Adding Environment to Pictures
Often, the main concern for a shot will be the subject. Is the subject in the right pose? Is the subject lit well? These questions can go on and on. With this focus on the subject, the background can often slip into, well, the background. To be sure, the subject is a valid thing to worry about. Capturing an uninteresting subject or a subject in an uninteresting pose can make for a poor photo. However, the environment and background surrounding the subject can elevate a mediocre photo into a good one, and a good one into a great one.
I wrote about adding a sense of place to pictures in one of my earlier blog posts, and this is ia great example of why adding environment to pictures is often a great idea.
while this picture has a great subject, the background showing that the celebrations are going on in front of the opposing team's student section elevates the story of the shot (taken with a nikon z6 & nikon 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 155 mm, 1/2500 sec, f/2.8)
However, adding environment to photos can do a lot of other things. One of my favorite things to do when I'm considering how to factor the environment into one of my shots is to use it as a natural frame for the subject. This can, of course, help to add a sense of place, while also drawing the viewer's eye to the subject.
The trees and foliage add a nice frame to this buck, as well as showing the ambient surroundings (taken with a nikon z6 & nikon 200-500 mm f/5.6 @ 500 mm, 1/80 sec, f/5.6)
while the framing in this picture is technically artificial, it frames the goalie nicely, as well as subtly helping show the rink's age with its exposed beams (taken with a nikon z6 & nikon 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 135 mm, 1/2500 sec, f/2.8)
Another element from the environment around a subject that can add a lot of intrigue to an image is the reaction of other people. When photographing a situation that has multiple people, this is always a consideration for me? It is pretty easy to do with sports that have fans; as the game is unfolding, the crowd naturally reacts, and you can capture this in the background of shots.
While the lineup for a faceoff in hockey can be interesting, this picture would be nothing special without the energy and action of the student section in the background (Taken with a nikon z6 & nikon 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm, 1/2500 sec, f/2.8)
However, this can be done in any situation where people are reacting to something. Whether it be joy, sadness, despair, or anything else, capturing multiple emotions in one picture can create extremely compelling images. This is easier said than done, especially when the people you are photographing are not very emotive, but it is worth it if you can swing it. Even if it is only a single emotion captured multiple times, multiple people conveying a similar emotion can serve to emphasize that emotion.
This is a nice picture of nolan siegel, but the emotive laugh of Pato O'ward in the corner, as well as the natural framing, improves this picture in my opinion (Taken with a nikon z6 & nikon 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm, 1/1600 sec, f/2.8)
There are other ways that the environment can be included in your images, but instead of me droning on, I encourage you to get out and find some on your own! I would love to see any work inspired by this blog post. As always, let me know if you have any thoughts, comments, or questions. Until next week!
