In Focus: Small Scenes
When I first became interested in photography during the spring of 2020, my focus on what to photograph primarily leaned towards grander scenes. Scrolling through social media transfixed me into believing that only images with vivid sunsets and sunrises made quality images. I searched out these types of images in hopes of garnering social media follows and likes, only to come up empty-handed. Now, the idea of constantly searching out grand scenes seems trivial. A majority of the grand scenes in Michigan (and across the United States) have been photographed countless times, with the majority of these images looking almost identical. Today, my photographic focus has shifted to seeking out smaller scenes that tell intimate, unique stories of the locations I frequently visit.
What interests me about smaller scenes is that the images I create are going to be unique. While grand images of a location can begin to become stale due to a similar look and feel, the opportunity for what to shoot when the scene is minimized becomes endless. Oftentimes, these scenes are shot with my 55-200mm lens, but recently I have been utilizing my 16-55mm lens by getting closer to the scene I am shooting. When composing smaller scenes, I look for repeating natural patterns/designs. This is evident in the image “Union River Medley”. In this image, the rocks and fall foliage create a circular pattern throughout the scene which brings cohesion and form to the image.
Another characteristic I look for when composing small scenes is motion/flow. This characteristic is often exemplified in images with moving water. Both “Sculpted” (left) and “Z” (right) showcase the movement and directionality of water that I seek out when creating small scene images. What I enjoy about both of these images is how the flow of the water carries the viewer through the image. I particularly enjoy how in “Sculpted” the flow of the water twists and turns around exposed bedrock helping to create a feeling of tension between the two elements.
As I move forward creating small scene images, I’ll continue to look for natural patterns, designs, and scenes with motion/flow. The great thing about small scenes is that they are ever present. Smaller scenes can be found in the wildest of places, your local park, and even in your front yard. I’ve been fortunate enough to come across some fantastic small scenes during my photography adventures. Please visit my Galleries to see some Small Scene images I’ve created during these trips. I look forward to exploring more small scenes in the coming months.
Thanks for reading and supporting my work,
Josh