Namibia Trip Reports

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Skeleton Coast from Above, Namibia
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Andy Biggs shares many of the details from our Namibia workshop last year on his blog. They’re the smaller moments that give each trip a life and character of its own. Sliding down dunes at dawn, the roller coaster rides of driving across dune fields, short siestas in the shade, picnics on the beach, wading in the ocean, gin and tonics in the field at sunset. A few hilarious moments were sensored.
Find Andy’s Blog here.
This link collects all six of Andy’s trip reports.
Skim the images and text and see all the fun we had.
Then see and learn more with my 5 tips here –
Let Color Carry the Day
The Function of Form
Establishing Shots
Guiding Metaphors
Take the Postcard Then Try a Different Approach
Find out more about my 2010 Namibia Workshop here.

Namibia – Justin Hartford – A Quiet Mind

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A Quiet Mind
by Justin A. Hartford
In May of this year I traveled with JP to Namibia to photograph the
vast deserts and endlessly untouched areas of such a remote location.
I grew. I grew as a photographer and a person during that time. To go
on a photographic journey with JP is to have a very unique experience.
We had group exercises. We had individual attention. For me, the most
important was the time I was allowed to wander on my own away from the
group. I was always supported, as was everyone, for trying new things
and doing something different. In the mornings we would all load up in
the Land Rovers and head out with coffee in hand. I had music in ear.
The music I was listening to is the basis for my body of work that
came out of that Namibian journey. Blue Octobers song A Quiet Mind.
My series, A Quiet Mind, is a selection of eighteen images. It is a
series about searching for something even though I don’t know what I’m
searching for. It is about being lost and alone. It is about having so
much going on inside my head sometimes that all I want is A Quiet
Mind. I hope you enjoy viewing these images.
Find out more about Justin Harford here.
Find out about my 2010 Namibia workshop here.
See more images … Read More

Namibia – The Function of Form

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Form can serve a lot of functions. One can be to take the eye on an exciting journey. Rectilinear? Curvilinear? Fast? Slow? Simple? Complex? They all have a unique character. Contrasting different types of form can intensify one another. You can do this in a single image or in multiple images. Then you can identify other ideas that aren’t represented – and go get more images.
Visit here tomorrow for more of my images from Namibia.
Find out about my 2010 Namibia workshop here.

Namibia – Establishing Shots

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namibiaestablishingshots
Every photo essay needs establishing shots. You might need just be one for the whole series. Or you might need one for each subset within the series. Establishing shots set the stage the drama is about to take place on. They’re about context / place. They’re generally wide angle and show as many aspects of a place as possible. They are the big picture. They place actions and details.
Here two establishing shots work together. One’s above the clouds looking out to the fog covered sea. The other’s under the clouds looking inland towards the shoreline and receding dune. It’s a 180 degree shift in perspective that tells a larger story than either one can alone.
Visit here tomorrow for more of my images from Namibia.
Find out about my 2010 Namibia workshop here.

Namibia – Guiding Metaphors

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Guiding metaphors can transforms a commonplace perspective into an exceptional one. This enlivens the images you make. I relate to dunes as human bodies. This is sensed by the viewer, always on an subconscious level, sometimes on a conscious level. It helps me to know what my guiding metaphor is so I can intensify this interpretation while I’m on the spot. It makes the work stronger. So when choosing between these horizontal and vertical compositions, I’ll choose the composition that emphasizes that metaphor.
(By the way, it’s always a good idea to shoot both horizontal and vertical. Watch how it changes things. Long after, you may find you relate to the images differently than you do on the spot. But there’s often no going back, so get it while you can. Or should I say, get both while you can.)
Visit here tomorrow for more of my images from Namibia.
Find out about my 2010 Namibia workshop here.