The Glory of Nature's Form

Part I For many, nature photography is the seeking of an alternate way of life. It may be only a few hours interlude in the park, or a lengthy photographic expedition into the wilderness. But the urge is there-the ancient urge to communicate with the pantheon of nature. For in nature one finds a world of infinite color, mood, form, and design. To capture on film such subjective qualities as the indescribable hue of a flower can be an exhilarating spiritual experience.There is more involved than just the mechanical recording of an image through a lens. It is an alchemy of technical skill, innate desire, and a sense of "knowing" the proper way to portray the mood and capture the essence of a three-dimensional subject on a two-dimensional surface. The goal is to portray physical traits, in conjunction with an associated mood or setting, that will describe an eternal truth.

It is impossible to say precisely how one goes about discovering the "spirit" associated with photographing a nature subject. But it comes with experience, it comes with a love of the outdoors, it comes with seeing and feeling the beauty of life. When the shutter clicks and a picture is taken there is an instant bond between the photographer and the subject. A bit of life is forever documented along with the photographer's own confrontation of selfa realization that he, too, is part of nature.

Dedicated photographers constantly probe the subject of nature, for nothing else challenges them with quite as many facets and moods. In the grand overview, one can scarcely outline its limitations, for each and every aspect has to be seen through specialized equipment (to some degree at least) to better enhance its impression. This, compounded by the fact that no two photographers ever see the same image in the same manner, makes nature photography an art form in itself.

In nature photography as in other aspects of life, sometimes the simplest way is the best way, and if handled in a creative manner simplicity may also be the most elegant and eloquent. A forest, for example, may have too many elements; too many trees, too many shadows, too many rocks to be really effective as a "communicative image." But focus in on a detailed portion of forest life and the picture, as well as the forest, lives! It may be a glistening droplet of dew, a mat of golden aspen leaves, or a beam of light breaking through bright green filigree. Whatever it may be, each reveals an essence, each tells a story.

(Left) Overcast skies form soft lighting on the rugged Superstitions east of Phoenix.

(Below) Strong silhouette forms of a Monument Valley landscape contrast with soft subtle colors of a dawn sky.

(Bottom) In the mountains of central Arizona the delicate blue of wild iris accent the deep rich green of the background.

(Opposite page) A colorful collection of mushrooms and forest flora tell an intimate story about small things.

Death Valley National Monument has many unique and interesting aspects. The area called Race Track, left, is just one of them. Here, during rare rains, giant boulders “race” across the slick mud.

(Following panel, pages 24-25) Interesting textures and strong shadows are formed by late light streaming across the sand dunes of Death Valley.

(Opposite page) Sandy tracks of a wandering caterpillar reveal seldom-discovered life in Death Valley.

(Left) The solitude of a mountain stream in southern Utah is captured in the filmy appearance of the water.

(Below) Winds constantly change the contours of the landscape at Coral Pink Dunes State Park near Kanab, Utah.

(Below) Sandblasted branches sprawl upon the sands of Coral Pink Dunes State Park.

(Bottom) Long shadows accentuate the grotesque forms of Goblin Valley in southern Utah.

NATURE'S FORM from page 16

There are times, of course, when one simply cannot reduce an image to such a vignette. It is on these occasions, when the pictorial is one of vibrant strength and outstanding composition, that one must recognize that the “essence” is the whole scene.

Effective communication in nature photography demands that one must work with the design components at hand. Indeed, it would be self-defeating for one to happen upon a beautiful arrangement of flowers and then try to alter the composition by physically changing the positions of the items to fulfill a preconceived compositional rule.

Part II The regulator of all our lives, and every life function in our solar system, is the sun. The eye of the nature photographer realizes its radiant light never ceases to change, yet it is such an integral part of our lives that many tend to overlook its complexity. It is the light of creation and upon its radiance nature photography is, for all practical purposes, totally dependent.

The sun's rays create the highlights and shadows that form the images we see. Depending on our view, we can backlight, sidelight or frontlight. Shadows are strong and bold in early morning and late afternoon; on cloudy, overcast days, light becomes diffused and there may be no shadows at all. The sun creates an infinite number of intriguing relationships between the design elements and the lighting angle of a subject.

For example, the highlight of one tree trunk may overlap the shadow area of a second tree trunk. This vantage point gives depth to the two dimensional photograph. The differences in light values produce an awareness of structural forms and receding planes, thus achieving, for the viewer, a sense of distance.

Each composition, with its peculiar set of circumstances, can be made into a poetic pictorial of subtle charm and harmonious beauty, and the key to success is the continual search for images in which one finds the essence of life.

Good nature photography is never easily done, but it is certainly self-satisfying. And when you have envisioned a composition in your own style and capture its aurora, it becomes your signature.