As Overlanders we all share in a passion for gear, vehicles and wilderness, that passion drives us to venture far into nature in search of wild and remote locations in which to test our skills, knowledge and equipment. The promise of solitude and unfamiliar locations motivates us to go further and seek ever increasing extreme conditions in order to satisfy that peculiar yearning shared by all adventure seekers. Its hard for us to verbally express the mix of emotions that this wanderlust invokes in us. Often when trying to explain why we do what we do and why we need the things we need in order to do that thing, we come across as a bit crazy or obsessed. What if I told you there is a way to show people what you feel? A way to invoke in them a similar feeling of adventure and wonder. Simply put, the answer is media, photos and or video.
In this series of tutorials I hope to share with you some easy techniques and different visual approaches to composing your photos. These tips are not camera specific, the best camera in the world is the one you have with you. This series of tips will build on each other, and if properly employed they will become second nature. I wont be discussing digital editing because that is a whole different bag of potatoes. In the end, its better to have an effectively composed photo that suffers a bit from poor lighting, than a perfectly edited photo that suffers from ineffective composition. Lets get started…
Why are you taking the photo? The answer, to tell a story. Think in holistic terms, what is the trip about? What are you trying to show? who's is coming with me? Can the setting be changed to best suit the lighting conditions? what possible changes in perspective can I exploit? Its hard to imagine the effects a few feet of elevation have in composing a photo. A step to the right or the left might make the difference between a great photo or a just OK photo. Lighting is tricky, but there are a few rules that can help, none more important than, you cant move the sun, but you can sure use a flash, reflector or wait it out. If those aren’t options, can you turn the vehicle around for a better profile, can you switch positions to take the best advantage of the available light?
In this set of photos you can see the effects of moving a little to the left or right has on the composition of the final shot. Lori moved in a lateral motion in relation to the vehicle. The elevation was the same. Notice the lines on the road for reference. The top photo has a sense of adventure and excitement to it due to the road. A few feet to the left gave the vehicle a more interesting sense of purpose. The second photo is boring and lacks a story.
In many action sports like Kayaking, Snowboarding or Mountain biking, showing the subject in action helps convey the sense of adventure, danger and excitement we were feeling in that moment. Overlanding however, is unique in that you can show the vehicle on its own and still evoke the emotion of adventure and danger you are trying to convey. Try putting a snow board or a mountain bike on a scene by themselves. Yes you can get creative and artistic in the portrayal but the photos will lack the raw visual impact of putting a rider on them and capturing the photo mid action. An Overland vehicle has this raw visual impact for the simple fact that its there. The background matters, make it work for you. Use the rule of thirds and visual angle to create a scene of pure adventure.
If at all possible the vehicle should be positioned so the shadow is towards the back of the vehicle. Ideally you want a shadow that is nearly invisible, this can be achieved during sunset or sunrise, what photographers refer to as the golden hour.
In this set of photos, my fiancé took a series of shots of the same vehicle in the same location, a few seconds apart. The only thing that changed was how high she was off the ground. In other words, the only thing that changed was her vertical orientation in relation to the vehicle. Notice the effects on the background and the perspective of the vehicle as she moved from the high to the low camera angle. Notice the background, pay attention to how it becomes an integral part of the photo, and how it helps tell a story. What are you trying to say with the photo. In a landscape photo, the background is just as important as the subject. It can be argued that every element of the photo has to work together to tell the story you want to tell.
Lori changed her relative vertical distance to the subject by two feet in each photo. Noting else was changed. Notice the difference in perspective and how the vehicle seems to pop out of the photo in the last picture.
Look all around before you settle on a camera angle to tell your story. Choose a perspective point of view, in other words, are you a participant or are you observing the action. This is important because it will help narrow down how you frame your photo in order to tell your story. If you are taking the photos from an observers point of view, you want to use wide shots and capture as much of the overall setting as possible. If you are shooting from the participants point of view, your shots need to be in close and from angles others would normally not see or would have difficulty seeing. In Overlanding you can use both perspectives but you should be careful to not try and compose from the wrong point of view. For example, don't try and compose a landscape shot from the participant perspective or vice versa.
Composing from the observers perspective is the hardest style to master. You need to think of framing your photos in the same way as if you were looking at a post card. You are trying to tell a broad story with this shot. The rule of thirds and paying attention to lighting is a must and will make or break the shot. You are zoomed out so your subject is everything you framed. This is how you show scale and give a sense of wilderness. Get creative; harsh sunlight is actually a plus for this style of shooting. The hard shadows that the light makes add texture and depth to the landscape and can become a focal point. For example a large shadow cast by a vehicle can be used to break shapeless sand mounds and add a sense of scale.
In this photo, I used the road to convey scale and tie in the elements, the Kayak and the Bike combined with the mountains in the background are all tied in by the road. Looking at this photo will subconsciously impart the feeling of adventure and the unknown.
Composing from the participant perspective is marginally easier, kind of. When you are shooting action sports from the participant point of view, you want to try and isolate your subject. The goal is to give a hint of whats going on while capturing a specific event as it relates to a specific subject. The subject tells the story. You can use this technique if the background is not particularly interesting or appealing. Its perfectly ok to get in close, get your subject in focus and blur out the background. You can also focus in close to specific components like bumpers tires or winches for example, to give a sense that something is going on. Use your imagination here, the closer you get to the subject the sharper it is and the blurrier the rest of the frame is. With this approach, you leave a lot to the imagination of the observer, if executed properly you can make a parking lot look like an exotic location.
If you are shooting straight into a vehicle, shoot from a high position or a really low perspective and get as close as possible, this will take advantage of the imperfections on the lens resulting in interesting and grandiose photos.
In this series of tutorials I hope to share with you some easy techniques and different visual approaches to composing your photos. These tips are not camera specific, the best camera in the world is the one you have with you. This series of tips will build on each other, and if properly employed they will become second nature. I wont be discussing digital editing because that is a whole different bag of potatoes. In the end, its better to have an effectively composed photo that suffers a bit from poor lighting, than a perfectly edited photo that suffers from ineffective composition. Lets get started…
Why are you taking the photo? The answer, to tell a story. Think in holistic terms, what is the trip about? What are you trying to show? who's is coming with me? Can the setting be changed to best suit the lighting conditions? what possible changes in perspective can I exploit? Its hard to imagine the effects a few feet of elevation have in composing a photo. A step to the right or the left might make the difference between a great photo or a just OK photo. Lighting is tricky, but there are a few rules that can help, none more important than, you cant move the sun, but you can sure use a flash, reflector or wait it out. If those aren’t options, can you turn the vehicle around for a better profile, can you switch positions to take the best advantage of the available light?
In this set of photos you can see the effects of moving a little to the left or right has on the composition of the final shot. Lori moved in a lateral motion in relation to the vehicle. The elevation was the same. Notice the lines on the road for reference. The top photo has a sense of adventure and excitement to it due to the road. A few feet to the left gave the vehicle a more interesting sense of purpose. The second photo is boring and lacks a story.
In many action sports like Kayaking, Snowboarding or Mountain biking, showing the subject in action helps convey the sense of adventure, danger and excitement we were feeling in that moment. Overlanding however, is unique in that you can show the vehicle on its own and still evoke the emotion of adventure and danger you are trying to convey. Try putting a snow board or a mountain bike on a scene by themselves. Yes you can get creative and artistic in the portrayal but the photos will lack the raw visual impact of putting a rider on them and capturing the photo mid action. An Overland vehicle has this raw visual impact for the simple fact that its there. The background matters, make it work for you. Use the rule of thirds and visual angle to create a scene of pure adventure.
If at all possible the vehicle should be positioned so the shadow is towards the back of the vehicle. Ideally you want a shadow that is nearly invisible, this can be achieved during sunset or sunrise, what photographers refer to as the golden hour.
In this set of photos, my fiancé took a series of shots of the same vehicle in the same location, a few seconds apart. The only thing that changed was how high she was off the ground. In other words, the only thing that changed was her vertical orientation in relation to the vehicle. Notice the effects on the background and the perspective of the vehicle as she moved from the high to the low camera angle. Notice the background, pay attention to how it becomes an integral part of the photo, and how it helps tell a story. What are you trying to say with the photo. In a landscape photo, the background is just as important as the subject. It can be argued that every element of the photo has to work together to tell the story you want to tell.
Lori changed her relative vertical distance to the subject by two feet in each photo. Noting else was changed. Notice the difference in perspective and how the vehicle seems to pop out of the photo in the last picture.
Look all around before you settle on a camera angle to tell your story. Choose a perspective point of view, in other words, are you a participant or are you observing the action. This is important because it will help narrow down how you frame your photo in order to tell your story. If you are taking the photos from an observers point of view, you want to use wide shots and capture as much of the overall setting as possible. If you are shooting from the participants point of view, your shots need to be in close and from angles others would normally not see or would have difficulty seeing. In Overlanding you can use both perspectives but you should be careful to not try and compose from the wrong point of view. For example, don't try and compose a landscape shot from the participant perspective or vice versa.
Composing from the observers perspective is the hardest style to master. You need to think of framing your photos in the same way as if you were looking at a post card. You are trying to tell a broad story with this shot. The rule of thirds and paying attention to lighting is a must and will make or break the shot. You are zoomed out so your subject is everything you framed. This is how you show scale and give a sense of wilderness. Get creative; harsh sunlight is actually a plus for this style of shooting. The hard shadows that the light makes add texture and depth to the landscape and can become a focal point. For example a large shadow cast by a vehicle can be used to break shapeless sand mounds and add a sense of scale.
In this photo, I used the road to convey scale and tie in the elements, the Kayak and the Bike combined with the mountains in the background are all tied in by the road. Looking at this photo will subconsciously impart the feeling of adventure and the unknown.
Composing from the participant perspective is marginally easier, kind of. When you are shooting action sports from the participant point of view, you want to try and isolate your subject. The goal is to give a hint of whats going on while capturing a specific event as it relates to a specific subject. The subject tells the story. You can use this technique if the background is not particularly interesting or appealing. Its perfectly ok to get in close, get your subject in focus and blur out the background. You can also focus in close to specific components like bumpers tires or winches for example, to give a sense that something is going on. Use your imagination here, the closer you get to the subject the sharper it is and the blurrier the rest of the frame is. With this approach, you leave a lot to the imagination of the observer, if executed properly you can make a parking lot look like an exotic location.
If you are shooting straight into a vehicle, shoot from a high position or a really low perspective and get as close as possible, this will take advantage of the imperfections on the lens resulting in interesting and grandiose photos.
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