OK, so when rocks are just part of the photograph and not the main element, what changes? With the rocks now being smaller elements in the frame, the light has to play across the whole scene and not just the rocks. While this doesn’t sound like something different, it is and treating otherwise might mean your landscape images just aren’t as successful. The success come from thinking B&W, permitting the highlights in the water turn to a shade of gray matching the rocks. That makes the elements meld together making the photograph work.
Now this rock in the lower left corner is an old friend, what I call ass crack rock. It lives up at Jordan Pond in ME. Being so close with a wide lens, this rock which is little bit larger then a football is literally the cornerstone to the photograph. It is not the subject but it’s the anchor point that permits the eye go into the frame, wonder around, come back and wonder around again. This is a very common way I use rocks in my landscapes.
What’s the one thing different in the rocks in the top two photos from those in the bottom two?
They are all wet! And how did they get wet? Me! I often carry a bucket when I’m heading to a stream to shoot because there is nothing more nasty in a photograph then a draw rock. When you come upon a scene and can frame up your shot thinking all the rocks are wet and then right before your click, splash or pour water on them, you would be surprised how rocks can become your best friend. When do you leave rocks dry, when do you get them wet, use this light or that light? There is no single blog posting that will help with that one. Once you explore them more using these ideas you will find those answers for yourself.