Perspective

Sushi, originally uploaded by Edward Faulkner

I love photos with long perspective. A wide-angle lens can make this kind of scene more extreme, but the effect works just fine without one. This shot was taken on a Casio point and shoot. All you need to do is find a long subject and get up nice and close to one end of it.

The tricky part is managing focus and depth of field to keep both the near and far parts of the subject sharp. In this case the nearest plates are too soft. This photo (and the previous post) would probably have both benefited from focusing at hyperfocal distance. More on that later.

And yes, sushi in Japan is definitely better than sushi in the US.

Dealing with Flat Light

Wood Between Worlds, originally uploaded by Edward Faulkner

The overcast sky and snowy ground on this particular morning resulted in very flat, diffuse light. It can be difficult to take dramatic photos when there are no hard shadows or highlights. In this shot the falling snow gives a slightly dreamy quality. I boosted the contrast after converting to black and white. There wasn't much color to begin with, so this shot is all about contrast and symmetry.

If I had a "do over" on this one, I would adjust the focus to try to keep the lower left sharp. Ideally I'd also prefer the composition better if I were standing further to the right, but that would require a boat. :-)

Another way to deal with flat light it to take portraits instead, because the lack of harsh shadows is flattering.