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My storm chasing photography adventure brought me to Portland Head Light, America's lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The waves crashing into and breaking over this iconic Pine State beacon were an impressive and beautiful sight to see, but the storm also caused a lot of damage and destruction along coastal New England. Good light and happy photo making! Juergen Roth Galleries.

My latest storm chaser photography adventure brought me to Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, aka Fort Point Light, which is a 48-ft. cast-iron beacon. The guiding light was standing tall and strong, bracing an angry sea, never seen waves as heigh like this, here at the entrance to the Piscataqua River and Portsmouth Harbor. The waves smashing into this Granite State lighthouse were an impressive and beautiful sight to see, but the storm also caused a lot of damage and destruction along coastal New England. Good light and happy photo making! Juergen Roth Galleries.

My most valuable photography tips on how to create beautiful landscape photos ... one more, not used in this idyllic Cape Cod photograph, ... Read it all .

There are many elements of design, which include shape, line, pattern and texture. When combined, we experience form within a two-dimensional media. Each of these can make or break a photograph. I consider them equally important, but I look at the element of form as the most important element of art.

Forms are defined by their lines, shapes, and volume. Lines define the subject and determine its shape. Volume, from front to back, top to bottom and side to side, along with complimenting light is what makes a photo three-dimensional.

Photographing form can be capturing an overall contour of a three-dimensional object - say, a flower or composing an image from an unusual perspective and capturing its shape in an abstract way.

"Writers of light do it as well; they transform shape, line, color, pattern - passionless components - into photographs that grasp, delight, repulse, or inspire. Their work bestows life" - Anonymous

Lines

First and foremost, lines border our photographic object and, therefore, define its shape. Secondly, they effectively lead a viewer into and through a photograph. Naturally, when a viewer explores a photograph, his eyes move along the lines within or along the edges of an object. Compositional lines successfully used in photography pull the viewer into the photograph, either towards the main subject or through the scenery. Lines can be straight, vertical, horizontal, diagonal, curved or converging. Used effectively, each can have a positive impact, enhancing a photograph and creating a mood. A horizontal line appears static and is passive. It can convey quietness, but also can be boring. Diagonals are dynamic and convey movement, steering ahead and moving forward. Often a line from the bottom left to the upper right corner is considered positive, from bottom right to the upper left corner negative. Vertical lines appear strong, solid, and vital. A curved line has a >>> Learn More

Use the following simple 6 basic photo tips to catapult your photography to the next level and build your confidence. These 6 easy to apply points will provide you the biggest bang for the buck, love to hear your feedback!

Photo Tip #1: Utilize the Rule of Thirds as a Starting Point for Your Composition

Don't use the Rule of Thirds as a set rule; more as a guideline or starting point for a more interesting and pleasing photographic composition. In Landscape Photography it is best to place the horizon in accordance to the importance of the sky; with dramatic sky formations placing the horizon in the lower third will give the sky more preference, for images with stronger foregrounds and weaker cloud or sky formations a horizon in the upper third of the image is more preferred. Usually locating the horizon in the middle makes a photo ordinary and static. An exception to the just said would be a grand landscape lake reflection. It is easy to apply the same approach to Flower Photography where laying the focus or point of interest within the flower at one of the four intersections has great impact by leaving room for the viewer to explore the image but also to be drawn back to the focus point.

Photo Tip #2: Apply the appropriate Depth of Field to your Photograph

Depth of Field or DoF relates to the parts of a photograph that are in full focus and show acceptable details. We, as photographers, have control over the amount of depth of field in a photograph and depending on our photographic or artistic goals we may vary 1 or all of the 4 factors that determine a shallow or extensive depth of field: Focal Length, Subject Distance or Magnification, Choice of Focus Point, Aperture or f-stop camera setting ... Learn More.

East Boston provides one of the best photo locations for Boston Skyline Photography at sunset. The sun usually sinks behind the cityscape and turns the sky into a mixture of blue and orange. The calm Boston Harbor waters this night made for a beautiful reflection which I incorporated as a foreground feature to add more visual interest for the viewer to explore.

Aperture in this image was f/14 with an exposure time of 30 seconds at .... >>> LEARN MORE & GET THE OTHER 5 TIPS

Good light and happy photo making!

Juergen
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My last visit to Acadia National Park in Maine coincided with full moon. The day before I decided to take advantage and scouted for suitable locations along the granite coast shoreline next the park loop road. The next evening I made >>> Learn More.

Practical flower photography tips at your hand from my Nature Photography Blog.

In recent weeks I have been exploring and chasing the light on Cape Ann, located just a short drive north of Boston. Singing Beach is one of my favorite beaches in New England as it hidden by a scenic cliff.

Early morning is a great time to be at this location and make the best of a sunrise adventure. Beach crowds haven't arrived yet and the lighting is beautiful during dawn. This seascape photography image was taken only minutes before the sun peaked above the horizon. The sky was beautifully painted in orange and blue hues while the Atlantic Ocean surf gently greeted the sand.

I set up tripod and gear near the incoming ocean waters while studying any obviously patterns and getting wet feet. Once I composed a pleasing composition of the sea view I waited for the right wave to hit the beach.

Aperture was set to f/11 allowing an exposure time of 1/20 of a second at ISO100. A split ND filter balanced the light in the darker foreground against the brighter and colorful sky. During post processing I removed dust spots and other imperfections, adjusted lighting, contrast and color saturation before sharpening the final image of Cape Ann Harmony.

Good light and happy photo making!

My best,

Juergen
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Photography Guide to Boston

Last four photo tips to be released. Blogging Photography 101 tips for enthusiasts and more advanced photographers is quite something. It took more than I thought but hopefully I compiled a series of useful tips that are worth while sharing, inspirational, and keep everybody motivated for their own Photography Art journey. No doubt in my mind that if taken to heart they will improve our abilities to create more meaningful and interesting art and photography pictures. I am always eager to get feedback and comments � open to suggestions as well. Hope you had a great day and everything is well!

Photo Tip #17 of 20: Play with the camera shutter speed. A slow shutter speed combined with a tripod will make for beautiful silky water effects. A fast shutter speed will enable you to hand hold the camera and capture fast moving objects like flying birds or the splash of crushing waves and surfs. Keep in mind that capturing the moment in fast paced action photography takes a little bit of practice, so hang in there. >>> Find More Photo Tips