Category: <span>Blogging</span>

Published March 20, 2017 by

Photos remind me of songs

music, songs, treble clef, sound, vision,
Treble Clef, Halifax, NS; 2012               © Avard Woolaver       

With the digital revolution, there are more and more photos being taken. It can seem that any particular photo has already been taken numerous times. An interesting piece by Teju Cole in the New York Times relates that photos we see can remind us of other photos. In my case, they often remind me of songs.

A photo of Route 14 in Hants County, Nova Scotia, inevitably brings to mind John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”  Railroad tracks remind me of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.” Strip malls remind me of Talking Heads “Once in a Lifetime,” and springtime calls forth “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles.

Here’s a finding that interests me: “Brain process involved in sight have found the visual cortex also uses information gleaned from the ears as well as the eyes when viewing the world.” This is according to a team of neuroscientists at the Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of Glasgow. Professor Lars Muckli, who led the research, explained in an article for their university magazine, “Sounds create visual imagery, mental images, and automatic projections.”

Sometimes it’s the imagery in the song; sometimes it’s linked to a memory associated with the song.

“Don’t you wonder sometimes ’bout sound and vision,” David Bowie asked us in the song “Sound and Vision.” Yes, we do.

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Photo tip:  Think of a few of your favourite songs and try to take photos that match them.

Black and White Blogging Documentary Observation Photography Social Landscape

2012 Avard Woolaver black and white found objects Nova Scotia observation sound treble clef vision

Published March 15, 2017 by

Forest bathing / Shinrin-yoku

forest bathing, shinrin-yoku, forest, winter, Nova Scotia
Forest Bathing, Newport, NS; 2017            © Avard Woolaver

The Japanese have many terms that we don’t use in English. One of my favourites is “forest bathing”– a leisurely visit to a forest. It is becoming more widely practiced in North America but has been a stress management activity in Japan since 1982. Ben Page, founder of Shinrin Yoku LA, remarked in a USA Today story, “A hike is generally oriented as a journey from point A to point B, whereas forest bathing is not about reaching a physical destination. The destination in a forest-bathing walk is more like a mental space of effortless relaxation and awareness.”

Studies have shown that exposure to nature creates calming neuro-psychological effects leading to reductions in stress, anger, anxiety, depression, and sleeplessness. It’s a good reason to take a walk in the woods whenever possible. I’m fortunate to live near a beautiful forest where I can get some exercise, calm my mind, and take some photos.

It’s pleasurable to walk in the forest, even in winter. There are numerous animal tracks in the snow, as well as interesting ice formations, and plenty of crisp, fresh air.

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Photo tip: Taking forest photos in a relaxed stare of mind is quite different from the immediacy of capturing a moment. Take note of how your vision changes when you are forest bathing.

Blogging Colour Landscape Light Observation Photography

Avard Woolaver forest forest bathing Nova Scotia photography winter

Published March 14, 2017 by

What is in the viewfinder really matters

Travelhome and the Range, Coldbrook, NS; 2017    © Avard Woolaver

 

It seems that good photos have just the right amount of content—not too busy, not too sparse. One famous quote from National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson, advises, “If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of more interesting stuff.” And if you happen to be standing in front of some interesting stuff, there is always the question of how much to include in the frame.

American photographer Lee Friedlander, famous for his pioneering photos of the urban social landscape, has a talent for filling his photos with visual content without making them seem overly crowded. Eric Kim (whom I also cited last week) writes on his blog, ”Friedlander was very conscious of how he framed his scenes, and wanted to add more complexity to his shots through adding content of interest.”

Lee Friedlander accomplished this by using a wide-angle lens—usually a 35mm. That way objects in the foreground can remain in focus along with background elements. Though complexity is not always the answer, it certainly adds interest.

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Photo tip: If you have a wide-angle lens, try shooting with only that lens for a week or two. Make note of how this perspective changes the content in your photos.

Blogging Colour New Topographics Observation Photography Social Landscape

2017 Avard Woolaver Canon Rebel T3 colour content documentary Nova Scotia photography The Image Journey wide angle

Published March 9, 2017 by

Complementary colours create balance

complementary colours, cool warm colours, rear view, winter,
Winter Balance, 2012                            © Avard Woolaver

You may have noticed the use of complementary colours on sports jerseys—blue and orange; red and green; yellow and purple. The combining of colours that are opposites on the colour wheel creates a sense of balance and harmony. It is something to consider when taking colour photographs.

American photographer Joel Meyerowitz, who rose to prominence in the early 1960s, is one of the pioneers of colour photography. In a 2015 Huffington Post interview Meyerowitz observed, “So color was a basic force in my development and I learned, early on, that it had an emotive power that needed to be recognized and which made me become a kind of early missionary for color.” A look through his powerful photographs reveals his use of complementary colours.

Photographer Eric Kim relates on his informative blog (erikimphotography.com) how this can be put into practice, “For example, if you see a mostly cool background color (blue, purple, green)– try to wait until someone with a warm color (red, orange, yellow) shirt walks by. It can be the other way too. You can look for a mostly warm background– and wait for someone with a cool colored shirt to step into the scene.”

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Photo tip: The use of mirrors or reflections can be a way to combine warm colours and cool colours in the same scene.

Blogging Colour Light Observation Photography Social Landscape

Avard Woolaver balance colour colour theory harmony mirror Nova Scotia rearview winter

Published March 8, 2017 by

When your faucet resembles a face

pareidolia, perception, reflection, face,
Window Reflection, 2013                                   © Avard Woolaver

Have you ever looked at the front of a house and seen a face smiling at you? Or looked at some tree bark to see a profile of Elvis Presley? Grab your camera, and take a photo. There may be thousands of others who want to see it, or even buy it.

Pareidolia is the phenomenon of the mind seeing a familiar pattern of something that doesn’t really exist. The most common examples are animal shapes in clouds, the man in the moon, and faces found on various surfaces, including toast.

It is not new—Leonardo Da Vinci wrote of pareidolia as an artistic device, “Look at walls splashed with a number of stains, or stones of various mixed colours. If you have to invent some scene, you can see resemblances to a number of landscapes… Also, you can see various battles, and lively postures of strange figures, expressions on faces, costumes and an infinite number of things, which you can reduce to good integrated form.”

So, the next time your toast pops up, or you find yourself in front of a stone wall, have a good, long look; who knows what your imagination may discover.

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Photo tip:  Look for reflections in windows. People and objects in the reflection can mingle with what is in the scene to create interesting, imagined narratives.

“Window Reflection, 2013” is from the series: Wish You Were Here

Blogging Colour Observation Photography Social Landscape

Avard Woolaver face Nova Scotia pareidolia perception photography reflection The Image Journey