Video: Ducky Photo
by Susheel ChandradhasJames Burger has shared a video taken in timelapse / stop-motion of a photoshoot that he had, with a certain plasticky friend. Watch it below.
James Burger has shared a video taken in timelapse / stop-motion of a photoshoot that he had, with a certain plasticky friend. Watch it below.
Let me close off this batch of posts about symmetry with a few images that I think are really beautiful. Each of these photographs have at least of the four kinds of symmetry to thank, because that is why they work… Even if the symmetry is not blatantly obvious.
I invite you to take a good look at the photographs featured here and try to pick out which form of symmetry, Reflection Symmetry, Rotational Symmetry, Translational Symmetry or Glide Reflection Symmetry are responsible for making these pictures stick out.
They’re in no particular order, because each one is as visually stunning as the other. Here you go:



Photo by ~kil1k
Photo by *ambrosia3
Photo by `gilad
Photo by `foureyes
Photo by `zemotion
Photo by `bosniak
Photo by `foureyes
Photo by `gilad
Photo by `gilad
Photo by ~SuzyTheButcher
Photo by `Davenit
Photo by ~Kleemass
Photo by ~julkusiowa
Photo by ~drmarten
Photo by `zemotion
Photo by `TheTragicTruth-Of-Me
Photo by `gilad
I hope you take the time to look at them and really ’see’ that though many of them don’t use symmetry as the primary tool for composition, they do play very integral roles in the photographs.
Take for example, the beautiful photographs by `TheTragicTruth-Of-Me and `zemotion, “Don’t speak” and “Gone.”. There no apparent symmetry, in lines or reflections, but it is the beautiful symmetry of the faces that cause a viewer to stop and look at the photograph. There’s lots more that can be said, but I’d rather leave it to your mind to stop, and pick out the reason for the beauty of these photographs.
I’d love to hear what you think in the comments.
You’ve watched Casino Royale, or Babylon A.D.? Yes? Then you’ve seen traceurs in action.
They’re the guys who run around cities, jumping over walls, climbing the outsides of buildings and generally doing ‘impossible’ stuff. Their ’sport’ is called “Le Parkour” or “FreeRunning” and the practitioners are called ‘Traceurs’. Their goal is to get from point A to point B in the most graceful and efficient way physically possible.
Their creativity is in the way that they tackle each obstacle. Each of them may go down the same route, but tackle the same obstacle in different ways. See this video clip to understand just what they do.
I’ve recently been enthralled by “Parkour” videos that are freely available on the internet and have been studying their training methods and the reasons why they do what they do… If you get nothing else from this post, I hope you go away with an appreciation of how wonderful the movements of these athletes are, and a yearning to be be able to do something close to it.
This post is part of the Beyond Phototips Birthday series, see the other posts from this series here.
Every single person can benefit from being more observant. Not just photographers, though photographers have the most to gain from being observant… (this is such a ‘duh’ moment… but humour me and do read on)
This is the second part of a two-post series on why a good photographer is also a good observer. In the first post we discussed some things that you could pay attention to, to help you become more observant. Today we’re looking at some habits that you can develop to help you along.
Becoming more observant is not something that you can do overnight. It takes some care, diligence, and effort to do so. Here are a couple of things that you can try on a daily basis that will possibly help you become more observant. With time, some of them will become habits and will become part of your daily life.
More tips? Share them in the comments.
This is part of the Beyond Phototips Birthday Special Series. Go here to see all the posts so far.
Photography is as much the art of observing and appreciating things as it is the art of capturing them on film. No matter which branch of photography you prefer, you will find that the best photographs are a result of a photographer seeing things that most people miss out on.
The action or process of observing something or someone carefully or in order to gain information.
Much of the time that a Wildlife or Landscape Photographer spends is in observation. It is also spent in the study of Nature and in learning what to expect of a given situation (this counts towards experience).
Being a good observer is not something that comes naturally to all people, but it is possible to build it in to your daily life. In this post, I’ll be offering you a couple of tips on what to look out for on a regular basis if you want to improve your powers of observation. Try looking out for these things consciously and you’ll find yourself becoming more aware of a number of new things.
The next post in this two part series will help you make ‘observation’ a habit that is integrated into your daily life.
Photography involves light; however is not everyday that we stop to observe light. In fact, to a non-photographer, it may sound downright strange, but remember that light is the photographer’s medium of expression, it is his clay, his canvas; and knowing how light works, observing what it does with various materials, and knowing how to make best use of it is invaluable if you want to make light work to it’s greatest potential.
Ok, so you’re not a people photographer. This does not mean that you don’t have to deal with them. Observing people is a mind-opening activity for the insight it delivers to us, about how people behave, how they react to a given situation. To a keen observer & experienced interpreter of these actions, it could reveal truly unexpected details about the person being observed.
You may have thought that the first point covers reflections and shadows too. In part, it does. However, I want you to make note of the fact that reflections and shadows are products of a surface’s properties. Its only after light has struck a surface that it creates either of the two.
Reflections help the observer understand the nature of the material, while shadows define its density and opacity. Light, striking objects at different angles create reflections, revealing textures to different extents. Both reflections and shadows also create intriguing shapes and patterns, and can at times either make or break a photograph. Remember to pay attention to them.
This is usually a tough one for most people, but I believe that if you’re doing a good job of the previous few points, then keeping track of everything that’s going on in your viewfinder as well as watching your peripheral vision should not be too difficult. Why? Because the edge of your viewfinder is very much a part of your photograph’s composition. Choosing how elements are placed in relation to these edges is important for a good composition.
Your own life as well as that of others. It is an endless source of inspiration for photographs, art and for life itself.
For the things that catch their eye, for their interpretation of common things… for inspiration.
Hopefully these points will get you started off on a more ‘aware’ lifestyle.
If you’ve got any tips of your own, do feel free to add them in the comments.
This is part of the Beyond Phototips Birthday Special Series. Go here to see all the posts so far.
Kung Fu is the martial art weapon of the masses. It’s inception took ‘force’ out of the exclusive domain of the rulers, and empowered the common man.
Similarly, with amateurs putting their work alongside professional photographers on websites like Flickr, the line between master and student is starting to get blurred. How can you make the most of this situation?
Here are a few tips from some Kung Fu masters (in the movies)
1 ) Practice now for the future:
Kung Fu movies show the hero practising intensely before a showdown with an arch nemesis (think Jackie Chan, um, rather, the old-Jackie Chan).
Keeping in good practice ensures that you’re ready to pick up your camera and be ready to capture that brilliant photograph without worrying too much about the technical aspects.
By working out your mistakes before you actually get hired, or before you face that incredibly beautiful scenery, you also ensure that you present a much more professional front while working with a client some time in the future. Remember, “Wax on, Wax off” (oh sorry, that’s Karate)
2 ) Learn the way and then find your own way:
As with any subject, photography is based on some infallible truths. This is the substance that should make up your theory. Then, you take theory and turn it inside out, searching for different ways in which to make that theory work for you. If you practice enough, keep your mind free, and snatch at wisps of imagination, you could end up turning that theory into a very exciting practice.
3 ) Observe, Listen, Duplicate:
As with any learning, a teacher can only tell you so much. After that, it is your turn. Observe what others are doing, listen to those who are teaching you, and try to replicate what the masters have done. Once you do that, you’ll be able to create your own images with more flexibility and skill.
4 ) Be flexible:
A perfect split will keep you in good stead if you were in Kung Fu land. With photography, knowing how to use light, and suit it to the mood that you’re trying to create can do the same. Be flexible with the kind of lighting that you create, and learn how to change it quickly to suit your needs. Master Strobist is a good teacher for those who want to use off-camera flash.
5 ) Improvise:
Sometimes, you’ll find that you’ve got the wrong tool for the job, or that you don’t have your tools at all. It’s like facing the dragon master with a toothpick in your hands. Make the best of it. Put up a good fight and alter your technique to suit your tools. You may have to do a fashion shoot with just a simple digital camera, but if you use the right technique, you may just impress the editor.
6 ) Sharpen your senses:
Stay aware of everything that’s happening around you. Your eyes, ears and sense of balance and stability will keep you alive and well if you take photographs in the field. In your area of art, the eyes are more important than anything else. Keep them open and alert. Your balance will be tested again, and again. Practice walking on narrow short walls if you need to. The balancing beam is a good alternative. If you live in China, try the great wall.
7 ) Improve your reflexes:
The time difference between recognising an attack and blocking it, or recognising a weakness and taking advantage of it is very similar to the time that you have when taking a photograph. Sometimes the difference between an Un-believable photograph and a mediocre one is just a split second’s difference. Stay alert and react quickly, on instinct.
8 ) Stay fit, eat light, and eat right:
Kung Fu is an art that takes a lot out of you, physically and mentally. Photography does that too. It will eat up your time, your energy, and your mind. Stay fit, and you’ll be able to do it better.
9 ) Take every opportunity that presents itself:
The Dragon master has summoned you, and asked you to fight him with a toothpick and a nail. You’ve been waiting for this opportunity from the beginning of your Kung Fu life. When he asks you to fight, you fight. Don’t worry about the tools. Make the most of what you have.
Seize the day when an opportunity comes knocking. After all, they do come but once.
10 ) Learn new styles and techniques:
The way of the Intercepting fist, The way of the snapping branch, Drunken Monkey Kung Fu, using Hyperfocal distance, or motion blur in your photographs; they’re just another way of using the underlying basics to present something that is wildly different from what is expected. Learn how to make use of them to make your photographs look different, and to give them impact. Eventually you’ll develop your own signature style.
11 ) Learn how to work with different equipment:
The Staff, The Fist, Range-finders, filters and Medium Format cameras. They all have their places in your journey of discovery and you will eventually find reasons and occasions in which to use each piece of equipment. They will become and important part of your repertoire and each will help you perform a different task with greater ease and finesse.
12 ) Take the leap – its not like you’re jumping off a 5-storey building:
When presented with a challenge, remember to pull out all the stops to get the photograph as you visualised it. Make sure that you use all your accumulated knowledge and experience to deliver your best effort. You need to have paid attention to the other steps in this article before you get to this stage.
You may not be jumping off a 5-storey building, but it’s all the same… When presented with a problem that could either deliver you into new territory, away from the following hordes, you want to put every bit of your photography to work for you. Remember, the only luck you get is that which you create for yourself.
13 ) I know Kung Fu:
So, you’ve learnt Kung Fu. You’re the one… Now, the only one who can challenge you in your art form is yourself. What do you do now? Lay back and die? Go on a 500-year long meditation? Not likely for a Kung Fu master.
Challenge yourself! Compete with other masters, take your Kung Fu Photography to new heights, and teach yourself how to fly!
So, as one tale ends, another begins. Tell us your story…
This is part of the Beyond Phototips Birthday Special Series. Go here to see all the posts so far.
Looking for something more? Take a look at these series of posts that Beyond Phototips is running right now.