Andy Hayes Oregon: Composition Tips for Amazing Nature Photography

Nature freaks and photographers can gather around as Andy Hayes from Oregon is back with some keys to unlock the hidden secrets of the most magical art-form. The world of nature photography is jam-packed with much wonder and charm. It not only unravels multiple hidden philosophical routes to revelation and self-awareness inherent in nature, but also holds the power to impact a detached viewer – who hasn’t gone through the whole process – by its sheer beauty.

Now, that’s something quite amazing, don’t you think? Well, it isn’t really magic either, you know. And there are no hidden secrets. It’s just the way our mind works. We are born curious.

So what’s next? Well, a perfect composition is what can create wonder in the mind of the perceiver. A snapshot shows the viewer what your camera lens sees, while a carefully composed picture shows the viewer what you see. Image-making can be tricky and there is no denying the fact that well-composed pictures need artistically and aesthetically sound hands and vision.

And Andy Hayes Oregon believes that it could be achieved by an amateur photographer and shares some interesting techniques to compose great pictures worth more than ten thousand words!

1. Use visual elements to guide the viewer’s perception.

A powerful composition uses visual elements to lead the viewer into the scene. Elements that can help get the right effect could be anything from lines to progressive shapes and curves. Lines spreading outward from below in particular are the most impactful on the viewer who is thus led into the scene.

 

2. Choose an impressive foreground to achieve depth and give point of reference.

Foregrounds are crucial in a picture as they particularly add depth to it. A viewer will typically see it as a reference. Since nature photography can seem chaotic sometimes like the cascaded mountains reflecting off on the surface of a lake, for example. A good foreground to frame out the shore of the lake gives depth and point of reference to the image.

 

3. Engage the eye with repeating patterns.

Andy Hayes Oregon State Treasury believes that the human mind is used to seeking repeating patterns to make sense of the chaotic world we live in. A clever photographer can make use of this habit of the human brain, and create an illusion of a unified composition by repeatedly using specific colors and shapes.

This will keep the viewer engaged and interested in translation.

Please don’t deny saying …I’m not photogenic

You are beautiful…yes…you! Hope you know that!

Well, this is something that I keep repeating to anyone and everyone while clicking pictures. Regardless of my whereabouts, I have had come across many people who end up babbling-‘No, please do not click my picture, I’m not photogenic at all, says smilingly Andy Hayes oregon.

This is something that bothers to me, and this is when I offer everyone my lenses to view how beautiful everyone is. Everyone is beautiful in their very own way, the only thing that makes all the difference is how you perceive things or whether you are daring enough to accept things the way it is, says Andy hayes oregon. I personally feel that there’s nothing to keep whining about, celebrate who you are and there’s nothing to change for. By now, i have clicked zillion of pictures, and every single time I find something different in each and every click that’s there in my state treasury, which is the portfolio.

Let’s begin with what’s bejeweled in the ‘word’ photogenic? Well, to my understanding it can be used as an adjective. But when it comes to using it to connote an individual, everything certainly gets complicated for me. Well, acknowledging to the fact that there’s a big time difference in capturing objects and non-living stuff and then capturing movements of an individual, however, I ensure that shutters, apertures and contrast ratio is balanced. After all, yes, photos surely will be picture-perfect if technical aspects are considered well. But apart from all of this, all I recommend is that the person who am I clicking feels happy about it. The moment a person is happy, half the battle is already won rest, everything can be taken care of. Alas! Not vice versa!

So, from now onwards…whenever someone will ask you to pose…please don’t deny saying ….I am not photogenic.

Andy Hayes Photography: Color and Context

Andy Hayes Oregon helps us understand the intriguing world of colors and what it could all mean.

Photography veteran and founder of Plum Deluxe Andy Hayes from Oregon attempts to unravel a world of emotions hidden away behind the talking colors. He notes that even though Black and White may still be a favorite among lovers of fine photography with its engaging play of highlights and contrast, there’s a tremendous scope for experimentation with different shades and colors other than the archaic duo.

Andy Hayes Oregon urges all his fellow photographers to transcend the ordinariness of grey scale that can in fact prove to be misleading sometimes. Some black and white photos may not be able to bring out the subtle undertones in an image that are intended for the viewers/audience to spot.  The photographer’s notion of his picture needs to match the reaction of the audience. Otherwise, the whole photography business would be a failed attempt to start with.

That’s exactly what monotones in different colors can be expected to do. They are meant to depict distinct emotions in context of what the artist wants to capture in his work. After all, there must be a way the photographer’s picture ought to be seen by the audience.

If you’re a photographer and you want to portray sadness in your picture, then the color to go with would have to be blue. Shades of blue can help accentuate the element of melancholy in an image. It also gives a depth and clarity to your picture.

Andy Hayes during his Oregon State Treasury photo-shoot took a picture of its inner hall and drained it in blue color so as to stress on its depth. He was able to portray the hall in all its grandeur.

Similarly, green color may stand for organic, natural and even money in some circumstances. It may have more diverse connotations in comparison to other more specific colors.

Another color that may make an image seem not so apparent at first glance is the color red. It could imply more than a simple series of similar emotions. In addition to being used in the context of love, beauty, passion and life, it can also be used to underline more ominous themes like war, blood and crime.

Some essential camera accessories for beginners

The one thing that can trouble a beginner photographer is the notoriously expensive accessories that are absolutely vital. Before you start earning through your camera, you must invest sufficiently in appropriate paraphernalia. However, not all of them are as necessary as they may appear to be. So here Andy Hayes Oregon help out beginners by listing out the absolute musts you should invest in, right at the beginning of your career.

Camera Bag- Can you imagine dropping the DSLR that you now hold? Exactly, there is a reason why shutterbugs are absolute paranoids about how they handle their camera. Its safety comes foremost. Invest in a good bag that secures your camera in layers of cushion and keeps dust out.

Camera Strap- investing in a good quality comfortable camera strap will ensure that you are comfortable carrying your camera for long durations during an outdoor shoot. Andy Hayes Oregon State Treasury shoot gave him the lesson on this, when he had to carry the heavy camera for over 9 hours at a stretch.

Tripod- when shooting on long shutter speed the increased exposure makes the camera sensitive to even the slightest of shiver. So invest in a tripod stand to eliminate shake and stability issues, says Andy Hayes.

Spirit Level- A cheap and small accessory, it will ensure your horizons are always straight and saves you hours you would spend on Photoshop trying to level the snap.

Remote Release- This little device makes itself useful on many occasions. Whenever you want your camera to be super still or taking a selfie, you would thank yourself for buying this.

Battery Pack- Long outdoor shots and especially wild life photography can eat up power like anything. Carry extra battery banks for extended hours of shooting.

Sensor cleaning kit– This one thing will pay you back many times as you save yourself servicing costs. Just be sure to clean the dust anytime you catch even a hint of dust.

What Your Monotone Pallet Means?

This decade could be termed as the renaissance of modern photography. With cutting-edge technology of filters, software, HD aids etc. almost 90% of imagery is achieved after the actual shot is taken.

However, even with the ground-breaking research in place, I would say the art has come full circle, says Andy Hayes, a photography veteran. Even with the potential to click paper crisp high resolution images, Black & White continue to arrest our attention like nothing else. It gives you the right depth into the subject to stir thoughts of the observer.
However, we find ourselves rather caught-up when age is not the emotion we are trying to put across, when softness and subtlety is not what we intend to show. Andy Hayes from Oregon suggests going beyond just grey scale in your monotones to achieve the right effect.

As a photographer you must have realized that by taking out details you put in thoughts, but for pulling the right chords, apt colour treatment is also necessary. And a single stolid hue prevailing over the entire image has more impactful emotionally than the most detailed colour pallet. But to achieve that, colours should be used in the right context.

Blue- This colour has come to be synonymous with sadness and despair. When you want to put across a strong melancholic sense from a picture, the more opaque shades of blue can help you. However, it is also the colour of depth, clarity, cleanliness, and freshness. Like Andy Hayes Oregon used it on Oregon state treasury’s inner hall to portray the depth of the grand corridor.

Green- This has rather diverse and interesting connotations. The colour of growth, nature, and money can complement specific scenes well.

Red- This is one of the most diverse colours: blood, crime, sinister and foreboding are the undercurrents of crimson, while love, beauty passion and life are the extreme opposite yet potent emotions conveyed.

Thus, it all depends on the subject and the particular placement of shade, shadows and light.

Photography- Do It The Right Way- by Andy Hayes

‘Liked the picture? Keen on clicking it, clicked it’…

If this is your mantra to photography and this is how you click pictures, then alas! You are missing on a lot of interesting things. Sounds certainly nothing special! But, being a professional, there’s something else that you ‘ideally’ should do. Rest, the choice is all up to you.

It’s been seen that photographers tend to commit similar mistakes, which of course are unintentional. Thus, to simplify things and ensure that it doesn’t get repeated, here’s mentioning, Andy Hayes on how to avoid committing common blunders and take photography to a new level:

Photography cannot be mugged up like a book. A photographer has to tactfully see on how everything goes on, believes Andy Hayes Oregon. Afterall, it’s a liberal sphere, wherein at every step, a photographer can add in his own touch of perfection.

Too much contrasting images are not perfect. Instead of capturing the one with stark contrast, prefer clicking the ones with similar backgrounds. The foreground has to be absolutely minimal,

Level of the camera has to be in conjunction to the subject, not photographer’s eye level. Say for instance: if a puppy has to be clicked, instead of randomly clicking, go closer, set angle and then only go for it. Similar to this, if it’s a flower, bend down on your knees, set the angle top capture the intended shot.

There’s a big time difference in black and white photography and the colored one. Black and white photography is equally tricky and demands detailing. Slight negligence from a photographer’s end will surely bring-in world of difference, concedes photography enthusiast, Andy Hayes Oregon.

Remember, photography is an art and depending on skills and techniques, you can creatively play with the same. Yes, there’s gamut of photo editing options to choose from, but the concerning part is why to begin with bad photography? After all, it’s no hard and fast rule that says photo editing tools are must to have nice clicks by side.

For Those Who Love Photography – Andy Hayes

Keenly interested in photography, still whenever you capture things such as fireworks, lights, distant objects, and end up getting into mayhem?  Well if so, do not really need to think or get frenzy over anything. It’s common & happens with every other photographer, yes, including the professionals also, (at times), but this does not mean that they aren’t skilled at it. It’s not an easy task to capture each and every movement in an intended way. So there’s nothing to go crazy about, says Andy Hayes Oregon. True that it gets messy at times, but to click picture according to you, keep a check on few things that will make you observe magical results!

The reason being, majority of the times, lack of light in the background, everything has a tendency to turn everything upside down. Good thing is with set of right equipment and familiarity with handy strategies by side, photography becomes much more fun and a joy-worthy ride!

To all those, who were keen on doing something different and add-in a perfection in every click, follow up of the information will surely lend you a helping hand:

Shoot moon: something that does not need to be mentioned, it’s not going to be an easy task, as it certainly sounds. 300 mm zooming lens would be apt to go with to get the clarity of picture that you have had been thinking for.

Pre-set the settings to ensure clicking perfect-pictures! It is advised to avoid setting the camera on either too high or too low mode. Apart from this, check the contrast level so that you do not end up losing clarity, sharpness, in a picture making it look blurred. Well, I can guarantee this would be the last thing in your priority list!

Put on self-timer for around 8-10 seconds. Once you feel comfortable, get go with it! Remember, you just won’t get perfect clicks, back to back. So, be patient and manage everything flexibly! Shoot in aperture mode and simultaneously, bracket the ‘exposure effect’ in conjunction to your needs and click balanced images!