Do Not Sweat The Small Stuff

This week's blog theme is "Details."

There are two ways to approach it. I could either show you how important details are to a photograph, or I can show you when too many details break the line of focus away from the subject.  I have chosen to do the latter.  Although I want to mention a few things.

Attention to detail is the hallmark of a good photographer.  From keeping the necklace straight in a senior portrait to fixing ears on dogs, working toward the final, planned picture in both mine and my client's head, is my goal always.  This is a learned process.  You make mistakes, look at the photo, see what you don't want to see, spend a great deal of time in editing trying to fix it, and then at the very next photo session, you......REMEMBER WHAT NOT TO DO AND WHAT DETAILS TO LOOK FOR.

Now let's head in the other direction.  I am going to use a horse event as my example because horse events are a haphazard mish-mosh of too many details.  Not necessarily stellar backgrounds, too many people, wrong angles, dust/mud/rain, you name it, you can find it at a horse event.

You will see two photos below, the original processed in Nikon Camera Raw (larger extended photo), and the final version, edited for canvas.  Of course, there was just too much to look at in the original photo.  I always try to find a background at this type of event that will lend itself to a "subject only" image.  In the case of trees and flowers and fencing and sky, there are many things that could draw the eye away.  In this type of shot, I am seeking to pare down the details to keep the eye on the subject.

I can give you a simple trick for working with a too detailed photo.  Invest in some type of painterly program that allows you to add a painting filter to an image, then brush off the filter to only expose the detail you want to expose.  I have found this to make for GREAT canvas images!  I use Topaz products, but there are many out there to choose from.

Here is another example of taking a too detailed image and redesigning it. The top image is the original.  The second image is the edited down version.

You can see how the painterly filter softens the background without having to use a "blur brush," and also adds a bit of vibrancy to the color.  The crop also helps to focus more on the subject, and I would never survive without "dodge" and "burn" to add depth and light where needed.

I can't tell you how nice these images come out on canvas, and also on 11x14 Art Blocks, two of the products I offer from my studio.

Finally, there is this image's before and after below.  The before has many nice, crisp details, but once again, too much to look at.

Now the focus is totally on the subject, which jumps out at you immediately.  And again, another lovely canvas.

So tell me what you think?  Do you like more details, or less, in your photos?  If you are looking for a more minimalist view on the world, be sure to try to achieve it in how you set up your shot.  Often, I take MORE than I need because I know I will edit it down, and I want it to also look great in a picture frame should a client choose to go that route.

Now to get more details on "details," visit the blog circle starting with Pawparazzi Pet and Animal Photography presented by Shae Pepper Photography.  Enjoy your weekend.  Keep the details to a minimum, except for the ones that make you happy!