The water boats on the black beach at Deception Island are popular subjects with Antarctic travellers. In 2009, there were just three standing, and these two were in the best condition.
The weather was and wasn’t smiling, depending on how you look at it. What I wouldn’t give to spend a day or two here, in slightly warmer weather, to take advantage of the changeable conditions. Shortly after we landed, the weather closed in and began snowing heavily. In the full size image, it is easy to the falling snow in frame.
Although using a wide-angle lens which has plenty of inherent depth-of-field, I set the aperture wide-open, trying to blur the background slightly so the boats would be more dominant. I also walked around the boats several times, looking for an angle that positioned them in an interesting manner, and I tried different camera heights and lenses, exploring the brief opportunity as much as I could.
Composition – Use Foreground, Middleground and Background
By using the idea of foreground, middleground and background, you can lead your viewer’s eye into the composition of your photograph. In the image above, the large boat has been positioned in the bottom of the frame, the second boat is to one side, and then behind and to the other side is a gap in the cliffs behind. These positions lead the eye into the scene. When you look through the viewfinder, try to analyse your photos in terms of shapes and positions.
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