Week 10: Selective Focus

This week, I went back to techniques of the trade. I found an article on Outdoor Photographer centered around using selective focus in photography. The writer, Gary Hart, discusses utilizing a shallow depth of field in order to create images that emphasize and highlight subject detail while creating "focus blur" in the background. He writes on the many factors that go into shooting a creative selective focus image, like camera considerations (lenses, tripod, extension tubes, etc.), choosing a foreground/background combination that's complementary, focusing on the subject, managing the depth of field, and, most importantly, remembering that the camera sees the scene differently than you see it. I especially liked his list detailing how your depth of field will be shallower and your background more blurred the closer your focus point, the longer your focal length, and the larger your aperture. I also liked reading about breaking down a specific shot like this, thinking about what goes into it. It's a lot in one, but being mindful of these things while practicing taking these shots will, I think, speed up the learning process and better the results thereafter.


Link to article and photo: https://www.outdoorphotographer.com/tips-techniques/nature-landscapes/using-selective-focus/  

Week 10: Share 2 and Critique

For this week, I tried my hand at editing some of my photos. I'm still trying to figure out what to use on the image and when to use it; that takes practice, so I think I'll get better with time. But, as I'm beginning to see, editing is a finite work.

Week 8: Elephant Feet

Have you ever thought about an elephant's feet? I hadn't, not until I saw this picture.

Greg du Toit took this photo from inside a waterhole in Botswana. Born in South Africa, he is a professional wildlife photographer (we are going on one of his safaris for our photography trip). Looking into his work, I became interested in the kinds of pictures he takes and how he takes them. Perspective is an incredibly powerful thing, and he messes with it in a tasteful way, especially in his project "Inside the Waterhole." 

Photography well-done allows us to see through different eyes. We instantly switch from looking to seeing. It allows us to focus on pieces that then change the way we think of the whole. The world around us then becomes richer and fuller, more meaningful and more inspiring. We start thinking about elephant feet. I want this for my photography, to help people see.

Link to Greg du Toit's photos and website: http://gregdutoit.com/index.php?page=elephant_montage_ftf

Week 8: Share 2 and Critique

I took this picture in a moving vehicle traveling Montana-bound from North Dakota in the beginning of September. The sun was so red from the smoke in the air, and the clouds were doing cool things, and I was slightly bored, so I took my phone out and started clicking.

I took this picture this past Saturday on campus. Leaves from the trees were falling off everywhere, and the colors were changing so dramatically, even from tree to tree.

Week 7: Reminders

With Africa on the brain, I have been researching places, logistics, tips, and necessities for our trip. I came across this article this week, and I liked a lot of its suggestions, things I  hadn't necessarily remembered to take into account. For example, bring plenty of memory cards and a device to back up our images. Take notes; jot down the names of animals and land features our tour guides mention. It also discussed some good reminders while on a photo safari, like don't forget to take photos of your family or the people you're travelling with. Those little things can be easily forgotten when dealing with such a large scale trip, and this article was a good reminder.

 

 Link to article and photo: https://www.gadventures.com/blog/tips-photos-african-safari/