Lines, thirds, and a Sitka spruce.

The Oregon Coast is a wonderland of forests, ocean, beaches, and trails. Whether by foot, bike, or car, any excursion along the splendiferous region will satisfy even the greatest wanderlust. Last summer I had the privlidge of traveling there and spent some time at Pacific City. We toured the Three Capes Scenic Loop and enjoyed hiking along the Cape Lookout State Park trail. It was early when we started and the fog was relatively thick, even though we were still a significant distance from the shoreline.

The trail passed through a coniferous forest populated with Sitka Spruce; magnificant trees which have as much character as they do height. The photographed many scenes, but the one above is one of my favourites. It has a number of things going for it, the nature of the tree being of prime importance. The fog reduces background clutter and helps the main subject stand out. The etherial lighting also plays an important part reducing shadows and making the vegetation appear lush and healthy. Then there are the compositional aspects of the shot.

When photographing landscapes, people, and even wildlife to some extent, I always pay attention to lines. I use lines for framing, for drawing the eye, and place them in thirds positions to enhance the composition. The main tree trunk (upper right) and path (lower left) run along a vertical third line. The base of the tree and the upper section that branches out meet at third verticies. The path draws your eye into the picture and the tree encourages your eye to wander alongs its length. The surrounding fog and vegetation add to the alure.

I would suggest to developing photographers to consider that I covered a lot of miles during this trip and took many hundreds of shots. I got some nice pictures but there are many more that I do not consider worthy of sharing with others. If you want to improve your photography you have to pay attention to the things that makes a photo work, but you also need to go places and shoot lots. Over time you will discover that your photographs will improve and your success rate will increase. I usually know a good opportunity when I see one and so do not take as many poor photos as I use to. It is a matter of time, experience, and opportunity.

Thanks for reading.     Ericspix     Eric Svendsen

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