Using the Rule of Thirds

One rule of thumb for taking good photos is the rule of thirds:

The basic principle behind the rule of thirds is to imagine breaking an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have 9 parts. As follows.

- See more at: http://digital-photography-school.com/rule-of-thirds#sthash.ZqhNtutA.dpuf

The basic principle behind the rule of thirds is to imagine breaking an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have 9 parts. As follows.

- See more at: http://digital-photography-school.com/rule-of-thirds#sthash.ZqhNtutA.dpuf

First of all, imagine that your picture space is divided into thirds both horizontally and vertically, like a tic tac toe grid.

The photography rule of thirds tells us to align our subject with one of the points where those lines cross. That means our subject is one third of the way “into” the picture space – from either the top or bottom, and from either the left or right. And that means it’s not in the middle. Of course rules are made to be broken--so remember your photos are YOURS to make.

Here are some of my photos using the rule of thirds.  

Fall is well on the way to peak in Vermont so I've been practicing taking photos in anticipation.  Here are a few samples with attempts to capture all sorts of light--cool, warm, harsh and soft.  Plus back light, front light and side light.  So many options!

cool light

warm light

soft light

harsh light

back lit

side lit

front lit

After viewing these larger, I realize I need to clean my camera!

Poppyville, Vermont

The poppies are starting in my garden and soon will be riotous!

Final Class Portfolio

Final Portfolio

2013Digital Class

Five Photographers That I Like

Freeman Patterson:  http://www.freemanpatterson.com/giclee_prints.htm

Andre Gallant: http://andregallant.com/?pageID=976628

Eddie Soloway: http://www.eddiesoloway.com/see/galleries/

Lia Rothstein: http://liarothstein.com/

Fong Qi Wei:    http://fqwimages.com/

EMULATING TWO PHOTOGRAPHERS

 

My assignment was to emulate a photographer and write a research paper about he/she that included why I liked the photographer's work and how I was going to push the emulation further than just copying the style.  Obsessive student that I am I chose two photographers: James Balog and Brenda Tharp.  Balog is a photojournalist and Tharp is a Fine Art Photographer.

  
James Balog is best known for his work on “The Extreme Ice Survey.”  He started this project in 2007 to bring awareness to the plight of a planet being transformed through climate change.  In this innovative series, he uses 25 time-lapse cameras--powered by the sun --to photograph the ongoing retreat of glaciers and ice sheets around the world. 

Although I love the abstract qualities of his photos of the glaciers, his body of work on ancient trees is my favorite. In this series he was determined to photograph the oldest and largest trees of North America before their disappearance.  

Brenda Tharp has been a photographer for more than 25 years and has followed a more traditional path to producing photos than James Balog. Tharp’s interest lies in the beauty of nature for its own sake rather than as a means to teach scientific truths or express values. 

When looking at the photography of both Balog and Tharp I am drawn most to their use of high contrast, simplicity of subject, and abstract composition. Always striving for simplicity, high contrast and abstraction in my emulation of their work, I went further by using color where it was not expected, rotated photos, used photo montage, created some super high contrast photographs and used filters in Photoshop. 

Here are my results:

 

 

Color assignment using dyes

Harmony of Greens

Monochromatic Greens using multiple values of the same color

Cool Blues

Cool colors--shades of blue and purple

Warm colors shades of orange

Different values (light to dark of the same color)