It's all about Composition

When I made the decision to start a blog I thought it would be interesting to discuss various topics that might aid my blogger friends in their quest in becoming better photographers, or artists for that matter. I have taught art for over 25 years so I hope that my steadfast love for the subject might help you in your artistic journey.  

Today's topic is composition.  Hmm, we've all heard about it but what does it really mean? Webster might define composition as a means of 'putting together,' and can apply to any work of art, from music to writing, that is arranged or put together using conscious thought.  When I am taking photographs I am constantly thinking about composition.  Mainly, I am thinking about the placement of my subject.  

For years when I was taking portraits, my senior portraits for instance, I would use a vertical format 80% of the time.  I was conscious of my subject and 'vertical' just seemed to make sense. As my photographer's eye matured I began to see the bigger picture (no pun intended).  I began to see the picture frame in a whole new way.  Slowly I found myself using more and more horizontals with my portraiture.  The vertical is efficient in doing portraits, yes, but the horizontal, oh the stories it will tell. 

You have probably heard about the rules of thirds, how you should, "never put your horizon in the middle of the frame," but divide the space equally into thirds and place your subject somewhere in the third sections vertically or horizontally.  This does help the composition. But what if we go one step further?  Let's tell a story with the placement of our subject in the horizontal and play around with the placement beyond our rules of thirds.

So, let's see, perhaps the subject is entering the lower right corner, in fact, maybe just half of his face is entering the space. The background, or negative space, becomes an important part of the story.  The 'placement' can read a lot of different ways: confinement, intrusion, retreat, avoidance.  Ask yourself the next time you are taking a portrait: what significance is the background to my subject? The background might consist of brilliant colors, it might be an interesting textured wall, it might be a crowd of people.  What ever it may be, if the relationship is significant why not make it a vital part to your visual story.  

Visually play with your subject placement and you will discover a whole new meaning to composition.  By the way, sometimes it is okay to put your subject in the middle of the frame, it all depends on your intentions.

The Peterman Experience

You may remember the J. Peterman character on the Seinfeld series.  You know, Elaine's extravagant boss who owned a mail order clothing company.  Peterman would lavishly describe a Parisian trench coat as if it were the lead character in a French novel.  I actually saw my first Peterman catalog in the early 90's and remember thinking what a brilliant marketing strategy. The J. Peterman Company (non fictional by the way) engages their customers in an extraordinary experience through the description of a garment.  Peterman invites his customers to be a part of the experience," Come along with me and let's travel on this journey together."  

It is my aspiration as a photographer for my clients to experience something extraordinarily special.  Whether I am taking senior portraits, family photos, or children photography I want my clients to feel relaxed, engaged, uninhibited and most of all,  significant. Photography is not a job to me, it is a unique creative journey and I look forward to sharing this journey with you.

How to Get a Dog to Say Cheese

I never quite understood the connection people had with their pets. I was raised on a farm and had all sorts of animals: cows, dogs, cats, even a sheep once. I bonded with my cows but never had a strong connection with our dogs and cats. When my daughter was twelve she adopted an 18 pound cat from the Human Society and Fred Darling (aka Freddy or Frederick (when he's in trouble) is still with us today. He lives in the garage and roams freely on our two acres, is smart and stays out of trouble. I feed and water him, pet him occasionally, and carry on lengthy conversations with him while we garden.

This past summer I traveled to Kentucky to visit my sister. She has four small dogs and a huge 80 plus pound Rhodesian Ridgeback by the name of Chance. During my ten day stay something magical happened to me: I fell in love with Chance! Believe me, I tried to resist those sweet eyes and adorable personality but I was weak, he caught me off guard and before I knew it I was hooked!

To many of you pet owners, your animals are your family. So, why not bring your dog or cat for their own photo session, or how about including your pet in the next family portrait. The holiday is just around the corner, so gather all the kids, Fido included, and let me document this important time of passage. In the meantime I will bake up a batch of doggie treats!

Family Portrait Sessions

My most cherished possessions are the photographs taken of my family. I love looking at photos with all of us together. Sitting on my desk at school is a photograph taken the day I married my Jack. The six of us are making really goofy poses while dressed in our wedding best. Every time I look at that photo I giggle.

When was the last time you had a family portrait taken? Perhaps it is time. I would be honored to photograph your family. We can shoot by the river, on a mountain, downtown or in your own backyard. I promise to make your family portrait experience fun and memorable. Now, I can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon, can you?

Schedule your family portraits in time for the upcoming holiday season. You'll be glad you did.

2009 Senior Photo Sessions

It's that time of year when seniors are looking for that perfect senior photographer to take what will be one of the most memorable and important photography experience of their young adult lives.  Things have changed a lot since I was a senior.  In the late 70's all senior photos were taken in an indoor studio and it seemed so limited compared to now.  Here in the Treasure Valley, graduating seniors have a ton of options and are looking for a photographer that will help capture their individuality.

Senior photography makes up the bulk of my business.  I love, absolutely love, the creativity that comes with my senior sessions.  When seniors book a session  I ask them questions that will help me to understand their personality and interests.  I invite the senior to bring as many outfit changes as they like. The more the senior brings to the session the more creative I get.   I do not restrict the number of poses or number of locations.  It isn't about the watching the clock, it's about seizing the moment and feeding off of creative energy.  I have been taking senior photos since the start of my photography business and the rewards have been abundant. I get a great deal of joy helping each client look and feel amazing.  There is no greater reward for me than to see the pride on their faces when viewing their proofs for the very first time.  Now that my friends, is priceless!

If you know of any 2009 graduating seniors in need of a creative, fun photographer, please tell them about me.  My senior images can be viewed on my website:  Mona Oxford-Lyman Photography & Design at www.monaoxfordlyman.com.  

Camp RiverRun

I love children photography! In July of this past summer I had the honor of spending four days taking photos at the very first Camp RiverRun!  Camp RiverRun is a non-profit camp for children with medically challenging illness.  This year thirteen amazing children got to have a camp experience of a lifetime.  In turn, I had a life changing experience, as did the numerous volunteers.  It was truly  amazing and it gave a deeper level of meaning to my photography.

If you are interested in finding out more about Camp RiverRun, making a donation to Camp RiverRun or you are interested in volunteering, please click on the following link: www.campriverrun.org. 

Children photography has a new meaning after my Camp RiverRun experience.  Child photography is now one of my most favorite genres.  I am looking forward to the second annual Camp RiverRun next summer; perhaps I will see you there.

Every Winner has Scars

As a portrait photographer I use natural light as the majority of my photographs are taken outside on location.  I find comfort in knowing what type of lighting will work, what settings I need to use on my camera, and what effects I can manipulate with my lenses.  You know that "feel good", confident kind of place that we all love to be? 

Last weekend while attending my daughters college volleyball tournament, I thought it would be fun to take my camera and try out my new lens.  I played college volleyball and coached it for more than 20 years so I know the game.  I know the timing of when the ball reaches the apex and when the hitter will make contact.  I know the the sequencing of the passing, the setter hitter relationship, all of that.  But. . . what about the indoor lighting, or the ISO, or the proper shutter speed, or where to stand so I wouldn't get run over by the players?  I've got to tell you, I was stretched to the max and not feeling very confident in what I was doing.  Luckily for me there were two matches!

The first match is where I made all of my mistakes.  I didn't have the ISO high enough to compensate for the lighting in the gym, my images were blurry because my shutter speed wasn't fast enough.  I was a bit shy and I didn't move around so my images lacked variety.  I kept thinking, "Oh my gosh, I feel like I have never taken a photograph before in my life, and I call myself a photographer!?"  I made some adjustments in the second match.  I adjusted the ISO, the shutter speed, I got my butt off the bleachers and actually moved around to different places in the gym.  At this point I was still guessing, but hoped my adjustments would help.  When I got home I uploaded the images onto my computer.  To my surprise I was delighted to find that the adjustments that I made paid off.  In fact, some of the images were "kind of" good, for an amateur sports photographer.  

This week, challenge yourself to do something new and different, even if it feels uncomfortable. You never know what great things might be gained from the experience.

Every winner has scars.  

Herbert N. Casson

American Author