Looking for the bones

[wulf]

Skeletons are all around us. You've got one and without it, you would be a formless sack of tissues, unable to sit at a computer or operate a camera. Unless you have got wireless, you are probably sitting in one - buildings from tents to skyscapers are constructed around a load bearing skeleton, which is how they can be pierced with windows and doors and still stand up.

If you read a book or take a class on drawing, you might end up studying anatomy and drawing skeletons like my bony friend on the right. Even if your ambition is to draw people with flesh on them it helps create realistic results if you understand how the bones fit together (as well as how the layers of muscle and other tissue build up on top).

So, what has this got to do with being a better photographer? Your camera is a tool for capturing light in order to convey form. To stretch your ability to create excellent photographs, it is important to develop a solid understanding of both. When you look at someone - yourself in the mirror might be best if you are going to be staring - can you see how, for example, your skull and jaw bone contribute to the distinctive shape of your face?

And then, of course, skeletons bring together pattern and purpose which are delightful subjects in their own right. If you have a handy skeleton in your closet, then get to work on photographing that. However, you can find skeletons in plenty of other contexts too. Perhaps you have a building being constructed or torn down nearby? The skeleton is normally the first thing up and the last thing down. Plenty of buildings leave parts of their structure exposed during their lifetime as well, whether support struts in a modern glass atrium or the ribbed vaulting of a medieval cathedral:



There are plenty of other options too. If buildings aren't your thing, how about plants (especially in winter, once the foliage has died back)? What about household objects, like an anglepoise lamp or the exoskeleton that protects fingers from fan-blades while letting the air flow through?

Take your camera and unearth some of the skeletons that surround us in our daily lives!

Wulf

[RustySterling]

Wulf: That's a good reminder to look at more than just what is on the surface. Thanks.

[raindrop]

Like this! Thanks Wulf.