It's difficult not to get great shots when you're taking pictures in beautiful locales. Still, there's always room for improvement.
My son, David, took these pictures during a trip to New Hampshire and Vermont that included a select group of photo enthusiasts. The trip was sponsored by Dale Photo & Digital and Leica Camera.
I'll be using David's superb photos to offer some suggestions you can use in your own photography.
________________________________ Though these pictures were taken in the Fall you can use the same techniques year round!
I hope you'll find these tips useful.
Best regards,
Dale
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Tip #1: Follow the Mist
One of the best times to take pictures as the seasons change is in the early morning or when there is mist in the air.
The Rule of Thirds Is Used Vertically With the Image Cut in Half Horizontally
A Meandering Road Leads the Eye
Mist desaturates color and allows subtle shape and design to come through.
Notice how David has used the softness of the mist to create a feeling of serenity in all of these pictures.
A Lifting Morning Mist Frames This Composition From Above
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Tip #2: Use Perspective
Perspective creates strong images and carries the viewer's eye into your pictures.
Perspective From the Rails and Water Bring All Visual Elements Together
Mild Perspective Gives A Sense of Size to the Covered Bridge
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Tip #3: Take Advantage of Water's Unique Visual Qualities
Water is exciting in its movement...
An Exposure Time of 1.5 Seconds On A Tripod
...and it's ability to reflect brilliant Fall colors.
A Tripod Helped Produce a Needle-Sharp Picture at 1/50th Second
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Tip #4: Tell A Story in a Single Frame
Peacham, Vermont
City dwellers tend to think of towns, farms and countryside as separate entities. This picture brings all these elements together as a single image. The yellowing trees give the picture a sense of time.
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Tip #5: Use Color Combined With Pattern For Strong Compositions
Color can be used to delineate your main subject. Work the color together with interesting shapes and you'll get stunning pictures.
Here subtle background colors and shape bring out the strong visual pattern of the barn:
While this picture uses an enhanced blue sky to give a dramatic look to the pure white steeple:
Woodstock, Vermont
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Tip #6: Take Pictures of Manmade Structures That Have Strong Design Elements
Note the Repeating Pattern on the Bridge
Beautiful shapes are everywhere that people build. Here are a some good examples where David was able to mix nature with aesthetically pleasing structures.
The Fence Design Adds Interest to This Picture
Within The Repeating Shapes Are Textures and Colors
The Color and Shadows From the Tree and the Symetry of the Building Make a Great Composition
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Here in Florida we don't get to see a changing of the leaves.
(Of course we don't get the snowy days that follow, either.)
So, I hope you'll give us the opportunity to print some of your best pictures.
We promise to do our best to make your prints and enlargements as good as they can be.
You snap the pictures ... we'll do the rest!
Best wishes, Dale Dale Farkas President, iPrints.com & iPrintsPro.com (Online services of Dale Laboratories)
Questions? Call (800) 327-1776. We're here to help!
