I’d like to think that there’s two photographers bottled up in this mind that’s been covered over with curly whitish gray hair. One that is calculating, and always wanting to “make pictures” by scouting ahead of time to know exactly where the sun is going to come up and go down. One that wants to know where the shadows will fall, how long they will be and when they’ll disappear. Someone that rarely photograph what he sees and as a result photographs what he’d like to see; in other words a story-teller.

The other person in me loves to throw a camera over his shoulder and just head out to the great beyond, not knowing if he’ll come back with anything or not. Truth be told, after forty-four years of shooting, I feel pretty good in the fact that I’ll see something worth raising a camera up to my eye for. I was a street shooting long before I started working in advertising and corporate design. Shooting for AP, UPI, and  Black Star tends to leave an indelible mark on you, and you really never shake it. Being chased down the street during the race riots in the sixties will do it to you. When you mix that with an art background and an eye for graphic design, to me the results can be wonderful.

One of the ways to do this is one that I always talk about to my online class with the BPSOP, and with my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around the planet…Recognizing the moment.  What I mean is to be out and about with your camera at the ready, and recognize the makings of a good photo. In the above photo, I was recently standing in the main plaza during my Spain workshop and saw this amazing row of triangle shaped shadows. It was a strong enough graphic to have just shot it and walked away happy.

Recognizing in that moment that if I could add a layer of interest, something besides the light, color, and design of the situation, I could make it even more interesting. It would change it from a purely graphic representation to a more editorialized one…why you ask? Because by adding a human element, it tells a story. And by waiting, it paid off when a man on the far left bottom corner walked in and stopped. And as Eddie Adams once said, “when you get lucky, be ready”.

Remember the next time you go out that it’s a well-known fact that people like to see people in photographs. Learn to recognize the moment, and your imagery will most definitely move what I refer to as “Up a notch”.

Visit my brand new website at: www.joebaraban.com, and be sure to check out my upcoming workshops at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime.

JoeB

In my online class with the BPSOP, we work on the basic elements of visual design and how to incorporate them into our imagery. When I’m walking around with my fellow photographers that have signed up for one of my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I’m also pointing out these same elements, and showing ways to make them the subject. I have even gone so far as to make this concept part of the online class lesson.

In the following posts I will share with you each one of these elements and examples of photos that  represent said lessons.

Ok, so let’s start with SHAPE: Shapes are all around us and whether the viewer knows it or not, he’ll react when he sees them. Used in our imagery, shapes will provide a sense of structure to your composition. The four basic shapes are: circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles.

FYI, the shapes that are similar but are more irregular such as an isosceles triangle or a trapezoid have more energy. Besides those that are more prevalent in our world, the diamond is a great shape, filled with a great deal of energy and evokes a sense of motion; not to be overlooked. Repeating these shapes will provide a sense of unity, and can be perceived by the viewer as one group.

Btw, a great example of diamonds can be found on most chain link fences.

The ability to “see past first impressions” is the key in providing the various shapes to create stronger images. One may look at a series of beautiful sailboat silhouetted against a dramatic sunset racing towards the finish line and just see the sailboats. That’s the left side of your brain at work, the analytical side.

However, if you were to switch that side off, and look at the same group of sailboats with the right side of your brain, the creative side, you will see the beautiful backlit row of triangles glowing from the warm, late afternoon sky.

Look for shapes, and introduce them into your photography. Try making these four basic shapes the actual subject. Once you train yourself to see with that side of your brain and forget about the labels we put on things, your photographs will take on a new meaning and have a much better chance of being remembered.

In the above photo, the left side of the brain sees caution, directional, and warning signs. The right side, the creative side, sees a series of triangles.

So, the next time you go out shooting, think about this post and try to make Shape the subject.

Visit my brand new website at: www.joebaraban.com, and check out my workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime.

JoeB

In my online class with the BPSOP, and in my “Stretching your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around the planet, we work on ways to use the elements of visual design to help take our imagery what I always refer to as “Up a notch”. In my part II class, we spend a lot of time on Line.

When thinking about the effects the psychology of Gestalt has on our imagery, one has to consider the facts about visual perception, and the methods we use to gain attention to our photography. What’s important is how we manage what the viewer perceives and processes when looking at the visual information we lay out to him in the form of a photograph. Humans rely on perception of the environment that surrounds them. Visual input is a part of our everyday life, and as photographers it’s our prime objective to present this visual information in a way that takes control of what the viewer sees when looking at our imagery.

The more ways we can have the viewer move around our composition, while at the same time leaving and entering it through the use of these concepts, the longer they will stick around. The more things we can get the viewer to discover while moving him around the frame will also keep them around longer. Isn’t that what we want?

Now let’s talk about Line. It’s the most important of all the elements. Without Line, none of the other elements would exist. You and I would cease to exist, as well as planes, trains, car, etc…why? Because we all have an outLINE. Line is a great vehicle in moving our viewer around the frame. I use it all the time in my imagery. The ultimate composition is where I’ve been able to lead the viewer around my frame to some kind of payoff at the end. Although that’s not a major criteria, it does add another layer of interest.

I don’t know about the rest of my fellow photographers, but for me, I want the viewer to look at a photo for as long as possible; at least six to eight seconds. You might not think that’s a long time but try looking at  someone’s photo somtime and you’ll see that it really is.

If it doesn’t pull at some inner feeling right away, then there’s little chance that the viewer will want to spend any time on it. Using leading and directional lines is one of the quickest ways to get their attention; especilly in the form of a Vanishing Point.

Take a look at these images where I’ve taken control of what the viewer does and then I’ll often lead him to a payoff by using Line.

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Visit my new website at: www.joebaraban.com, and check out my workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime.

JoeB