Fall Seeing

Fall.  The earth and sky seem to whisper to us: “winterize, or die.” Everyone rushes around.

Yet, we can pause, taking our time to savor the season. Even as our heart beats faster, and we feel ourselves speeding up, we can change our awareness to slow our pace back down. Walk outside with your iPhone or camera. Opening our eyes to Fall's beauty, a Slow Photography approach helps us make interesting images.

Here are four Visual exercises I've found helpful.


1. INTIMACY: You're Not Close Enough !

When the photographer Robert Capa said "if your photographs aren't good enough, you are not close enough," he meant more than being physically close to our subject.  We have to get to know our subject, intimately.

Selective intimacy is the key. Instead of taking taking many photographs, wait until you are taken by one photograph you love. Wait for that subject and light that engages your passion.


I've found my best photos are those made with passion, and a love for my subject. Since I edit my pictures with critical judgment, after letting months pass, I take a Slow Photography approach to photo editing. Two skills are engaged: photographing with a warm passionate heart, then later editing with a critical mind's eye.

2. DIVINE LIGHT


Fall is a season of beautiful light. Make this light itself the subject of your image. When you find good light, put a compelling foreground in front of a fantastic background. If you have a gray day with flat light, use your imagination to create an original image even in the worst light.


 
3. TAKE FIVE

Sit in one spot you like for 5 minutes.

Listen and hear. Experience the joy of quiet.

Ask yourself: “Does the silence have a color?” and “Can I photograph the sounds I'm hearing?” "What is within ten feet of me that I'm drawn to photograph?"

The idea is for us to join nature's flow. Sitting, we engage our other senses first and "see" with our whole body. Within the experience of photographing, we find meaning.

4. VISUAL ENERGY


We all know the rule of thirds. Yet there is a more subtle technique, called Visual Energy. 

What is Visual Energy? The greater the visual mass of an element in your picture, and the higher you place it within your frame, the greater its visual energy.

Here, I've placed the peacock's white eye patch high up and to the left in my framing. This position is not where we'd expect for a rule of thirds composition. Instead, high up and to the left in the frame creates visual energy.