Photography Section April Meeting

Composition for Nature Photographers: Beyond the Basics with Sarah Marino Light, subject selection, and composition are three of the most important elements of creating impactful photographs of nature, with the photographer having the most control over composition. In this session, Sarah will share her essential lessons about how to create more powerful compositions with an emphasis on photographing nature's small scenes. The session will include a discussion about the creative process as it relates to composition, improving your observational skills to help recognize opportunities in the field, learning to see a landscape through its abstract elements, and key concepts for organizing nature's chaos into cohesive compositions. Sarah will also share her steps for refining a composition in the field and will provide some practical activities to help you immediately apply these ideas in your photography. Bio: Sarah Marino is a nature photographer, photography educator, and writer. In addition to photographing grand landscapes, Sarah is best known for her photographs of a diverse range of smaller subjects including intimate landscapes, abstract renditions of natural subjects, and creative portraits of plants and trees. Sarah is the author or co-author of a diverse range of educational resources for nature photographers on subjects like composition, photographing nature’s small scenes, and black and white photography. Sarah is also a highly regarded photography teacher, focusing on personal expression, seeing opportunities in any landscape, photographing nature’s small scenes, and a slow style of photography focused on exploration and connecting with nature. Sarah splits her time between a home base in rural southwestern Colorado and living a nomadic life in an Airstream trailer. This mix allows for extensive travel, exploration, and extended stays in some of North America’s most inspiring wild and natural places. Sarah also seeks to promote the responsible stewardship of natural and wild places through her photography and teaching.