Craig Stocks Arts Blog

This is another example of using twilight as the best time for fine art landscape photography. It’s tempting to stop taking pictures as soon as the sun sets, but you’d be missing some of the best light. This time after the sun sets (or before the sun rises) is often called the “blue hour,” but it really only lasts for about 30 minutes.

I found this tree on the beach on Jekyll Island and I was immediately intrigued by the exposed roots and the way they echoed the bare branches of the tree. I wanted the roots to play a dominant and dramatic role in the photo. Since the beach was lined with tall trees, there wasn’t any light on the tree itself. Without some additional light, the tree would be a silhouette and the roots would have just blended into the dark shadows on the beach.

Since it was well after sunset and getting pretty dark I used that to my advantage. I always carry an LED flashlight with me, and in this instance, it was the perfect way to light up the tree. The camera was mounted on a rigid tripod, and the late hour allowed me to use a long, 30 second exposure. That gave me just enough time to run out away from the camera and use the flashlight to paint light onto the tree. Notice that I positioned myself well off to the side of the tree to create shadows too. It’s the shadows that give the tree its depth.

A 16 X 20 inch print of this photo is currently available at The Trafik Jam in Mackinaw, Illinois.

I occasionally teach photo workshops, and I spend quite a bit of time talking about sunrise and sunset photography. The most important thing I cover is to be sure to find a subject other than just the sunrise or sunset. It’s great to have dramatic skies, but the sky itself is actually a pretty boring subject. Try to find something else of interest and let the photo be about that. The sky itself is the seasoning – not the sauce.

I also talk quite a bit about the different times of twilight. My favorite time by far is civil twilight. That’s the half hour or so before the sun rises or after the sun sets. In fact, if you look at the landscape photos on my website nearly all of them were taken during civil twilight. You can actually get the best looking skies during that time, but also, the foreground light is much softer.

Jekyll Island seems to be a special place for me.  My father and I first came here 45 years ago to play golf. We came back again in the 80’s, and again five years ago when I retired. Now, he’ll be 90 in January and we’re back again and just finished our third day playing 18 holes.

In 2006, my wife surprised me with an anniversary present of a fine art photography workshop on Jekyll Island and one of my all time favorite photos is from that trip. In fact, it’s the only photo from that long ago that I still exhibit. However, technically the photo has always had challenges since it was taken with a rather early digital SLR.

Yesterday morning, I went back to the same beach for sunrise. This time, I was armed with a much better camera, better technique, and some new ideas. This photo was taken a little later during sunrise, so the sky was just a little brighter. The big difference is that I used a flashlight to light up the trees and grass during the 60 second long exposure. I really like the added detail and depth it creates. I may even like this version better than the original.

What’s the difference between a snapshot and a fine art photo? Is it the subject? Is it the size of the print? Surely it’s not the camera. I probably shouldn’t pose a question that I can’t clearly answer, but I do think the topic is worth exploring.

I learned a long time ago that beautiful scenes don’t always translate into a beautiful photo. Sometimes it’s best to just enjoy the scene, and maybe take a snapshot to record the experience. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a fine art photo of beautiful scenery, it’s just that I feel that we need something more in the image than just a beautiful scene.

It’s really difficult to describe what makes fine art; it’s one of those things that you know it when you see it. A fine art photo can be completely abstract, or completely realistic. It can be vibrantly colored, or simple black and white. It’s normally going to be a pleasing scene, but sometimes the image is a bit troubling and makes you think.

For me, there are two qualities that a fine art photograph will always have. First of all, it should show you not just the scene, but the photographer’s interpretation of the scene. The goal of my fine art photography goes well beyond documenting a scene – I want to apply my own interpretation. It may be through how I manage the colors, or through other digital transformations that bend the image to fit my point of view.

The other characteristic of a fine art photography is the quality of the finished result.  Quality starts in the camera, but the “digital darkroom” work also has to preserve and enhance the quality of the result. That means carefully managing tones and colors as well as the perceived sharpness. I don’t want the viewer to notice any the work I’ve done, it should just look clean and pure with no noticeable flaws.

My own fine art photography always takes the form of a large, archival print. That means the print itself also needs to be executed well. Large prints are much more difficult to handle without damage, so a great deal of care is needed in mounting and framing.

There’s a reason we have a common figure of speech to describe something done exceptionally well.  A fine art photograph should truly be “a work of art.”