We can photograph our subject simply as it is, a faithful record. We can get creative, perhaps using black and white or playing with tone and structure, to produce an image close to the original but not purely representational of it. Or we can interpret the subject with such freedom that it becomes something other than it once was, an abstraction.
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How do you feel about editing photos? Do you believe that the image you take should be the only one you present to the world? That it’s wrong to mess with the reality of what you saw? Or are you perhaps happy to tweak a shot a little, straightening a horizon or cropping out that person who wandered into it as you pressed the shutter?
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A circle is a symbol of unity, eternity, and harmony. When used in a photograph, circular elements give a sense of unity and evoke feelings of serenity and timelessness. An image with circles is usually a restful one.
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Warm colours, such as reds, oranges, and yellows, are often associated with energy, passion, and warmth, evoking feelings of excitement and vibrancy. In photography they leap off the page or screen. It’s hard to ignore a warm-shaded image! The deeper warm shades suggest cosiness and comfort, while the brighter ones are sunny and cheerful.
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In a photo our eyes instinctively take a walk along a line to see where it leads. When it leads to a focal point in the image we talk about leading lines. But wherever they lead, lines can add so much interest to a photo.
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How often have you gazed at a stunning landscape, pulled out the camera to capture its beauty, and been disappointed with the results? All too frequently, flat lighting and dull weather can make the scene look so much less inspiring to the camera lens than it did to your eyes.
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If it is true that light is the key to photography, surely it is especially the case that it is key to drama in photography. The most dramatic photos are often those with the most interesting light, and with strong contrasts between light and dark.
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I find it really difficult to pick favourite photos, at least when it comes to my own. So much depends on my mood, on my associations with the photo (where I was, how I felt at the time); it’s hard to be objective. Other people of course don’t have those associations, for the most part. Maybe it’s easier therefore to rely on their judgement?
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Whoever came up first with that saying ’a picture is worth a thousand words’ didn’t understand the first thing about either one. (Wim Wenders)
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Like many who travel a lot, I prefer to think of myself as more than just a tourist. But I’m never sure it’s as clear cut as that, and I don’t get too offended by the ‘tourist’ tag! I think the truth of the matter is, we are all both at times, depending on where we are and what we are doing.
