I found myself processing a few images this afternoon in the mass of loose ends I’m trying to ensure are all tied up before I head off to Svalbard for the next 3 weeks (yes….a terrible chore but someone has to do it!). Nothing particular mind-blowing image-wise, but I found myself sorting out some Guillemot images from a recent trip to The Farnes.
Guillemots were not the main reason I was there – you’ll guess what it was based on the previous post – but when I saw this one enjoying a good preen then it was too much of a temptation not to grab a shot.
There’s some nice behaviour going on and I’ve taken the classic approach to composition giving the bird plenty of space to be looking into as far as it’s general body position and shape is concerned. Sure enough a few moments later the preening stopped and the classic image that makes for a design editors dream popped up too based on the same compositional approach.
Loads of space for copy on the left (imagine a double-page spread), a nice clean background (perfect for copy to sit on) and space across the top for a headline too!
But then it was the image I like best: it conforms to all the above in terms of composition and design usage but because it breaks the rules just that one little bit by having the bird looking out of the image whilst it’s feet and body look in it has a natural tension that works in a different way altogether.
It’s minor observations and this sort of thinking when it comes to composing your images, seeing them before they happen and waiting for the moment, that I really enjoy and look for even when it’s a couple of minutes distraction by a bird that I love but wasn’t there to photograph: hopefully there’ll be some of Brunnich’s Guillemots to process when I’m back from Svalbard too!