K.I.S.S

SIMPLIFY (or the age-old K.I.S.S - Keep It Simple Stupid)

My two previous posts were essentially about getting a complex or busy scene and making it into something more visually manageable. I feel both of the following images also help to demonstrate this point. At times, you are presented with a beautiful sunset, a stunning landscape, or a lovely little creature. It can be hard to capture the whole thing in one single photograph. In fact, I think you would be struggling to find a decent photographer who claimed they always captured an entire scene perfectly or even aimed to do so. 2D art forms simply cannot show everything. The answer to this problem is actually rather simple - initially, only choose ONE small thing on which to focus your attention. 

The image below is a portion of a recent black and white (SIDE TOPIC: For better black and whites, here is a fantastic technical B&W blog post - as you can see, one image can produce a host of different B&W) image of a blue wren. I enjoy the photograph because it is so simple to the point of removing all colour. The small bird is the ONLY focus of the image. Whilst it is not the only element, it is the only focus. The image is not confused with trees, shrubbery, or creek-line. Although these were all part of the original scene, it is often better to cut out many aspects of the scene in order to make a visually appealing representation. 

The below image was taken at a time when the clouds above the lighthouse were stunning to look at. Although I also photographed those clouds, I almost prefer this image as it makes the eye a lot less tired when viewing the picture. The golden colours still give the viewer a feel for what it was like and yet still allow them to enjoy the image.

There are many different "rules" that can really help with your photography. If you have ever noticed, many of these rules act to simplify and provide structure to your photography. However, if you know this before you begin shooting, those guidelines will come much more naturally. 

Anyway, if you read this I hope it was helpful.