Aullwood Audobon and Nature Center

Here are some images from Aullwood, in Montgomery County, Ohio.

Our vision is an amazing thing. Our sight is an irreducible complexity. Our field of vision has a center, and our mind assesses what we see and tells our eyes to scan and find the irregular and the different.

A photograph has a center as well. That is why usually a more pleasing photo, a more attractive photo does not put the "subject" in the center or divide the photo horizontally and/or vertically in half. A photo needs to have the ability to draw our eyes away from its center and stimulate our minds to want to scan the photo - assessing it, usually from left to right, just as we read words on a page or screen.

Using the rule of thirds - the Golden Ratio

When looking through your viewfinder or your LCD screen, divide the image in thirds vertically and horizontally. Imagine the dividing lines and place the objects of interest at the intersection of those imaginary lines. Put horizontal lines, such as horizons, on the upper or lower line - not across the middle of you photo. Put vertical lines that go from top to bottom on the imaginary 1/3 vertical lines as well. This effectively divides your photo into thirds rather than halves. With this in mind, you will see an improvement in the composition of your photographs.

More stops along the Trace

I left Clarksville on Sunday around noon, and I wanted to reach Tupelo by the evening. There I would spend the evening and arive in Amory on Monday morning. As I left the Parks family in Clarksville, Mona mentioned how much she liked photographic prints of waterfalls, nature scenes, and wildlife. Because they graciously had me in their home, I had in mind then to search for a print or create a new photograph for them. Now I am very happy to have found one that I think will please them. It will be a vertical panorama of one of the falls I stopped to see that same afternoon.

I traveled straight south following Tennesse State Routes 48, then 46, and then 7 until I found an entrance to the Natchez Trace Parkway near Santa Fe, Tennessee.

Below are a representation of several of the images that I created from scenes along the way. We will have to wait until I get home for me to work with it in photoshop. These are are not tweeked - but I think some may enjoy seeing them.

It is not hard for me to imagine folks traveling through here just 200 years ago. This is old road bed which sunk a little more every time a traveler past through. Paths are created when the soil is compacted by beast, man, or wagon. Here a rut was formed about 7 feet wide and about 2 feet deep. It is a remnant of what once was, not so very long ago.

Photos to be published in LIMITED PRINTS

LIMITED PRINTS
by Paul Farrier

Note: If you desire to take advantage of the links, please do so by right clicking on them and selecting "Open in New Tab" or "Open in New Window". That way, you will not be directed away from this site.

I am in the process of selecting some of my best images for publishing in a book. When I select an image I make changes and adjustments to make unique and more interesting. I offer single, one of a kind, prints through my store at http://www.photosamericana.photoreflect.com/. If you like, please visit my store to view others I have selected to be published.

When the book is published, anyone who has purchased a print will be listed in the book as the owner along side the image in the book along with the description.

Here are some that I just added to the collection.


Inspired by some incredible artistic work by John Agnew, I took advantage of a nature walk through a Cypress Swamp that is conveniently located along the Natchez Trace in Mississippi. I also photographed some wildlife while there. You can see those photos from earlier postings to this blog.



This is a panoramic image created by stitching 4 photos together. I would suggest that this be printed to 24 - 30 inches long to get the full effect and still maintain excellent quality.


More cypress knees. I boosted the color and the sharpness of this photo, and did a couple of things with the certain colors to attract the eye.


Also, while in historic Vicksburg, Mississippi, I had just a little time to create some images. Although this building is not typical, it does represent a richness in the culture through some of its architecture. Although the colors in this image were also very attractive - producing a black & white print makes it more dramatic and suitable for framing and hanging on any wall.

I'll be returning to Vicksburg soon and hope to take in more of the sites while conducting business in nearby Jackson, Mississippi.

Paul Farrier © 2009

Step back and admire your work...

A panoramic image is not just a photo done in "letter box" - it is more than that.

One could use a wide angle lens but to get this much in there would have to be a lot of distortion. Or, one could get further away from the subject and then crop out the top and the foreground - but that severely limits the size of the print when enlarging. But in order for me to back up on this one, I would have to leave the trail and as I moved back, more trees that were behind me would then be in front of me.

I want to get a wide view and the only way to do that is by taking four photos from left to right with the manual settings on the camera so my aperture and shutter speed stay constant. Lapping each picture by one third over the previous, I can use a photo merge program that will "stitch" the photos together.

Swamps are extremely photogenic. I've never got so many good photos from such a small location. Only about 10 acres of the swamp were accessible. It's located along the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi.

So - if you want to step back and admire the view - try creating a panorama.

Cypress Swamp

Shots from the Cypress Swamp along the Natchez Trace.