Egrets on the River

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Blue Flax or Alsi Flower in Morning Light

Blue flax flowers or alsi flowers are always a treat to watch. Alsi or blue flax is a medicinal plant found naturally and grown as cultivated crop in most parts of the world. It is used as medicine to lower the blood pressure and to reduce the thickness of blood. Blue flowers of this plant are small in size but amazingly beautiful.

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Sky is the Limit for a Free Bird

Birds love freedom and looks beautiful flying in the sky.

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Heaven on Earth

Neelum Valley Azaad Jammu and Kashmir is wrightly known as heaven on earth. In the months of June and July its beauty and greenery is at its peak. Visitors from different countries rush in the valley to see this mesmerizing beauty of the valley.

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camels are grazing in the warmth of winter sun.

Camels in the Morning

It looks like a scene from some Alif Laila story. Environment was so fascinating that it was a treat to watch camels browsing on tree leaves in a beautiful winter morning.

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First question is  “What is Macro Photography ” ?

It is close up photography done with special types of lenses known as macro lenses which can focus the subjects at very minute distance and magnify it many folds. Those digital photographers who are involved in food photography and flower photography are very much familiar with the technique. But macro photography is more popular among the nature photographers who are fond of capturing insects in action and dance of shimmering dew drops in morning light. Now the question is “how to take macro photographs” ?.

When we see a macro picture of an insect or a dew drop and say wow!, there must be something special in the composition which make us so excited about that. To get an idea of what creative compositions in macro photography are and how these can be achieved ,one has to study lot of images carefully and analyzing these for interesting elements. Here I am giving some general macro photography tips for creating dynamic and creative shots in this field.

How To Position The subject:-

A Rule Of Third

If your  subject is an insect like a dragon fly or some grasshopper etc then try to divide your frame into nine squares by drawing two imaginary vertical and two horizontal lines. Place the subject in the intersection of these lines and most of the time in the intersection point of lower left corner. That is the use of rule of third in macro photography. However if you are shooting a flower of a head on shot of a bug then this rule can be breached and you can place a subject in the center.

Sometime it is very personal decision on-location while shooting that how to place a subject and how to balance it with other elements in the picture. This very important moment decides how your picture will look in the final outcome. Some time a subject of the tip of a flower or a leave gives very pleasing composition. But one thing must keep in mind that always give a breathing space to the subject either you place it on the lower end or upper end. Never go very tight until and unless you are shooting portraits of insects or flowers. Some time you must have seen some photographs with tight composition having bulging eyes and antennas of insects. In this case no breathing space is needed.

Breathing space in the upper right corner

Using curves of the leaves to get creative composition

Use The Curves and Oblique Lines :-

Using the curves of the leaves and branches in macro photography can be a good source for creating dynamic macro pictures. In many cases you noticed spiders cling to the web made by folding a grass leave and making a very nice natural arch or a beetle moving on the natural curve of a leave. These arches and curves of leave are very important in making strong composition in macro photography. In some cases I use setting sun in the background that produce stunning results.

Beauty of Nature

Using Oblique lines

Using oblique lines while composing a shot is so important that most of the time it becomes the major difference between a good picture and a bad picture. If a subject is sitting on a straight leave or branch then tilt the camera with 45 degree and the things will be alright. For this purpose you need a good tripod with ball and socket head. Some time I personally deviate from the rule and get some fresh composition by using straight lines as a strong point.

 Clutter Free Background:-

Not only in macro photography but in its all forms background is very important. A clutter free image in closeup photography is more professional and creative than a picture with messy surrounding. Keep in mind that your main subject must stand out while composing a shot. Some time it is not possible as your subject is much near to the background. In this case use wide aperture and sacrifice some

extra details. I personally keep a scissor in my macro kit to cut extra grass leaves.

But one must be very careful as macro subjects are very scarey and agile and

may jump out of the seen or fly away while you are cutting twigs.

Straight lines may also create strong composition

clear Background

A n out of focus and blur background makes the picture esthetically more acceptable and create ease for the eyes. Another way of creating interesting background is to use a water spray gun for the back lit subjects. That will produce light circles in the background which mostly give the pictures more illusive effect.

    Moving Compositions:-

While imagine to  place a subject in frame, one thing must be kept in mind – there must be a sense of movement in the picture. If you shoot a flying dragonfly or a moving beetle or caterpillar on a curved leave, there must be good space in front of the subject to create space for the movement of the subject which viewer can feel.

Try Some New angles In Macro Photography :-

Head on shots of subjects like flowers produce flat and placid pictures which are unattractive and have no innovation. Try some lower angle to create some new compositions which must look better and attractive to the viewers.For this beetle shot I deliberately use  a lower angle  to make the picture more attractive and dynamic. A straight head on shot would be boring and non acceptable for the viewers.  Same is the rule for the butterflies and flowers. In macro photography now many tips and tricks are used to enhance the composition and overall effect of the final outcome. Some photographers use stuffed and freeze subjects and some even use plastic butterflies to gave the subject position of their own choice. But all that is not the alternate of pure natural shots which are taken on location.  Macro photography is a big fun and more challenging than any other form of photography. That is why young photographers are becoming more and more attractive towards macro photography.

For Further Reading :-

Macro Photography

Top 12 macro photography tips 

How to Take Macro Pictures

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Landscape Photography

Landscape photography is one of the leading form of photographic art. One thing must be very clear that framing a picture is not a technique but an art. There are no hard and fast rules for creating outstanding composition that make your landscape pictures dynamic and artistic. But still there are some basic points which one have to keep in mind while shooting a landscape to make a picture aesthetically and technically perfect. Following are some tips in digital landscape photography which I personally keep in mind while shooting on location :-

Point Of Interest In landscape Photography

First thing you must do in landscape shooting is to look for a point of most interest in the scene. It may be a rock or a bunch of flowers or  an animal grazing or a human figure etc. That point of interest must be at a key point which is mostly  foreground. Keep that object of interest at one or other corner of the scene. If there are more than two subjects of equal importance then try to make a triangle, two objects in the foreground leading towards an interesting object in the back ground as shown the picture of lake saiful maluke with boats.

A farmer is heading towards his fields in a fine winter morning

Diagonal And Curved Lines

Using diagonal lines and curves lead the viewer to a more interesting point and the eye of the viewer feels ease in roaming in the scene. These lines may be curved road or rattling stream, it may be a line of trees or a bending trek. Diagonal leading lines always considered a very powerful positive point in landscape photography. Also read use of patterns  in landscape photography.

Frame Out Of Frame

Light condition is very important while composing a picture. If the sky is interesting and land is finely lit then a full landscape with bright foreground and dramatic sky is the answer. But in case of dull or over bright sky and excellently lit foreground ,the answer is frame out of frame. You have to scarify  the sky. You will surely end up with a great image.

This looks very pretty image but I was not satisfy with the condition of the sky as compared to the dramatic  light on the river and meadows. so I decide to make a frame out of frame.

 Rule Of Third

For a typical landscape rule of third is used and many a time landscape photography is impossible without following this rule. Rule of third means either you have one third of sky and two third of land or vice versa . Decision is yours, if the sky is more interesting then keep the sky two third in the picture and if land is interesting then foreground must be two third. If both land and sky are interesting then give priority to land.

Frame Within A Frame

Natural framing a landscape picture can creates very interesting results. These frames like tree branches, rocks or tree trunks are very useful in creating some stunning pictures. Keep the pictures natural and never try to overdo the rules. Try to make spontaneous decisions and experiment with different compositions.  Any picture which looks pleasing to the eyes and move the viewer is a good picture what ever composition it has.

Landscape photography is establishing itself as a strong art form with creative compositions and breaking of old rules intelligently.

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Autumn Beauty Of Hunza Heaven

One of the most beautiful place on earth is Hunza valley Pakistan. It is situated in Gilgit region of Pakisrtan and is at more than two hour drive from the Gilgit city on Karakoram Highway. This valley have an elevation of 2500 meters and is situated on north/west of Hunza river. Hunza is the most popular tourist destination in Pakistan. It spreads on 7900 squar kilometer with a number of famous peaks with more than 6000meter height. These Peaks include Ultar, Rakaposhi, Diran, and ladyfinger.  

People and Land Of Hunza

Valley of Hunza have severe winter and pleasant summer. Water is rich in minerals and fruit trees like apricot and cherry is common. so the people are generally very healthy and famous for their long lives. Scenery of the area is spectacular and have a bit feminist and romantic touch.

Autumn in Hunza valley

Autumn colors are more fascinating than the monotonous green in summer. Autumn of Hunza considered best in the world after William town in U.S.A. There are shades of every color from red to green and from yellow to red. But red and yellow are most dominating. Color of Hunza river water in winter is bluish green and produce amazing effect the the vibrant colors of autumn.

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Patterns And Lines In Landscape Photography

Have you ever notice that a landscape with leading lines always attract more than without these. Leading lines and patterns make the photograph looks more balanced and give more depth to the scene. Scenes with these elements and more inviting and interesting to eyes. There are many ways to add lines and patterns to your images.  

 Furrows in The Fields

    Furrow lines in a field in the mooring or evening’s dramatic light looks so pleasing that it make an ordinary shot extra- ordinary.  This looks more dramatic in misty and foggy environment. 

 Human Beauty In A landscape

A human subject moving through these lines can attract more focus of the viewer.  

Patterns Of Modern Structures

 Some ugly modern structure can be used in an intelligent way to produce stunning results.For example some time you cannot avoid power poles and wires from the picture. So use them in your picture with some unique composition and you will come out with excellent results. 

Pattern Made By Crops

Patterns made by crops at different ripping condition can be used as a foreground or as a dominating part in the photograph.

One thing has to remember. Patterns and lines always work in the images at morning and evening when the shadows are long and produce a 3D effect. Lines entering or leaving the scene are more  effective than oblique lines.

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