My photography group assignment for September was “Composition.” We were told to photograph a small object in at least 10 different ways, experimenting with angle, distance, etc., and then to choose the 2 to 4 we liked best, which would be presented to the group and critiqued at our next meeting.
We could define “small” in any way we wished. We had to keep the object in a consistent environment, but we could alter its appearance by doing things like spraying it with water, immersing it in water, or cutting it in half. I’m sure that last suggestion applied only to inanimate objects!
Aside from trying to decide how I’d alter the poor object, the hard part for me (and for many of the rest of us, I’ve heard) was settling on a subject to photograph. I wanted to choose something interesting or unique. But then it dawned on me that I was in the group to learn, not to try and impress anyone. And the best way for me to learn composition, I figured, was to keep it simple. I chose an apple as my model.
After selecting the prettiest apple in my fruit bin, I hauled out my camera, two lenses, a tripod, a shiny background, a scarf, a lamp, and a flashlight. I piled everything on my bed and proceeded to set up various scenes using the apple as the star of my production.
I set the apple on a white board. I placed a black box behind it. I nestled it in a colorful scarf. I experimented with various shutter speeds and apertures. I waved the scarf behind it. I sprayed the apple with water and coated it in olive oil. I spent at least 4 hours taking photos of the damned apple.
Then I spent another hour or so editing my photos. But after all of that, I was unsatisfied. I felt like I hadn’t done a very good job on the assignment, and I was embarrassed to show my photos to the group. Even worse, I hadn’t learned anything about composition.
Then yesterday I went for a walk, and what did I see? Hundreds of small, rain-splashed autumn leaves glittering in the sun. Some had landed on top of a sewer cover. There was a strange beauty in all of that. Unfortunately, all I had with me was my iPhone, and there was someone walking behind me. Nervous about stopping, squatting down, and taking pictures with someone watching, I kept walking.
But after they passed me, I turned around. Sure, traffic was zooming by, and I’d be noticed by everyone in their cars as I crouched down, held that position for far too long, and then struggled to get up again (that did happen!), but so what? If a good picture is worth 1,000 words, it’s also worth a little embarrassment and creaky knees. I got to work.
After about 5 minutes, I had 30 pictures of leaves! And my knees survived! I couldn’t wait to get home and edit the pictures. I hadn’t used any fancy equipment. I didn’t have special lighting or backgrounds to play with. But instead, I decided to do what our mentor had said … notice something, stop, walk around it, and take pictures from different angles.
What do you think of the results? Which photos do you like best?
Did I learn something? Yes. I learned that beautiful objects can be found anywhere, even at the most unexpected times and in the most unexpected places … and that it pays to consider all the “angles.”
