I had to laugh after writing about yesterday’s paddling trip on Saluda Lake. My lead photo was a shot of Alan Russell, out in front and slightly off to the right…
It occurred to me that I LOTS of shots of Alan like this. Here’s one from a trip up to Lake Jocassee…
…and one from a trip to Lake Marion…
For paddling shots I like to establish context, and that means including shots of my fellow paddlers, and not just the scenery. Using the Rule of Thirds, the paddler is offset to one side. I paddle more with Alan than anyone else, so he is more likely to be in the shot. I guess since I’m right-handed, I tend to place him on that side. Here are a few more examples…
Alan’s not the only one, though. Here’s John Ring…
…Steve Boyette…
…Matt Richardson…
…my nephew, Chip…
…and my brother, Houston (appropriately enough on the OTHER side.)
Usually I take these shots for wider landscapes. The paddler in the foreground gives a sense of scale, especially on a wide-open lake. It can also establish a point of interest for an otherwise uniform photo.
Seeing all these shots together makes me think I use this composition too much. However, this is just a small sampling of my shots. I think I mix it up fairly well. But I am going to try to be more conscious of how I set up these shots, and try to do this more deliberately, and when it is appropriate, rather than going to this setup as my default.