This week I started a photography course—The Art of Seeing. It goes over the elements of design and provides lots of tips and techniques for composing great shots. The instructor, Bryan Peterson, shows how to take a promising scene and make it much better. The assignment this week was to explore lines, textures, and color.
The inside of my piano, with a flower added for contrast and color. I had to use my iPhone for this shot because the lid made it awkward to use a larger camera. The flower was purple, but I changed it to a color I thought more complementary.
I have stumps galore on my property. The concentric growth rings ad cracks provide a lot of texture. I had to "prune" my hanging geranium to add a pop of color. As much as I liked the texture itself, adding the color made the image better.
Enough of the flowers! I decided to compose something with a strong leading line. Unlike Bryan Peterson, who always seems to have a model nearby who is wearing red, I never have any people willing to pose. Neither do I bring props with me to add into a scene. (Something I will start doing in the future.) I liked the image of the railroad tracks, but I could already hear the criticism that the leading line is leading nowhere. So I digitally added a glass of wine. It was the easiest item to add because of its clean lines and ability to blend with the sky. And it is California, where all roads (and railroads) lead to wine!
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