Perspectives from the OASC Photo Gallery
by Fred Esenwein, Leader since June 2007, Member since April 2007 

Imagery in nature has always been a part of the human psyche. Perhaps one of the most profound artistic movements capturing this imagery were the sublime aesthetic landscape paintings from the nineteenth century by famous artists such as J.M.W. Turner, Thomas Cole, Albert Bierstadt, and Frederic Church. These paintings, typically a romanticized depiction of real places, were intended to display the grandeur of nature where you sensed danger, fear, and colossal scale, such as a view of a mountain during a storm. As Edmund Burke wrote in A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, “Whatever fitted in any sort to excite the ideas of pain or danger…or operates in a manner analogous to terror, is a source of the sublime.” Burke’s statement was a heralding trumpet for the American aesthetic and art in the United States swelled in this movement with the expansion out West and home to natural wonders such as Niagara Falls, the Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone, and Yosemite. 

Example of a 19^th Century Sublime Landscape Painting.

Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak.  Albert Bierstadt, 1863.  Fogg Art Museum Collection, Harvard University Art Museums.

Towards the end of this artistic movement, photography was born and the new medium of capturing the sublime of nature could be easily reproduced around the world for millions to enjoy. Photography’s early history was typically portraiture, but as photographic technology developed during and following the Civil War, nature as a subject grew. Many photographers sought to capture the sublime of the American landscape since the mid-nineteenth century and perhaps the most successful natural photographs in popular memory were taken by Ansel Adams around the mid-twentieth century. Today, many photographers are still drawn to the sublime beauty of nature and we in Virginia are fortunate to find this beauty in abundance.

Example of a famous Ansel Adams print.

Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico.  Ansel Adams, 1941.  National Gallery of Australia.

What makes a photograph? 

I hold a belief there is a distinction between photographs and pictures. Pictures are a quick record to capture something on the fly without consideration of the actual end result of the image; an example being a shot of your friends drunk at the Guinness bar. A photograph requires one to see a moment, capture and bring to life the essence and quality of a subject. For instance, there are many images of sunsets, but how many really capture the light, color and character of the place in time?

Photography is manipulating light. To create a photograph, one has to understand the camera’s optics to capture the image in the photographer’s eye. Photographers visualize the photograph before actually recording it just as a sculptor envisions the image in the stone before carving away. Whether it is the awesome view from a mountaintop or the beauty of a flower, there are conditions which bring out the inherent beauty of a subject the photographer is after, even if it means manipulation behind the lens to make it more visible to the viewer. As with any artwork or design, the goal is to make visible the intrinsic nature of the subject.

In this photo, the photographer opened the aperture of the lens to create a shallow depth of field.  The result is the flower being sharp and in focus while the greenery in the background is blurred.  This softens the background so it is not competing with the presentation of the subject, the flower.     

To bring out the qualities of the light from the sunset, understanding white balance or color filters enhances or changes the color of the light to convey a more impressionable image than what is actually visible to our own eyes.

Using a slow shutter speed brings out the water “falling” characteristics of a waterfall by enhancing the sense of speed and drop of the water.

A Basic Guide to Photography 

There are a few concepts to keep in mind as you train your eye. First, consider what the subject is and where to the subject is and where to place it in the image; the center is not always the best location. Next, compose by considering foreground, middleground, and background as well as the periphery; one important aspect most people do not think about is to understand what is around the periphery of the image. Again, it is important to understand what the light level is and the dynamics between light and shadow; this will enable sharp contrasts, particularly if you see the final image in being black & white. 

Two photos capturing two entirely different ideas due to composition.  In the first photo, the balloon is the subject and the mountains are in the background while the light sets a particular mood. 

In the second photo, the light conveys the same mood but the subject is more of a thought about being suspended in the air high above the mountains.  While the first photo is a nice image, the second photo conveys the sublime since we sense the tension of danger and terror.

Understand what the light level is and the dynamics between light and shadow; this will enable sharp contrasts, particularly if you see the image in black & white.

In this case, black and white was used to balance the deep shadows on the right side with the bright sun on the left.  In color, this photo appears over-exposed on the left side and under-exposed on the right.

Another helpful hint most people do not think about is the light source because a color image will not come out the same if it is sunlight versus a light from a light bulb; filtering the light source may be required for white balance. Ultimately, the most important rule of photography is to experiment, which is very economical in digital photography. Unlike film, you can take as many digital photos as you wish without paying for processing, so don’t be afraid to take a dozen photos of the same subject while trying different settings. Be sure to note what settings you used for the images you are pleased with for future photographs! 

I tried about 8 different settings on my camera before I was satisfied with the result.

An OASC Photo Portfolio

I selected these photos as if I was judging an architectural competition. If the thumbnail image did not catch my interest in 2 seconds it was passed over. Some I looked more closely but determined the resolution or exposure or composition was not quite what I was expecting. I only selected photos with people in them if I believed they made the photo, whether it was for a sense of scale or captured the sense of the place. I want to acknowledge that I did not review every gallery since an extensive review would take far more time than what I can allow. Also, this is my judgment alone and other reviewers may select different photos. In fact, even when I reviewed some of these a few times my opinion changed depending on what I discovered. Essentially, I found many wonderful photos so please admire other photos in the galleries because many of them came very close to being presented here. Finally, I should remark that none of these images were competing nor should be considered to be “winners”; think of this selection as a gallery display for First Friday.

Enjoy!

Caving

Canoeing

Rock Climbing

Rafting

Backpacking

Hiking

Expeditions Far Away

Leaders' Own Adventures Photo Portfolio