Capture

Capturing just the right shot to use as a photo reference for artwork is tonnes of fun. A friend and I often go places and take many photographs while we're enjoying the scenery. We also usually find it necessary to investigate the local culinary offerings for much needed sustenance along the way. On my friend's most recent visit we took over 700 photos in two weeks. Digital cameras have set us free to explore without worrying about the expense of having to print negatives in order to see how our experimentation worked.

One very nice place to visit that inspired me to do a number of paintings is the small, very old town of Yvoire along the Lac Leman in France. There is a walled entrance into the town.
A couple of views taken from the lakefront show some of the town profile and also the large castle that sits right at the tip of land that juts out into the lake.






Choosing the angle just right to catch the light and deciding which elements to include in the view are extremely important to the artistic appeal of a scene. I often find that once the images are displayed on a computer screen and are cropped in different ways, the alternate cuts can give completely different visual impacts. Taking photographs with these facets in mind and then experimenting with the images on the computer gives invaluable experience; this knowledge then further contributes to knowing what to look for when taking a photograph.

Sometimes things can get a bit twisted up and the photography doesn't go so well for a bit!

When everything gets back to normal more candidates for artwork are found. This is one of my watercolor paintings that was inspired by a photo-taking session in Yvoire.