A Lesson in Composition

As I was out a few days ago in this amazing fall season, I came across these beautiful trees in all their fall color splendor.  I couldn’t resist grabbing a shot, but there was the road.  I really didn’t want the road in the shot, but there was no denying where I was.  That being, along the road.  So I tried a few different compositions without the road in the shot and it simply wasn’t working.  Not only were the trees roadside, but they were on a hill and the light was coming in the uphill to downhill direction.  I walked up and down, got high and low, trying to get  the evergreen on the left, and it’s colorful neighbors too.  Other angles without the road cut off the bottoms of the trees because of the hill.   So ultimately, I just decided to go with it, and include the road. Cropping and cloning in photoshop also disrupted what I wanted in the image so again, in post, I embraced the road and left it in.  The old adage in composition is that it’s not what you include, but what you exclude from the shot.  I guess in this case I broke a rule, but happy I did in the long run.  Have a great day!!

A Ray of Light

Wow, it’s been along time. I can’t believe I haven’t posted in over a year. It’s amazing how so many things creep in and steal your attention. This time of year always brings me back to the blog however, because it is nearing the anniversary of when I started this endeavor. I’m a bit sentimental, plus I’m reminded of this because of the bill WordPress sends me for my automatic renewal, which arrived a few days ago. Not only that, but this is easily my favorite time of year to get out there and photograph the world. The trees are turning, and an early morning hike through the woods takes on a magical tone. I was out the other day and managed to grab this shot of a singular light shaft as it made its way through the trees. This time of year, the trees not only change color, but the sun is at nice low angles in the sky as well. With the leaves falling, the sun makes its way deep into the woods, under the canopy. It’s an amazing time to be a photographer. Make sure you find a moment to take it all in; you won’t regret it.