Background

I tell people often of the importance I put on background. No, not my background, the background of the subject in my images. In photography, as is true in other 2-D art forms, the entire piece has to be purposeful and effective. When I want the viewer to concentrate on a foreground subject or element, I work to make sure the background will not distract. Better yet, the background should enhance the feeling of the image by either adding clear information or context about the subject, or allude to it more subtly.

In the image below of a mourning dove, the background is distant trees and other brush. It conveys a sense of place without needing texture or detail. It also gives a feeling for season (clearly not winter or fall at least). I choice to compose for color in this background as neither the dove nor the snag that it is perched on have much. A long focal length of 700mm (Canon 500mm f4. plus Canon TC 1.4) gave me a shallow depth of field, especially working wide open at f5.6. This background has a painterly feeling that I like.

Mourning Dove on Snag, Bucks County, PA

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Back in the Field

It had been 8 weeks since I have been able to get out of the studio and work in the field. Friday I decided that I just had to go to a local park and do some work. Yesterday (Saturday) was a dreary, rainy day, the kind of day where either nothing happens or I feel inspired. It didn’t matter though because I just felt good being out.

When the rain was too heavy in which to work, I ducked into a bird blind and worked the low light at ISO 1600 on my Canon EOS 1D Mark III. It’s those kind of conditions that I bought this camera for in the first place and I feel the image quality is quite good even that high up on the ISO scale.

I spent about 6 hours working favorite spots, studying the light and foliage, and getting a sense for where the birds were. A Cooper’s Hawk harassed birds in several spots, humming birds sped around (and occasionally sat under cover during some heavier rains), and a variety of usual residents (birds that is) partook of the various summer berries.

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Flycatcher?

I am having difficulty putting an exact ID on the bird in this image, but I’m going with Flycatcher family till told otherwise. Doesn’t matter to the image really. The image is about a bird in it’s environment. It’s an image of lines and form and a rather monochromatic color palette. I composed to maximize the diagonal movement implied by the branches of last summer’s hibiscus flowers (now dry and brown). The bird is actually a small part of the image yet certainly the eye goes directly to it. The posture of the bird leads down and away from the leading lines of the branches which draw up and to the left. I like the balance of the small round bird against the small, round shapes where the flowers would have been. I think this is a quiet piece, simple, with almost an oriental sense about it.

I’ll be gallery sitting tomorrow at Artist’s Gallery in Lambertville, NJ. Looking forward to it.

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Frames Hung

This morning I made it over to Lambertville, NJ to hang five framed pieces at the Artist’s Gallery. This location is a new home for my work and will hold a variety of pieces all year. The gallery is a pleasant environment with good lighting and ample wall space. Works by the various artist members are rotated within the gallery space on a monthly basis. All the gallery rooms are attractive and allow comfortable viewing. The five pieces I am currently offering there are Back Road, Flight Unfurled, Vermont Dream, Nature’s Best, and Downward Facing Dog.

As I become more familiar with the space, I think I will hang work differently. But for now, I am very pleased to be in such a fine space and with a great group of artists. Two of our member artists will have an opening tomorrow evening and I am looking forward to attending.

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Day Off!

I basically had my first day off in over 4 weeks today. Cleaned up the garage a bit, straightened and cleaned around the house (I actually find that calming), and did some odds and ends. But I neither matted nor framed a single piece, nor did I make a single photograph.

Heavy rains in these parts kept us busy manning the pumps and indoors all morning. I was able to have some afternoon coffee outdoors while reading from my Kindle. These periods of stormy weather can sometimes result in pretty spectacular clouds. The image below was made recently just out front of my house. They are called mamma clouds for rather obvious reason.

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