Severn Bore Low Light Composition In Full Colour 19.02.11

Low light as I’ve said I love, well, why resist it. It is what it is, so make the most of it. Yes it can be a challenge with camera settings but equally it can produce some very interesting results with close tones when colour has been drained from the picture with the lack of light, particularly in a landscape view like today.

Power lines we love to hate but once again they aren’t going away so make them work for you in the composition. Make sure they are up right though which seems to be a challenge for some. Don’t forget, those big round ceramic balls the cables hang from, they are always vertical, well, subject to weather conditions with side winds, or cable tension but dictated by gravity and weight of the cables so should be easy to line up with the edge of your picture through the view finder.

In post editing vertical and horizontal can be corrected if missed whilst taking your shot in a hurry. Most cameras have a grid function so It’s a good idea to have in use if your unsure.

Lens distortion can also put things out of vertical or horizontal but i will reserve that talk for another time

On Planet Earth water is perfectly level wherever you are. Spirit / water  levels were used in the construction of the great Pyramids of course. When water is active it has a mind of its own but can follow predictable paths as the Severn Bore continues to demonstrate, so watch out for those big splashes.

Reflections are just great for drama in a picture, they give form and depth so keep an eye on those as much as the main subject you are focusing on. It can be tricky as it requires almost 2 sets of eyes in your head but by keeping it in mind you will gradually learn to see more.

A hand held camera allows freedom of movement when a subject is not static, so do some dummy run shots just before you are going to take your proper shots, just to get used to positions you want to focus on but also to see what camera settings you need to consider. It’s a good idea  to check where you stand as well if moving positions to save falling over in mid shot when panning or changing position. As a rule I only use a tripod on static subjects that are in awkward positions or as a steady some times. I will talk about this later.