It’s a shame: Many photographers only come out of hibernation in spring when the lime-green leaves unfold their virgin growth. And they pack in their gear and set to polishing their lenses after the fervid flush of fall dies away.
Is this you? If so, you’re missing out. A whole, quiet, little world awaits the photographer who ventures out in early spring or winter. While the overall landscape may seem an uninspiring mouse brown and dusty grey, this is the time of year when intimate landscapes and detail work reign — if you know how to see them.
We’re going to share more on how to see the beauty in the mundane at the Persistent Vision Photo Seminar March 16 in Bragg Creek. This all-day photo event is for all skill levels of shooters, and we’re excited to be hosting world and humanitarian photographer, David duChemin who will be sharing images from his travels around the world.
The trick to rewarding work in this time of year is in finding nature at her most undisturbed. A dead lawn is fairly ugly, but a prairie is a galaxy of colour constellations. With Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park and Big Hill Springs Provincial Park just minutes away (not to mention all of Cochrane’s pathways), you have plenty of training ground to practice seeing the lovely, little details in nature.
Throw away what you think is appealing about high-contrast imagery, and look for tones or colours that are barely separate from each other. This is when the moth greys, dusty pears and silver-lavenders will take your breath away and are to be celebrated. This is a time of year to reflect and savour the little details and nuances, so don’t rush it. Resist the urge to ‘soup up’ the image in processing.
For various reasons, the colour brown gets a bad reputation from photographers. And yet there is no single colour that can be called ‘brown’ in nature. From peachy gold to rusted iron, when you become a fan of brown, you know you’re starting to understand the gift of nature at this time of year.
The brittle and frail character of vegetation at this time of year makes one think of the impermanence of life. Paying attention to all the fine details will allow you to make intimate portraits of all the best the season can offer. So don’t wait!
