A Silhouette With Panache
Courtney Celebrates the Setting Sun
Shane and her daughter Courtney traveled to the Parkway’s Lump overlook on a recent July evening and encountered a perfect late summer sky. Shane quickly realized that a silhouette would take advantage of the setting sun, clouds and vibrant color. Wearing a white dress and a sunhat, Courtney was asked to perform some exaggerated poses. Shane noticed a sun flare and framed the shot to place it precisely at her thrust out hip. The position of the arms, the sharply defined pointed fingers, the folds in the dress, the sunhat and other details, all clearly defined, make for an ideal image. The composition is tightly framed with no space wasted. Exposure was determined by metering the sky area.
Shane’s camera is a Canon Rebel XSi fitted with a 50mm f/1.8 II lens. Exposure was 1/250 sec at f/4.0 and the ISO a low 100.
Thank you Shane – a lovely photograph and very delicate in nature.
I like the way the girl’s form divides the background spaces and the resultant dynamic shapes. I could go on an on at risk of boring – but images. in the two-dimensional plane, do get me going!
The only slight down-side is the size/intrusion of the name in the corner.
Aside the obvious enjoyable picture content, the three powerful features for me are;
1. The way the light bulb is kicked off joyfully from the hip!
2. The subliminal rectangle suspended in space, formed by her finger on the right diagonally opposite the upper right corner of the image. The proportion of that space is exactly the same as the overall rectilinear shape of the photograph. Artists and classical architects use that ‘echo’ to good effect. We register it, unconsciously, but it contributes to the pleasing effect.
3. Last, not least – elements are critical in a composition. Often forgotten is the relationship between these elements, whether an object or a cropped section. That closeness, in design, is called ‘proximity’ and when it gets close like this it oscillates in the mind’s eye and behaves like an element in itself! It attracts attention or even conducts an ‘electric charge’! That little gap between the finger and the side of the image is absolutely perfect here. Get rid of that gap and you have drained much of the inherent energy in the photograph.
Well captured!
Thank you Christine & Betty!
George says every photograph can be improved. I think this one proves him wrong! It looks perfect to my beginner’s eye. Kudos, Shane.
Beautiful photograph, Shane!! I love it.