Yellow boat

This pretty yellow boat was side-tied to a dock in Nova Scotia and proved to be rather difficult to shoot.

All my angles just didn't work and when they did work, my lens wasn't quite wide enough. Exasperated, but determined, I filled my frame with 2/3 boat and 1/3 water.

I didn't like the shot at first, but the more I look at it, the more it appeals to me. Why?

Well, the color's good. It's a solid yellow that's striking.

And then there's the strip of green all around the edge, which sets the boat apart from the water and also adds a touch of interest.

The dark water, too, helps set off the light, bright color of the boat.

And then what really appeals to me is the composition, how I opted for a vertical format, have the pointy end pointing up, how at first glance the photo appears to be simply of a bold shape, and then you see that it's a boat.

The composition is clean, simple, strong. Just like the Nova Scotia boat.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Cartoonlike cuteness . . .

Just a quick little cellphone shot of a dory moored off the town of Shelburne, Nova Scotia. These boats are just too cute!

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Lighting and diagonality

Early morning. Two different locations. Two different lighting situations. And I like them both.

Up early and walking next to the water on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Very soft overcast light. A good time for a simple composition. Look how the dark-trunked tree in the center leads your eye leftward. So does the diagonal line of the tops of the trees. Nice feeling of movement as a result.

And then there is the early morning directional light on Martha's Vineyard. The lighting and the wide-angle lens make this a busier photo than the first, but shallow depth of field keeps the background out of focus yet enables it to add to the story. And look at the diagonal lines here, how the angle of the boat and the streak of sunlight in the sand move your eye into the frame.

Do we have to choose? The golden light of dawn on Martha's Vineyard versus the overcast skies of South Carolina? Both lighting situations can be excellent for photography.

What I really want to say is that it just doesn't matter. Get up, get out, take a look around. Work with what you're given. Keep it simple. But oh, please, do look at the light.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. 

ROYGBIV: YELLOW!

Next in the color spectrum is yellow, a bright, cheerful color, a color that really stands out. So the "Beware Alligators" sign is pretty tough to ignore when you're wandering around Florida.

A painting show I watch says that shadows are always purple, so paint them some tone of purple. And yellow's complementary color is purple, making yellow look particularly striking. The photo of the yellow boat was taken early in the morning when the light was a bluish-purple, and yup, the boat looks especially good next to that purple-colored dock.

And in the last photo, I noticed how the buoys looked dramatic against the dark background of a fishing boat. A symmetrical composition, with the rope dividing the photo in two, seemed to be the right way to go. Clean, bold, simple.

It's Saturday today, the day the movers will be offloading our belongings. I'm writing this on Wednesday, so here's hoping everything arrives in one piece and that a new life/lifestyle is about to begin for real. I know you wish us well.

P.S. Happy birthday, Laura! A year older. A year wiser.

©Carol Leigh
 All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you!

Boats...

“Now then, Pooh," said Christopher Robin, "where's your boat?"
"I ought to say," explained Pooh as they walked down to the shore of the island, "that it isn't just an ordinary sort of boat. Sometimes it's a Boat, and sometimes it's more of an Accident. It all depends."
"Depends on what?"
"On whether I'm on the top of it or underneath it.”  —A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

While at Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard, saw LOTS of boats. It was great.

©Carol Leigh

Latest work: "Rowboat in the Summer Sun"

Chris and I just returned from a week's vacation on Martha's Vineyard — a very lucky opportunity that was a year in the planning. We spent our time with two wonderful friends. And yes, I took a few photos . . .

I can't just plow through them and quickly post online, but will instead be taking it slowly, quietly, seeing what I can do with what I have, and will, from time to time, post a few.

I particularly like this photo, taken the first day on the island. I like the expanse of water, the simplicity of the rowboat, the high horizon line, and the slant of the shore. I gave this photo a painterly sort of treatment, adding this and that, taking away that and this, until I came up with what (to me) looks like a dreamy, lazy, hazy day of summer. I hope it gives you the same impression. ©Carol Leigh

Boatage . . .

That's pronounced bo-TAHJ, in case you were wondering . . .

Boat detail is one of my favorite subjects to shoot and, while in Alaska, I sought out boats once again. The two boat hulls were shot in Alaska, the two others (peeling paint and blue reflection of boat-and-rope) are from here on the Oregon coast. I love the abstractness of these photos as well as their square format, which seems to call attention to simple line and design. (Click to enlarge.) ©Carol Leigh