Impressionistic
So there could only be one entry for I in this kind of blog. We’ve touched on Impressionistic representations in previous posts, especially in Form, and this is one area that I find increasingly compelling. Now, I suspect that part of my desire to produce something more artistic than a straight photograph might be a product of the environment I’m shooting in.
Quite honestly, I find the landscape in Southern Ontario (with a few exceptions) very same-y and lacking in contrast or great interest. It really doesn’t have a lot to recommend it in purely aesthetic terms, so my approach is that if you can’t get enough variety from the landscape as it is, then you have to do something with what you have. Hence my increased focus on impressionist techniques, blending, painterly images etc.
This shot was taken with a 0.8s exposure, ISO 100 (or the D90 LO equivalent) and at f9. Oh yes, and with a circular polariser of course. The technique I used was to pan vertically, pressing the shutter button once I started the upward motion in order to produce a smoother image.
Releasing the shutter and then starting the camera movement just doesn’t give quite the same quality of blur. The colours were enhanced slightly in pp, increasing the red channel saturation, but not much was done other than that. I like it – I’ve been looking for something to go on my office wall, and I think this is going to look good.
Anyone who wants to learn more about this kind of photography should go look at Eva Polak’s site. It’s a fantastic inspiration to all of us who are interested in producing images of form.
Chris McPhee - Photographer 