Images using only a few elements

Part of the philosophy I have around my images, is that I would like them to generate some kind of emotional attachment with the viewer. In keeping with this, I really enjoy capturing scenes which contain very few elements (Meaning, scenes which appear to be very sparse of movement, people or items). Upon first glance, the images appear very simple but correct use of main points of focus can allow the viewer to let their imagination wander as to what situation surrounds the image.


3 main elements in this shot. The lush, green grass and the roaming pathway that leads they eye to the resting point of the large rock.

The above shot was taken in a busy park during the middle of the day. however, the lack of movement and other distractions gives the impression of a private place for reflection and peace. Selective foreground blurring provides the element of distance and sharpening the rock itself helps lead the eye 'into' the picture.


The stones are the main focus here and everything else seems to 'blend' away.

In the original shot for the above, the sky was bland and grey. Adding a selective colour-faded filter in Lightroom has added interest without taking away from the main focus.

A Small boat on Ullswater. The poignancy of this, is that it was taken during terrible floods that ruined bridges, yet the boat remains calm and unaffected. Just sitting patiently and calmly

The key to capturing this type of image is looking at the scene and working out what it is that is important. A wider view showed the fence around the lake almost completely submerged but I felt that it distracted away from the peace that the boat was unaware of the chaos around it (Yes, I know it's an inanimate object, we're being philosophical here haha) once that is established, correct composition will allow the main elements to 'pop' out. It is less about putting elements into context and more about leaving the viewer wondering what the rest of the scene may look like.

A simple, large moon in the mid-afternoon winter sky.

In the above shot it was important to use a long focal length to make the moon larger and a low iso setting to keep the sky looking smooth and silky. Blue, cloudless skies can be hard to handle at higher iso's.

Hope that you enjoyed these images - Check back soon more updates on the way!

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Realistic HDR Images

The winter can give us some excellent photographic opportunities; Dramatic sunrises and sunset, long shadows and lots of contrast. However, recently we have had a lot of what is referred to as flat light. That is the grey, dull daylight that seems to fade in and out quickly with very little inspiration to take pictures. That's not to say that flat light is a no-go, far from it. Using it correctly can add atmosphere and draw the viewer in. Having said that, I'm getting the winter blues and rather than sitting around waiting for some if the spring sunshine to arrive, I've been experimenting with High Dynamic Range photography in order to put some colour back into my world! I wanted to keep the images looking natural and taken in generally, good light levels. To the untrained eye you'd be forgiven for thinking they were the result of only one shutter release.

The images here have all been captured using a 'traditional' HDR method. That is, one under-exposed, one over-exposed and one at standard exposure. I have used a -1ev +1ev and 0ev setup in bracketing mode for these images. There are many (probably limitless) set-ups you can use to create an HDR image. Some people use up to 9 different exposures and various filters on top of that. It can create dramatic results but I wanted to keep these natural and just try and make the initial dull, flat, image into one that the viewer can connect with.

The morning light on the steeple was all the original single image had to offer. By using HDR it has improved the colour and contrast.

So what is the purpose of HDR? As our eyes move over a scene, they quite often make many adjustments. If you're looking toward the sun for instance, objects near to you will be very dark and not very detailed. But if you move your attention away from the direction of the sunlight and to the darker areas, your eye adjusts and then you can see the details in dark areas. HDR allows the full range of highlights and shadows to be displayed to the viewer at the same time. (see bottom image for an example of this) This quite often gives the photograph an 'other-worldly' feel. This is one of the reasons it has become so popular. Images can be created quite quickly and with fairly basic equipment and technical know-how.

I could see potential in this shot but even with a 'vivid' setting on the camera it lacked the impact the morning light commanded!

I'm currently using Lightroom for general processing and Photomatix for HDR. I like the way I can control the highlights and shadows detail in Photomatix and can generate, natural HDR or go for a more 'painted' feel with something that at first glance, does not look like a photograph at all (examples of extreme HDR to follow in another blog!) There are many other pieces of software and each has their strengths. It really depends on your personal preference.

The original image was quite nice but using HDR has allowed me to show you the scene as I 'saw' it.

I hope you enjoyed this whistle-stop tour of HDR. If you'd like more info, or have any questions, please get in touch. Comments are more than welcome. Check back soon for more blogs!

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