Nat Coalson's Photography Blog

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This photo was submitted by Diana Birdwell.

I really like the black and white treatment; I think this is a perfect example of a shot that looks great in BW due to the graphic shapes and strong contrast.

I also like the title. Good titles are important for photos, especially in critique or competition environments where everything contributes to the overall impression created on the viewer.

This photo is chock full of lines and geometric shapes. What’s really cool is how the smooth, curving shape of the violin contrasts the harder, angular shapes of the swing. This kind of “contrast” is different that what we typically think of: tonal contrast. Consider that many strong images contain contrasts between various elements of the conposition: bold vs. subtle, large vs. small, soft vs. hard, smooth vs. textured, etc. As you’re making photographs may special attention to the juxtapositions you can create between elements, as these variations are what creates dramatic appeal.

The rhythm created by the repeating pattern of the chain links mimics the rhythm of the slats on the back of the swing. This is a very effective technique: use a lesser dominant element to subtly mimic a stronger element. This creates a sense of cohesiveness in the picture, even when the viewer may not perceive exactly why this is. The lines of the strings mimics the lines of the swing, etc.

A couple of suggestions that I think would improve the photo:

1. Burning (darkening) the grass in the background will reduce the potential distraction from that part of the frame.
2. Burning the lower left side, bottom and right corner will help hold the viewer’s eye within the frame and will draw more emphasis to the violin.
3. Cropping the left side and a bit off the bottom to remove the angled, vertical support on the back of the swing would reduce distraction there, too, and further emphasize the violin.
4. Finally, I would have recommended using a polarizing filter to reduce the glare on the front of the violin. This would have revealed more detail in the wood grain and also would have provided more contrast and variation in tone throughout the frame.

Nice image; thanks for submitting!

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This photo was submitted by Becky Kagan of Pennsylvania.

Let me start by saying I love this shot. The combination of a nearly featureless silhouette against an amazing background is simply stunning.

What makes this image strong is its simplicity. The subject is clearly identifiable and the photographer’s intention is clear. There’s no question of “what’s this a photo of?”.

That said, I do wish I could tell what’s in the left hand of the diver. Since the shape of the object is unidentifiable (I’m guessing it’s a conch shell?)  it might have been better to use an empty hand.

The only other suggestion I have is that the composition might be even stronger cropped to a square, or at least cropped in tighter on the sides. The dark areas don’t add much to the composition and might compete with the “darkness” of the diver.

On the whole, the strong subject, the incredible lighting and the simple composition make this a great image. Nice work!

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This photo was submitted by Becky Kagan of Pennsylvania. Becky runs a photo/video production company called Liquid Productions that specializes in underwater imaging. (Check out her site; there’s some nice work there!)

In Becky’s photo submission she expressed some frustration with the shooting conditions and the processing of this photo. Below are my comments.

First, about the sky. Most outdoor photographers cringe at the very thought of photographing a solid white or gray sky, often with good reason. A featureless sky is seldom an ideal element in a strong photograph. The brightness can distract the viewer’s eye (we’re naturally drawn to bright objects in a photo) and since there is no detail present, it’s not very interesting. Of course, like every other “rule” of photography, there are exceptions.

When we go out for shoot, especially an elaborate event that has been shceduled, planned and coordinated to the nth degree, we’re forced to deal with what we find on location. For documentary photography and photogjournalism, this is seldom a problem. In fine art nature and landscape photography, the lighting and the condition of the sky becomes paramount.

This photo represents one of those situations in which the sky didn’t cooperate. This presentes the photographer with very few options:

1. Don’t make the photographs at all; chalk it up to bad luck and pack it in for the day.
2. Make the photos but avoid including the sky in the frame.
3. “Fix it in post”, referring to the common practice of correcting flaws during computer processing.

To me, the first option is rarely an option. After all, I’ve made it to the location and have my gear ready… I’m gonna shoot, dammit! However, there are situations where it’s impossible to produce a strong image because of poor lighting. After all, photography is all about light.

The second option, excluding the sky altogether, sometimes is the best choice. If the sky is featureless, it probalby isn’t going to contribute anything meaningful to the photo, so leave it out.

Finally, the third option for faking it in the computer. Evern notice films where the sky has been made blue in post? All too often, it’s done poorly and looks obviously fake. So they key to pulling this off is having the technical chops to make it convincing.

So let’s see how all this applies to the photo here.

For starters, I have to say that this is an incredibly strong, compelling photo, purely for the subject matter and the way it’s portrayed. This kind of shot is difficult to get under any circumstances, so kudos to the photographer for getting a great image in spite of less than ideal conditions.

Interestingly, my critique has far less to do with the sky than it does the “models”, or the people in the frame. A couple of things I think would have improved the photo:

1. Having the people on the boat pose or at least be sitting/standing in more appealing positions would have helped a lot. I find it quite distracting that the person at the front of the boat is facing away from the camera, almost as if the appearance of the manatees is a non-event.
2. Similarly, the jacket and folded arms make it appear cold outside. Even if it was chilly, I’d have asked everyone to go short sleeve for the shot. The appearance of cold weather is incongruous with the subject and I find it to be a bit distracting from the overall theme.
3. Now, about that sky. One option would have been to include less of it at the time of capture. At this point, a tigher crop might lessen the potential distraction caused by the bright sky. Alternatively, this is the kind of shot in which replacing the sky (called “compositing” for the act of making a composite image) would be very easy. The fact that the sky is so devoid of detail, solid and “smooth” would make masking and layering a new sky quick and easy. Obviously the trick would be using a sky that is believable; a blue sky with puffy white clouds might work, but a golden sunset would not. You could also use a simple blue gradient that fades out to white at the bottom.

Overall I think this is a strong image and I don’t find the sky to be a killer. That said, the lighting is flat and diffuse, which works great for under the water but is less than ideal for the scenery above. This is a case where conditions weren’t perfect and I think the photographer did a fine job of making the most of a unique opportunity.

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This image was submitted by Diana Birdwell.

The subject filling the frame is good; it creates drama and leaves no question about the message and intent of the photo.

The backlighting of the wings is beautiful. This is a photo about light, as much as it is about a butterfly.

I’d recommend burning the bright spot at the top left of the frame; it’s very distracting.

Also, the proximity of the insect’s legs to the bottom of the frame seems a bit tight; more space there would be nice.

Lightroom 3 class this weekend… last chance to register! http://www.LightroomClasses.com/

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This photo was submitted by Dave Ruybal of Denver, CO. It was made with a Nikon D300.

I love how the color and the effect of the light conveys the feeling of being on the ocean at sunset. I can almost smell the breeze! The photographer did a great job of keeping everything in sharp focus, which can be difficult in low light and with moving subjects such as a boat rocking on the water.

One thing to always watch out for is the horizon line. In a shot like this, where the horizon is very prominent, it’s usually best to make sure the horizon line is perfectly straight. This looks just a wee bit tilted; rotating the photo clockwise a little would straighten it out.

Another thing to consider in shots with a strong horizon is the vertical position of the horizon within the frame. Placing the horizon smack in the middle of the frame can create a very “static” composition. In this case, the photographer did a good job of balancing the frame and adding some dynamism by including more sky than water.

In this photo, there are two primary subjects: the sun and the boat. Neither is notably stronger (or more “dominant”) than the other. With the boat at the far left of the frame, and the sun at the far right, the viewer’s eye travels back and forth between the two in a kind of ping-pong effect. This draws attention to the space in between the two objects. In this way, the elements of the frame compete for attention. The composition would have been a bit stronger with one main subject being dominant and letting the other subject play a supporting role. Zooming in/out or moving back or forward to make the boat larger than the sun — or vice versa — would have accomplished this.

To make the strongest possible composition, it’s usually important to allow one subject to dominate the frame. Also observe how the position of subjects relative to one another will either emphasize or de-emphasize the negative spaces in between.

This image does a great job of communicating a mood and the difficult exposure was handled very well. Thanks for submitting your photo!

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This photo was submitted by Nate Pinckney of California and was made with a Canon S90 camera.

This composition is very well-balanced. The repeating pattern created by the floating docks in the foreground create a very strong, graphical foundation on the bottom portion of the frame, which naturally leads the viewer’s eye to the background, which reveals subtle, interesting detail with a bit of mystery due to the fog.

The balance in the composition is enhanced by the triangle created by the points of the dock in the lower left corner, the Pier 39 sign, and the building in the background. Triangles with their base at the bottom appear very “solid” and lend a sense of stability to a composition.

The visual weight of the composition is increased by the fact that the bottom of the frame is darker, and the top lighter. This conveys a feeling of surdiness and stability at the bottom and of light, airyness toward the top.

The relatively monochromatic color adds a sense of artistry and also increases the drama and mystery of the subject.

I think this photo is very well seen, and well captured. The only suggestions I have for improvement might be a slight clockwise rotation, and if possible, a bit more space around the bottom left corner. Really nicely done!

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This photograph was submitted by Nate Pinckney of California. It was made with an iPhone and processed in Lightroom.

I really like the high-key effect of this. (High key images are those that are overall very bright, or light in tone.) It really evokes the feeling of a cold winter day. I like that the sky is nearly white, with no detail. In some pictures this would be something to avoid, but here, it really works.

The picture displays a strong sense of depth and dimension, which is conveyed by the proportions of the people and buildings within the frame. Through the application of perspective effect, we can gauge distance and scale. For example, since we know roughly what the size of a person is, that a person appearing smaller in the frame is much farther away from the camera. This is a device used to show distance and adds a lot of depth to the photo.

A couple of suggestions that might make the photo stronger:

1. At first glance the photo seems a little “crooked”, or tilted. I might suggest rotating it clockwise a bit, to straighten out the tall structure and the light posts. With all these vertical lines, this may be tricky – sometimes things that really are straight don’t look straight because of optical illusions.
2. The photo would have been a little more dynamic with the feet of one or both of the people shown lifted. As it is, with both feet on the ground, there isn’t much sense of movement. Timing is everything in a shot like this, and if the photographer was to have captured the walkers in mid stride the photo would have more impact.
3. I’d suggest cropping the right edge of the frame a bit. I find the angled lamp post a bit distracting, and more importantly, the car that is cut off by the edge of the frame draws my eye to the edge of the frame and out of the picture. Always look carefully for distracting elements around the edges of the frame (and especially in the corners).
4. The position of the foreground person’s head and the street sign in the distance creates a merger point that is less than ideal. A little more space above the head would have lessened the potentially distracting effect of the sign appearing to “grow out of the top of the head”. This is something to always watch out for, especially in photos containing people.

Overall, I think this scene is well captured and processed for good effect, and really conveys the feeling of the moment. Attention to the little details would make it even stronger.

My new book Lightroom 3: Streamlining your Digital Photography Process is now available as an eBook through the following retailers:

http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470907975.html

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I bought my copy from the second one – Diesel – and it worked out very well. The only potential problem I see is that the screen shots are somewhat low resolution, but I think all in all the publisher did a pretty good job with the eBook version.

Near Crested Butte, Colorado.

My new Lightroom 3 book will be used as course material for two photography courses at the Austin Community College in Austin, Texas. My thanks to Robert Payne and his staff for selecting my book after a very thorough review process!

For more about the photography programs at Austin Community College visit http://www.austincc.edu/photo/

I’ve extended the early registration discount for my next Lightroom class in Denver July 31 and Aug 1.

Register by July 9 and save $40!

Details and registration at www.LightroomClasses.com.

My Lightroom 3 book is now shipping from Amazon http://amzn.to/lightroom-3-book

Here’s a photo I made today in the White River National Forest, Colorado.

Here are some links to a couple of PDFs from Adobe that highlight the features and benefits of Lightroom 3:

Data Sheet

What’s New