Photo of the Day

Photo of the Day

About 15 years ago we were living near San Francisco, and I was doing a lot of photography with a Pentax 6 x 7 camera. One day my wife and I went to the coast on the west side of San Francisco to photograph hang gliders.

A 6 x 7 camera uses roll film consisting of 10 shots, and the negatives are 56mm x 67mm in size. This is a "medium format" camera. With 6x7 camera film the photos can be blown up to a large size without losing quality.

For comparison, the 35 mm camera everyone is familiar with is a "small format" camera with a negative size 24mm x 36mm, and has 24 or 36 shots to a roll.

We took many shots that day and they are packed away, but I did have this one in a display album, so I thought I would share it.

What I tried to capture in this photo was the height of the hang glider above the ocean. That was possible using the camera in the portrait position, and by snapping the photo as the glider got above the hill that slants up from the beach below.

The white water helps to show the height. Without the white water there wouldn't be much below to visually determine the height.

There are two other items of interest in the photo and that is the man and dog sitting on the ledge, and the pier in the distance below the horizon.

A good photograph or painting should keep the eye moving within the picture, and not have anything to guide the eye outside.

When you first look at the photo you may see the hang glider. But notice that the pilot is pointing to the left and your eye will probably be pulled left and be attracted down by the white water.

The white water will lead the eye onto shore and then up the hill where it will focus on the man and dog.

Then the pier in the distance will pull the eye back towards the center where the eye will go up to the glider, and begin another inner circle.

This is not something one sees consciously. It happens automatically but most people don't know it's happening. Unless they have studied art or photography they're just aware that a photo has a pleasing effect.

This photograph is copyrighted by Bill Travis and may not be used or copied without the express

written permission of the photographer.

For information about homes for sale in Val Vista Lakes contact Captain Bill Travis.

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