Patti McQuillen 2013
Have you ever looked at what's around you and wondered how it can be captured by a single camera? I once stood in the middle of a park and stared in all directions. Every blade of grass caught my eye, each cloud captivated me. The flowers seemed to stretch tall and stand on their own. Even the squirrels chasing each other up and down the trees were, for the minute of my reflection, were not in pairs or groups. I noticed every detail in specific ways.
How could someone take a shot of all that nature, I wondered. Perhaps the answer is that it's not meant to be taken as a whole. Maybe it's better for us to see in parts. The professional photographers are quick to tell you that it's smarter to limit the amount of subjects and focus in each shot. This creates a more appealing look. Too much content distracts and actually draws the eye away from the photo. The main idea could easily be lost.
So the next time you're faced with a scene packed full of details, stop and think. Is it better to shoot individual scenes or would pairs work well? The easist of these are flowers on trees. We can capture the whole tree in the same amount of time as one bloom. One petal, up close, shows an extraordinary amount of detail. In just one of these we see a whole. The fibers of the petal blend with the colors. The edges create texture. All of these are taken as a whole.
Look around you, see the individual instead of the whole. Notice the tiny details. Get down low with them. Go high, and move in close. See the inner beauty of each part. See the parts inside. Lay down in the grass, stand on a stool. Try different techniques. The camera will be a great asset for you in your explorations.
Have you ever looked at what's around you and wondered how it can be captured by a single camera? I once stood in the middle of a park and stared in all directions. Every blade of grass caught my eye, each cloud captivated me. The flowers seemed to stretch tall and stand on their own. Even the squirrels chasing each other up and down the trees were, for the minute of my reflection, were not in pairs or groups. I noticed every detail in specific ways.
How could someone take a shot of all that nature, I wondered. Perhaps the answer is that it's not meant to be taken as a whole. Maybe it's better for us to see in parts. The professional photographers are quick to tell you that it's smarter to limit the amount of subjects and focus in each shot. This creates a more appealing look. Too much content distracts and actually draws the eye away from the photo. The main idea could easily be lost.
So the next time you're faced with a scene packed full of details, stop and think. Is it better to shoot individual scenes or would pairs work well? The easist of these are flowers on trees. We can capture the whole tree in the same amount of time as one bloom. One petal, up close, shows an extraordinary amount of detail. In just one of these we see a whole. The fibers of the petal blend with the colors. The edges create texture. All of these are taken as a whole.
Look around you, see the individual instead of the whole. Notice the tiny details. Get down low with them. Go high, and move in close. See the inner beauty of each part. See the parts inside. Lay down in the grass, stand on a stool. Try different techniques. The camera will be a great asset for you in your explorations.