The Lyme Land Trust is pleased to announce the Photos of Distinction for the Spring 2023 session of Imagining Lyme. We were delighted to see all the beautiful photographs that are now displayed in our showcase gallery. This is a place to share your favorite photos of nature in Lyme. The judges have chosen three photos that stood out to them. Here is the list of the those photos with judges’ comments, written by Joe Standart.
Majestic Bull by Baylee Drown
Typically, a mature bull is a symbol of power, strength, and danger, yet in “Majestic Bull” photographer Baylee Drown has used a series of compositional elements to create a very different mood. Baylee’s use of color, cool tones, blues and soft greens, combined with the mist of early morning create a soft, contemplative mood. The mist does double duty. First, the lighter tones of the mist helps separate the background from the black tones of the bull, which dramatically highlights the bull making it the undisputed subject of the photo. Secondly, the mist combined with the softening focus of the background help create the sense of depth, which further helps bring the bull to visual foreground. The sharp relief of the foreground vegetation beautifully frames the Bull. These combined effects and the bull’s contemplative stare create a strong portrait of the bull and leaves one to wonder what the bull is thinking as he stands solitary in this scene of quiet beauty.
Quiet Pride by Kent GirtyOne must admire the creative instincts of someone who gets down on his knees to turn a tiny mushroom into a heroic portrait. Photographer, Kent Girty, uses several compositional elements to enhance his photo. First is selective focus. The sharp focus of the mushroom is in contrast to the soft focus background, which helps isolate the mushroom and brings it forward. This can be done with an SLR by using a longer lens and an open aperture (f 4 or 5.6), or with a smart phone by using the portrait mode in newer iPhones. Secondly, the darkening background further helps create a sense of depth and draws one’s attention to the brighter, well-lit subject.
Oak Point by Penny Reneson
.Penny Reneson captures the subtle play of light across a beautiful undulating series of hills. The play of light and shadow on hills along with the disappearing fence lines create a wonderful sense of depth. The elegant arching branches of the center tree provide a strong focal point for the photo, which anchors the image and allows the eye to wander to discover other delights of this pastoral scene.
Photo tip: An exploration into some of the current editing tools in Photos, photoshop express, Photoshop, or Lightroom might provide an answer to make unwanted elements less noticeable.
Click here to learn how to Crop your Photos to Improve the Composition.
The judges are Lyme Land Trust Board members< Joe Standart and Wendolyn Hill.
Joe Standart is an internationally known, award-winning photographer. His national public art initiative, Portrait of America, began in New London in 2004. Learn more about Joe
Wendolyn Hill is an artist, award winning photographer, and former professor of art. Learn more about Wendy.
