PhotoBlog

This site also documents my return to photography, one image a day, one story at a time.

Adding depth to an image
Photography, Quick-tips John Rowell Photography, Quick-tips John Rowell

Adding depth to an image

Photographs are 2-dimensional, but how sometimes you look at them, and they almost appear to be 3D. This is because in the 2D space of the image, the depth of the scene is also portrayed. Now generally, this is associated with expensive lenses, but you can give your images more depth by using some of the following tricks!

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Travel - Istanbul, Turkey
Photography, Travel John Rowell Photography, Travel John Rowell

Travel - Istanbul, Turkey

Back in 2011, I spent a very brief 40 hours in Istanbul...  with such little time, it was a rather manic trip, but in such a fantastic and vibrant city, it was difficult not to produce some memorable images. This was towards the beginning of my photographic journey, but i always like to go back and re-asses my images. Where I started, what would I have done different now, and what can i learn from them. So, i hope you enjoy this look back into my earlier works. :)

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Travel - Hampi, India
Travel, Photography John Rowell Travel, Photography John Rowell

Travel - Hampi, India

Hampi is (at the time of writing) the Lonely Planet's #1 sight to see in India, and after a long time, we finally made it for a trip. It is the site of an ancient city and was one of the richest cities in the world during it's heyday (1500AD), boosting an estimated population of 500,000, making it the second largest city in the world for the time. It was, however, concurred by the Deccan Muslim confederacy in 1565 and razed to the ground, leaving only ruins strewn amongst the builders! It is a fantastic place, and loved the landscape. We also visited the nearby Daroji Bear Sanctuary during this trip.

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Storytelling by Prasenjeet Yadav
Industry, Photography, Discussion, Story, Wildlife, Interview John Rowell Industry, Photography, Discussion, Story, Wildlife, Interview John Rowell

Storytelling by Prasenjeet Yadav

I think this title deserves Pro-tips rather than quick tips, but anyway. National Geographic Explorer Prasenjeet Yadav shares his experiences and thoughts about being a storyteller. He once told me, “an image has a shelf-life, a story will last forever”. I cannot agree more! :) So please, take the time to read his views, take notes, get out and start your own stories! You can check out a sample of his work at the bottom of the piece.

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Travel - Daroji Bear Sanctuary
Photography, Travel, Wildlife John Rowell Photography, Travel, Wildlife John Rowell

Travel - Daroji Bear Sanctuary

I was a recent trip to Hampi with my wife and son and, well, could not pass up the opportunity to visit the Daroji Bear Sanctuary. It does not have safari's, but you stand atop of a rocky outcrop looking over the boulder strewn forest that is the sanctuary, hoping to glimpse a sloth bear! We got lucky and saw three! 

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Discussion - The power of the photographer
Discussion, Photography John Rowell Discussion, Photography John Rowell

Discussion - The power of the photographer

The role of a photographer is to portray a story using photographs. The power we wield is huge, we can change the story and make the image reflect our own impressions. Canon Australia made this video showing what happened if you send the same guy to 6 photographers for a portrait, and each photographer thinks the guy is something different. A criminal, a millionaire, an alcoholic, a fisherman, a lifesaver or a physic...  Each portrait is different, each shows a different man.  check it out!

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