Friday, October 30, 2009

The foreground

When you're taking a picture, it's important to look at more than just the subject. Ask yourself: Can there be more to this picture than just the subject? For my first picture here my family went to DC last weekend, and we were walking to the Jefferson Memorial. I liked the Washington Monument reflected in the water even though it was pretty far away. I included the trees for some depth.

For this next picture we were approaching the Memorial, and I wanted to include some color and visual contrast. The hard, straight, classical forms of the Memorial juxtaposed with the natural forms of the trees.

When we write, it's important to include these kinds of comparisons. When setting up a scene, don't forget to include contrasting elements or things in the foreground, so to speak, to provide a depth of field.

Have a great weekend everyone. AND. Happy Halloween.

FYI. I'm making some progress with my writing at long last. *Happy Dance*

12 comments:

scott g.f.bailey said...

Lois has posted again! And she's made progress with her novel! Yay, Lois!

I think that not only are contrasting details important, but, as you say, physical details provide necessary depth of field. They tie the action to the world of the story, so that scenes don't just float in a vacuum.

Nice photos!

lotusgirl said...

Thanks, Scott. You said that very well. I like the way you put it.

Cindy R. Wilson said...

Those are some beautiful pictures. And great job with the progress on your novel. Have a nice weekend!

Tamika: said...

Good for you with your novel progress.

*Happy dancing with Lois*

Love the pictures, and you are right about depicting all the contrasting elements in a setting.

PJ Hoover said...

Glad you're making progress! It's feels good, doesn't it?
Have a great weekend!

Patti said...

Great photos and a good reminder on how to set the scene.

Arooj said...

nice pics..your blog title is very delicate
and .have a nice weekend

About Me said...

A very true point. The novel is such an artistic endeavor and need all kinds of 'layering' to create a complete picture.

Michelle D. Argyle said...

Thanks for sharing these pics! And yes, it's some of the foreground stuff that I'm missing in Monarch.

Candice said...

I love DC! You are so right about contrast. That's why I love to mix humor into my more serious scenes. I think each makes the other stronger.

Judy Croome | @judy_croome said...

Great photos Lois. The first one is very atmospheric.

Hmmm. I must remember to add comparisons for depth.

And YAY! doing the happy dance with you for making progress on your writing! :)

Casey Something said...

Beautiful pictures and thoughts! Glad you're making progress. I'm trying to get back into a groove, myself.