A bit of experimentation with aspect ratios at Tower Hill Botanic Garden. A lovely cherub in a snowy landscape with a 4:3 ratio.
I hope you’ll forgive me for a brief hiatus from the series of posts about infrared photography with this week’s bit of experimentation. This past Sunday I was looking for a location to try out some slightly different techniques. As it was a lovely day with temperatures peaking above freezing, I went to Tower Hill Botanic Garden. This is always a great location to stimulate the visual senses!
Here’s one of the images that I captured during this outing…
A Chilly Cherub
This little cherub and his hen look rather cold in the lovely, snowy landscape of the botanic garden. With the amazing light of this Sunday, he came across rather crisply.
Now, some of you may wonder what the experimental aspect was in all this. The answer is that I spent some time shooting with different aspect rations from the standard 3:2 for 35mm format. The cherub image was captured using a 4:3 aspect ration. Additionally, I took a number of shots with a 65:24 aspect ratio.
You may have noticed that the banner on my blog has received an update. That is one of the images that was shot at 65:24.
I really enjoyed experimenting in this fashion. You can expect to see more in the future, as I get ready for Egypt.
A Fresh Perspective
Photography is more than just a vehicle for capturing the world around me; it provides me with a palette and a set of brushes, with which I paint not only what I see, but also look to express the emotions that are evoked by the scene in front of me in that moment.
Growing up in the Netherlands exposed me to a wide cross-section of visual arts that laid the foundation of my photographic view of all that surrounds me. Early influences were the Dutch Masters of the 17th century, to whom I was introduced by my grandfather during museum explorations; favorites among them are the scenes of quotidian life depicted by Jan Steen and Frans Hals and the vivid landscapes of Jacob van Ruisdael.
My classical high school education was supplemented by the Boijmans Van Beuningen museum, where I spent many a lunch hour exploring its great collection. Here I was introduced to surrealism with a particular love for the approach taken by Salvador Dali; Dali also rekindled my appreciation for the work of Hieronymus Bosch, who often showed the folly of us mortals.
Universal Connections
My approach to any photographic subject is to look for understanding first; in this I look to establish either a connection between the viewer and the subject or capture the connection of the subject with its surroundings. The captured image then aims to portray this connection from a perspective that is part of my personal interpretation.
This interpretation is often a form of externalized introspection, which may alternately display the connection of isolated beings and items with their environment or highlight the whimsy of the profound world, in which we find ourselves. The universe is full of connections, many of which are waiting to be discovered; part of my journey as a photographer is to document these connections.
Any assignment, be it an event, a product shoot or a portrait session is always approached through communication with the client; this is where the first connection is established. Ideas are exchanged and a collaborative plan of action forms, ultimately resulting in a set of images that aim to exceed the expectations of each client.
And, lest we forget, it is important to have fun while practicing the serious business of photography!
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