Photographers can spot interesting subjects that other people would neglect. However, this advantage is not so useful if we can’t capture that interesting subject in an interesting image. Most often, creating interest comes down to composition and lighting. This chapter collects examples of my work that fall into this category. A good cell phone camera can be the best equipment for these shots because exciting photo ops often appear without prior announcement.
Images 11–1 through 11–7 feature some machines I have had the pleasure of knowing. Especially in the age of apps, when tasks are taken care of by running codes in an electronic device, these pulleys and gears remind us how things still have to be done mechanically in the physical world. Images 11–1 and 11–2 are mechanical elements of ships. The close-up images shows the imperfections—the rust, and peeling paint, and the irregularities due to the limitations of manufacturing technology. These are aesthetically fun and symbolically rich; they remind us of our attempts to make things work. While I was at the pier photographing these elements of marine equipment, I also photographed the hull of a ship (image 11–3). Once again, it was the fight to stop nature from reclaiming this man-made object that interested me.
“A cell phone camera can be the best equipment for these shots, because photo ops often appear without prior announcement.”
Image 11–1. KEYWORDS: aged; axis; axle; bolt; flywheel; gear; lever; machine; machinery; nut; old; rust
Image 11–2. KEYWORDS: aged; axis; axle; bolt; flywheel; gear; lever; machine; machinery; nut; old; pully; rust
Image 11–3. KEYWORDS: anchor; boat; chain; hull; paint; rope; rust; sea; ship; vessel
Trains and cars are other types of machinery that tend to invoke nostalgia. Images 11–4 through 11–7 are images I discovered while lingering at a train on display in a small town in Alaska. Image 11–4 shows an unusual machine placed at the front of a steam engine to break the snow, so the train won’t be stopped by the kind of weather we could imagine in a place like Alaska. Image 11–8 shows a car that probably belongs in a junkyard—except that the owner sees some value in it.
Image 11–4. KEYWORDS: Alaska; cold; locomotive; machine; railroad; snow; train; train snow plow
Image 11–5. KEYWORDS: connecting; railroad; rust; steel; train; train cars; train coupling
On both Sumsung and Apple phones, the auto exposure program works well and usually provides the optimal image quality. This success (in addition to the fact that there is no aperture to adjust) leaves little reason left for the photographer to take over the settings. But for the sanity of the control freaks, there is an app!
For Samsung’s Galaxy and other cell phones running the Android operating system, Camera FV-5 ($4) is an app that gives you DSLR-like control over your cell phone camera. This includes the ability to set the ISO and white balance, to shoot in the program or shutter priority mode, to use exposure compensation and bracketing, and more. For Apple’s iPhone, there is Manual ($2), which is aptly named for what it does; it lets you set the exposure manually (including the focus, white balance, ISO, and shutter speed).
Each program has its pros and cons. However, neither is especially handy in improving the shots you get from your cell phone camera. Unlike DSLRs, cell phone cameras simply do not have a lot of settings to play with. In my experience, shooting with the phone’s native camera app (using its auto settings) is the best way to ensure you are operating in the device’s sweet spot. On a philosophical level, spending minutes pondering and fumbling to get the right exposure settings on your cell phone camera just seems wrong. It defeats the best aspects of shooting with a cell phone camera: quickness and mobility.
Image 11–6. KEYWORDS: Alaska; caboose; rail car; railroad; railroad car; rust; train; train car
Image 11–7. KEYWORDS: diesel engine; locomotive; railroad; railroad engine; red; rivet; sheet metal; steel; train; weld
Image 11–8. KEYWORDS: car; junk; old car; peeled; rust; scratched; vintage car
Image 11–9. KEYWORDS: carousel; caulk; Chicago; fairground; Ferris wheel; frame; glasses; greenhouse; merry-go-round; Navy Pier; pipe; plant; reflection; steel
Image 11–10. KEYWORDS: fruit; marble; shell; stem; sunshine; tomato; vegetable; window; windowsill
A keen observer can see the world very differently in reflections. Image 11–9 is not what people normally see in the Navy Pier playground in Chicago. In a sunny corner of a friend’s kitchen, I photographed image 11–10, which could be used as an image to depict plush lifestyles.
Mushrooms thrive on our lawn in wet seasons. Before they are chopped to pieces by the lawn mower, why not photograph them close-up so we can marvel at their fleeting beauty (images 11–11 and 11–12)?
Images 11–11 and 11–12 are two more examples of closed and open compositions. Image 11–11 is closed; all of the mushrooms are completely in sight and the grass, as negative space, surrounds the margins. Image 11–12 is open, with some of the mushroom going beyond the frame. Open compositions leave more room for imagination as to what’s beyond the edge of the image; closed compositions present a complete, well-contained statement.
Image 11–11. KEYWORDS: Fairy Ring; fungi; fungus; grass; mushroom
Image 11–12. KEYWORDS: Fairy Ring; fungi; fungus; grass; mushroom
Image 11–13. KEYWORDS: black key; ebony; harpsichord; instrument; ivory; keyboard; keys; musical instrument; period instrument; white key
Rarity is also at play in image 11–13. This is not a piano keyboard; it is part of a harpsichord, in which the black keys and white keys are reversed.
In a cozy cafe in Houston, I found an interesting study in white balance (images 11–14 and 11–15). The strange bulb in the lamp got my attention first. Then, I realized that the window, with blurred images of vines, had an interesting dialogue with the lamp. After capturing the image, I was even more fascinated by the comparison of color between the sunlight and the lamp. The cell phone camera’s automatic white balance was clearly aligned to the sunlight’s color, making it neutral in the image. Consequently, the light bulb (with a much lower color temperature) appeared yellowish.
In image 11–15, the dim light bulb and the window, heavily covered by foliage, did not light up the interior well. But, because the lens was aimed squarely at them, the app decided that the scene was rather bright and set the ISO at 64—a setting that freed me from worry about the noise level.
Image 11–14. KEYWORDS: bulb; cafe; color temperature; lamp; light; light-bulb; peel; tungsten; vine; window
Image 11–15. KEYWORDS: bulb; cafe; color temperature; lamp; light; lightbulb; peel; tungsten; vine; window
Image 11–16. KEYWORDS: antique; Christmas; Christmas tree; decoration; mirror; ornament; shop; shopping; store; toy; window shopping; window
Image 11–17. KEYWORDS: leaf; leaves; Philodendron; Philodendron bipinnatifidum; plant; rain; tropical; water drops; wet
Image 11–18. KEYWORDS: leaf; leaves; Philodendron; Philodendron bipinnatifidum; plant; rain; tropical; water drops; wet
Image 11–16 was taken during an involuntary window-shopping trip on Christmas Day in New York City. This antique store seemed to explode with colorful ornaments. A shot through the window (I did not have the choice to go inside, after all) also revealed nice reflections, setting the context and adding to the fun.
The world of plants has a love/hate relationship with me. I kill them, but I love to photograph them. Images 11–17 through 11–22 were all photographed on unexpected occasions when photo ops just manifested in front of me. Spending some time learning the names of plants is important for stock photography; otherwise you can’t label them with meaningful, searchable keywords. Finally, to prove my ineptitude in horticulture, let me present to you the accidental garden in my backyard (image 11–21). Elaborating on the play of light and shadow, I captured image 11–22, which can serve as a quiet background for many messages related to suburban living.
“Learning the names of plants is important for stock photography.”
Image 11–19. KEYWORDS: cactus, cacti, jumping cholla, Cylindropuntia fulgida, hanging chain cholla, Sorona, Arizona
Image 11–20. KEYWORDS: Equisetum fluviatile; garden; Horse Tail Reed; plant; swamp; swamp horsetail; water horsetail
Image 11–21. KEYWORDS: garage; garden; gardening; leaf; leaves; palm tree; shovel; tool; vine; Virginia Crawler; wall
Image 11–22. KEYWORDS: garage door; shadow; tree; sunset; sunrise; sawn; dusk; door knob
Image 11–23. KEYWORDS: cloth; cut; design; pattern; quilt; quilting; sew; square; stitch
Image 11–24. KEYWORDS: abandon; alone; chair; dog; leash; lonely; pet; pet carrier; pet owner; plant; restaurant; window
There are plenty of images of quilts, but there are many fewer images of quilts in the making. Having a wife who is keen on this hobby gave me the opportunity to create a shot like image 11–23. Remember: photographing what is around you is one of the essences of successful stock photography.
A not-so-happy-looking dog waiting for its dining owner can be a very utilitarian image for any topic about pets, and it was such a fun image to take for myself (image 11–24). Having fun is important for a stock photographer—especially because there is strong element of improvisation that comes with using a cell phone camera.