Leading Lines · 2015-02-17 · photographic scene. Certainly, Leading Lines are a technical detail...

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Share Moments - Share Photography

July 2013 Volume 5, Issue 11

Leading Lines

Our last Club meeting was a

Program Night and Hank

Erdmann’s wonderful

presentation was “Re-

Learning To See -

Photographically”. Hank

taught us how to use our

mind as well as our heart

when composing a

photographic scene.

Certainly, Leading Lines are

a technical detail we need to

think about when composing

a photographic scene, but

these same Leading Lines

can also be the “wow” factor

that impacts the heart and

soul of a photograph.

Inside This Issue

A Message From The President 2

The Value Of Leading Lines 4

Leading Lines in Photography 5

Making The Cover of EXPOSURES 8

How I Made It 9

Challenges 11

My Favorite Photograph 12

Exploring The World With A Camera 14

Creative Photography - 6 Handy Tips 15

Avoid the Burn, Rain and Itches

For Fun Summertime Photography

16

© Mike Trahan

“Sunset at Low Tide” See Page 9

How I Made It

Inside this Issue, Jim Ross highlights The Value Of Leading Lines and you will

find several pages of images from our Club Members showing their

perspective of Leading Lines in Photography. If you would like to have the

chance to see your beautiful photograph on the cover of EXPOSURES, be

sure and read Making The Cover of EXPOSURES. Mike Trahan provides a

sample of How I Made It to give you some ideas of what is expected. Linda

O’Rourke begins a monthly column regarding the monthly Challenge. My

Favorite Photograph continues to be of interest. Gary Smith begins a monthly

column, Exploring the World With A Camera, where many of his adventures

are captured through the lens. Since or last Program Night was about Re-

Learning To See - Photographically, you may be interested in Creative

Photography - 6 Handy Tips. Mark Theriot provides us with some great ideas

on How to Avoid the Burn, Rain and Itches For Fun Summertime Photography.

The new club season begins in about two months. Now is the time to gear up,

get out and try new ideas in order to do your best at sharing moments and

sharing photography.


Exposures - July 2013 Volume 5, Issue 11

A Message From President - John Williams

In our photography, sometimes we can find just the right combination in composition that capitalizes on leading lines to

really make for a great visual impact. Our club is composed of members who love the quest, challenge, and rewards of

finding those visual elements that combined in just the right way, create images we call “keepers”. Our long range

planning committee has presented a series of ideas for the future that I can say are just like a series of lines that I feel are

right on target for our clubs mission. They are a vision of new projects and activities that add to or enhance what we

already have. This includes:

More photo critiques, not tied to competitions

New focus groups based on a wide number of topics that are easier to track and select for participation based on your

interests

New Club galleries, again not tied to competitions to help develop printing and display skills

Several more projects including a potential LCCC PhotoExpo in 2014

Yes, that means more efforts from more of you, but this is all well in line with our members and hopefully your own

photography interests and should provide some excellent learning experiences along the way. Many more details and

volunteer opportunities will be communicated about this in the next month.

Our July excursion to the Bristol Renaissance Faire should be lots of fun. Even if you’ve been there several times before,

there should be lots of opportunities for new photos with such a dynamic crowd. In June we had a nice group attend the

Chicago Photo walk excursion. It was an especially easy way to take a lot of images with lines to the sky, that’s for sure!

I hope everyone enjoys the Fourth of July holiday! For those of you doing some traveling, be safe, take lots of pictures

and practice those leading lines!

Questions or comments about this newsletter?

Please contact Ken Johnson, Newsletter Editor at

[email protected].

We are proud members of the

Chicago Area Camera Clubs Association

and the Photographic Society of America.

Our mission is to promote, teach and share the ideals, skills, techniques and

good practices of the art of photography and the use of cameras and

photographic equipment.

Visit our website www.lakecountycameraclub.org.

We meet the first Thursday of every month at:

University Center. 1200 University Drive,

Grayslake IL

June 30 Challenge Due: Smile

July 10 Tutoring - Lake Villa Library 7:00PM

July 11 Program Night: Tips, Tricks and Ideas

July 20 Shutter Café: Hillside Restaurant 8:00AM

July 25 Board Meeting: All are welcome 7:00PM

July 28 Photo Excursion: Bristol Renaissance Faire

July 31 Challenge Due: Stars and Stripes

Dates To Remember

mailto:[email protected]

http://caccaweb.com/

http://psa-photo.org/

http://caccaweb.com/

http://psa-photo.org/

http://www.lakecountycameraclub.org/


2012 - 2013

Board Members President John Williams

President Elect Mike Trahan

Past President Ron Meyers

Secretary Terry Ferguson

Treasurer Jim Ross

Vice President, External Operations Michelle Cox

Vice President, Internal Operations Bill Sullivan

2012 - 2013

Committee Chairpersons

“I wish more people felt that

photography was an adventure the same

as life itself and felt that their individual

feelings were worth expressing. To me,

that makes photography more exciting.”

Harry Callahan

CACCA Representative Bob Kruzic

Competition Chair Bob Kruzic

Community Involvement Coordinator Open

Company Contact Coordinator Mike Styrna

Continuing Education Coordinator Jim Ross

DPI Competition Coordinator Steve Cullen

Facilities Coordinator Bill Sullivan

Historian Egon Shein

Hospitality Desk Margie Hurwich

Judge Procurement Tony Roma

Long Term Planning Mike Trahan

Mentoring Program Coordinator Tracy Castro

Membership Coordinator Terry Ferguson

Newsletter Editor Ken Johnson

Photo Excursion Coordinator Debra Olson

Program Coordinator Stevan Tontich

PSA Representative Michelle Cox

PSA Photo Travel Coordinator Birgit Tyrrell

PSA Photojournalism Coordinator Linda Kruzic

PSA Projected Image Coordinator Bob Marx

PSA Nature Coordinator Mike Trahan

Webmaster John Rouse

Egon’s World



The Value Of Leading Lines By Jim Ross

It seems kind of basic to write about leading lines, but the concept is

probably one of the most overlooked “tools” a photographer can use to

make an outstanding photograph. A high impact photograph might

have all the correct elements such as composition, colors, scene

interest, etc., but will be less than outstanding without a leading line.

On the other hand, a strong leading line can lead the viewer through the

image and “force” the viewer to observe the elements of the photograph

and tell a story.

So, what do we mean when we consider “leading line”? Any element of

the image that leads the viewer to the point of interest in the image is a

leading line. Sometimes, a leading line is the major part of the

photograph and the “point of interest” is just a conclusion rather than the

main object of interest.

Consider the accompanying photograph. There are several leading

lines in the image. The neatly trimmed trees lead you to the man on

the path. The path itself with its converging lines leads you to the man.

The consecutively smaller round balls at the edges of the path lead the

viewer to the man on the path. Even the fact that the man is not facing

the camera lends an air of intrigue that makes you want to see what he

looks like. In this image, the man is the conclusion rather than the point

of interest. The leading lines are the point of the image.

As a photographer contemplates the composition of an image, consider

what leads you to the point of interest in the first place. Many times it is

the leading line that drew you in. The stamen of a flower leads into the

center of the flower, the sweep of an airplane’s wings lead you to the

body of the plane, streaks of clouds in the sky leading to the top of a mountain range. The veins in a leave can lead the

viewer to a ladybug or spider on that leaf. Consider what you want to include in your image such as a forest pathway or the

vertical lines of a building that lead to window washer hanging off the side of the building. Composed properly, these lines

can make the image more powerful, more inviting and more informative. Isn’t that what you want in each of your images?

A little thought, a little artistic planning, a little arranging of the patterns in your viewfinder before you snap the shutter will

produce a much more inviting image. Photography isn’t a race to the finish (snapping your shutter); it’s an artistic,

considered endeavor. Shoot wisely my friend.

© Jim Ross

About.com Definition:

Leading lines are lines within an image that leads the eye to another point in the image, or occasionally, out of the image.

Anything with a definite line can be a leading line. Fences, bridges, even a shoreline can lead the eye. If can pair leading

lines with a subject that is placed according to the rule of thirds your image should be very strong.



(continues on next page)

Don Chen

The image to the right is an image I took during my family vacation to

China in 2004. I had only a P&S camera with me on that trip. The line

of those beach chairs caught my interest during my early morning walk.

While I was framing my shot, my 6-year old son happened to enter the

picture looking for sea shells. This happy accident won me a Lake

County Camera Club color competition award.

Here is another family vacation picture taken when we visited San Francisco City Hall. There

is a farm of trees of unknown type to me growing just outside the square. This time, I

purposely placed my daughter at the leading point of the tree line and let the rest of the trees

vanish far behind her.


© Don Chen

© Don Chen

Mike Trahan

This image of Volo Bog at dawn doesn't have a natural leading

line, but I wanted something to lead the viewer’s eye to the

golden Tamaracks (which happens for a week or so every year).

So, I flipped the image left to right so the Tamaracks are at the

right end. Then I dodged (lightened using a 50% grey dodge

burn layer, not the Dodge tool) along the bushes so they were

lighter along a line leading to the nearest Tamarack.

Yes, it's subtle, but I think it added to the image. I also reduced

a hot spot from the sun at the upper left. This is an HDR image

(as if you couldn't tell).

“Volo Bog at Dawn”

© Mike Trahan

Leading Lines in Photography By Various Artists



Wayne Bretl

Here is a slide from a trip to Idaho and Oregon in 1984. Roads and

power wires are common leading lines and this slide combines both to

lead to an extremely distant vanishing point. This helps to give some feel

for the scale of the thundercloud, distant mountains, and open range.

© Wayne Bretl

“Idaho to Oregon”

Bob Marx

I was recently working with my new 105mm macro lens while near a train station

and took some shots. The image attached is not anything special, but does have

leading lines that add interest. There's no sense of speed as the train crosses the

roadway, if the crossing gates where not blocked by the trees, that would have

helped.

© Bob Marx

“Arrival”

Bob Kruzic

I don't have much to say about the leading lines in these pictures other

than the lines on the tarmac naturally lead the eye to the wide angle of the

plane and the diagonal lines of the cement in this Graceland (Chicago)

memorial lead right to the cherub.

© Bob Kruzic

“Into The Wild Blu Yonder”

© Bob Kruzic

“Graceland Cherub”


(continues from previous page)




Gary Smith

I have spent a lot of time in Kentucky where my out, oops, in-laws

reside. Over the years, I have been to many strip job mining sites to get

coal. The seams of coal there are not much more that four feet thick

and under 100 feet of rock. The photo here is of a strip job near Gillette,

Wyoming where coal is shallow and thick. I used the two lines of the

coal seam, about 25 feet thick, on the right to take the viewers eye to

the far end of this section of the mine. The electrical power lines in the

foreground take your eye to the conveyor belt on the left, which along

with the coal seam, leads you to the far reaches of the mine and helps

the viewer to understand the immensity of the operation.

Near Mountainair, New Mexico is an old Spanish Mission at Abo built around 1630. The people

that lived in the pueblos and who built the mission named Quari. They were a Tiguex Pueblo

band of American Indians that originated in present-day New Mexico. They were later driven to

the Rio Grand because of Apache hostilities.

The photo of a door in the mission is an example of a leading lines. The shadow on the floor

leads to the bottom of the door where it takes a sharp turn upwards and follows along the door

jam to the lintel above the door, framing the outside. In addition, if your eye drifts beyond the

shadows into the bright light of the stone, you are almost driven back into the cool of the shaded

door way.

I received my new 70-200mm f2.8 lens and couldn't wait to get out and give

it a try. It was getting cloudy, but there was some sun in the late

afternoon. I was trying to impress myself with my new purchase and went to

the peonies next to my house. I took a number of shots from various angles

with and without some sun. Upon getting the images into my computer, I

started looking them over and this just popped out at me because of my love

of astronomy.

I thought of the Club Newsletter and this month’s challenge, " Leading

Lines." In this case the line, is circular, as in several planets in orbit around

their sun. I named it, "Plantets in Orbit." Their sun, while not big enough to

classify as a Red Giant, is still red.

© Gary Smith

“Spanish Mission”

© Gary Smith

“Gillette, Wyoming”

© Gary Smith

“Plantets in Orbit”



Making the Cover of Exposures By Ken Johnson

Beginning with the September edition of the new 2013 - 2014 season, you will notice some slight changes to the look of

Exposures. A recent survey indicated a desire for more “How To” articles and I do hope to include at least one “How To” article

in every edition. To encourage readers to share their wisdom relating to this topic and how they have made a specific

photograph, the reward for sharing this wisdom will be a chance to see their image on the cover of EXPOSURES. Making the

cover of a magazine is considered a prestigious honor. With this thought in mine, I would like to announce a new concept in the

way a photograph may make the cover of Exposures.

How I Made It.

If you have ever wondered how some of the images you see during competition, or in one of the many galleries on our website

were created, you are not alone. There is a saying that goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words”, but a picture may also evoke

many thoughts, including - how the heck did he (or she) make that? John Williams summed up this concept quite well,

“Sharing the making of an image from capture to finish is probably one of the best ways for learning. It can bring up all the

considerations taken into account as well as camera settings, composition and all steps to post processing with before and after

comparisons. To do this is a challenge in itself (to tell the story well), because of all that might be touched on while going

through the making of just one image, but I think everyone would really enjoy that!“

To have the opportunity make the cover of Exposures (reward), you must be willing to share (risk) your vision and workflow of an

image you made. This could be an image that won an award or HM at a club competition. This could be an image you made

during an excursion or outing. This could be a personal success story where you made a simply beautiful photograph.

On the next page, Mike Trahan provides a sample of the type of article I will be looking for. Mike first talks about his vision of the

image and then he goes on to describe the technical details of how he made the photograph. You can see that original

captured image is nothing like the completed photograph.

Since this is a “How I Made It” article, you might include the original image straight from the camera, some interim images and of

course the final image. You should describe your camera settings and anything else about the moment of capture. You might

talk about the editing software you used, your work flow and the editing steps you took to make your final image. As John

mentioned above, it may seem like a challenge to document all of the details but everyone would enjoy the effort. In every edition

of Exposures, you will see the phrase, Share Moments - Share Photography. Your efforts could really help others in the club

learn and appreciate the wisdom of your ways.

Please submit all stories in Word format if possible or a simple text file. The images should be good quality files. Embedded

photographs don’t always provide enough resolution but may be used if they are large enough so show off your quality work.

The image which makes the cover may be an “Editors Choice”, but I may also ask the opinions of a select group of judges.

Please help me make this new How To article something the members will look forward to every month.


Deb Olson

I took this photo at last year's excursion to Stillman Nature Center. The lines of the bridge

invite you to follow the path and enjoy the fall colors.

© Deb Olson



How I Made It By Mike Trahan

Leading Lines

In May of 2010, we were in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland at a delightful bed and breakfast. There was a deck looking out

onto a shallow bay. As sunset approached, I was taking pictures and enjoying the wonderful scene. This final image is a detail

shot of a channel left at low tide. The Black-headed Gull helped make the picture for me with the graceful leading curved line

of the channel bringing your eye to it. One of the reasons I liked the gull so much is that I saw one at Montrose Harbor a

couple of months before for the first time (a lifer!). They are a European bird that was a rare vagrant to Chicago.

I called the image "Black-headed Gull at Sunset" and put it into a club competition at Volo Shutterbugs. One of the judges said

she really liked the image, but reamed me out for about a minute about the title. She said the gull was inconsequential and

took off a point for my idiocy. So, I changed the title to "Low Tide at Sunset"! I thought the gull was a key part of the image,

but who am I to go against the tide?

How Did I Make This Picture?

Here’s a wider angle shot of the scene from the B&B deck

taken earlier in the evening.

I loved the curved channels. As the tide went out a little more,

I saw a Black-headed Gull flying into the channel edge. I

changed to my 100-400mm telephoto and put it at 100mm on

my Canon 7D to take this RAW image with nothing applied

yet. Of course, it’s essential to apply contrast, saturation and

sharpening to every RAW image, which I now automatically

do with a Lightroom user develop preset on import. However,

this was in my earlier days.

© Mike Trahan

“Sunset at Low Tide”

(continues on next page) © Mike Trahan



I wanted everything in focus so I chose f/14. It was getting

darker so I picked ISO 400 at 1/50th of a second on a tripod

using a wired remote shutter release for maximum sharpness.

These seemed like safe settings, so I didn’t bother using

alternative exposures. I took a several shots, but the body

position of the gull was the best in this one. I took many

pictures across the bay, but this one was my clear favorite.

I shot this on Auto White Balance which picked a color

temperature of 6150 Kelvin. (Daylight WB is 5500 and Shade

WB is 7500.) To get the heavily yellow/reddish look I

remembered / wanted, I shoved the white balance slider very

far to the right in post-processing. In the older version of LR,

that was 40,805! I had read about doing that in a landscape

photography book to get that sunset color. I didn’t just go to

that setting, but fiddled around above and below it before

settling on a value, then I adjusted it further after making my other develop adjustments.

The next step for me was to add in contrast/clarity, saturation and vibrancy, and sharpening with a little smoothing. Looking at

the history, I fiddled quite a bit before ending up at these changes in Lightroom (part of the learning experience):

Exposure +.32

Contrast slider +40 with a medium contrast tone curve plus Clarity +20

Saturation +68 plus Vibrance +10 (did I mention that I really wanted to jack up the colorful sunset feeling?)

Sharpening +26 with 20% masking and 6 Luminance noise reduction since it was at ISO 400

Then in looking at the image in PhotoShop, I added more contrast with a curves adjustment and cropped a little at the top.

There was brighter spot in the upper right corner which would draw the viewer’s eye, so I cropped it out. Why in PS? I don’t

know. These could all have been done in Lightroom.

Ok, so maybe this image is on steroids, but people like more dramatic images with rich colors so who am I to go against the

tide. Besides, on this one, I like it too, although now I might tone it down a little. It picked up an HM at club and CACCA

competitions. My wife Kathleen and I liked it enough that we made a 2 ft. x 3 ft. print which hangs framed above our bed.


© Mike Trahan



© Elizabeth Heneks

“Pastel”

Challenges By Linda O’Rourke

Have you accepted the monthly CHALLENGE? Our club enjoys several galleries on our web site one of which is

“CHALLENGES”. I like to think of these as opportunities; an opportunity to hone my skills, develop new techniques, try to

visualize what I want my image to look like and then go for it. I love seeing some of my images on the web site as I am sure

you all do. So, please post to the Challenge Gallery. Remember it is not a competition and the images are not being judged.

They are simply to enjoy. I will put a few of the images posted in “Challenges” Gallery in this article each month in the

Newsletter, to share how our members are taking the Challenge.

Our May “Challenge” was Pastel Colors. I hope you had

some fun with it, these members surely did!

John Rouse had a Sweet Tooth for “Sweet Tarts”. It brought

back some great childhood memories for me. How about

you?

Egon Schein, had some fun with the subject as seen in his

image “I thought you said Pastels”. It’s so much fun to get

creative with a subject.

And then, there was this beauty from Elizabeth Heneks,

“Pastel” a Macro Image. I love the presentation and the

softness of the image.

There are many more images for you in the Challenges

Gallery. We’ve got flowers, insects, chairs and much more -

so take a look!

For those of you who may be new to the club or our long time

members, I hope you will be inspired to join our monthly

“Challenge” and submit some images. The rules are simple.

Photos must be newly taken images between the day the

assignment is given and the end of the given month. Up to ten

images may be submitted on a monthly basis by an individual.

The June Challenge is “Smile” and the August Challenge will

be “Stars and Stripes”

© Egon Schein

© John Rouse


“Sweet Tarts”

“I thought you said Pastels”

http://www.lakecountycameraclub.org/Galleries_Challenges/ch_2013-05_Pastel_Colors.asp

http://www.lakecountycameraclub.org/Galleries_Challenges/ch_2013-05_Pastel_Colors.asp


My Favorite Photograph By Various Artists

Last month, I started a column for “Favorite Photographs”. The word favorite signifies 'special.' The following photographs

are special because they truly are the best of shared moments and shared photographs. I plan to include this column as long

as I continue to receive favorite photographs. Please send any submissions directly to [email protected].

Carol O’Donnell

When I go back to my favorite photos (and I often do), I find

myself returning to pleasant memories and experiences.

However, this image is one that stirs a mixture of emotions

taking me back to a difficult time, but it also captures the power

of determination and recognition of accomplishments. In July of

2011, we celebrated my husband's 60th birthday in Oregon.

Two months later, he had a stroke that affected the entire right

side of his body and a month after that he returned home in a

wheelchair. Rehabilitation is a long journey that requires much

hard work, sacrifice, and goal setting. One of many goals that

Tom set was to return to Oregon to celebrate the year

anniversary of the day our lives forever changed. I took many

pictures of Tom, no longer in need of a wheelchair, walking

near the Haystack at Cannon Beach. This image is my favorite

because it is symbolic of the beauty that can come from obstacles that might be put in your path, and the importance of

setting goals and continuing to do the hard work to reach them.

Don Chen

If someone were to ask me to describe my daughter Kimberly today, I'd say "social

butterfly" without any hesitance. She has an open mind, loud voice, and can talk all

day long (troublesome in classroom from time to time). You would've never imagined

she was really late in developing her speech when she was three years old. She was

extra shy and cautious when approaching anything new. One of her favorite spots

was our upstairs bedroom by the window overlooking the street. She would "hide"

there watching and observing and never ask to go outside to play with other older

kids. This picture was taken with film camera about 10 years ago. I have it framed

and hung in my home office. It always brings back the memory of the "good old days".


© Don Chen

“Kimberly”


© Carol O’Donnell

“Tom at Cannon Beach”

mailto:[email protected]


© Bob and Linda Kruzic


Bob Kruzic

I scanned one of our family favorites. It is a picture of our son when we were in

Egypt in 1988. I think it was taken with a Canon AE-1 with who knows what kind

of film. But, anyway, we were in Abu Simbel to see these giant ancient

monuments, when our son started to climb up the carvings while we were

momentarily distracted. As soon as we saw him we yelled for him to get down -

but not before Linda could snap this picture off. Our son was always fascinated by

rocks, and, of course, Egypt is full of rocks - he loved it. Much later he went on to

get a degree in Geology and has been working in that field ever since - he's now

34 years old. By the way, he has a copy of this picture hanging in his house too.

Mike in Egypt


Ken Johnson

This panorama is one of my favorite images from a recent trip to Kiawah Island. Kiawah Island's 10 mile long beach is one

of the island's major attractions. Like all beaches, Kiawah's beach has undergone periods of erosion (loss of sand) and

accretion (gain of sand). Presently, this is one of the few beaches on the Atlantic Coast where the beach gains shoreline

annually. This is because the living dunes are treated as if they are an endangered species. You are not allowed to walk on

the dune vegetation areas. All home owners are required to build boardwalks - if they desire access to the beach. There

are many lengthy boardwalks all along the beach and most of them are hundreds of feet long.

This is a single image taken with fixed 21mm wide angle lens. I was standing on an adjacent boardwalk looking southwest

on a windy, cloudy day. The boardwalk in the foreground is more than 1000 feet long from the house to the sandy beach. I

was only able to capture a fraction of the length in this image. I find these boardwalks very appealing to the eye, while they

are doing a great service to the environment.

© Ken Johnson

“Boardwalk”


Exploring The World With A Camera

By Gary Smith

In Cold Blood

Not too far from my farm in Kansas is a lane you may

remember. When you saw it, if you did, you saw it in a black

and white movie, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. The house

is where Perry Smith and Richard Hickcock killed the Clutter

family in 1959. It was always of interest to me as I spent the

summer out there in 1958 and knew of the place. The lane is

still lined with the same Chinese elm trees that lead to the

Clutter’s house. I have talked with the current owner who is

quite a character. I was on my way with two friends to climb

the highest mountain in New Mexico when we passed through

the town of Holcomb, Kansas. Since the house was only a few

blocks from the highway, my buddies wanted to see it. We

drove up the lane you see in the photo and the exact same one in the movie. Well the fella who now owns the house, I think

his name was Rodger, was in his pickup at the end of the lane in front of the house. He must have been lonely as he talked

to us for a half an hour. He told us about the murders and the Clutter daughters that were not at home that fateful night. I

almost had to be rude to leave ol’ Rodger, but we had miles yet to go that day.

Huge Fire Ahead

I was driving southwest to Tucumcari, New Mexico on old Hwy

54 when Earl and I spotted what looked like a huge fire far

ahead. The smoke from it seemed to cross the sky for mile upon

mile. In fact it was so prominent, I had to stop and take a

picture. Knowing we would be driving very close to the source,

we discussed what it might be for quite a few miles as we

approached. Earl said, “It surely can’t be a forest fire, hell there

aren’t enough trees out here.” Well it didn’t take much intellect

on my part to agree with him.

We drove on discussing all the possibilities before the truth

became known. Ha, we didn’t have to call the dog-gone EPA

after all. The seemingly long smoke trail was just a low cloud

that happened to intersect the rising smoke from a small ranch

fire. But hey, it helped pass some traveling time.

“In Cold Blood”

Huge Fire

Nothing Much

All Images © Gary Smith



Creative Photography - 6 Handy Tips By Josh J Johanness

Like the name implies, creative photography supposes plenty of imagination. Despite the fact that not everybody is made for

creative photography, it must be mentioned that you can learn how to use this technique in your best interest. It only takes a

touch of innate creativity coupled with several useful tips and advice that will help you perfect your shootings. Here are 6 tips

that will certainly benefit you in the long run:

1. Don't Be Afraid To Break The Boundaries

One of the most common mistakes amongst beginner photographers (and not only!) is that they are afraid of breaking the

patterns, of trying something new and revolutionary, something no other photographer has tried in the past. It is OK to be

different, and remember the thumb rule when it comes to photography: you can break all the rules of photography, as long as

the final result is outstanding!

2. Use Tricks In Your Best Interest

Every photographer, regardless of how good he is uses tricks and photo editing programs to enhance the quality of his

images. Trick photography is a great way to take pictures on a budget, as you do not need to invest in heavy equipment nor

do you need a certain environment to take a unique shot that can make history. Photo editing programs, on the other hand,

are widely used all over the world - from correcting skin flaws to adding a touch of color to clouds or a lightning, these

programs are truly amazing and they can help you.

3. Become Familiar With Shutter Speeds

In a nutshell, there are two types of exposure: long exposure and short exposure. This refers to the amount of time the

camera's shutter is open. The shutter speed coupled with the aperture of the lens determine the amount of light that reaches

the film. A slower shutter speed is recommended if you want to introduce an element of blur, while a very fast shutter speed

can make a moving object to appear frozen.

4. Macro Photography

The world is amazing in all its beauty, so why not take photos of the small elements of nature that we often ignore? A bug, a

butterfly or a caterpillar - they can all be great elements for creative photography. This is where macro photography steps in

and allows you to zoom very much without distorting the quality of the image in any way. Up-close shots require the macro

technique, otherwise the object in the picture will be blurry and your effort is in vain.

5. Think Outside The Box!

In the end, this is the purpose of creative photography - it aims to teach both photographers and their subjects how to think

outside the box. Do you have an outrageous idea that you want to use in your future shootings? If so, then go for it! Dress up

as your favorite character, wear your high school's mascot costume or add some homemade items and crafts - whichever

suits you best!

6. Diversify Your Sources Of Inspiration

It is essential to broaden your horizons and to diversify your sources of inspiration if you want to practice creative

photography. Some of the world's most renowned photographers did not start off as photographers from the very beginning -

some of them were painters, others were actors. The secret is to use perspective in your best interest, to find different

inspiration sources and draw your creativity from them. Whether it is a painting, a movie, the surrounding nature or a very

deep song that strikes you, creativity is everywhere - you just need to find the "creativity fountain" and exploit it!

Learn more about creative photography in particular what is trick photography at PhotographyMysteries.com

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Avoid the Burn, Rain and Itches

For Fun Summertime Photography By Mark Theriot

If you’re looking to enjoy the great outdoors (or even your own backyard) for some great

summer photography, it pays to be prepared. Even if you’re not laying in the weeds to get that

next great shot, just being outdoors can bring you into contact with mosquitos, chiggers and

ticks – not to mention that summertime sun. When it’s really hot outside, it can be tempting to

strip down to shorts, flip-flops and a tee shirt. Depending on our much “outdoors” you are

planning to handle, that might not be the best solution. Now, I’m probably on the extreme side

– being outside during the “buggiest” times for several hours, but here are the 3 tricks that

work for me.

Pick the Right Clothes

Look for light duty material in both pants and long sleeve shirts that are thin, quick drying and provide rated UV protection.

This shirt from Cabelas is one of my stand-byes. Not only is it extremely light and comfortable, but it provides UPF-50

sunblock protection. Look for similar qualities in your pants and a good lightweight hat that helps keep of the sun off your

neck.

Don’t skimp on your foot protection either. This doesn’t mean you have to wear hiking boots all the time (although that’s not

bad depending on where you’re going) but a good pair of hiking shoes that are water resistant

are a great idea.

Treat Your Gear to Some Protection

Waterproof your gear

While a raincoat is optimum for a full downpour, the quick showers and light rain you are likely

to run in to during most summer outings can effectively be deterred by a little preparation.

I use a NIKWAX waterproofing spray on my pack-backs, vest, shoes, boots and hats. It does a

great job of adding that extra touch of water resistance. NIK has other products for clothes,

check them out as well!

Bugproof your gear

There are special shirts you can buy that are infused with insect repelling material, but

they are expensive and don’t really last through many washings – so why not make

your own clothes insect repellent.

Checkout a product called Permethrin. While DEET is the ultimate in bug protection,

I’m happy to limit its use on my skin as much as I can. Treating my clothing, boots, hat,

vest and backpack with a Permethrin spray, I’m able to go almost entirely “DEET Free”

for most outings.

I’ll usually treat all of my gear every 6 weeks or so – it has no smell when dry and easily

lasts through 5 or 6 washings.

Accessorize for success

In addition to any personal medications you carry for allergies or other treatments, don’t

forget portable versions of insect repellent, sun protection and itch relief. These small

tubes and vials take up hardly any space and come in handy when you need them!

One more accessory to consider – OFF Clip-on Mosquito Repellent. I’m been

extremely impressed with this for keeping ticks and mosquitos away. It does not work

very well while you’re moving, but once you’ve stopped (and stay in one place) for about

a minute, it does a great job providing you with a bubble of protection. In fact, it works so

well, that along with my Permethrin treated clothing, I don’t use bug spray any longer.

Have fun, stay protected and enjoy your summer photography!

Make your clothes insect repellent

Young buckaroo learning the ropes

NIKWAX

Great for packs, shoes and hats

Treated clothing should last 5 to 6 weeks


Leading Lines · 2015-02-17 · photographic scene. Certainly, Leading Lines are a technical detail...

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Transcript of Leading Lines · 2015-02-17 · photographic scene. Certainly, Leading Lines are a technical detail...