EXERCISELeavesYour next assignment is to shootleaves. Not just any leaves, but leaveswith texture. As noted previously, itis important to keep the theme of theassignment in mind, as well as thesubject.

Look for as many kinds of leavesas you can f ind. Leaves on trees, oron the ground. Even pine needles areofficially acceptable, though they arenot strictly leaves.

In order to f u l f i l l the texturerequirement, you'll want a goodamount of contrast. This means thatthe leaves should be in open sunlight.Try to do your shooting in the morn-ing or afternoon, not in the middleof the day. That will ensure that thelight is striking your leaves at anangle, enhancing their texture. Onceagain, use the point of departure set-t ing f/16 at 125.

Keep an eye out for interesting ef-fects of light and shadow: one leafcasting a shadow on another, or onthe ground or branch beneath it.Finally, unless you're lucky enoughto find a single leaf of extraordinaryinterest, you'll probably do bettershooting several together. Notice howthey interact with each other and withthe frame of the picture. Crop inclose enough so there's no wastedspace, but don't forget that space canbe a useful compositional tool.

Student photograph by David Kleinfelt.

100 The Photographic Eye

Student photograph by AlexandraBerg.

Student photograph by William Roche.

Texture 101

A series of similar curves, an interesting juxtaposition of two objects (the sunglasses and the BMW hoodornament) and effective use of negative space all lend impact to this simple still life. (Student photograph byTrevor Bredenkamp.)

102 The Photographic Eye