CREATIVE

PHOTOGRAPHY
10 EASY PIECES with RICHARD BERNABE
 BOOK INTRODUCTION

Ten easy pieces. Ten easy pieces. Ten easy pieces to creative photography. Skeptical? Well, if you’re not you should be.

First of all, anything as elusive and fleeting as creativity should never be easy. Creativity is not easy and it never should be.
The fact that it is so rare is powerful proof as to how difficult it really is. No, this book and this book alone will not make you
a creative photographer overnight, so let’s just get that out of the way right now.

What I do offer here are ten easy pieces that might allow you to make more creative decisions with your camera. Sometimes
being a more creative photographer is nothing more that seeing something just a little different than everyone else. These ten
pieces are ideas or concepts that can spark a creative revelation that does just that. I do hope you find this short e-book an en-
joyable read that helps you become, even in some small way, a better photographer, if not a more creative one.

Richard Bernabe
October 2013
1 COMPLEMENTARY COLORS
Complementary colors, in this example blue and yellow, are often used in art and fashion since
the effect is visually stimulating and the individual colors appear brighter and more vibrant to-
gether than if viewed either solo or used within other color combinations.
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA; Canon 5D MarkIII, 70mm, 1/50 sec. @ f11, ISO
100
When seeking out combinations of color in nature, I am often
drawn to scenes with complementary colors. Notice the spell-
ing here – complementary not complimentary. Yes, comple-
mentary colors are visually pleasing and feel balanced when
used together in combination, but they are called complemen-
tary (root word complete) not compli-
mentary (root word compliment) be-
cause when used in combination, they
complete the color spectrum.
For example, the image from the pre-
vious page contains the complemen-
tary colors of blue in the stormy sky
and clouds while the stand of aspen
trees in the warm morning light are
yellow. So why are blue and yellow
complementary? When referring to
colors of light (also called additive
color mode) red, green, and blue are
the primary colors and when used in
combination, they complete the color
spectrum by making the color white.
Using our example, blue contains
one-third of the color spectrum by be-
ing one of the three primary colors.
Yellow, on the other hand, contains
two-thirds of the remaining color
spectrum by including equal amounts
of red and green. Therefore, blue and yellow complete the col-
or spectrum and are considered complementary.
The same can be said of the colors red and green, as employed
in the image on this page. Although red and green don’t meet
the precise criteria outlined earlier (in theory red and cyan are
complementary), the colors are certainly close enough and the
combination of the two colors achieves the same effect.
Psychologists and neuroscientists
claim that bright, complementary
colors situated adjacent to each oth-
er can cause a “vibrating or pulsing
effect” in the brain. While I’ve never
been consciously aware of that phe-
nomenon ever happening to me per-
sonally, I know there must be some
inkling of truth to this notion, since I
do consciously seek out these colors
in combination, as the net effect is of-
ten overwhelmingly striking.
Complementary colors are often used
in the worlds of art and fashion since
the combination is so visually stimu-
lating and the individual colors appear
brighter and more vibrant together
than if they were viewed either solo or
within other color combinations.
Image this page: Red Howler Mon-
keys, Tambopata National Reserve, Peru; Canon 7D, 600mm,
1/200 sec. @ f4, ISO 320
2 LONG EXPOSURES
Long exposures create the illusion of motion by introducing the element of time to the image.
Low light situations or the use of a neutral density filter can render any movement in the scene
as elegant blurs or streaks. Just remember your tripod!
Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France; Canon 5D MarkII, 21mm, 25 secs. @ f16, ISO 100
3 SHOOTING
THE
TWILIGHT
You’re crazy if you have been putting your camera away
after the sun goes down, as too many photographers too of-
ten do. For the next hour or so after the sun disappears (or
before it appears in the morning) you might see and experi-
ence some of the best light of the entire day.

Twilight is cool and blue, moody and eerie, soft and dif-
fused. The lower light levels that accompany the twilight
hours usually require much longer exposures than normal
which can only add to the surreal nature of the scene at this
time of day.

Here are two tips to consider when photographing twilight

scenes. First, know the area well enough so that you are not
putting yourself in any kind of danger. A small flashlight
could also help in this regard. Second, turn the auto focus
off. The scene or subject will probably be too dark for auto-
focus to work anyway, so you will need to focus manually.

The Toadstools, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Mon-

ument, Utah, USA; Canon 5D MarkII, 19mm, 30 secs. @
f16, ISO 160
4 FOUL WEATHER
Lousy weather gives the creative photographer the opportunity to turn an ordinary scene into
something moody, ethereal, ominous, and special. The infinite varieties of weather offer in-
finite creative options to those who are observant enough to take advantage.
Machu Picchu, Peru; Canon 5D MarkIII, 28mm, 1/125 sec. @ f11, ISO 100
For landscape and nature photographers, foul weather is a dou-
ble-edged sword. If you get too much of the bad stuff – you
know, clouds, wind, rain, etc. – you can be completely shut
out. But then again, too much lousy weather is almost as bad
as no weather at all – clear, blue, cloudless skies. To be honest,
it’s tough to say which scenario is a better excuse for hitting
the snooze button and sleeping in.
Rainy weather doesn’t have to be completely avoided if you
follow a few common sense guidelines. For example, heavy
rain should be avoided since it can damage your camera gear
and it doesn’t usually result in very good images anyway.
Light rain is shoot-able if you can manage to keep the rain-
drops off the front element of your lens. Using a lens hood
helps with that.

Still, if I had to choose one set For sheer drama, both light and
of weather conditions over the storm clouds are what we want
other, I’d take the clouds and in our images and you can of-
stormy weather every time, es- ten find these situations im-
pecially those dark, moody, mediately after a storm blows
threatening skies that can add through. A clearing storm al-
intense drama and mood to my ways seems to have a defin-
images. ing moment when the clouds
break and something magical
Bad weather often ushers in happens. It doesn’t always hap-
fog, which is one of my favorite pen, of course, but I certainly
conditions in which to do pho- want to be in a good place with
tography. Foggy weather invites my camera, ready to go, if and
mystery and mystique. What is when it does.
lurking just behind the veil of
fog and mist anyway? If nothing
else, fog simplifies the scene by masking out possible distract-
ing elements in the background, forcing the viewer to only fo- Image this page: Clingmans Dome with approaching storm,
cus on what you, the photographer, feel is relevant. If you’re Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and
lucky enough to have some sun breaking through the fog (as is Tennessee; Canon 5D MarkII, 47mm, 1/640 sec. @ f11, ISO
the case with the image on this page) all the better! 200.
5 SEEING ABSTRACTLY
In order to truly master composition, the photographer needs to learn how to let go of the liter-
al and embrace the abstract elements buried deep within the scene.
Cypress Gardens, South Carolina, USA, Canon 5D MarkIII, 16mm, 0.4 sec. @ f18, ISO 100
One of the best pieces of advice I can give to a beginning stract design that holds my attention?” If not, I would move
photographer to help he or she see and create better composi- on to something else. Pretty scenes are a dime a dozen. If yes,
tions – an aspect of photography with which most beginning then I know I have something here to work with.
photographers say they struggle – is to let go of the literal el-
ements of a scene and embrace the underlying abstract quali- When working with students in the field, I might ask them to
ties buried beneath it all. That doesn’t mean you should start squint their eyes a little so the literal is mostly blurred out and
making abstract images, although that’s not necessarily a bad all they can faintly see is the skeletal structure of the scene.
idea either for its own sake, but instead try to see the scene This is very good practice if you’ve never tried it before. The
abstractly. So for example, in- literal just fleshes the image out
stead of seeing a scene for its later when the image is cap-
mountains, trees, rocks, clouds tured.
and a river, you would look for
interconnecting shapes, lines, When photographing in a beau-
balance and how they relate to tiful location, it’s all too easy to
each other and the surrounding be seduced by the scene’s literal
image frame. beauty and overlook what real-
ly makes a strong composition.
Look at the image on the pre- The way I see it, there is always
ceding page and you will prob- time to sit back and appreciate
ably see all the literal elements the beauty of nature. In fact,
contained within it. There are I have to force myself to step
reeds, reflections of trees, lily away from the camera from
pads, and bright, vibrant green time to time to just sit back and
colors. It’s a pretty scene that soak it all in and just enjoy.
appeals to our human sense of aesthetics. That’s important for many different reasons.

Now look at the image on this page. It’s the same except you
don’t readily notice the reeds, reflection of trees, or lily pads.
Now you mostly see a poorly drawn half oval shape and some
radiating lines. The literal elements are gone and all that’s left
is the abstract. I could ask myself, “Is this an interesting ab-
But when it’s time to get to work, I’m looking much deeper
into the scene for the abstract qualities that are going to take it
beyond just a pretty picture and into the realm of true artistic
interpretation. That means just letting go of the literal.
6 VISUAL
ECONOMY
Visual economy, or minimalism, is becoming ever more
popular today in art and design. Counterpoised to the clut-
tered, busy, and frazzled realities of modern life, many wea-
ry souls are seeking refuge in simplicity wherever it can be
found. From art and fashion to the relief of our computers
and automobiles, clean and simple design is winning the
day and the marketplace is keeping score.

The most effective design is often the result of the least de-
sign. A Zen master might surely offer a nod to that senti-
ment. Or he wouldn’t – just to have it achieve even greater
effect. This is the apparent paradox that most photogra-
phers, artists, and designers come to understand in due time.
More is usually less just as less is quite often more. The
true nature of a subject’s character is only revealed after all
non-essential elements and details, which don’t contribute
to the essence of the overall composition, are eliminated.

Hunting Island, South Carolina, USA; Canon 5D MarkII,

105mm, 30 secs. @ f18, ISO 100
7 THE HUMAN ELEMENT
The addition of the human form in a landscape not only introduces a sense of scale, but it also
invites the viewer to live vicariously through the image. “Hey, that could be me! That
should be me! It’s much easier now for the viewer to forge a strong
emotional connection with the scene. Namib-Naukluft
National Park, Namibia; Canon 5D MarkIII,
22mm, 1/40 sec. @ f11, ISO 320
8 BACK LIGHTING
If you have been taught that the sun should always be at your back when doing photography,
you are the victim of a grave injustice. Back lighting, shooting into the direction of the sun, of-
fers some of the most dramatic lighting conditions you will encounter.
Lake Clark National Park, Alaska, USA; Canon 7D, 400mm, 1/1600 sec. @ f5.6, ISO 640
Most photographers opt for shooting with the sun directly be- far more powerful and eye catching.
hind them. “Point your shadow at the subject” is their man-
tra since they can be sure that in this way, the subject will be If your subject has any translucent materials such as fur, hair,
evenly illuminated. In other words, it’s easy. Now I’m not feathers, or leaves, the back lit sun will give these subjects a
saying that shooting with the sun at your back is always a bad vivid glowing effect, as is the case with the bear’s fur. This is
idea (especially since I do it all the time) but limiting yourself the rim light I was referring to earlier.
to only this lighting option certainly is a bad habit.
With fog, you can get even more dramatic results. The image
With the sun at your back, a on this page illustrates how fog
lighting option we call front or mist can capture and hold the
lighting, there is a downside light when back lit. As inter-
to all the even illumination I esting as this forest scene was
referred to earlier. With front front-lit after turning around in
lighting, the subject and scene the other direction, it pales in
will appear flat and two dimen- comparison to the back lit ver-
sional. And let’s be honest, it’s sion you see here. The radiating
also boring and predictable. beams of light in the fog, due
If we want to be creative pho- to the strong back lighting, are
tographers, we need to move what transforms this good scene
beyond the boring and predict- into a truly captivating one.
able, right?
While shooting directly into the
Instead, you can express your sun can result in dramatic re-
subject or scene much more sults, you need to be aware of
creatively by shooting into the sun for instant drama. In the that nasty flare and ghosting if direct light grazes off the front
example from the previous page, the direction of the sun pro- element of the lens. A lens hood rarely helps in these instanc-
duced brilliant rim light around the bear, which is a lot more es so you might have to use your hand or hat to help shield the
interesting and dramatic than the conventional front-lit angle lens from the sun.
that we see in guidebooks and photo magazines all the time.
Again, there’s nothing wrong with those interpretations, but Image this page: Del Norte Redwoods, California, USA; Can-
there’s no denying that back lighting produces a result that is on 5D MarkIII, 24mm, 1/30 sec. @ f13, ISO 500.
9 LEADING
LINES
The use of leading lines is powerful and effective composi-
tional tool that helps the photographer “lead” the viewer’s
eye through the image. Lines and “S” curves also help give
an image structure and establish flow and direction, pre-
venting it from becoming visually static.

Leading and curved lines control and manipulate the visual

experience by bringing the viewer along a dynamic journey
through the scene in a very specific way that the photogra-
pher intends; near to far, up or down, from corner to corner.
All the while, the viewer’s eye is moving, stopping only
when it reaches the photographer’s pre-designed, intended
resting place. The lines can be horizontal, vertical, or diago-
nal, straight or curved, literal or merely implied. As long as
they are purposeful and meet the intentions of the photogra-
pher, they can be useful in giving the image dynamic flow..

Bahia Tunnel at Lago Viedma, Patagonian Argentina; Can-

on 5D MarkII, 18mm, 1.3 secs. @ f18, ISO 100
10 THE DECISIVE MOMENTS
To quote the great Henri Cartier-Bresson, “To me, photography is the simultane-
ous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well
as of a precise organization of forms which give that event its proper expression.”
Saint Augustine, Florida, USA; Canon 7D, 275mm, 1/1600 sec. @ f5.6, ISO 800
 ABOUT RICHARD BERNABE
Richard Bernabe is a an internationally renowned landscape, wildlife, and travel photographer and author from the United
States. His passion for adventure has been the driving force behind his life’s quest to capture the moods and character of the
world’s most amazing places, from Africa to the Amazon to the Arctic and countless places in between.

His editorial clients include The National Geographic Society, Audubon, The Sierra Club, National Parks, Outdoor Photog-
rapher, Popular Photography, and many others. Corporate clients include Canon, Patagonia, Orvis, REI, Apple, Microsoft,
American Express, and more.

Richard is a highly sought-after teacher and public speaker who accepts many invitations from around the world each year in
order to help educate others on matters of photography, adventure travel, and our natural world.

To learn more about Richard’s work, visit his website at www.richardbernabe.com (click the link, it’s interactive).
 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
For more information and books about photography, you can visit the Earth and Light Digital Media website for additional
resources and information. If you currently have Internet access, you can click on the following link to take you to Earth and
Light’s website: www.earthandlight.biz (click the link, it’s interactive).

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