“Capturing Alaska”
with Wayde Carroll
Sense of Place
One of the main goals in outdoor photography is to try and relate our experience to our viewer. We want to share with them the intimate details that were so exciting to us at that moment. With various techniques we try to attract the viewer’s eye, lead it into and around our image, and keep it there. If we can accomplish this, then we have created a truly compelling image. We can achieve this through various techniques, and combinations thereof, such as the use of “s” curves, color, patterns, negative space, and unique subject matter.
When photographing outdoors one can choose to focus on details with a long zoom lens or an up close macro lens. Many superb images are created using these lenses but most of us tend to use wide- angle lenses to capture the grandeur of the scene in its entirety. It seems like common sense to try and include as much of the incredible scene before us as we can. Often though, this leads to disappointment when, as we’re editing our photos on the computer at home, we get a diminished sense of the true experience we remember. Because we used such a wide- angle lens, all of the important elements that drew us to a scene now appear small and so much less dramatic.
One of my favorite ways to combat this is to make sure I have an interesting foreground subject that not only highlights some of the character of the area but also serves to lead the viewer into my image. When taking a photo where all of the subject matter off in the distance the image can appear flat and uninteresting. By placing objects in the foreground my photo becomes more dimensional. By having objects that clearly define the foreground, middle ground, and background, I can draw the viewers eye deep in to my image and a real sense of place is obtained.
Next time you’re out shooting keep this in mind and see if it helps you to create images that are more visually striking and give the viewer a better sense of what it was like to be there at that place and time!