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An interesting exercise is to photograph rock cuts - either natural or highway - whichever is available. In most parts of the world you can find somewhere where someone or something has cut or worn down the surface exposing rock. Quite often the rock is fascinating colours and interesting shapes. It's something I have been photographing for a while. You might want to consider it. There are no horizon lines to work round. You can photograph at many times of the day and in all sorts of weather. There are no obvious edges or other compositional markers so it's entirely up to you to use the rock to create a composition.
6 comments:
Hi there
Wandered onto your blog via your post on LL. Very interesting.
Rocks and other "inner landscapes" - still very difficult to get one that works. Same rules apply, I think: put in too much, and your eye doesn't know where to rest, too little and it's dull. Also, the micro-elements still need to work together to create something more than a snapshot.
Hope to post more comments - like the blog. Do stop by and visit mine at http://criticallight.blogspot.com/
All the best,
Ivan
"Rockscapes" have been a favorite subject of mine. I am glad to see others recommending them as subject matter - you are right - they can be found just about everywhere and yet are so different in different regions of the world. They make for excellent abstract art material.
Your wet shale from the LL article (2nd to last image) may be my favorite of yours. The spots of orange liken with the blue-gray washes and the delicate crack lines make a stunning abstract.
I was on a workshop at the Oregon Coast back in August and during that trip we spent a day photographing at Shore Acres State Park. The reason I mention this is that there is an incredible rock seawall there with a multitude of shapes and colors. Apparently Minor White, I am told, ran workshops at that place during which his students would spend the better part of a week photographing segments of just that one wall. We spent a few hours photographing the wall. Besides being a fascinating location to photograph at (though I am not sure I would want to spend a week at that location alone) it was an inspiring experience knowing who had previously found great inspiration there.
This image is very good, but it doesn't tell me anything. What would I think if I see this image on a wall of a person I do not know?
I appreciate "pretty" images that don't have a message (I am happy when I manage one of them myself) and I am willing to view it as an abstract, but remains "just pretty".
On the other hand, I think it would be great to see this image together with 2 others as a group. In such a group this image could start to convey a message. For example, you combine it with two others that have "about the same amount of color", and suddenly you are making a (strong) statement aout color. Or combine it with an abstract of water and fire and you are conveying a very different message.
Or is what I suggest kitch?
Grigor's comment makes sense. I refer back to Triptych in which I discussed images which go together.
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