Photographers often obsess about sharpness. The sharpness of the lens, the number of megapixels in the camera's sensor, hand held techniques for stability or investing in quality tripods. This obsession is especially true for landscape photographers but also applies to street, sports and portrait photographers. But photos that freeze the moment sometimes miss that special element. The element that helps to complete the story. The sense of the wind, the flow of water, the movement of dancers, the excitement of participants in a parade. The photo above captures the coordinated movement of flags at a parade giving a sense of the performance while at the same time providing a sharp capture of the performers faces. I think this helps to transport the viewer into the moment more effectively that a freeze frame capture. In the photos below the same principle applies by contrasting movement with sharp image elements:
So the next time you're out thinking of capturing the moment, think about incorporating some movement into your photo, you may be pleasantly surprised. Thought for the Day
"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." Edgar Degas
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The Gull River near Minden next to the Wildwater Preserve is one of my favourite places to take sports-action photos of kayakers playing in the water. It requires a considerable amount of skill to navigate the upper rapids and lots of opportunities for a skilled kayaker to show off his or her stuff. The white water course is relatively short, with lots of nice locations to drop your tripod with camera and take part in the action. The first five images were taken at high shutter speed of 1/500 sec or faster. This allows you to freeze motion such as water droplets. For a more interpretive photo I also took a number of shots at slower shutters speeds to show the incredible flow of water and spray. These shots were taken at shutter speeds between 1/10 and 1/20 of a second.
One important thing to remember is that your meter can be easily fooled by the extreme contrasts in the scene. This often results in blown out water highlights and water that lacks texture. I usually underexpose by 1/3 or 1/2 stop (or more) to ensure that I haven't lost the details in the water. Thought for the Day “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” Pablo Picasso |
Eric David
Eric David is a visual artist / fine art photographer that lives and works in Toronto. Archives
March 2020
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