Last Saturday we ran a very successful landscape workshop on the coastline near Ballito. The day, which had been forecast to bring rain, wind and cold, turned into an absolutely perfect sunrise with beautiful cloud along the horizon, smooth seas and glorious warmth. So much for the weatherman.
Four students, Claire and myself all met near a tidal pool at Ballito in the early hours of the morning in order to meet the sun as it rose over the ocean. This of course meant an extraordinarily early start for most of us to make our way towards Ballito from Durban, the South Coast and Hillcrest. It was worth it though as the light was absolutely magical.
The takeaway for the workshop was really the ability to 'see' the image before actually pressing the shutter. Running around like a scalded cat trying to find a composition before the light gets too harsh is never really conducive to truly beautiful imagery. Taking the slower approach and considering the image in one's imagination usually leads towards better images. Learn to scan the environment around you and pick out details that you feel would work in the composition. As you walk around and towards these details start to look for other elements that can work in an arrangement within the image, all the while 'imagining' the image as should appear as a print hanging on your wall. That imagination will assist in creating meaningful imagery. Just shooting and hoping for the best tends to result in dull photographs, albeit technically competent images. Learn to imagine the final image and the actual creation of that image becomes that much simpler.
What cracking images! All of them! And how nice to 'see' all the vastly different takes on a same-day-similar-scene. The eye of the (pre)beholder indeed. Nice work, Emil, wish I was there (even if only to see the scalded cats).
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