Flowers were not the only things on the grounds.  This five foot black snake was hanging in a branch.  It looked as if he had recently eaten.

Roses were everywhere and little details hidden at the turns.  Statuary imported from Europe was tucked in to corners or near the fountains.  Peonies may be my favorite flower.  The delicacy and the complexity fascinate me.

Canvas Texture

Here is a nine shot panorama of the view of the rose garden.  I could force myself to find a quiet retreat in one of the little pavilions.  All in all it was just a nice day.

Roger’s nice photos from the Gold Cup reminded me that shooting photos of horses can be quite rewarding.  Especially here in VA horse country, there are lots of opportunities to just stop by the side of the road and see pastures full of them, doing what they do best.  Several members of our Fauquier Viewfinders Camera Club own horses and delight in showing endless photos of them.

Unfortunately, many pictures are of the horse just standing around.  To really engage your viewer, you need to show a bit of the personality of the animal in your picture.  Horses are curious, if you are quiet and non-threatening; they will come over to examine you. 

Catching them in motion, especially trained horses can be even more interesting.  When you can get a fog machine as well…well, that is a horse of a different color.  Oh wait, that is material for another blog.

I got a last-minute invite from a photog buddy, and we went out to join the crowds (about 50,000).  The weather wasn’t too hot; the skies were overcast, giving us even light but boring skies.  It was a great day for the races.  Robert Duvall presented the trophy to the winner.

These events are as much about “meeting and greeting” as they are about the horse races.  We didn’t have too much time to go out and shoot photos of the crowds before the races, but, as in Kentucky, Gold Cup folks were wearing their hats.

The ladies had on their new sun dresses and were sporting fresh paint jobs on their toes.  Even the band wore fancy hats and skirts.  

Unlike the Kentucky Derby, we had six races around a meadow course, with jumps scattered throughout.   Each race was a different length (2-4.5 miles), and the riders came from different directions.  The crowd was on the rails cheering them on.

We found a spot on the rails between a couple of jumps to maximize our shooting options.   Our shooting position offered two different jumps and an open stretch.

With fast-moving subjects, we bumped up the ISO to keep the shutter speeds above 1/1000 and the racers sharp.  Between the jumps, we shot them racing by at a full gallop.

It was a fun day at the races for all.  Something I’d never done before.  There is another race in October to give me another chance.  I’m betting the grandchildren would really enjoy being there, too.   Sharing the experience is one of the things that makes photography so much fun.

The lines don’t have to all point in the same direction.  You can even use them as a framing device for your subject.

[Geek note:  Did you know the golden rule of composition Mark talked about in the last blog is based on the Fibonacci sequence?  This sequence is found throughout nature, like the seeds in this sunflower.]

And, we’re back.

Diagonal and converging lines are the most compelling and dynamic for your viewer.  The lines don’t even have to be straight to perform their magic.  In this photo, I have the base lines converging and pointing to the batter, who is in a box (more lines), with a curved line encircling home plate.

We can go even deeper if you want.  The catcher and umpire form a line pointing to the batter, who is holding a bat (a line).  Even the blur of the ball directs you to the batter.  Sometimes the scene isn’t the least bit subtle.

The lines don’t have to be as obvious as these examples.  The kayaker in this shot is surrounded by the white lines of splash from the rapids.  The line of the rock behind her echoes the angle of her paddle.  Her arms and the kayak form a nice triangle.

So, the next time you are trying to compose a photograph, instead of shooting a snapshot, slow down and take a breath.  Look for some lines in your scene.  Try to incorporate them in the most pleasing way to enhance your photo and lead your viewer to the subject.  When you are studying the iconic images of the great artists and photographers you admire, look for lines in their work; they are in there.  If you think about your composition before you push the shutter, you’ll be much happier with your results.

But that is not the only way to think of composition and in Lightroom and in Photoshop; there are easy tools available to assist you in cropping your images for more visual appeal.

When you are in the Develop module, and you start using the crop tool, it defaults to the “Rule of Thirds” grid.  However, you can find a menu on the main menu bar under Tools called “Crop Guide Overlay” and see what other choices are available.  The classic “Golden Spiral” is great for group portraits.  Contain the bulk of your visual interest in the tightest part of the spiral. The strong leading lines on the “Triangle” overlay frame angular images. You can use the keyboard shortcut “O” to cycle through the choices and help as you crop.  As with all things in LR, it is all non-destructive, so you can experiment as much as you like.