Month: <span>October 2017</span>

Published October 12, 2017 by

For Golden Hour Light, Get up Early

Golden Hour, morning light, sunrise, pond, Nova Scotia,
© Avard Woolaver

For Golden Hour Light, Get up Early (Day 12 of 31)

The best-known examples of the famous Golden Hour occur late in the day. The phrase refers, of course, to that time in the evening, before twilight, when the sunlight can take on a magical richness and intensity. (It often overlaps, as parents know, with the time of day also known as Arsenic Hour or Crazy Time—the period before dinner when adults are worn out and children are impossible.) For photography, Golden Hour light is invaluable. Some of your best outdoor shots have probably been taken then.

There’s another option, of course: getting up early. I can do it, and often have, sometimes for years on end. It’s undeniable, though, that there have been long stretches of my life when I haven’t seen many sunrises. My tendency has always been more toward the night-owl side than the early riser.

Nonetheless, morning light has many of the same inherently beautiful qualities as evening light, and it’s worth making the effort to get up early from time to time. The light is much softer than at midday, and of course it’s much more golden—more yellow-toned. This enhances colours. The light is dimensional, as well. Shadows are longer and softer than during the middle of the day.

One thing you can do to take advantage of this light is just to be aware of the possibilities, twice a day (if you’re up). Be alert to when the Golden Hour falls in your region in the season you’re in. Keep an eye out. If you see some great light, grab your phone or camera and run outside. Sometimes it only lasts a few minutes, so be ready and act fast.

And, if your kids are being cranky and impossible, getting them outdoors for a few minutes may be just what’s needed to keep everyone sane until you get dinner on the table.

(For the month of October 2017, I’m participating in the 31 Days bloggers’ challenge. You can find out about it here, and check out the interesting work other bloggers are posting.)

Blogging Photography

31 Days Avard Woolaver Golden Hour morning light

Published October 11, 2017 by

For a Change of Perspective, Stand on a Balcony or Climb a Tree

perspective, viewpoint, Toronto,
Queen Street, Toronto, 2003                          © Avard Woolaver

For a Change of Perspective, Stand on a Balcony or Climb a Tree (Day 11 of 31)

A simple change of perspective can sometimes give you ideas with your photos. It need not even be a lot of effort. Just getting up high is one way I’ve found to facilitate a shift in viewpoint that can lead to some interesting pictures.

When you’re at a different level, not only do your scenes look different; you also see shapes and details you hadn’t noticed before. People’s expressions and features aren’t quite the same.

Check out the work of Russian photographer Alexander Rodchenko who said, “the most interesting viewpoints of today are ‘from the top down’ and ‘from the bottom up'”. His use of unusual angles, often from above, make his photos captivating and dynamic.

Newness sharpens your mind as much as your eyes. Making minor adjustments to try for a fresh approach can sometimes lead down a path of exploration. That’s been my experience, at any rate—it doesn’t necessarily take a large-scale change to find something that’s satisfyingly novel.

(For the month of October 2017, I’m participating in the 31 Days bloggers’ challenge. You can find out about it here, and check out the interesting work other bloggers are posting.)

Blogging Photography

31 Days Avard Woolaver perspective viewpoint

Published October 10, 2017 by

With Information, Sometimes More is More

information, document,
© Avard Woolaver

With Information, Sometimes More is More (Day 10 of 31)

There’s an enormous sense of satisfaction that comes from being able to take the photo you want—not having to rely on stock photos or on other people’s work.

Much of the mental work required to take these photos lies in becoming a better editor. You learn to edit the objects included; edit the edges of the frame; edit the finished photos. Strip out and pare down. Such restrictions are effective and useful, and they make a streamlined and elegant photo possible.

But of course we’re not always trying to highlight one or two chosen objects. On photographer Eric Kim’s blog there is a great post called Ten Lessons Lee Friedlander Has Taught Me About Street Photography. I like a lot of Eric’s insights but the one I want to draw attention to is number 4: “Incorporate more content into your photos.” With more information your photos can become more interesting and visually complex. They hold the viewer’s attention for a longer time.

When the purpose of a photo is to document a situation, consider whether you want to eliminate details or pile them on by the truckload. If you’re capturing what a particular time and place contains, more information may be just what you want. In those cases, a wide-angle lens works well. Don’t zoom in or edit out; try instead to cram in details, edges, signs, labels, architecture, overhead wires, random occurrences, and stray animals darting across the path. It won’t be as peaceful a shot, but it will be one that’s filled with information.

(For the month of October 2017, I’m participating in the 31 Days bloggers’ challenge. You can find out about it here, and check out the interesting work other bloggers are posting.)

Blogging Photography

31 Days Avard Woolaver documentary information

Published October 9, 2017 by

Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving
© Avard Woolaver

Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving!  (Day 9 of 31)

I hope your day is peaceful.

Here are twenty photos to consider taking today.

  1. A picture of something in everyday life that you’re thankful for.
  2. The turkey, all done but still in the oven.
  3. A pile of shoes by the door, to remember who was gathered together.
  4. A photo of everyone around the table.
  5. The hands of someone you love.
  6. An animal’s eyes.
  7. What you’re wearing.
  8. Dessert.
  9. The view from your bedroom window.
  10. A mirror self-portrait with loved ones.
  11. Light on leaves.
  12. Someone performing a task and laughing.
  13. A musical moment.
  14. A mantelpiece or shelf of family treasures.
  15. The book you’re reading.
  16. A wall hung with old family photos.
  17. Your back door.
  18. Birds in the sky.
  19. Lighted windows at twilight.
  20. A goodbye kiss.

Whether you’re with family, with friends, at work, or at home alone, I wish you a day with some moments of gladness, good memories, and hope for the future.

(For the month of October 2017, I’m participating in the 31 Days bloggers’ challenge. You can find out about it here, and check out the interesting work other bloggers are posting.)

Blogging Photography

31 Days Avard Woolaver Thanksgiving

Published October 8, 2017 by

Annual Traditions Are Overrated

traditions
© Avard Woolaver

Annual Traditions Are Overrated (Day 8 of 31)

It’s Thanksgiving weekend in Canada (tomorrow, Monday, is our Thanksgiving Day), so most Canadians are figuring out the logistics and timing for their dinners—who’s bringing which side dishes, and whether they’ll have time to make a run to the farmer’s market for a pie. It’s in this context—one of feeling profoundly grateful for all the good stuff in our lives—that I’m thinking about annual traditions being overrated.

I’ve realized it’s not the traditions themselves I’m arguing with, here. It’s the pressure they can make us feel. Some traditions require that an enormous number of variables line up right; and if any of them are a bit off, everything goes haywire.

In terms of photography, trying to recreate a certain moment year after year carries the implicit expectation that all the tumblers are going to fall into place: light, weather, people, traffic, moods, finances, health. Far better to go with the flow and keep expectations realistic, I’ve concluded.

The first time my wife and I took our young daughter to see Santa, she was two. A big moment. Unfortunately, the child just ahead of her in line was yelling and hollering as if Santa’s cottage were a house of horrors. “Erica! Erica!” this child’s parents were urging her. “Sit up on Santa’s lap so we can get a picture!”

Blood-curdling screams. Erica seemed to have figured out that David Sedaris insight, that Santa is an anagram of Satan.

Meanwhile, our daughter, observing this scene with enormous concern, was very worried at the thought that she was up next. You could see her wondering what hell we had planned for her.

Our family talked about that outing for years (we still talk about it). This random kid, known to us as Baby Erica, achieved fame in our household and will never be forgotten. (When our own daughter got to see Santa at last, she was, unsurprisingly, cautious; but things went fine.)

Poor Erica, though. We had a lot of sympathy for what that child went through. Better, probably, if her parents had just called it quits and missed the photo. Some of them just aren’t worth it.

(For the month of October 2017, I’m participating in the 31 Days bloggers’ challenge. You can find out about it here, and check out the interesting work other bloggers are posting.)

 

 

Blogging Photography

31 Days Avard Woolaver