R. Doug Wicker — Author

Well, I must say that this particular series seems to be gaining in popularity.  I’m assuming that the images are indeed striking a chord out amongst all you photographers out there.  Today the emphasis will be on monochrome subjects — that’s subjects that by their nature are monochromatic rather than photographs that have been made monochromatic (i.e., black & white) by either camera setting or in post processing.  The interesting thing about monochromatic subjects is when you have a splash of color imposed somewhere in the image.

In the first photo you will see the blue hull and white superstructure of Holland America’s Eurodam, alongside of which our own ship, the Prinsendam (coincidentally the smallest ship in the fleet), was docked in Piraeus, Greece (the port city serving Athens).  The reason I took this shot is not immediately obvious to the observer, so I’ll direct your attention to the upper-left corner of the shot.  Bear in mind that the Eurodam at the time was Holland America’s newest and largest ship — the pride of their fleet — and there, hanging outside two of the balcony suites is . . . yep, laundry.

Laundry Day on the Eurodam — Monochromatic subject with a touch of whimsy

This next monochromatic subject was taken in Brussels.  It’s of one of the Guildhalls on the Grand Place.  And there, prominently using a prime Rule of Thirds position is that splash of color that makes the whole thing work — a lone flag displaying bright colors of yellow, red, and green.

Showing the Colors — Grand Place, Brussels

This third example shows something I’ve lectured on before — It’s what I’ve termed The Rule of Implied Recognition.  when photographing a well-known landmark, building, structure, or even a prominent feature in a national park it is redundant and unnecessary to photograph the entire scene.  Most people will know precisely what they’re viewing just from a small, recognizable portion, and limiting your framing to just one exciting and new vantage point helps bring a freshness and sense of unique perspective to the composition.  This technique works at the everyday level, as well.  For instance, you don’t have to frame an entire BMW Z3 for an aficionado of that car to know what it is.  You can get away with just photographing the shark gills along the side.  This next shot is of a very famous landmark dating back to around AD 80 in a little Italian town called “Rome.”

A Chip off the Ol’ Block — Monochromatic; use of Rule of Implied Recognition

One can also highlight the monochromatic nature of a subject by “framing” that subject in color, such as foliage.  This next photograph is of the Library of Celsus in Ephesus, Turkey:

Where Did I Put My Library Card? — Monochromatic subject framed in color

The remaining shots of today’s photographic series are a bit more colorful.  They represent such things as using the Rule of Thirds to photograph a loved one during a tour:

Ursula Touring Madeira — Rule of Thirds; splash of color; use of background

Or the use of lines to draw you into the photograph and to “anchor” (pun intended) your subject:

Prinsendam in Katakolon — Use of lines; Rule of Thirds; Dramatic color

I’m sure the first several photographs in today’s series has left you with that monochromatic taste in your mouth.  So, I shall now leave you with a crescendo of color to help cleanse your palate in preparation for Wednesday’s series of seven.  This is one of my favorite sunset photos.  It was taken on Day Two of our cruise to the D-Day Beaches of Normandy last spring.  It uses the Rule of Thirds in both the positioning of the horizon and in the location of the setting sun.  The transition to blue sky in the top third of the photograph can also be considered use of this rule as well, but in a more subtle context.  Also note the orientation of the camera to portrait rather than the traditional landscape orientation most photographers seem wedded to when photographing such subjects.  This orientation adds drama to the overall photograph, and highlights more of the color range that this particular sunset revealed.

Sunset at Sea — Rule of Thirds; Use of Portrait Orientation; Dramatic Range of Color

Well, this was supposed to run as Part 2 of the Seven for Seven series, but somehow the internet ate my homework.  So, after posting an empty blog, Part 3 hastily transformed into Part 2, and Part 2 is now Part 3.

Confused?  Me, too.

Anyway, here are today’s Seven:

Fishing in the Shadow of History — Rule of Thirds (positioning of fisherman and fortress battlement)

Rush Hour in Brussels — Human interest; Interesting composition achieved through cropping

A Different Slant on Retail — Whimsy; framing with negative space; use of color,

Waiting for the Catch of the Day — Rule of Thirds (positioning of foreground table and background fishing boat); whimsy

A Study in Scarlet Shadows — Offset composition (not quite Rule of Thirds); interesting shadows; Diagonal lines stretching from upper right and lower left corners.

Standing Post — Whimsy; Rule of Thirds; Use of Color; Negative space

A Guiding Light — Rule of Thirds; Negative space (sky); Unusual play of light (reflecting off the Cross)

Today we’re going to concentrate a bit more on portraiture/people shots, with four of today’s seven shots falling into that category.  Additionally, one of those four shots is a conversion to black and white that utilized green filtering of the color original to bring out the qualities and character in a charming, aging face I stumbled across several years ago in Hawaii.  This lovely lady’s face definitely had a story to tell, and she was gracious enough to pose for me long enough for my camera to record that story.

A reminder on black and white conversions of color photographs — most landscapes will benefit from yellow, orange, and red filtering (I mostly use red for the darkest skies and nice, contrasty foliage), but portraits are usually made more interesting using green filtering to darken skin tones, which in turn can highlight facial lines and bring out more character in the portrait.

The Great Wife — Rule of Thirds; Subtle use of background blurring via aperture control and use of telephoto

Peddling Bicycles — Use of color amidst a mostly monochromatic background; Whimsy; aligning perspective from foreground corner to opposing background corner to draw your eye into the photograph

Places to Go and Gossip to Get — Whimsy; Action; Interesting traditional dress

Majesty Both Religious and Natural — Rule of Thirds; Dueling foreground and background composition; maximum depth of field achieved through aperture control

Is the Parade Here Yet? — Rule of Thirds; Negative space framing; Whimsy; Human interest

The Window — Rule of Thirds; Negative space framing; Interesting shutter shadow

Hawaiian Maiden with Stories to Tell — Human Interest; Black & White conversion using green filtering to highlight facial features