July 13, 2009

In and Around Houston #1

A few weeks ago at a meeting of the Bay Area Photo Club, I walked into a conversation that went something like this:

Member #1: “There is just not much to photograph in Houston. I am planning a trip to Place X next month. Really looking forward to working on some new techniques I have been reading about.”

Member #2: “I know what you mean. I have not taken a photo in Houston that I think is very good in over a year. I plan on going to Place Y next week. There are so many good photographing opportunities there.”

Member #3: “I wish I was going some place, but just cannot get away anytime soon. Larry, how about you?”

Larry: “Daaaa. I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it.”

I have been thinking about his conversation a lot over the past few weeks. During the Next Step workshop last year, Craig Tanner said that he felt like great photos come from within the photographer and that by allowing your photography to be dictated by what you were shooting, limits you as an artist. I then recalled my experience in Naches, Mississippi last year (written about on my December 4, 2008 blog).

By no means do I want anything that I write to be interpreted as being a put-down of anyone in the conversation. But, I decided that my fellow members were talking about “taking photos, rather than, making art.” Here, I use a very loose definition for “art”—to me, “art” in photography means putting my own unique interpretation on what I am photographing.

With all this in mind, I decided to give myself an assignment: spend a day photographing Houston and publish at least five photographs on my blog. I decided that I would limit myself to one lens, use only available light and not photograph any people (because you could photograph people anywhere); however, I would not limit the post-processing of my images to Lightroom only—any and all post processing will be on the menu.

As I drove around looking for places to photograph, I found several locations that would make for good photographs, but not in the current light. Since it was my assignment and I could do what I wanted, I changed the rules to ten photographs over a two-day period.

A project like this must start with a sunrise photo. What makes a good sunrise photo? Sun, clouds and water. So, my first photo comes from Kemah area. Luckily, the sun was cooperating when I got to Kemah. I took several shots, including some bracketed shots for HDR processing and thought that I was finished, when this bird landed on a piling. The bird made a good anchor for the photo’s foreground. I wanted the photo to be very traditional landscape photo with a foreground anchored by the bird, a middle ground anchored by the pilings and finally the background of the sun hid by the clouds. Overall, I was happy with the results, but I did wish that there was more orange in the sunrise, but decided that I would not change that aspect in the post processing.

Enjoy.

Camera settings: Nikon D3, Nikon 28-70mm f/2.8 at 30mm with a polarizing filter attached, shot at ISO 200, f/13 and 1/180th of a second on a tripod.

Post Processing:

Lightroom—Set white and black points, added mid-tone contrast, clarity.

Photoshop—ran nik Color Efex Pro tonal contrast filter to add contrast to shadows, mid-tones and highlights to the water and added a curves adjustment to the sky for overall contrast.

6 comments:

  1. I would not have thought about the three different anchor points in the photo if you had not mentioned them. I do see what you mean. They do make your eye fix on them for a split second. I agree more orange would have made this nice but I am glad that you did not change it. This is the type of photo that I would look at many times.
    Debbie

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  2. I, too, believe there is a photo waiting to be discovered all around us....and there are photos inside a photo as pointed out by the three anchor points in your above photo. Each can stand alone. Someone once said that the best photos are within 25 miles from your home....you just need to open your eyes and see.

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  3. I think this will be a most interesting exercise. You have made a great start to your assignment. I like the composition and the colors. Look forward to what is to come.
    Ted

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  4. I usually think of the elements in a photograph as foreground, middle ground and background rather than "anchor points" but whatever words you use this image has all 3 very nice ones. This image conveys a feeling of calm for me, with the slight undulation of the waves and the resting bird. I totally agree that you can make "artistic" photographs anywhere, even in Houston, but also I have found that when I inevitably hit a slump it can revive my photograpy to go to new places and see new things, even if it is only a few miles away. We have so many choices in this area from the urban environment of Houston to the beaches and wildlife in Galveston and the many parks and nature centers, even the Cockrell Butterfly Center or Mercer Arboretum. Also I have found that I always find something interesting to photograph on our photo club field trips. I am looking forward to all your posts in this series, what a great inspiration.

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  5. What's the saying, "Long time follower, first time poster". I have never been to Houston and to be honest with you have never heard that many good things about your area except the people are really nice. I look forward to seeing what you will be doing the next few days. This is a nice, not over done sunrise.
    Alan

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  6. I have a little more sympathy for your numbered club members. Since I started studying photography, I have heard and read that truly professional photographers can find an image anywhere in anything; it is just the limits they impose on their imaginations that stops them. Professional photographers probably must find that image each time to keep eating. Us “Fun” photographers have a little more leeway. We can just look again on the next occasion. Sometimes a change in the environment is a positive for our imaginations. Many major corporations have “brain storming” sessions away from the normal environment. I am still intrigued by your project and will watch your future blogs.

    The features that I liked about the sunrise were: the bird is a silhouette (I am a fan of silhouettes); the perpendicular intersection of the sun beams with the waves; the sun behind the clouds and the sun rays projecting outward. I am no expert but I struggled a little with the colors. Maybe it is my monitor.

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