The Brighter Picture

This is a picture of a butterfly I found flying around in my backyard. After patiently waiting for it to sit on a flower, I was finally able to take some photos of it. Pink & Orange  by Bhargavi Gulia Composition: When looking at this photo, the first thing the viewer notices is the blurred background and the popping subject. This affect can be created by altering the aperture of the camera. Another reason the viewer goes straight to the butterfly is due to contrast. However, this isn't always in your control, especially if you are doing nature photography. Finally, this photo looks more natural because the butterfly is to the left of the frame instead of the center.

This photo was taken while on a road trip. It was more of an accidental shot as it was taken while I was in a moving vehicle, but I think it still turned out pretty cool. Above Us  by Bhargavi Gulia Composition: Like I mentioned above, this photo was taken in a moving car. Because of this, I wasn't able to really concentrate on using composition techniques. However, the photo turned out perfect in terms of the Rule of Thirds: the mountains are all spread out instead of being in the center. The clouds also outline the mountains, which makes the photo more fun to see.

This photo was taken while on a trip to the beach (before the pandemic). I find this photo somewhat funny because it looks like the waves are imitating the mountains in the background. Waves  by Bhargavi Gulia Composition: Sometimes, having a slanted horizon makes the photo look better. In this photograph, the camera is just slightly tilted. This tilt makes the waves look just a little bigger, which makes them more dramatic. Now in this photo, there is no line that directs the eye to a specific part. Each subject that can create this line points to a different direction. This maintains the photo's naturalness.

I've always found clouds fascinating. The formations they can take are very cool. I like to sometimes just sit down and stare up at the sky and imagine characters for stories made entirely from clouds! The clouds in this specific photograph look like bubbles to me. Bubbly  by Bhargavi Gulia Composition: This photograph features clouds that look like bubbles. The first thing a viewer sees is the area with the golden clouds. Because this is where the eye first goes, it is important that this isn't in the center of the photograph. For an appealing photo, the subjects should follow the Rule of Thirds. The next thing a viewer sees is the color contrast between the clouds. However, there is one drawback to this photograph. The bottom includes the roof of a house and some treetops. Although these authenticate the naturalness of this photo, it seems like they are obstacles because they are too hidden to be subjects. 

Last weekend, my family went on a little road trip to northern California. On our way back, we took highway 198 to  Coalinga. It was a beautiful sight to see the green mountains through the curvy roads. Beyond the Valley  by Bhargavi Gulia Composition: The first aspect that makes this photo more appealing is that the mountains touch both sides of the frame. The next factor is the level of the camera in comparison to the scene/subject. The camera is at eye-level of a person. This makes the photo more relatable to the viewer. Another key factor is the horizon line. The base of mountains are usually flat, regardless of the structure of the mountain. To imitate this, the horizon line has to be straight across. If it was diagonal, the photo would not be appealing, nor authentic. The final factor that makes nature and scenic photography appealing is depth. Though the subjects of this photo are more blended, depth is still visible due to the cows.

I am very fond of feeding birds. I always have filled birds-feeders in my backyard, which invites a lot of different types of birds. This one was a new one that was overlooking my backyard. I had my camera at the right time, capturing this beautiful brown-and-white bird on the branch of a tree. Perched Bird  by Bhargavi Gulia Composition: These types of photos are more instantaneous, so many of the composition rules are broken, or not followed fully. For example, the Rule of Thirds was followed for the bird, but not necessarily the branch. Another feature to note is that everything is pointing to the bottom left.