Digital Photography | Moore Images Photography

I’m not in DC this spring. Therefore, I missed the Cherry Blossoms. However, I did such a great job last year. Why should I try to top perfection :-). Also, I decided to cancel a trip to the Netherlands to photograph the tulips at the world-famous Keukenhof garden near Amsterdam. Therefore, I decided to make the best of my local flora opportunities. The flowers are blooming here in the United Kingdom as spring is in full swing. Vibrant yellow colors from the rapeseed plant line the motorways as we drive around the country. However, the flower du jour is the bluebell. This is a beautiful blue flower that grows abundantly in many forests throughout the United Kingdom. It has been featured in the newspapers and on television. When the flowers are in full bloom, the forest grounds are peppered with bluebells. This Saturday was an unusually warm day. Deborah and Jordyn went on a shopping trip to a London mall. I dropped them to the meeting spot to gather with the other shoppers and now the day was mine to enjoy. I researched the bluebells and I had some forests I wanted to visit. After a week of deliberation and research, I drove 40+ miles to the Heartwood Forest. This particular forest was mentioned in the local paper for the quality of their bluebells. There was one major problem with the journey and I hoped it would be resolved by the time I arrived. The weather was mostly sunny with clouds playing hide-n-seek with the sun. Unlike the other 99% of the people in the world, I didn’t want today to be sunny. I was hoping for a nice overcast day so the sky would be an enormous softbox to illuminate the forest grounds. When the sun is bright, the trees cast strong shadows. The ground has bright areas where the sun hits directly and dark areas caused by the trees shadow. This wrecks havoc on a photograph. The contrast is so great that consistency is lost and the viewer struggles to view the image. However, I had a few hours before I had to pick up the girls. Therefore, I planted my camera on the tripod and I waited for the sun to hide behind the clouds. I planned my image composition when the sun was shining. At last, my patience was rewarded with the clouds hiding the sun. The overcast provided soft light giving the images a consistent tone. Therefore, while many dread going outside during an overcast day, I use it as an opportunity to photograph flowers, people or other subjects not requiring a bright blue sky. To see more of these images, please visit my Flickr page. -Roger

I posted a few abstract photos a few weeks ago and I received several emails and responses regarding the images. Some wondered how did I do it and others just provided comments.

I actually wanted to post information about the pictures when I uploaded them. However, I never got around to providing the story behind the image. Nevertheless, that’s what this blog is designed to do.

I received an email from PPSOP.com, an online photography class I took. The email inspired me to combine everyday elements and photograph them in an abstract manner, thus “creating” art.

As a photographer, there are many debates as to what or how we should compose our shot. There is the “purist” belief that we should only photograph a subject in its natural state. Therefore, any manipulation of the scene by “removing” or “adding” elements is forbidden. However, I believe such unnecessary restrictions confine creativity. Therefore, as a direct violation of this rule, I bought a bouquet of flowers and sprayed them with a water bottle. I wanted to simulate the early morning dew flowers have. This leads me to my latest images.

“Oil and water don’t mix!” This is a saying often used when two opposing parties are unable to work together. However, as a photographer, it is the basis for creating abstract art because literally, “Oil and water don’t mix!”
I used a colorful magazine cover for this demonstration. The cover had many easter eggs in pastel colors on the cover. The soft colors would provide an excellent backgeound. Next, I used a baking tray and filled it halfway with water. After that, I grabbed some cooking grease and put it in the water. The grease remains separated from the water while it floats. Lastly, I placed my camera and a Tamron lens, 70-300mm lens with the macro feature, on a tripod over the glass tray and began photographing the interaction between the water and the oil.

As I began learning photography, I was advised to read photography magazines, websites, etc. and if I found something I really like to try and emulate it. The photographs I took are such an example. However, real growth comes when you no longer replicate other photographs. Instead, you’re motivated from within and you begin to see life in terms of lines, patterns, shapes, colors textures, etc. Then, the key is to capture them and introduce people to a world within a world.

As my journey continues and I photograph these moments, I look forward to sharing that growth with you.

Keep Shooting!

-Roger, Moore Images

Tag: Digital Photography

Sun, sun go away bring back a cloudy day!

Creating Art from the Elements