In my last post, Creating Art with Photography : Part 1, I explained my artistic process in creating a macro photograph of some woodland berries.  This post will continue in the same line of inquiry, exploring the process of creating a beach landscape image.  The same principles apply, but here we explore the additional possibilities specialized equipment can provide in difficult lighting situations.

Last year my husband and I went to Hawaii for vacation.  Walking on the beach one afternoon, I noticed these awesome rocks on the beach.  I took the photo shown above, but when I looked at it I was disappointed.  The image is fine, in fact many of you have probably brought home similar photographs from your beach vacations.  But I knew there was potential in this scene for a better image, one that was not just fine but amazing!  I could tell the lighting was too harsh, too little of the ocean was showing, and it didn’t have the feeling of peaceful beauty I was experiencing.  I normally prefer to create my landscape images during the “golden hours” (around sunrise or sunset), but it was 2:30 in the afternoon.  You can see the harsh shadows and glare coming off the water and sand, and even the black rocks!  One option would be to come back later when the sunlight would be more flattering, but sometimes the image you want isn’t available at a later time and all you have is now.  I advocate getting the best shot you can at the time.  Then, if you’re able to come back later to try for a better shot, great!  If not, you still have an awesome shot to bring home.

To battle the hot afternoon sun, you need serious weapons.  If you can only afford one weapon, I recommend a filter called the circular polarizer.  I’ve used one in this shot to cut the glare, and you can see what a difference it makes.  The beautiful blackness of the rocks shines through instead of being hidden by ugly glare.  The glare is completely gone from the sand as well, and we’re getting closer to a peaceful image.  I’ve also set my camera on a tripod and changed my angle for this image.  I chose a lower angle to include more of the water and sky.  I increased my aperture from 2.8 to 14 to give depth of focus, and slowed my shutter to 1/6 of a second.  Next I’m going to play with the waves.

Ahh, getting closer!  In this image I have increased my shutter speed to 2 seconds and closed my aperture to f/22.  I’ve set my ISO as low as it can go, but I still would like to slow this image down.  For that, I have to take another weapon from my bag.

Behold, the neutral density filter!  A neutral density filter is one that subtracts light without adding color.  This one allowed me to slow my exposure to 8 seconds, lending a misty look to the water.  I have a little bit of unwanted flare in the image now, which I would have corrected at the time if I noticed it.  Unfortunately, another problem with afternoon sun is that it makes it difficult to see the image review screen.  Luckily, a little flare is no match for Photoshop.  I was happy enough with this one to take it home.  I’m also using a graduated neutral density filter (a rectangular filter with a dark to light gradient) to darken the sky enough to see the pretty clouds.

This shot is the same one from above, after processing in Photoshop.  As I said, I wanted a peaceful image that would remind me of the way I felt while I walked on the beach that day.  I felt the messy sand took away from that goal, so I smoothed the sand.  I optimized the colors, and removed the flare.  I actually returned to this location the next morning to photograph it at sunrise, but this one was still my favorite image.  If you want the recipe for turning your snapshot images into fine art creations, the secret ingredient is thoughtfulness.  If you’re tenacious enough to persist until the image in your camera matches the image in your mind, you’ll have created something unique and priceless.

I think all photographers, regardless of skill and experience level, have a desire to improve their work.  People ask me regularly for tips that will help them take better photos, but there are already countless books and web articles offering quick photography tips and recipes to bring home the perfect shot.  While it does help to have a trick or two up your sleeve and a few good lenses in your bag, the real necessity is your mind.  Wait, don’t go…I didn’t say you need Albert Einstein’s mind.  YOUR mind is what you need.  Even if you don’t fancy yourself an artist, or a genius, I promise you have something to offer to the world of photography.  The number one thing you can do to improve your photography is to keep trying until you find a frame that captures your experience of the subject, and what it meant to you.  Don’t be satisfied with your first try, keep pushing!  In this article I will show you some insight into my process of creating photographic art, and I hope it will give you the courage to push your snapshots to the next level.

I took this photo while wandering around the woods.  I was attracted to the bright colors of the berries, and I thought it would make a nice macro photograph.  Many people would stop here, it’s a nice photo.  I knew it could be better, so I kept trying until I got the frame I wanted.  I noticed some other branches of berries on the same bush, so I went to see what patterns I could make by changing my position.  It’s amazing how the image can change when you change your angle.

This image came next.  I liked it more than my first image, but it still wasn’t quite what I wanted.  The yellow leaf in the top corner bothered me, and I thought the play between the two branches of berries could be more interesting.  My macro lens doesn’t zoom, so all I’m doing at this point is watching, moving myself to slightly different positions and angles, checking the image in the viewfinder, watching, moving, etc.  If I was using a zoom lens, I would also be moving closer to the berries and zooming to wide angle perspectives, then moving far away from the berries and zooming to telephoto perspectives to give different composition options.  Wide angles make your subject look big and your background look small, telephoto angles compress the background.

Getting warm!  This image was almost what I wanted.  I liked the complementary angles of the two berry branches (note:  these are the exact same berries as in the previous photo, the angle is different because I moved myself).  I wanted deeper focus, though.  And I thought the image was just a tiny bit too bright, maybe if it were a little darker the colors would look deeper.  I adjusted my aperture to a higher number (higher number = deeper focus = smaller aperture) and changed my angle very slightly.

THIS was the image I wanted.  You might agree with me that this is the best image, or you might prefer one of the others.  You might think you could’ve photographed these berries in an even better way.  Art is a subjective process, it’s okay to disagree.  If you want to turn your snapshots into art, the key ingredient is thoughtfulness.  Consider your images and decide if they could be better or different, and don’t be afraid to try new ideas.  In fact, be afraid not to try.