Analysis

Jack Sargent

Charlie Waite

This photograph is similar in the way that is uses leading lines to lead your eye down the photograph. In this case there isn't a focus point in the center of the photograph. You can see that this photograph was taken early in the morning at the photographers golden hour as you can see with the shadows on the floor and the light hitting the right of the trees. This light adds a contrast to the colors on the trees and the dark bottom of the trunk creates a dark curve down the photograph which also adds a sense of depth as the trunks get smaller. In this case there isn't a sky, instead there's the leaves on the trees that meet the ground. The colors in this photograph are autumn color’s that are very calming and warm. Again as with the photograph above there are no man made objects/buildings in the photograph just the natural trees. This photograph is taken at an eye level vantage point as at this level you can see clearly the tree trunks getting smaller. In post production the photograph would have been cropped down to a square as are many of Charlie Waite’s photographs. By having this photo square it crops out any unnecessary space in the photograph, and also by having the photograph square it creates triangles on each side of the square which all act as leading lines down to the center of the image.

This is one of the many recognized landscape photographs by Charlie Waite. What immediately draws your eye to the photograph is the use of lines and color which all draws your eye to the tree positioned right in the center of the frame. The colors are all natural and soft with the deep and soothing purples and the natural clear blue sky. The main interest in the photograph is what's in the bottom two thirds of the photograph with lines and diagonals created by the growth of plants. These plants that are out indicate that its spring time and the photograph is most likely taken in the morning. As the tree is placed in the center of the photograph and there is a lot of space around the tree then it shows the vast amount of space surrounding the focus point which also indicates seclusion. If the tree was closer then you wouldn’t get the feeling of seclusion and the vast space surrounding the tree. He has followed the rule of thirds technique by having the land and sky split on the top dividing third, but the rule has been broken by not having the tree on one of the hot point’s. This works well though as the lines going up to the tree lead the eye to focus straight to the tree, where as if the tree was more the the right or left then the lines would be less obvious. All of these techniques work together to create a calming spring photograph which shows life, growth and seclusion of the tree in a natural, vast area. The purples in the foreground look as if they have been saturated in post production so that they are more vibrant and stand out more.

Charlie Waite is one of the worlds leading current landscape photographers using his years of experience and technique to produce excellent quality landscape photography. His name and photographs are recognized around the world with him holding and showing his photographs at numerous solo exhibitions in the UK, USA and Japan and also has over 30 books to his name. Charlie is also a writer, public speaker, television presenter and has featured in many publications, DVD’s and television programs on photography. Charlie Waite produces mostly digital photographs with a top end DSLR that are then shown on his website for people to buy or on display at exhibitions.

Charlie Waite continues to use key photographic techniques through out the rest of his photographs. In the photograph above color and contrast is a key factor that’s very attractive to the eye. What's different to other photographs that Charlie has taken is that in this case it’s a panorama photograph. This shows the scale of the place and again seclusion with a large space but nothing there only dead plants. The deep blue of the sky contrasts with the deep orange sand, blue and orange together are colors that are naturally pleasing to the eye and look good together. The dead bark of the trees are deep black which really contrast with the white covered floor and the orange in the background. This photograph perfectly demonstrates how layering in used in photography with clearly three layers, the floor in the foreground and plants, the sand in the mid-ground and the sky in the background.

In the photograph to the right the main feature that draws your eye is the reflection in the water, also shown in the photograph below. This is again a morning photograph with calming colours. The bottom right photograph again uses leading lines of the road that are used through out photographs by Charlie Waite which leads your eye down the photograph, this is also shown again in the bottom left photograph. Some of these photo’s by Charlie Waite would have been edited in post production, certainly the one below and the one above for example the sky and colours being made more saturated.

The colours that are used through out most of these photographs are very calming and really portray the mood. The photographs in this page other than the one above all have orange tones to them which creates a calm atmosphere, where as the one above has a lot of white within it created by the frost and snow which therefore creates a cold atmosphere. All of these photos have no man made objects in them other than the two above both used for different reasons as the one above shows

Ansel Adams

This photograph to the left shows how Ansel Adams started the art of Landscape photography and the techniques that many photographers have used ever since. Here he has used reflections in the water which as the mountains get higher each side and smaller towards the water, act as leading lines towards the center of the photograph. By having the photograph black and white it creates areas of very dark blacks and whites which contrast and really attract your eye. This is something that’s evident through most of Ansel Adams’s photographs where he uses the black and white to create contrasting tones and really bold areas on the photograph to draw in the eye. He has observed the rule of thirds by having the vanishing line on the upper dividing third, which photographers before Ansel Adams never really used before. Also as the mountains get further away the greys get lighter which adds different shades of grey and interest through out the photograph. Symmetry also attracts the eye to a photograph and here the water makes the photograph symmetrical, with the clouds also reflecting into the water.

Here Ansel Adams has used the leading lines of the river as the main focus of the photograph. Again in this photograph there is the contrast between the bold blacks and whites of the snow on the tops of the mountains. Also as these mountains are in the shape of a triangle and placed in the centre of the photograph this technique draws in the eye and shows further how shape is an important element of this photograph and one that makes it successful with the triangles and curves of the river. Opposed to the photograph above which I would say creates a calming mood, this photograph creates a much more dramatic atmosphere with the dramatic clouds over the mountains and much more of a solid and deep contrast with the blacks and whites. Once again the rule of thirds have been observed with the sky on the top dividing line and the landscape covering the bottom two thirds of the photograph. This photograph has been taken from a high vantage point, I’d say on top of another mountain looking down towards the landscape, so that you can see where the river leads to purposely to create leading lines towards the mountain. The clouds in this photograph have a variation of shades and tones in them which is different to the rest of the photograph where the shades of grey are mostly the same, which is why the sky stands out.

Ansel Adams is one of the worlds most famous landscape photographers and one that set the techniques that many use and replicate today. He comes from America and is also an environmentalist. The black and white photographs that he's taken of the American west and Yosemite National Park are some of his most famous photographs and have been published in several posters, books and calendars.

With the photograph above you can see how Ansel Adams has observed the need to have interest through out a photograph. Its clear in this photograph that there is the foreground interest of the logs, the mid-ground interest of the water and the background interest of the mountains. Reflections are also used of the mountains in the water and again with all the photographs used on this page there are areas of deep black and white that really contrast and draw your eye. Its taken from an average vantage point but one where the foreground space if very clustered, but as your eye looks towards the mountains the space is much wider. Animals are used in the photograph to the bottom left and the vast amount of landscape is used to show the great amount of animals within the photograph. With the top left photograph shapes and lines are used that just naturally draw your eye to the photograph and again with this photograph the dark black areas are used to attract the viewer.

Adam BurtonAdam Burton, one of the UK’s leading photographers and author of five books, he has lead the way of modern landscape photography and only from 2008 when he began work as a full time landscape photographer. Adam Burtons knowledge is completely self taught from 2001 mainly from reading magazines and putting into practice his techniques while on location along the Dorset coastline or the New Forest. He has a unique style that makes his photographs instantly recognisable and in high demand commercially. Adam captures all of his photographs without computer manipulation afterwards by using his equipment. He favors the rich colors of dusk and dawn where colors and natural light is at its most special.

The rule of thirds has also been observed here with the tree and sky taking up the top third of the photograph and the mountain and clouds/mist taking up the bottom third.

With this photograph it is evident how Adam Burton favors the natural lighting and the calming rich colors that come with dusk and dawn. You can see here how the light and soothing colors of the sky in the background contrast with the deep black sort of silhouette of the trees branch. Within this photograph there is the foreground interest of the tree and the background interest of the mountain peaking up above the clouds or mist. As there is a mist in the sky I would say that this photograph was taken early in the morning, I would also say that it was taken at winter as there are no leaves on the tree and down to the mist in the sky. I believe that this is the best time for this photograph to be taken as if it was taken later in the year with leaves on the tree then the photograph could become too cluttered and you wouldn’t be able to see the fine lines and clear silhouette of the branch. As the branch is deep black and the colors in the background are quite soft then the mountain in the background doesn’t stand out as much as the branch. There isn't much interest within this photograph with only the variation of colour in the sky that draws in the eye and the contrast of colors with the silhouette. This photograph would have been taken from a high vantage point as you can see its taken high up in the mountains.

This photograph proves that a great photograph isn't just about having everything in focus and clear. This is a photograph of a tree surrounded by the morning mist that’s given a pink tone by the sun rising and being diffused through the mist and clouds. Again a silhouette effect is created of the tree which creates a good effect as it links in with the dull and wintery mood of the photograph. The silhouette effects this time is created by the mist as its so think you cant see beyond the tree. By having the tree the only subject of the photograph and by having it distorted by the mist it creates a sort of secluded, seldom feeling. The tree is aligned on the bottom left rule of thirds hot point rather then directly in the center, this is good as its where you eye naturally believes a photograph looks good and its sticking by the rules, although I think that as there is nothing surrounding the tree then your eye would be more drawn to the tree if it was placed directly in the centre of the photo.

With these three photograph Adam has once again taken advantage of the beautiful natural lighting. In each of the three photographs a very calm atmosphere is created by the soft tones. Opposed to the other photographs the one above features very bright and saturated colors with the rainbow adding multiple colors and the sky with its deep blue. In this photograph there is the foreground interest of the rocks, the mid-ground interest of the water and the reflection from the rainbow and mountain, then the background interest of the mountain its self and the sky,. All of these photos have interest through out, although, if the top left photograph didn’t have the boat as the foreground interest then I don’t believe the photograph would be very interesting to the eye at all. Although there is the leading lines of the wall leading you eye inwards to the photograph, I think that without a main subject, the boat, then this photograph wouldn’t be as successful as it is. Reflections are also used in the photograph to the left with adds symmetry to the photograph with the addition of the leading lines from the dock going into the water as the foreground interest. All of these photograph have a very large depth of field so therefore would have very small aperture the capture the most detail in each photograph.

Mike CurryMike Curry has a passion for Landscape photography and has over the past years won several awards in many international competitions. He is one of the many international photographers to be featured in the prestigious Phase One gallery. Mike started photography in 1982 when he was thrown into the deep end by talking his self into a job at the Selfridges Portrait Studio to take photos of Arab and Nigerian royalty. Mike left Selfridges to start his business called ACP which he has been working on for 27 years, and now also teaches and lectures landscape photography.What Mike Curry does is mix the urban landscape with the typical green landscape that were used to seeing such as water or grass. In this photograph to the right, he's got the calm water which contrasts with the busy city lifestyle in the background to put across the message that the city never sleeps even at night. There’s the foreground interest of the boat in the water, the mid-ground interest of the trees and lights in the water, then the background interest of the urban buildings. The lights reflecting into the water act as leading lines up towards the trees and down towards the foreground interest. As there is the bright lights in the background and not shining from the direction of the camera then the trees look like silhouettes, and so does the boat. He has observed the rule of thirds by having the boat on the bottom left hot point which naturally draws you eye to the photograph and the foreground. This has been taken from an eye level vantage point to get both the reflection of the lights in the water and the city in the background. This photograph unlike the other photographers that I have researched features man made buildings, which as I have said looks good as it adds a contrast in the photograph. In this photograph, although it’s a landscape photograph, artificial lighting has been used from the city and riverside.

This photograph again has a contrast in it, of the power plant in the background, with the main focus of the children's playground in the foreground. This photograph is taken at an angle looking up towards the power plant which makes them dominate the photograph and gives them an over powering look. There is also a lot of saturated colour in the photograph that immediately draws your eye, there's also the contrast between the blue of the sky and the green of the grass. The smoke coming out of the chimneys also contrasts and draws the eye. The chimneys are positioned in a way that creates curves and leading lines down to the playground which is the foreground focus. These also create triangles which the human eye is naturally drawn to, shapes in a photograph. The rule of thirds have again in this photograph been observed with the chimneys being on the top right hot spot and the vanishing point between the earth and the sky is on the bottom dividing line. This photograph would have probably been taken at sun rise or sun set as you can see the sun is shining only on one side of the chimneys and creating a long shadow on the floor from the playground.

The photograph to the left again has the contrast with the deep blue sky and the green grass. This photograph also has the contrast of the red poppies which you're eyes are immediately drawn to in the photograph. Your eye is also drawn to the white smoke that contrasts with the blue sky. What's evident through out most of Mike Curry's photographs is that colour is an important factor. In the photograph at the bottom, it is in fact monochrome, although there is no bold colors, there is still a contrast with the black and white and the deep black of the sky that draws in your eye and contrasts with the light ground. Again composition is a key factor. In the photograph to the left, rather than observing the rule of thirds, this rule has been broken and the power station has been placed directly in the center of the image. This is where rules don’t always have to be followed and by not following them a good photograph can still be taken, as the power plant is the main focus of the image. Framing is used in the photograph below with the object framing what's in the background. The photograph below is a

panoramic photograph which emphasizes the sky and shows the full length of the building. This photograph is quite urban with derelict looking buildings in it and quite a built up area. Again here there’s both daytime and night time shots, with the night time shot using artificial lighting.

Galen RowellGalen Rowell was born in 1940 and become a full time photographer in 1972. He has since been featured in the National Geographic Magazine with his amazing landscape photographs on the front cover. He has released various books with his work inside and recently a 10 th anniversary hard cover and soft cover has been released. In the last twenty years of his life, Galen made over thirty-five journeys to the mountains of, Nepal, India, China, Pakistan, Africa, Tibet, Alaska, Siberia, Norway, Siberia, New Zealand and Patagonia. What Galen really admired was natural landscape mountain photography and continued his work till his death. With Galen Rowell’s work there's a very artistic look. What Galen Rowell does that breaks the rules

that other landscape photographers follow, is taking a landscape photograph in portrait. This is done in almost all of his photographs and by doing this it adds a sense of depth to the image, or height in the case of the photograph to the left. Whilst achieving a very dramatic look he also achieves a very calming atmosphere. With this photo to the left he has used shape, with the peak of the mountain creating a triangle which immediately draws your eye to the photograph. There’s the contrast in colour in the photograph with the deep blue sky, which is quite a dull blue which also indicates the time the photos been taken, probably in the morning, and then the edgy lines and deep browns of the mountain. In the foreground there’s the silhouette of the tree, which also stands out as the bold area of black at the bottom really stands out and again contrasts. The rule of thirds are observed with the foreground interest on the bottom right hot point and the division between the sky and mountain on the top dividing line, although the rule has also been broken with the spike of the mountain being placed directly in the center of the photograph. This is done to immediately draw in your eye and adds a sense of symmetry to the photograph.

In this photograph Galen rowel has used leading lines and again a sense of symmetry. There are the leading lines of the ravine which lead your eye down the photograph towards the mountains in the background and the sky. The symmetry is created by the water flowing down both sides of the photograph. This photograph looks as is its been taken at sunset as there are the deep oranges of the sky and not the mist that you would get from an early morning. Again this photograph is taken in portrait and shows the great depth of the ravine and how far away the mountains are in the background as the stream down the center of the photograph leads up to them. Again he has followed the rule of thirds by having the vanishing point between the mountains and the sky on the upper dividing line. Again the atmosphere in this photograph is quite calming with the deep green of the grass and deep oranges and blues of the sky. He has used a long exposure by having a long shutter speed, which gives the water a mist effect and also adds to the calm atmosphere, and gives the photograph a sort of mystical look. In this photograph there's the foreground interest of the water flowing, then the mid ground interest of the stream down the center, and the background interest of the mountains and the sky, so there’s interest right the way through the photograph, which is also helped by having the photograph in portrait which keeps the eye focused on the main focus of the image.

These three photographs are again all taken in portrait mode which gives the photograph a sense of depth, and either allows/shows more detail in the sky or land. For example the photograph to the left has a very dramatic sky, so therefore more of the sky is shown, where as the photograph to the right has a very colorful foreground with the mountains. The photograph in the center is dominated with the silhouette in the foreground and the large area of deep black immediately draws your eye to the photograph as it contrasts with the background and the deep blue of the sky. This photograph in the center has a cold early morning atmosphere to it with the blue of the sky and white stone on the mountain. On the other hand, the photograph to the right has a calming atmosphere with the soft tones of the flowers and the orange of the sky as the sun sets. This is the same for the photograph to the left that has the deep orange/red of the sky. In this photograph the colour of the sky also reflects into the water which makes the deep orange sky dominate the photograph and that dominating feeling of the sky is really felt when viewing the photograph. Triangles are created as the mountains merge together in the photograph to the right, and the edge of the mountains also act as leading lines. Leading lines are also used in the photograph in the center with the rope which lead your eye down to the people and towards the background interest. In the photo to the left the stream in the foreground also leads your eye down the photograph. All three of these photographs observe the qualities that make a great photograph to look at.