Doors of My Dreams. Denver, Colorado, 2013
Well, after last night’s meeting of the Flatirons Photo Club, it looks like I need to add one more name to the list of photographers with whom I’d like to take a class or workshop–Dan Ballard. If you visit his web site, which you should, you’ll see that his work–mostly travel and landscape imagery–is spectacular. More than that, though, it was his style as a communicator and teacher of the concepts of good photography that nabbed my attention. All of this is quite impressive for a young guy in his mid-twenties at the freshman end of a potentially very long photographic career.
Parenthetically, and to explain a bit…I believe that money spent on a workshop is probably a ten times better investment than money spent on a new camera or lens. And, when I look for workshops with possible photography mentors, I am not necessarily looking for someone who is a big name photographer, or someone who sells expensive prints, or even someone who does exactly the same kind of photography I do. Instead, I look for mentors who share my philosophy of photography as a very personal expression of an internal vision…and, I look for photographers who are excellent, enthusiastic teachers.
My “future mentor list” has about a half dozen names on it and now Dan Ballard is there, too–largely based on his concise critiques of our work, the best I had heard from a visiting presenter in many, many beards (sic: a very long while). I think I could learn a lot from this guy.
For today’s post, though, I think I’ll highlight some of the valuable points he made in his opening presentation about the steps involved in making a powerful image.
Although these tips come from Dan’s experience as a landscape and travel photographer, most can be applied to any type of photography. So, here they are, as they are interpreted in my notes:
1) You need to be inspired. Don’t shoot what everyone else shoots…shoot what inspires you!
2) Great images are all about great light. It is the quality of light that trumps just about everything else, including location and subject matter.
3) Think SIMPLICITY. Clean up reality. Get rid of unnecessary elements. Include only the interesting elements. Move around, change position to eliminate the “junk” in your viewfinder.
4) Look for lines. The idea is to pull the viewer into and around the image. Look for leading lines, curves.
5) Look for unusual shapes, form, texture. A telephoto can be valuable in isolating these kinds of things.
6) Try to add the human element to your landscapes. This doesn’t have to be a person; it can also be a man-made object.
7) Weather is an essential element. Blue skies are boring. Drama occurs when the storms roll in and out. Incredible weather=incredible images. (Also, when looking at incredible weather, don’t forget to turn around to see what great scene may be opening up behind you!)
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