An important aspect of an amazing image is to have a concept. What is the vision you want your image to convey? In my opinion, if you can convey a clear concept in your image, then the photograph can still work even if it isn’t as sharp or as well composed as you would have liked — within reason, of course.
I’ve always loved photographs that make me feel like I’m seeing a secret, almost fantastical, place. Any time I see a scene that I think I might be able to create that feeling, I’m just compelled to stop and photograph it.
This scene is one of those occasions. With the heat and humidity of summer kicking in (even though the calendar said it was still spring), I hadn’t had much motivation to go out photographing in several weeks, and I was ready to get back out there. The only problem I had was I couldn’t decide where to go. I finally decided to take a trip to the Big Dam Bridge.
I wanted to avoid going to the same locations I typically do, so I headed down a paved trail that I had never been on before. I had barely gotten started when I came across an opening in the trees that led to a small pond. The lighting was such that the pond and background trees were brighter than the trees in the foreground. When I saw this, I knew it would have the kind of look that I love. I set up my camera and captured the scene.
Processing the file, I wanted to give the impressions of moving through a dark forest and coming upon this bright, magical place. To do this, I darkened the foreground area and lightened the pond and background trees. I then reduced the texture and clarity of the image to give a softer look that seemed more surreal and dream-like.
I like this photograph, but I won’t try to convince anyone, including myself, that it’s a steller image. The technical and compositional aspects are not as strong as I would like. But, I think it envisions the concept I had in my mind. I think it demonstrates why, before the shutter is ever tripped, it’s important to try to have a clear concept, an idea, for what you envision the final image to be.
After all, as the great Ansel Adams once said “There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept.”