I promised in my last post I would share some work from other photographers next time.  It is with great pleasure I bring you five great images from five exceptional image makers.

This first gorgeous landscape was created by photographer Gary Randall. I don’t know a lot about Gary but if this is any indication of his work, he could become a favorite of mine.

Jim Zuckerman is one of the best teachers of advanced photo techniques there is. If you are interested in photographic techniques employed artistically, he’s worth a call.

You do need to understand that Jim’s work is often created under controlled conditions and I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case with this snake image.  I love the composition!

This is a different sort of image for wildlife photography great, David Hemmings. This distant view done in silhouette, is in my opinion beautiful.

Mike Moats is my favorite macro photographer. He is heavily in demand as a seminar provider/workshop teacher. Below you find just one of many reasons for that. I love his use of shadows here.

Marina Scarr is the queen of gator shots and her close-ups always captivate me. Marina is an artist at every form of photography, and exploring her work is well worth the effort.

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In a recent post I mentioned my observation that some photographers seem to have a minor obsessive compulsive disorder that pushes them to make symmetrical/square crops. Often time (minor) disorders can become an aide when you are speaking of art. I did say minor. Major disorders need attention by professionals.

If all of your friends and relatives consider you to be a “neat freak”, that could be a good thing. There is nothing wrong, with maintaining order.  On the other hand, if you need everything in your house to represent some sort of symmetry, you probably have a problem. If all of your table lamps need to be exactly two inches from the edge of the table, you likely should seek help. If you neatly hang your clothes on their hangers, and separate them (shirts from pants, or dresses from skirts etc.) by types, you should be applauded and you can probably make money teaching others to be organized.  On the other hand, if every one of those hangers, is measured to be precisely 3.1 inches from the next one, well you may have an issue.

Having a propensity towards square images may be just enough of a disorder to help teach yourself to make balanced compositions, but those that are not symmetrical.  There is the potential to use that need for order, to make carefully thought out, unsymmetrical but powerful images.  Order without symmetry, is a learned skill that is acquired slowly for all of us.

When you observe pictures made by others, and you find images that you love, or photographers who’s work you perpetually like, really look at it. I am betting they will not be symmetrical in their composition or their crop. Yet there will be great order. The picture will grab you because it makes sense., but does so without being boring.

Think about the pictures you see. Not just what kind of camera did they use, or what aperture was employed, or where was it made, but ask yourself exactly why you love this picture? Pick it apart. You may find that you have the tools for amazing photography.

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The story behind the image, or better said, the inner feelings that existed with a photographer when a picture was made, is just as important as the picture itself. Pictures (should) require some thought, and they are often accompanied by strong feelings. The blue text below, was written several years ago for my website to accompany the photo you see with it. They are exactly as written/presented originally. My written thoughts are the same thoughts that went through my mind after a long but very special day of roaming and photographing the Rocky Mountains.

Photography is (often) art,  and your feelings can be just as much a part of the artistic experience.  Share them.

“It seemed as if I was standing at the edge of the Earth as darkness began to take over the land. My mind filled up with visions of a day spent in my beloved mountains. I stood at that edge for what surely must have been hours. Alone in the darkness. Yet not alone at all. It was unreal, yet very real. I didn’t want to leave and have to begin to think about worldly things such as where to sleep, what to eat. It matters not that reality set in and I finally made my way to the road, because in many ways I never left and I never will.”

Black Canyon of The Gunnison / Colorado

God Bless,                                                                                                                    Wayne