Post by Saknika on Jan 1, 2010 12:20:34 GMT -5
Something that is often neglected in photos is the feeling that something exists—space. Being able to see that things are round, or that scenery goes somewhere, makes a big difference in how your photos feel. Either by blurring a background, lighting well, or having leading lines; you need space to properly convey that what your seeing could be real, and that is also what helps give a photo better aesthetic quality.
Too often you see photos where everything is crammed together, one thin on top of the other, and it just looks flat. Or the lighting causes the photo to look flat, perhaps some other element. Flat photographs are just not as aesthetically pleasing as those that convey a sense of space.
When it comes to architectural shots done inside a home or building, space is the most important element of the entire photograph, and lighting is second. This is because those shots have to make people want to enter that building, or buy that home, and if they think it’s too tiny they won’t be as likely to want to have anything to do with it. If it has such a big impact on these photos, imagine what it does for fine art and landscape photography.
As such, being careful to make sure your photo has elements that convey space in it is crucial. Lead the eye or distract the eye—either way you want people to know that there’s something past what is in your photo.
These are the most common ways to show space:
• Blurred Background- By using a shallow depth-of-field, most commonly done with portraiture outdoors, it creates a feeling that there is something in the distance you can’t quite see, or that you can see but not quite as well.
• Leading Lines- Most commonly used with landscapes, people use natural lines to lead the eye, and it allows the viewer to wonder what else could have been a part of that photo, what lies beyond. Things like mountains, paths, roads, and streams work well for this.
• Lighting- By using light to spill across and around objects, or to illuminate specific things and not others, it makes the eye go certain places, and it gives the sense of space unto the specific object or objects you’ve selected.
So by applying these ideas, or your own, create a photo that shows how the use of space makes it aesthetically pleasing.
Here’s what you should be posting:
1. Comment the photo (or optionally, photos) above you. Give them constructive advice on what you do or do not like.
2. Add your photo to the post with your comment.
3. Reshoot/Try again using advice you’re given.
4. Post the new results, repeating the first two steps.
This practice will be closed on January 31st, 2010 at 11:59pm EST.
To get us started, here is my most recent photo that uses space:
Too often you see photos where everything is crammed together, one thin on top of the other, and it just looks flat. Or the lighting causes the photo to look flat, perhaps some other element. Flat photographs are just not as aesthetically pleasing as those that convey a sense of space.
When it comes to architectural shots done inside a home or building, space is the most important element of the entire photograph, and lighting is second. This is because those shots have to make people want to enter that building, or buy that home, and if they think it’s too tiny they won’t be as likely to want to have anything to do with it. If it has such a big impact on these photos, imagine what it does for fine art and landscape photography.
As such, being careful to make sure your photo has elements that convey space in it is crucial. Lead the eye or distract the eye—either way you want people to know that there’s something past what is in your photo.
These are the most common ways to show space:
• Blurred Background- By using a shallow depth-of-field, most commonly done with portraiture outdoors, it creates a feeling that there is something in the distance you can’t quite see, or that you can see but not quite as well.
• Leading Lines- Most commonly used with landscapes, people use natural lines to lead the eye, and it allows the viewer to wonder what else could have been a part of that photo, what lies beyond. Things like mountains, paths, roads, and streams work well for this.
• Lighting- By using light to spill across and around objects, or to illuminate specific things and not others, it makes the eye go certain places, and it gives the sense of space unto the specific object or objects you’ve selected.
So by applying these ideas, or your own, create a photo that shows how the use of space makes it aesthetically pleasing.
Here’s what you should be posting:
1. Comment the photo (or optionally, photos) above you. Give them constructive advice on what you do or do not like.
2. Add your photo to the post with your comment.
3. Reshoot/Try again using advice you’re given.
4. Post the new results, repeating the first two steps.
This practice will be closed on January 31st, 2010 at 11:59pm EST.
To get us started, here is my most recent photo that uses space: