You have probably taken many pictures that would look stunning. When you’re going through your colour images, look for ones with a wide tonal range.  That means there will be lots of darks, (which convert to black,) and bright lights, (which convert to whites,) and everything in between.  I took this photo of a mime in Piazza Navona in Rome and it’s bright and colourful. However, I really like the way the mime stands out in black and white.

the textures of the mime's makeup and crinkles in his costume draws your attention to the him

Look at the tonal range below.  One end has the whitest of whites and the other the blackest blacks.  When you’re looking at your photographs you will see darks and lights and the mid-tones which will convert to various shades of gray.  Sometimes squinting when you look at a photo will help you see the gradations.An image that has mostly mid-tones will produce a flat, uninteresting black and white. This gerbera picture has lovely shades of pink but the tones fall in the middle of the gray scale. Notice how the image looks washed out once it’s converted?  It’s because it does not have a wide enough tonal range to make the elements stand out.

this black and white conversion is flat and dull because there was not a significant number of darks and lights in the original photograph

Black and white photos look elegant in a white mat with a black frame.  They also make beautiful greeting cards and posters.  My sister loves to decorate her home and recently matted and framed one of my water lily shots for her powder room.

a crisp white mat and black metal frame gave this image a sophisticated look

It’s fun to shoot close-ups or crop images for almost abstract effects.

I took this shot of my daughter's old yellow bike. I like the way it looks in b&w.

the lines and shapes draw your eye in to the image

Sometimes I use photo-editing software to add an extra dimension to my images.  This arrangement of tulips take on a poster-like look with a slight illustration effect.

a bright new way to look at the beauty of spring

There are many software programs that you can use to convert your pictures from colour to black and white.  Give it a try.  I think you’ll be delighted with the results.

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All photographs copyright © Marion McCristall

Madonna reflection in a window in Rome.

I am pleasantly surprised at how often reflections capture my attention.  I enjoy seeing them with all of their special characteristics.

Boat reflections create great images for posters.

Often they appear almost like mirrored images and sometimes they are blurred and make interesting abstracts.

I saw these clouds in a puddle that was almost mirror-like.

This photo is of the reflecting pools at the Tacoma Glass Museum

I was enjoying a delicious meal in a cafe in Paris when the reflection of the bread basket on the wooden tabletop caught my eye.

Sometimes I find reflections in my images after I upload them onto my computer. I find it amazing that I did not see the Madonna in the window when I first took the picture of the beautiful window in Rome.

Reflections are everywhere.  Having my camera handy, I am able to capture photos that remind me of wonderful places I have visited and beautiful things that have caught my eye.

I took this boathouse reflection on Quadra Island, British Columbia.

Below are some more of the many reflection images in my photo library.

I love how this old bicycle bell caught the reflection of buildings and a tree-lined avenue in Paris.

Sunset on Sumas River in MacDonald Park, Abbotsford, British Columbia. Fond memories as I first learned to swim in this river.

I created this still life reflection using a mirror and a black backdrop.

Windows provide excellent reflections. This image was taken in the Yaletown area of Vancouver.

I wonder what kinds of reflections you will find the next time you’re out with your camera.
More of my images can be seen at
If you’re interested in joining Fine Art America, check it out at the link below

All photographs copyright © Marion McCristall

You’ve probably taken lots of pictures that would make beautiful greeting or note cards.  I like to give them individually or as a set wrapped in a box and tied with a pretty ribbon.

It’s fun to make Christmas cards with images I’ve taken in past years.

There are many pictures we take throughout the year such as landscapes, flowers, architecture, travel, and so on.  I crop them at 4×6 so that they fit perfectly on 5×7 blank greeting cards.  These cards can be found in art and craft stores or ordered online.

There are many ways to attach your photos to the cards.  I find Glue Dots quick and easy.  The most difficult part is placing the picture straight on the card.

a sepia photograph is perfect for a beautiful card

Often the cards come flat and need to be folded.  It’s a good idea to do this before attaching the picture.  I use a bone folder to firmly swipe along the crease at the back of the card to give it a neat, clean fold.  I plan the location of the photo on the front of the card, turn it over, attach six glue dots, (four in each corner and one in the middle of the long edges.)  I carefully line the photo up on the front and press it into place.

A nice touch is to sign your card just under the image. I prefer to use pencil.  Some friends have framed my cards and placed them on a desk or bookshelf.  It’s nice to know that my images are enjoyed by others.

I buy clear boxes and silver tins at a packaging supply store

Sometimes I use my printer to add quotes or greetings on the inside and my logo on the back. 

I am a self-confessed quote collector and keep them in little notebooks.  I love quotes of inspiration, art, and photography. Sometimes I use photo editing software to write text on my photographs.

"Are not flowers the stars of the earth?" by A. J. Balfour

There’s still time to give your loved ones some of your favorite, artistic photographs for Christmas. Share the joy…they’ll be glad you gave them such a wonderful, personal gift.

a tin with 5 of your photo cards and envelopes creates a gift that will be treasured

More of my photographs can be seen at
If you’re interested in joining Fine Art America, check it out at the link below

All photographs copyright © Marion McCristall

cypress shadows in Tuscany

A really quick way to improve your photographs is to become more aware of light and shadows.  By mixing darks and lights they play off each other and work together to create drama or mood.  The interplay between the contrasts enhance images.

I find that taking pictures early in the morning or late in the day create some of the most pleasing images.  They appear warmer and have a more ethereal appearance than those taken in harsh light.

early morning light

If the sun is high overhead, or you use a flash on highly reflective or shiny surfaces, you’ll find that some images contain hot spots or blown out areas where there are patches of white with no detail.  By moving around your subject and changing your position you may be able to keep them out of the picture.

notice the blown out area behind the leaves and in the flowers on the left

Sometimes we can’t avoid these especially if noon is the time for the family picnic and there are no trees around for shade.  To prevent lens flare, use a lens hood, your hand, or a baseball cap to shield the front of the lens from the sun shining directly on it.

in the shade

This cat photo was taken on a bright, summer day.  I waited until she finally decided to pose in the shade.

Backlit photos, where the sun is behind the object, are very effective for trees and flowers.

the sunlight is coming from behind this sunflower

Early evening produces beautiful, atmospheric light and longer shadows.

late afternoon light created these beautiful long shadows in the forest

Side lighting provides part of your image with light and part with shadow.  This can be especially effective in portraits.

I used natural light coming through the window for this side lit image

Converting your photos into black and white is another great way to show highlights, low lights, and give them a more dramatic appearance.

I didn’t always notice shadows. In the past I would upload my pictures only to find that some of them had shadows across the subject matter that took away from the overall image.  With practice, I have become better at observing lights and darks before I press the shutter. By being aware of what shows within the frame I tend to feel more satisfied with what I’ve captured.

I waited until the woman walked into the light between the buildings to capture this photograph

Sometimes shadows by themselves create interesting photos. They emphasize basic form rather than detail and provide an added artistic quality.

Take a moment to think about the contrasts and mood you want to create when you go to take your next shot.  You may be surprised at what you’ll see and be delighted with the results.

soft shadows fall over this lovely red maple leaf

More of my images can be seen at
If you’re interested in joining Fine Art America, check it out at the link below

All photographs copyright © Marion McCristall

“As I have practiced it, photography produces pleasure by simplicity. I see something special and show it to the camera. A picture is produced. The moment is held until someone sees it. Then it is theirs.”
 Sam Abell

weathered wood on this tobacco shed in France creates a pattern reminiscent of days gone by

Do you see lines, shapes, repeating elements, and patterns when you look around you? They are found everywhere and we rarely notice them and tend to take them for granted. Photographers “see” them and capture them to create photographs that tell a story or bring what they saw into the mind’s eye of the viewer.

the lines and curves and the shapes they formed caught my eye

I find that designs made either by man or mother nature can help us to feel calm, curious, introspective, or inspired.

notice the remarkable patterns within one single flower

Patterns can make exciting subjects. Designs can be made up of lines that are straight or curved and often form a pattern of repeating elements. Abstract shapes also make interesting photographs.

from a door panel on a rusty, old truck

Look at your subject from various perspectives, including high and low angles, and create a pleasing composition.

beauty at a classic car show

Diagonal lines draw the viewer into the picture and help their eyes to wander through the scene. Filling the frame with a pattern creates emphasis and can also lead the viewer to imagine that it goes on and on.

Grandmother's mixing bowls create a simple, but effective design

Symmetrical or asymmetrical images are both appealing to look at and make beautiful wall art.

a stunning image from nature

Sometimes I create still lifes in order to form images that have leading lines and shapes.  Here is one I made with three eggs on a blue plate.

photographed in my kitchen

Look around you and make a mental note of all of the objects that either have designs embedded in them or that form patterns. Just taking a quick look I see my computer keyboard, buttons on the telephone, the coils in my notebooks, the air vents of my printer, woven design in a coaster I brought home from Thailand, rows of books on the shelf, wood grain pattern of my desktop, vertical rows of Chinese writing on a scroll I bought in Beijing, stripes on plant leaves, and so on.

I wonder what patterns and designs you will see and  include in the next photographs that you take.

More of my images can be seen at www.marion-mccristall.artistwebsites.com

If you’re interested in joining Fine Art America, check it out at the link below

All photographs copyright © Marion McCristall

Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from the photograph. – Matt Hardy

 

this photograph was cropped to show only the reflections

What’s your vision or in your mind’s eye when you get ready to take a photograph?

 

When I go out with my camera, I may have an idea of what kinds of images I’d like to come home with.  More often than not, there are delightful or unexpected shapes, patterns, lights or shadows that catch my eye.  It’s almost as though they call out to me to pay attention and capture their essence so that I can revisit the memory of them at another time and in another place. 

up close and personal with a cappucino

It’s always a good idea to take the photograph you plan to create by filling the frame in the view finder of your camera.  Before you press the shutter, walk around the subject, get as close or as far away as you like, look at various perspectives, and decide what to include. Remember to look at the corners and edges of the frame.

Sometimes I can’t always get exactly what I want in my view finder. I resort to cropping with photo editing software as a helpful way to remove distracting elements.  I use it in two main ways.  One is to take out parts of a picture, (usually from one or more edges,) that I do not want in the final picture. The other is to re-size an image for printing, matting, and framing.

 

Once an image is cropped, it is very important that you save it with a different name so that you leave your original picture file intact, i.e. just the way it came from your camera.  I usually save my pictures at 300 dpi (dots per inch) so that they are a suitable resolution for printing.

In this image of Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska, it was necessary to stay within certain boundaries in the park.  I walked on the trails and tried different angles but the zoom lens I had on my camera at the time simply would not let me get the shot I wanted.  Although the original photograph is scenic, shows the grandeur of the glacier, and the zig zag lines draw the viewer into the picture, it wasn’t what I wanted to print for a photo greeting card. I took the picture knowing that I could crop out the distracting elements such as the little water fall and people on the right, the pale sky on the top, and the shoreline on the bottom.

this is the final cropped image I planned

In the photo below, I wanted to create a close-up of this scrumptious dessert. It was the perfect ending to a delicious three course lunch with wine pairing at Gray Monk Estate Winery in Kelowna.  It was a busy day in the restaurant and I didn’t want to bother other diners by doing a photo shoot while they were eating.  I got up and took a quick shot standing by my table and planned to crop it on my computer when I got home.

there are unwanted elements in this picture

with cropping, I was able to get just the dessert in the picture

Cropping can make a difference in editing your photos.  However, it’s a good idea to try to get the picture you want when you press the shutter.

If you would like to see more of my photographs, check out my Fine Art America website.

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the curved line of the beach, the slight diagonal of the logs, and the upright trees add to this photo

What do you notice about your subject when you go to take a photograph?

In previous posts, I’ve written about some basic composition guidelines. Reflecting on these may help you to create stronger images.  Think about straight horizon lines, waiting for objects to move out of the frame or moving yourself to get a better angle, using the Rule of Thirds when it suits the subject, and giving moving objects space in the picture to move forward.

There are many other elements to consider before you press the shutter.

all of the lines in this photograph play an important part in leading the viewer through the frame

Shapes and patterns in your pictures can influence how your viewers respond.  In some photographs, vertical, diagonal, and horizontal lines can strengthen the feel of an image and create more of an impact. Sometimes our focal point is where two lines converge.

Take a look at the pictures below and observe the lines as well as the directions they are going in.

notice the lines of trees leaning in various directions and how the curved line of the earth enhances the image

the vertical and horizontal lines of nature are pleasing to the eye

the zig zag effect of the crossing lines invites the viewer to explore the picture

Look around you and delight in all of the amazing lines you see in your everyday life. Take your time, experiment, and capture them with your camera.

the lines of the rolling fields are going in the opposite direction to the trees...this creates interest in a photograph

In another post, I will give a few examples of how patterns can create tension and interest in a picture.

If you would like to see more of my photographs, check out my Fine Art America website.

If you are interested in joining Fine Art America, click on the link below.

You don’t take a photograph, you make it.  ~ Ansel Adams

Do you ever feel as though the photographs you take are too jam packed and almost like you can’t breathe looking at them?

There’s a reason for that.  Subjects with eyes such as people and animals need room to gaze or look around them.  For example, when a person is facing the camera and looking to the photographers left, place them on the right of the frame. In the photograph above, the couple was looking off into the distance so I gave them plenty of room to look left, right, and straight ahead. Objects that move such as bicycles, cars, and trains, need space to move forward or in to.

Take a look at this swan picture.  You can see that it’s crammed into the frame and creates a negative tension within the viewer.  Without even knowing it, you feel as though the swan is stuck and has nowhere to go.

The photograph below is much better as the swan has room to move forward or even paddle around.  I like to think of this as “active space”.  (If you read my previous post on the Rule of Thirds, you will also see that the composition is such that the swan is placed at the point where the vertical and horizontal lines meet in the bottom, right third of the frame.)

This photograph is more pleasing to the eye as the swan has space to move in to

Here are some more examples of giving subjects space resulting in images that are more pleasing to the eye.

Remember to think about “active space” as well as the background and what is behind your subject as you plan your images. Keeping this in mind when you set up your composition helps to create more depth and balance in your photographs.

Before you press the shutter, think about the composition and give your objects plenty of room to move.

Composition guidelines are helpful to photographers as they go about the process of picture making. The basic tips I’ve posted can be useful as starting points and to stimulate our thinking. We are free to create and express our vision in ways that move and inspire us.

“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” ~ Elliott Erwitt

If you would like to see more of my photographs, check out my website on Fine Art America.

I decided to join Fine Art America a few months ago and really enjoy seeing people from all over the world taking a look at my pictures.  There are over 900,000 photographs of pictures, fine art prints, paintings, and other art media available and I am very pleased that I have sold some of my photographs through FAA.

Here’s an image I took in the Okanagan area of BC on the weekend.  I will be adding it to my FAA collection.

Ready for Harvest

Some of my most popular pictures are travel photos, flowers, close-ups, still lifes, and landscapes.

I’ve been enthusiastic about creating images either through dabbling in painting or photography since I was very young. Two years ago, I joined Langley Camera Club and feel inspired every time I hear a guest speaker or go on a club photography outing.

I find that attending photography seminars, going on photo holidays, and participating in camera club events has allowed me to feel encouraged and supported by others.  It’s wonderful to be surrounded by like-minded people.  When I want to take pictures in the company of those who are not interested in photography I always feel like I have to rush and I am sure they think to themselves, “Why doesn’t she just snap the picture and move on!”  (You can read more about my wonderful photography holidays in France on my Feb. 6 post and Tuscany on March 6.)

This is one of my favourite pictures that I took in France last year.

Shutters in a Nerac, France

Several people have asked me if they can buy prints or greeting cards from my photographs.  That’s why I took the leap and joined artists and photographers on the Fine Art America website.  They handle all of the printing, matting, framing, and mailing of the images. Their professional services are a welcome time-saver.

You can find some of my images at www.marion-mccristall.artistwebsites.com

If you are interested in joining Fine Art America, you can check it out on the link below.

Each photographer gets to choose the elements included in a photograph as well as those that are made less important or excluded. During the Renaissance, painters created a simple formula for helping the viewer to focus on the main subject of a painting while at the same time allowing their eyes to wander around it.  They discovered that a person does not simply stop and look at the centre of a painting but is generally curious about everything that is within the frame.

Photographers use the Rule of Thirds to help draw attention to the centre of interest, focal point, or main subject of their image.

Imagine a grid of two horizontal and vertical lines, equal distance apart…like tic tac toe…and notice the four points where these lines intersect. Studies have shown that the human eye naturally sees the area of one of these intersecting points before moving through other parts of an image.

Thinking about the composition of a photograph before you press the shutter can make your images more appealing. When you’re looking through the viewfinder to set up your picture, take a moment to think about what makes the strongest element in the scene and place it on one of the locations where the horizontal and vertical lines meet.

the dock placed in the centre of this photograph is not nearly as pleasing to the eye as in the location in the image below

the dock placed in the upper right allows the eyes to notice it first and then wander through the rest of the scene

Of course, this is not a fixed rule but rather a guideline to help image makers.

Each photographer will use their own creative expression in choosing the composition.  However, if you’ve always been placing your main subject in the middle of the frame, give the Rule of Thirds a try and you may develop stronger images that your viewers will enjoy.

Below are two images of pears.  In the first, I placed the pears in the middle of the frame.  It is definitely pleasing to the eye.  But, take a look at the photograph below it.  By giving the pears more space within the frame on the right and placing the focal point on the left, the image is stronger and allows the viewer to take their time and explore the image.

the pears are centered in this image

the pears are placed in this composition using the Rule of Thirds

“My theory of composition?  Simple: do not release the shutter until everything in the viewfinder feels just right.” Ernest Haas

If you would like to see more of my photographs, check out my Fine Art America Website.

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