I’ve tried nature landscapes a number of times and I think I’ve got a shot or two that I like but in general, I usually just get a big green mess of blah.
For all three photos, I was drawn to the contrast of a bright subject against a dark background. Black and white feels like the right choice, emphasizing the interplay between light and shadow. I think I like the first one the best, particularly the way the light falls on one side of the building.
These are great. I bet you could find some interesting ‘structural’ moments out there. The tangle of branches in the upper right of your third image caught my eye…
Thanks. Tell me more about what you mean by ‘structural moments.’ I’m intrigued. Good eye on the branches… I didn’t notice those but sometimes my eye will notice those, and the I deliberately try to shoot them but they just blend into the background when I do.
What draws your eye to buildings/architecture? Is it the lines, form, color, textures?
I can start this by saying, I too, am not great at the grand vista of traditional landscape photographs. I find them pretty, but not as interesting, so I tend to look for the smaller moments. Trees feel like a gateway. For example, I’m obsessed with eucalyptus trees (I know, I know, there are a lot of strong feelings around them, especially here in the Bay Area). I find their branching structure to be architectural, almost like the sweep of a roof line. (Our native oaks can have some strong lines too.) Or how a row of them can mimic building columns or even a mass of a wall. The bark and the way it peels down can create such interesting textures and forms. What caught my eye on the branches in your third image was the way they were creating a rectangular shape, almost like an outline of another structure.
Landforms and the shifts in vegetation can create interesting shapes and lines as well, like in your first image behind the structure.
It may also be an exercise in getting closer to the subject and playing with depth of field (f/6.3? F/5.6? Wider even?) and letting that ‘green mess’ be a less defined shape of its own.
What a great question, thanks. I like all of the the lines, texture, shapes, etc. I think I like modern art e.g. Mondrian and when I go out and I spot pieces of architecture I like its like me creating my own little modern art work from something I saw… that maybe someone else didn’t notice. Which is also my way of trying to tell people to stop and notice.
Where in the Bay Area are you? If you look at enough of my photos here and on joshuaw.com you’ll figure out I am in Burlingame and spend a lot of time in San Francisco and Sonoma. In fact tomorrow’s post (if I get to writing it) is about Burlingame Point.
I’m going to print this out and put it in my camera bag to look at next time I am out:
Landforms and the shifts in vegetation can create interesting shapes and lines as well, like in your first image behind the structure.
It may also be an exercise in getting closer to the subject and playing with depth of field (f/6.3? F/5.6? Wider even?) and letting that ‘green mess’ be a less defined shape of its own.
The snake-like thing in the second photo is intriguing. It has qualities that are human, animal and vegetable. It's both interesting and slightly unsettling, which makes it a good photo.
I feel the same about my own landscapes (green mess of blah). I think landscapes generally do that for me anyways. I feel like it has to be something MAGICAL. Or captivating. Loving these shots for just that reason. Agree with Mark (18 April) - that snake thing is... WEIRD. Love it.
You have an eye for abstraction in the landscape
Short but sweet. Love the black and white!
Well done. You definitely made the right decisions.
For all three photos, I was drawn to the contrast of a bright subject against a dark background. Black and white feels like the right choice, emphasizing the interplay between light and shadow. I think I like the first one the best, particularly the way the light falls on one side of the building.
These are great. I bet you could find some interesting ‘structural’ moments out there. The tangle of branches in the upper right of your third image caught my eye…
Thanks. Tell me more about what you mean by ‘structural moments.’ I’m intrigued. Good eye on the branches… I didn’t notice those but sometimes my eye will notice those, and the I deliberately try to shoot them but they just blend into the background when I do.
What draws your eye to buildings/architecture? Is it the lines, form, color, textures?
I can start this by saying, I too, am not great at the grand vista of traditional landscape photographs. I find them pretty, but not as interesting, so I tend to look for the smaller moments. Trees feel like a gateway. For example, I’m obsessed with eucalyptus trees (I know, I know, there are a lot of strong feelings around them, especially here in the Bay Area). I find their branching structure to be architectural, almost like the sweep of a roof line. (Our native oaks can have some strong lines too.) Or how a row of them can mimic building columns or even a mass of a wall. The bark and the way it peels down can create such interesting textures and forms. What caught my eye on the branches in your third image was the way they were creating a rectangular shape, almost like an outline of another structure.
Landforms and the shifts in vegetation can create interesting shapes and lines as well, like in your first image behind the structure.
It may also be an exercise in getting closer to the subject and playing with depth of field (f/6.3? F/5.6? Wider even?) and letting that ‘green mess’ be a less defined shape of its own.
What a great question, thanks. I like all of the the lines, texture, shapes, etc. I think I like modern art e.g. Mondrian and when I go out and I spot pieces of architecture I like its like me creating my own little modern art work from something I saw… that maybe someone else didn’t notice. Which is also my way of trying to tell people to stop and notice.
Where in the Bay Area are you? If you look at enough of my photos here and on joshuaw.com you’ll figure out I am in Burlingame and spend a lot of time in San Francisco and Sonoma. In fact tomorrow’s post (if I get to writing it) is about Burlingame Point.
I’m going to print this out and put it in my camera bag to look at next time I am out:
Landforms and the shifts in vegetation can create interesting shapes and lines as well, like in your first image behind the structure.
It may also be an exercise in getting closer to the subject and playing with depth of field (f/6.3? F/5.6? Wider even?) and letting that ‘green mess’ be a less defined shape of its own.
That’s a great way to look at the world. Mondrian did paint trees early on, so maybe there’s something there? 😄
I’m in Berkeley and spend time up in our Regional Parks and in Oakland.
The snake-like thing in the second photo is intriguing. It has qualities that are human, animal and vegetable. It's both interesting and slightly unsettling, which makes it a good photo.
Thanks for your comments this morning. I love hearing from your insightful eye. You’ve got good observations
I feel the same about my own landscapes (green mess of blah). I think landscapes generally do that for me anyways. I feel like it has to be something MAGICAL. Or captivating. Loving these shots for just that reason. Agree with Mark (18 April) - that snake thing is... WEIRD. Love it.