 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Photojournalist Layne Kennedy is an expert in using his camera to create a mood and tell a story. His work appears regularly in such magazines as Smithsonian, LIFE, Sports Illustrated, Islands, Newsweek, Backpacker, and National Geographic Traveler. His subjects vary from wolves in Minnesota to Pink Dolphins in the Amazon River. |
 |
Depending on how a scene is shot, it can tell many different stories determined by the photographer as storyteller. The photographer's personal taste and interpretation are a part of every story told.
|
 |
|
|
Want to see more of Layne Kennedy's work, including other dynamite dogsled images like this one?
|
|
|
Backlit scenes, such as this one, can be tricky. I took my meter reading off the snow to the right of the shadows. I then opened up the lens 1.5 stops. I wanted the golden color the sun was providing rather than an accurate white for the snow. I took my initial exposure compensating for the snow and snapped.
|
|
 |
|
Never expose using a shutter speed slower than the length of your lens. For example, if you're hand holding a 20 mm lens, don't shoot slower than 1/20 - second. If you do, you risk a fuzzy, out of focus image. |
|
|
|
Next I closed down a stop to capture the moody image produced by the warmth of the sun. This image is my favorite one because it reflects my mood that morning.
|
|
 |
|
Exposure can dramatically change the personality of a scene. Give the scene "life" by slightly overexposing. Give it "mood" with a little less exposure. Consider slight changes in your shooting angle. More sky, less sky, no sky, more foreground, and so on. Keep your photos fresh by investigating new ways to present them. |
|
|
|
Here I exposed as the meter indicated. If you point the camera directly into the sun and expose for that reading, you will have similar results. This "heavy" shot diminishes the energy of the morning.
|
|
 |
|
I knew it was going to be a "heavy" shot, but it's wiser to experiment with what you have than to expect to be presented with the same opportunity again. |
|
|
|
This shot gives an art director, for example, the option of dropping in text in the sky area. From that perspective, the shot is more flexible and usable. Personally, I like the drama and angles of the images with the snowshoes near the top of the frame and the long shadows absorbing into the crystalline snow. Those shots are poetic!
|
|
 |
|
When presented with a poetic moment, take as many shots as your film supply will allow. Extra shots mean extra choices in finding ways to use your work. |
|
|
|
The focus of the shot changes when a person is introduced in the scene. As the sun rose over the forest, the backlight on our dogsled guide, Kate Surbaugh was stunning. As she peeked around the corner when someone called her name, I knew I had my image. This picture has an unposed, sense of reality to it.
|
|
 |
|
The first shot you take is not the only one that will work. Try working a scene. With a little effort and experimentation, new things can happen. Little movements, like Kate turning when someone called her name, can have a dramatic impact on your image's success. |
|
|
|
For this picture, I tried a different angle. It failed. Notice how Kate's head is blending into the forest. I lost the continuity of Kate. The low angle in the other photos allows you to view Kate's form without distraction or blending.
|
|
 |
|
Photographers make three common mistakes: not shooting tight enough on the subject, mainly shooting from a standing position, and almost always shooting horizontals. If I had raised the camera over my head or moved closer to frame Kate's head against the snow, rather than the forest, I wouldn't have this "headless" person.
|
|
|
|
