Feb 15, 2011

Be a Drama Queen!




We all have drama in our lives that we'd rather live without.  Drama comes in all shapes, sizes, and ages!  It may be a two-year-olds' tantrum at the mall, a junk-loving neighbor, an a.s.a.p. project that arrives on your desk Friday afternoon, or _____ you fill in the blanks.  Yep, we definitely don't need drama like this.  But..... drama can be a good thing.  The visual drama that comes from strong value contrasts is exciting and eye-catching.  Envision photos or artwork that combine brilliant light areas, beautiful mid-tones, and rich darks.  You can't help but be captivated by these images.

Nature often presents these broad value schemes at selected times of the day.  Plus, stormy weather is a super time to stalk drama.  Picture this, an ominous blue-gray sky with streaks of sunlight illuminating mountain tops, or the valley below.  Silhouettes have lots of WOW power, too.  Look for objects set against a light source, either natural or artificial.  You'll find that cast shadows make for dramatic pictures.  Besides the interesting patterns of light and dark shapes, you also have the subjective drama of the seen (shadow) and unseen (object casting the shadow).

Finally, night scenes include the most obvious examples of strong, broad ranging contrasts.  In starry, moonlight landscapes or city street night scenes, we see the full spectrum of values, from white, or near-white, to black.  These views have the effect of being enchanting or sometimes, ominous.

So, bring on the drama and you will be rewarded with powerful pictures!
Wishing you a day filled with visual drama,
Anna

P. S. I just started a blog, Alchemy of Art.  Please take a moment to stop by.  I'd love to have you join the fun!


13 comments:

Jamie said...

I spent years with the mantra - calm cool and collected. It's only in recent years that I've realized that mantra has held me back. I love this post it is another reminder that a life filled with drama can be beautiful

Maureen said...

Beautiful photo,and great tips for changing up my usual photography subjects.

Tanya said...

LOVE this photo. Great article too!

kelly@thebluemuse said...

yes, drama can be a good thing, what a fabulous photo! now you have made me want to seek out some drama of my own...the good kind...

~Kristina said...

I love how you've present drama from such an effective perspective. I revel in the delight drama can add.

aprilmariecole.blogspot.com said...

Visual drama, clever! I like it.

Chantal said...

I added this blog to my daily list, it looks great...

Lori said...

My favorite weather is a really dramatic storm! Off to visit Alchemy of Art :)

ELK said...

this really resonated with me .. i like that dramatic photos can be simple as well..this is a wonderful read Anna!!

Teresa said...

What a great focus...external drama, instead of internal drama! Thanks, Anna :)

Unknown said...

I completely agree.

Kim Klassen said...

breath taking photo Anna...and so perfectly stated too...... 'sigh'

so happy to have you here.

Prairie Girl Studio said...

love this anna!
your image is powerful
in a most pleasing dramatic way ... : )
ever since reading your post, i have
been seeing more and more
beautiful drama
about me ...
thank you so much!
xoxo
prairiegirl