras without thought, overwhelmed by the roaring, wilderness splendour of Helmken Falls. Regarding those image makers, Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts recipient Garry Winogand quipped, “Photographers mistake the emotion they feel while taking the photo as a judgment that the photograph is good”.
However, I have also set my tripod next to photographers that just seemed understand what it takes to make viewable images and appear to feel their way through the photograph. That’s always exciting. Of them I like to think they adhere to the words of Photo Imaging Association’s 2005 Photographer of the Year, David Harvey when he said, “Don’t shoot what it looks like. Shoot what it feels like.”
As always, I appreciate any comments. Thanks, John
My website is at www.enmanscamera.com
Enmanscamera's Blog - Kamloops 
Great post. Thank you!
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Gosh, glad you liked it Meho.
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Interesting read as always, but I guess we all have a starting point and learning is the key point here. I like that last quote.
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I expected that quote would resonate with you lingnumdraco.
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That was another insightful post.
It’s a great feeling when, after feeling your way around a subject, a photo comes together.
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Yep, yer right Ian.
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I suspect I taught myself composition by shooting landscapes on a view camera. First I would walk round with a framing device to find potential compositions. Then I set the camera up and of course you would be operating upside-down and back to front. Finally I would dissociate myself from the subject matter and look at what was on the ground glass in abstract terms, shapes, colours and lines, then adjust if necessary.
The consequence of that slow logical process is that I compose by feel, by visualisation perhaps, in the case of street photography pretty much instantaneously. I suppose I’m implicitly encompassing things like rule of thirds but usually I only consciously consider them in post-processing.
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I read your comments to my wife Murray. She was smiling and nodding, I’m sure remembering our days when we wandered western Canada with Her Linholf and my Sinar. both of us heartily agree with your words, “I would dissociate myself from the subject matter and look at what was on the ground glass in abstract terms, shapes, colours and lines, then adjust if necessary.”
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Yes. Very good reminder. I wasn’t aware that even very experienced photographers needed this reminder as consistently as I do!
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Hey Dink!! where’ve ya been hiding 🙂
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Hi there, Fragg! I’ve not had time for blogging. And I suppose I’ve been a little uninspired lately. Perhaps all of that will change soon. Very good to meet up in this of all places!
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When photoblock happens, shoot what you love…
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Well said Fragg.
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You know, I have been doing a little of that. I just got back from a vacation in Florida, and I really did get some great shots of the family there.
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they are the only ones you’ll want to look back on when your in your 70’s 🙂
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Ya know, I agree with your Fragg. A couple years ago I started culling slides..remember slides? I filled two very large garbage cans before I gave up. (I have many more)
My wife asked if I threw out good pictures..yep.
she said, beautiful shots?…..yep.
I only saved pictures of her, our son and I. I also kept pictures of pets we owned; dogs, cats, goats and horses.
I am a pretty good photographer and have some great images of places we’ve been. However, when they finally plant me under some tree the only pictures of value will be family stuff.
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Vacation? you get to go to Florida on vacation?
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Yes! Does that sound appealing to you? I go to Destin, and I know the town very well.
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Ha…thats what I am good for. Getting people together!
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I know, right? Party at John’s house!
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Photography and beer….can’t get much better than that.
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You just went up four notches in my book. I just happen to have some IPA’s and blonde ales in my fridge from a few microbreweries… And I think you’d probably like them! Unfortunately, I’m in Wichita Kansas on business, so my stash is doing nobody any good. 😉
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Kansas? oh well, it’ll keep.
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Yes. Kansas. I make the best of anything, but Kansas is a tough one.
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I think we all need to be reminded to slow down dink, and not…let our high performance cameras do all the thinking.
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Good stuff John!
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Thanks Martin…
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John, If you look at the feature image on my latest blog post (the bridge) you will see how it’s just a tiny bit off center. Even that little amount makes the image in my opinion much more captivating and I think holds true to some of the things you mentioned about composition. What are your thoughts?!
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I checked that Bridge shot at. And yes, it worked. I would say the off-center positioning created tension. Tension in a frame makes the viewer’s eye constantly move…and that equals interest.
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excellent post, it’s good to be reminded of stuff I forgot 🙂
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Great post. I have always felt the rule of thirds to be the most important element to consider in a shot. I strive to ‘lead the eye’ in photos as much as possible. It can really makes a photo when applied correctly.
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Thanks. Yes, and guidelines like the rule of thirds are important.
So many scenic photo are “liked” because they are pretty and as I wrote, ““Photographers mistake the emotion they feel while taking the photo as a judgment that the photograph is good”. I like that you are thinking about that image before you push the shutter.
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