One of things that often frustrates me about my photography is that my images aren’t what I would consider striking. They are certainly nice to look at, but they generally aren’t something that will elicit any kind of breathtaking response in a viewer.
The reason for that is simple — I tend to photograph the obvious. Things that usually don’t require much effort, either physically or mentally. The problem with this approach, though, is that the obvious doesn’t typically make for the creation of awe-inspiring photographs. But, when you tend to photograph the obvious, you rarely get images that are particularly striking. And, I want to create images that are striking.
I decided it was time to start working on this aspect of my photography. So, when I made a recent trip to Collins Creek, I decided to put a restriction on my photographic subjects. I could photograph anything I wanted, but the primary subject could not be any of the waterfall in the area. They could be used as minor background elements but nothing more.
As I expected, it was not very easy to ignore those waterfalls, and, to be honest, I did photograph one or two of them when I first arrived. The low light level meant a long 30-second shutter speed. I just couldn’t pass that up, but after two or three shots, I quickly reinstated my challenge.
Toward the end of my trip, I noticed this tree. I guess, more specifically, I noticed the shapes of its trunk and branches. And, I noticed the contrast between the darker tree against the lighter background leaves. I set up my camera and framed the small section of the truck and branches that I thought best emphasized that contrast.
I learned two things from this challenge. First, looking past the obvious is not easy. I was on location for only about an hour and a half, and, by the time I left, I was feeling mentally tired. Second, while my normal photographic approach is not going to change in a single trip, this image shows I am headed in the right direction for accomplishing my goal.
Like any other skill, I just have to remember to continue practicing this approach every time I go out.