|
|
 | | Patterns in Nature by Russ Burden From wildlife to landscapes, mother nature bestows the human eye with spectacular beauty. Article rating: 8.78 |
Mother nature bestows the human eye with spectacular beauty. The crashing surf along a coast at sunset, majestic mountain ranges of rugged splendor, rolling hills of prairie farmland, and sandstone arches that decorate the Southwest are but a few of the glorious features to which we travel to treat our eyes to Natural grandeur. Photographic icons such as Delicate Arch adorn the license plate of Utah while visions of The Grand Teton entice many to make the journey to Jackson Hole. While these incredible testaments to nature certainly amaze even the casual viewer, Mother Nature also works her magic on much smaller creations. To the discerning eye, natural beauty appears everywhere. It just needs to be noticed.
© Russ Burden
Become an Observer: While driving at 50 mph, even the Grand Teton is magnificent. Unfortunately, this is the way too many visitors to the park see the range. But as photographers, we know better. We get there for sunrise and sunset and photograph the range in magnificent light. But how many of us stop to look north and south at the other amazing peaks? How many look down at our feet to see if something photogenic lurks near our toes? Many of us go there in the fall to catch the aspens at their peak, but how many walk up to the tress to get a close up view of the veining in the leaves and the subtle compositions of a leaf grouping on the end of a branch? Look past the obvious and you’ll be surprised how many memory cards you can fill with patterns in nature.
© Russ Burden
In the image of the sand dune ripples and yucca that accompanies this article, what I set out to photograph was a grand scenic of the dune field in late light. The sky was beautiful and the field of dunes in White Sands National Monument was pristine. I made the obvious shot but then I became an observer. I thought to myself, what else can I photograph that may make a nice image. The yucca fronds grabbed my attention so I got a bit closer and zoomed my lens. All of a sudden, the ripples became more pronounced and I noticed the shadow in addition to the small rise in the sand to the right of the yucca. I put myself into a position to create the image seen here. By simply studying the scene, I walked away with an additional pattern image.
© Russ Burden
Becoming an observer of patterns certainly played a huge role in acquiring the image of the cottonwood catkin. There’s a city park about 50 minutes from my home where fox frequent. I made a pre-sunrise trip to capture them in early light. The only problem was the foxes never revealed themselves. Rather than throwing in the towel, while I continued to look for a sign of a fox, I also opened my eyes to other options. As it was springtime, the cottonwoods in the area were beginning to bud. Out of curiosity, I approached a low hanging limb and a world of patterns and color opened up. Again, the observer in me proved to be beneficial in finding a nice pattern in nature.
To learn more about this topic, join me on one of my Photographic Nature Tours. Visit www.russburdenphotography.com and click on the NATURE TOURS button for more information. Also, pick up a copy of my new book, Amphoto’s Complete Book of Photography. You can purchase a signed copy directly from me or visit your local book store or Amazon. Contact me at rburden@ecentral.com to order your signed copy. ^ Back to top
| Comments About This Article |
 | wow......, no more words. Posted by: Sunarya Jul 11, 2008 @ 3:24 AM EST |
| Post a Comment About This Article |
|
|
|
