by 
Alain Briot

Four River Rocks
 

Color as inspiration

I found these four rocks while looking for photographic possibilities along the shore of the San Juan River in Southern Utah.  I was not looking for rocks in particular, or for details specifically.  In fact, I rarely photograph details, preferring to focus on the grand landscape rather than on close ups.

What attracted me were the colors of the rocks as well as their grouping.  Certainly, I isolated this grouping among countless other rocks along the shore. However, I did not re-arrange them.  I rarely if ever re-arrange anything in my images.  It just takes too long and I never manage to make it look right.  Nature makes it look right.  I make it look contrived.  If I re-arrange, what I photograph is my arrangement.  While if Nature arranges it, I photograph Nature’s arrangement.

At any rate I let my creativity take over and guide me towards this image.  As it is it stands as one of the few details I have created and shown.  Many of these never get shown, or receive a less than maximum exposure.  In this instance what I liked the most was the color of the rocks and the arrangement of the stones. They look as if they formed a small community along the shore, each bringing its uniqueness to the group, until a wave comes along and pushes them away, down the river and into the current.

About Alain Briot

 Alain Briot creates fine art photographs, teaches workshops and offers DVD tutorials on composition, image conversion, optimization, printing and marketing. Alain is the author of Mastering Landscape Photography. Mastering Photographic Composition, Creativity and Personal Style and Marketing Fine Art Photography.  All 3 books are available in eBook format on Alain’s website at this link: http://beautiful-landscape.com/Ebooks-Books-1-2-3.html

You can find more information about Alain’s work, writings and tutorials as well as subscribe to Alain’s Free Monthly Newsletter on his website at http://www.beautiful-landscape.com To subscribe simply go to http://www.beautiful-landscape.com and click on the Subscribe link at the top of the page.  You will receive information on downloading the table of contents, plus over 40 free essays by Alain, immediately after subscribing.

Alain welcomes your comments on this essay as well as on his other essays available. You can reach Alain directly byemailing him at alain@beautiful-landscape.com.

Alain Briot,
Vistancia, Arizona
March 2012