Beyond the obvious

A canal near Damme, in Belgium, provides the perfect landscape to create a strong design statement in photography. I've written two articles on using design in photography, here and here , and I said I would be adding to the series. Unfortunately I never got round to writing more but I hope this image illustrates several of the points I made in the earlier articles. There's a rather strange phenomenon that happens. I look back at what I've written some time ago and somehow it seems fresh and I discover things that I'd not thought about for a while. This is exactly what happened when I re-read my articles on design in photography this evening. As the readership of this blog keeps growing, at a quite phenomenal rate, I'm sure that some of you will not have read these articles and hopefully you will discover something of value in them that can be applied to your own photography. So in the best tradition of TV re-runs here they are once again: Design in photography 1 De...

The four images above were taken within a few minutes of each other. The subject is the side of a railcar. The aim was a series of images which explore a single subject with the emphasis on strong graphic compositions. Cheers, Paul

Looking back from the passenger seat in the cab of the truck I watched the refeulling operation. This image was taken during a reportage on the road with a construction company. I chose the image because I like the balance between the elements and the overall visual design with various forms and shapes interacting across the composition. The wide angle creates depth and dynamism. Their's a slightly surreal feeling to the whole scene. The image also fits wih my motto 'go beyond the obvious'. If you'd like to read more of my thoughts on using design in photography take a look here . More soon... Paul

Welcome to the second article on design. If you missed the first here it is . There’s a lot to cover and we’ll get there eventually. I think it will take another two or three articles. For now let’s look at a few advanced design strategies . Anchoring the subject, or the lead into the subject, to the edges of the frame. This can introduce a feeling of structure and stability to the subject as well as enhancing the sense of strong design within a composition. Creating a path for the eye to follow. When you design an image you need to lead the viewer’s eye through the composition and make it easy for their eye to move from one element to another. The key here is how easily the eye can move through the composition without being distracted. Western people tend to scan an image starting top left and they then ‘read’ the image zig zagging down and leaving at the bottom right. Of course using strong colour or subjects of interest like faces will change the starting point but overall we still ...

As promised here is the first article in the series on using design principles to improve your photography. The primary concepts you need to think about when designing an image in your mind are: Balance - symetrical or more pleasing to the eye, asymetrical. All images need to be in balance to work well Consistency - this applies across a whole range of aspects, whether working on a series of pictures or in the visual treatment of a single image Contrast - this is a wonderful element to play with and an essential part of design Proportion - the relative size of objects but also the relative importance of visual elements Proximity - this is the single most important design concept for creating meaning in an image. Two elements close together will effect each other's meaning in a fundamental way Simplicity - keep it simple. Single concepts work best. Try to say too much and all messages get lost Unity - this can apply to the overall colour tone, to the harmony in shapes ac...

A small fishing boat in need of a new coat of paint or two, casts a shadow deep into the translucent waters of Morro Jable harbour, Fuerteventura. I've not been around for a bit. You may have noticed. Anyway, yesterday I finished putting a book together of Magda and my images, and I'm exhausted. It was one of those marathon's to get it all done within production deadlines. The image above almost made it into the book but fell at the last hurdle. I chose another one of the boats instead. Still I like it and hope you do to. I've learnt a lot going through the creative process of putting the book together which will soon be available to buy on www.indigo2photography.co.uk Once we take delivery I'll be able to photograph it and then create a small flash animation to show what it looks like. Well that's my idea to market it anyway. There will be a limited number of signed copies available. I'll let you know when. In the following weeks I am planning on writing a...

Don't get a fright. You are visiting Paul Indigo's blog. I've decided to update the look. Consistency is good but every now again you need to freshen things up. I have added labels and other new features will follow soon. I intend to write even more articles in 2007, lots of useful stuff and more strong opinion pieces too like the article I published earlier tonight. You may see a slight change in the style of my writing too. My blog is going to be short, sharp and to the point. When it comes to giving advice I am going to ensure maximum clarity. If anything is unclear then please let me know. I realise that for many readers English is not their first language. Please tell me if there is something you do not understand. Besides opinion pieces and advice, I will make this blog more interactive by sharing the thoughts of other leading photographers and the opinions of experts with you. I hope you like the new look and you will continue to visit my blog. All of the very best, ...