Purple Prose:
photography tips

©Stina Lindenblatt

The purpose of the first draft is to get our story down. It doesn’t matter if the imagery is lame or non-existent. It doesn’t matter if the setting is weak or forgotten. And it doesn’t matter if you told the mood and emotion in the scene instead of showing it. All that matters is that you see the scene for what it is—a wealth of possibilities.

It’s not until we step back and evaluate the potential in the scene (or photo) that we can transform our load of cr*** into something magical, something that speaks to us. When I took the above photo, I had an image in mind for the theme and mood of the picture. Unfortunately, I only had my point & shoot camera with me, and it didn’t share my vision. Not even close. But that’s okay. I converted the JPEG file to RAW (it’s the format professional photographers prefer to use) in Photoshop Elements*, and tweaked the settings to give me the image I had in mind. And voila!

©Stina Lindenblatt

Obviously, you can’t try the same trick with your writing. What you can do is identify the theme, mood, emotion of the scene, and brainstorm words that evoke the image you have in mind. Go crazy. Write everything down, then highlight those words that belong to your character’s voice. Now, weave the words into your setting description to create the mood and emotion you’re after. But remember, less is more. A dash adds flavor. Too much and you leave a bitter taste in your reader’s mouth.

What are some tricks you use to make a scene stronger? When you end up with a photo like the first one, do you find ways to make it better, or do you delete it and pretend it never existed?

*Just use ‘Open As’ in Photoshop Elements, and open your JPEG photo as a RAW file. You can then easily adjust for exposure, brightness, clarity, color saturation, etc, to get the image you’re looking for.

©Stina Lindenblatt

Normally, when I do a writing/photography post, I can write about one idea and apply it to both crafts. Not this time.

Writers:

Contrasts are a great way to add dimension to your character and increase conflict, both internally and externally. The interplay between the light (good) side and the shadow will make the character unique from the other characters in your story. Maybe she’s smart and witty, but she fears being betrayed by someone emotionally close to her [insert backstory here]. Can you imagine the conflict (both internally and externally) this can cause if she attract the attention of the hero who is turned on by smart and witty?

Do you develop the light and shadow sides of your characters to make them dimensional and add conflict to your stories?

Photography:

The interplay between a dark background and a single light source on your subject makes for great dimensional photos. However, by the nature of the camera design, the picture might not come out as you had intended. Because the light meter in the camera is designed to assume the average gray scale of the scene is 18 % (don’t worry if you don’t know what that means), a scene composed mostly of dark colors will end up looking much lighter than in reality.

There are several ways to avoid this:

• Use an external light meter.

• You can place the palm of your hand between the scene and the camera lens. This only works if the skin on your palm is not dark. I did this method for the above photo because the battery for my external light meter was dead. *face palm*

• If your camera has a spot meter, determine the exposure based on part of the scene that doesn’t fall in the two extremes.

• Adjust the exposure with a photo editing software.

©Stina Lindenblatt

Dimension. It’s what we seek when creating characters. It can also add interest to your photos.

In the above picture, I turned off the flash and allowed the lighting from the side to form the shadows and add highlights. The photo was taken at the Exploratorium in San Francisco (my nine year old created the design on one of the science exhibits).

When shaping your characters, come up with both positive and negative traits. The protagonist will have more positive than negative traits, and the opposite will be true for the antagonist(s). Some positive traits may become negative in certain circumstance (and vice versa).

Also, give your characters two conflicting desires (wants). By doing this, you will heighten the emotion in your story and add conflict and tension. The “desire” the character decides to pursue at a given time will depend on your character’s motivation and who she is. For example, in The Hunger Games*, Katniss doesn’t want to be picked as a tribune for the games. If she is, the odds of her returning home alive aren’t good. Her other desire is to keep her little sister safe. So when her sister’s name is randomly selected to be a tribune, Katniss’s two desires are put at odds. Her desire to keep her sister safe outweighs her desire not to be a tribune, and she volunteers to take her sister’s place in the games.

Have you used any of these techniques to add dimension to your characters or photos?

*The link will take you to The Hunger Games movie trailer.

Some people love collecting clutter *nudges basement door shut with foot*, but for photographers and writers, this is usually a big no-no.

When taking a photo, check the view finder or LCD screen to make sure everything in the picture is there for a reason. If it distracts from the subject, then remove the unwanted object, or move to a different location or angle so the object is no longer visible. You can also adjust the depth of field (aperture) so everything behind the subject is blurry.

During WriteOnCon in August, an editor* shared two questions to ask yourself to ensure your writing is clutter free. You ask these questions for each sentence, paragraph, scene, and chapter:

1. Why are you telling me this? (relevance)

2. Why are you telling me this now? (placement)

Also, go through your manuscript word by word, and ask yourself if the word is necessary, if it can be cut, or if it should be changed to a stronger word that will establish voice. For example, by changing ‘ran fast’ to ‘sprinted’, you’ve replaced two weaker words with a strong one. By changing the words to dashed or bolted, you’ve tweaked the voice.

How are you when it comes to clutter? Do you have any other suggestions for keeping your photos or writing clutter free?

*sorry, I went back to find the session, but couldn’t find the one I wanted. The one I think it was, isn’t linked to the schedule anymore.

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Since I have tons to do before my upcoming trip (like finish beta reading a project I’m in love with), today is my last post until my return to the blogosphere on November 21st. I miss you all already.

XOX

Last weekend, I learned a valuable lesson: never leave your camera battery recharger at home. No. Matter. What. Sure your camera might claim your battery is full. But it’s lying. Because once you get to the hotel, it’s going to tell you the truth. And you might not want to know what that is.
Yes, despite that, I did manage to take a number of pictures before my battery decided it had had enough. And I should have known better because: battery + cold weather = rapid power loss.

Being prepared also applies to writers. How many times has a brilliant idea hit, and you’ve had to scramble for a pen and scrap piece of paper (or napkin) before the idea goes POUF!, never to be remembered again?
As some of you know, I love running. That’s when I solve a lot of my story problems. Last spring I was struggling with a number of plot issues, so I went for a run. Fortunately I anticipated that I would be flooded with ideas (or maybe that was wishful thinking) and bought a pen with me. I learned two important things that day: 1. It’s not as easy as it looks to write legible sentences on your legs. 2. It takes two days to scrub ink off your skin.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve written your notes on? Are you like a boy scout, always prepared for everything?
(note: all three photo were taken with my Canon Power Shot SX200 IS point & shoot camera)
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Today I’m talking about creating the sizzle in edgy dark YA on Sarah Fine’s blog. If you haven’t already done so, definitely check out her blog. She always has awesome writing advice from a psychologist’s point of view. Her blog is one of my favorites.

It doesn’t matter if you’re an avid photographer or a writer, your camera should be your best friend. Okay, obviously you aren’t going to be having deep, meaningful conversations with it. And if you do, you might want to seek therapy (if your camera replies).

Why do I want you to make it your best friend? Because I want you to bring it wherever you go. If you have a camera in your phone, that works too (for writers). You never know when something you see will spark a story idea or an emotion.

I shot these photos while walking in my neighborhood (with the exception of the last one). They show the setting for some of the scenes in my new YA (horror) project, and one gave me an idea for a scene. In the last picture, which was taken during our vacation, the moment I saw the house I knew it was perfect for the book. My husband thought I was a little nuts (what’s new?), and fortunately the owner (who was outside at the time) didn’t notice what I was up to. I tweaked the picture with Photoshop Elements to create the right mood.

Have you even taken a photo that ended up inspiring a story (either via pictures or words)? Do you hunt for pictures on Google Images? Or do you not bother at all, because you already have an image in your head for the setting?

When describing the setting in your scene, you want to avoid mentioning everything found there. Only describe the floral wallpaper if it’s important to the mood, characterization, emotion, or plot. Everything else can be ignored. By doing this, those details that are “shown” will have greater impact.
If you’re like me, your setting will take shape over several drafts as you pile on the details. Then you trim away those parts that aren’t essential, leaving you with a stronger setting. Sometimes you don’t know what those details will be until several drafts later.
The same trick can be used in photography. Turning the background black & white, while the object you want to emphasis is left in its original color, will add emotion to the photo. As you can see in the second picture, the red flowers would have been lost with the red dress as the background. (Sorry, the original photo used to create the first picture has gone awol, but this is the same dress.)

What are some of your favorite tricks for dealing with settings (writing or photography)?

Before you become overwhelmed with excited thinking I apprenticed with Anne Geddes, I didn’t. But man, what I would give to spend a day in her studio, watching her work. (Hint hint, Anne, if you happen to be reading this.)

Because Anne and her photos are so fabulous, photographers poured out of the camera lenses in droves trying to emulate her. But in truth, they were nothing more than copycats, with no unique style of their own. A few did succeed, but there is truly only one Anne Geddes.

But Anne didn’t take this copycat business lying down. She challenged herself and her photos to be even more fabulous. Again, leaving those copycats behind. Only those who developed their own style were able to carve a niche of their own and gain recognition. They weren’t known as another Anne Geddes wannabe.

©Me as a Anne Geddes Wannabe

The same is true for writers. We all have favorite authors we aspire to be like. But the world already has a Suzanne Collins, J.K. Rowling, Stephen King. We already have sparkling vampires and angel stories galore (okay, I still have a thing for angel stories). What the world is now looking for is YOU.

So quit trying to follow the trends or write like your favorite authors. Instead, become the trend setter and leave writers scrambling to follow YOUR newly created trend. And create your own style that other writers will one day look up to and say they wish they wrote like you. Learn from your favorites (whether it be for writing or photography). Develop a style and keep challenging your writing (photos). But most of all, BE TRUE TO YOURSELF.

(But, hey, if you want to tell me which authors (photographers) you admire, go for it. I’d love to hear who you’d pick.)

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And the winner of I’m Not Her by Janet Gurtler is . . .

Marilu

Congratulations, Marilu. I’ll be emailing you later today for your address.



I love to capture on “film” those rare moments. For example, my hubby’s silly side is something most people don’t see. Yet, it’s the part of him that I fell in love with. So naturally, I couldn’t resist taking this photo of him when he posed on the rock.

In your story, maybe your female protagonist meets a guy and, at first, sees the same witty arrogance that everyone else sees. Emotionally, the guy has walled himself off so others can’t hurt him. But as the story moves forward, he discovers something special in her, as a result of the conflicts they face together. In turn, he opens up, revealing the sweet, loving side that no one else has witnessed. And in doing so, he captures the hearts of the readers.

Of course, this can work both ways, and the secondary character doesn't have to be a potential love interest. You can also do this with the protagonist discovering some not-so-wonderful traits about a secondary character .

Have your protagonists ever unearthed a special (or not-so-special) side of a secondary character that no one else has witnessed (or vice versa)? If so, has the secondary character been someone other than a love interest?

Sometimes, when you take a photo, you need to seize the moment for that once in a lifetime shot. You don’t have time to make sure all those principles I’ve discussed (lighting, rule of thirds, composition, depth of field) line up prefectly. You just have to take the photo and hope for the best.

Other times, it pays to slow down and make sure everything is picture perfect before taking the shot. Rushing will only result in a less than satisfying photo, especially if you only take one picture and move on.

How does this apply to writing? It doesn’t. But if that were Donald Maass on the surfboard, you’d better have your one-line pitch ready (which you took time to create, right?) to seize the moment before the big bad shark bites you in the butt. Of course, if that shark happens to be named Janet, well, let’s hope you have a kick ass query, too. :)

(note: all these photos were taken with my point & shoot camera.)

In both writing and photography, how you use your setting can affect the image you’re trying to portray.

As you can see from these pictures of Alcatraz, I took the photos from different angles and at different times of the day. The different perspectives affect the mood of the scene.

With your novel, if there’s one setting where your story consistently takes place, see if there’s a detail or description you can incorporate that reflects the change in your main character or shows a change in time. For example, if a number of scenes occur in the hallway of the high school your character attends—and you aren’t willing to change the location—maybe show in one scene how the hallway is decorated for Valentine’s Day. Perfect if you have romance (or anti-romance) in your story.

(All these photos were taken with my point & shoot camera.)

©Stina Lindenblatt

When you write a story or take a photo, the theme should be humming at the back of your mind. Sometimes the theme is obvious; sometimes it’s subtle. Sometimes there’s more than one.

But it should always be there.

In writing, the theme guides your story. You might not even realize what your theme is until you’ve finished your first draft. But once you’ve figured out what it is, your theme should always be in the back of your mind, guiding your edits.

In photography, having a theme in mind before you start shooting will help you make the most of the moment. For example, I wanted to show my love for writing. When I saw the roses my husband gave me for Valentine’s Day, I knew instantly how I could use them to reveal my theme.

When you write or take pictures, do you have a theme in mind before you start, or does it come to you once you’ve finished (the first draft)?

As writers, we know our first draft is never perfect. Well, at least my isn’t. It improves when we tear it apart, analyze it, figure out what to do to make it better, stronger. We study books on writing, and try to determine why a favorite novel appeals to us.

The same is true for photography. Many of you have commented that you wished you had my eye. Okay, I do have fantastic eyesight, but that’s beside the point. When I first got into photography, my pictures were crappy. And that’s being nice.

But I studied books on photography, took some classes, analyzed pictures in photography magazines. At one point, there was an awesome magazine that critted photos sent in and explained how to make them better. Unfortunately, the magazine is no longer available. But the point is, like with my writing, my photography skills improved because I wanted them to, and because I pushed myself to do better. Much like you do with your writing, right?

Okay, that was a not-so-subtle hint that you should be doing that with your writing. *winks*

When taking photos, get close to your subject and see it in a whole different way. Plus, you can get some pretty cool abstract shots when you do this.

In writing fiction, instead of describing everything in the setting (yawn!), pick a few details that paint a vivid image in the reader’s mind. And don’t forget to describe them from the point of view character’s view, which will be influenced by who she is, what she knows, and her mood.

When shooting portraits, try to capture your subject’s different moods.

When writing, do the same thing with your characters. We all exhibit a wide range of moods. Even within a few minutes, we can go from happy to angry. By showing these different emotions, we make our characters more dimensional. No one wants to read about a character who’s angry all the time. And a character who’s happy all the time eventually becomes boring. Where’s the conflict in that?

Remember, showing emotions is one way to get the reader to care about your character. And showing it in your photos, makes your pictures come alive.

Ideally, when we take a photo, we want the viewer’s eyes to go directly to the subject of the photo, so the individual isn’t left wondering what the heck the picture’s about.

In this photo, the focus (literally) was placed on the marble in the front by: throwing the other two out of focus; placing it to the side of the frame (also known as rule of thirds); and positioning it in front of the other two so that it appears larger. Of course, these are only three of many different techniques that you can use.

For those of you with point & shoot cameras (i.e. you don’t have manual focus), you’ll need to do the following if your subject is not in the center of the frame for the picture:

1. Aim your camera at the subject so it’s in the center of the frame.

2. Hold the button half way down. This will lock the focus so the camera doesn’t try to refocus on something else when you move it.

3. While holding the button half way down, reposition the camera so that the subject is in the desired location.

4. Push the button all the way to take the photo.

Pretty easy, huh? And yes, the same techniques can be used in portraits.

Hmmm. This has given me an idea for a future writerly post.

Weathered. New.
Rough. Smooth.
Dark. Light.

Juxtaposition is a popular technique in photography. It involves placing objects close together for a contrasting effect. It can also been used to emphasize the subject and theme of your photo, as I’ve done in this picture of my daughter (the flower from last week).

Next time you take a photo, see if there’s a way to benefit from at least one contrasting element in the scene. Maybe there’s one or a few. Maybe there’s none. But the exercise will help you develop your eye for what’s going on in the scene. And that will help you become a better photographer.

Does your friend have a hobby or interest she’s known for or proud of? Make sure you take photos of her with objects that highlight this interest. These are known as props.

Props can be anything, as these photos show. They can be as simple as a chair, book, musical instrument, sunglasses, or hat. They’re great for adding interest to the photo, and a perfect way to give your friend something to do with her hands—and especially useful when your subject is a young child or baby.

And yes, I went through a phase of sticking my babies in containers and taking photos of them. Obviously they didn’t seem to mind.

Last week, I had the opportunity to take author photos for my friend, Janet Gutler (Weight of Bones, Spring 2011). It was the inspiration behind this post. But even if you aren’t planning to have author photos taken anytime soon, the same suggestions work for regular portraits.

Most people hate having their picture taken (yours truly included). Here're some pointers to make it less painful, and to help ensure you end up with photos you’ll love:

• See if you have a talented photographer friend who would be thrilled to take them for you. The advantage of this is you already have a great relationship. You’ll end up looking relaxed in the photos, instead of looking like you’d rather be anywhere but there. Take it from someone who had her wedding photos taken by a person more annoying than a mosquito (This was before I knew anything about photography.). It’s not a good sign when your adorable four-year-old ring bearer wishes the photographer would fall off the ledge, and the rest of the wedding party agrees with him. Believe me, it shows in the photos.

• Weather permitted, see if the photographer can take the photos outside (or a place you feel comfortable). People tend to feel (and look) more uptight in a studio setting. The added benefit is there’re more interesting things to look at than in a studio. This, too, will cause you to relax.

• Let the photographer know if there’s anything you feel self-conscious about. They may be able to pose you a certain way to overcome that. But remember, chances are great only you notice whatever’s bugging you.

• If there’s a picture you love (e.g. pose), bring it with you to show the photographer. Most will welcome suggestions. For Janet’s photos, I showed her pictures I cut out of magazines. It gave her a visual so she understood what I was after, and we worked from there, going beyond what was seen in the picture.

• Dress comfortably and for the weather. I seriously don’t know how Janet survived the photo shoot in just her t-shirt. I was wearing a thick hoodie and windbreaker, and I was still cold.

• Bring several items of clothing or props with you. Janet also wanted photos of herself in her jacket and scarf. It gave the picture a more sophisticated look. My favorites, though, are the ones where she’s freezing her butt off wearing just her t-shirt (and pants).

• Expect the photographer to take a lot of shoots. Even if you’re friends with her, it usually takes a few minutes before you feel more relaxed in front of the lens.

Does anyone have anything other suggestions?

Ever since my kids went back to school last month, they have reminded me, frequently, that it’s almost Halloween. So I figured I’d give you some pointers for shooting pictures of your Jack ‘O Lanterns to get you into the spirit (if you aren’t already).

Dragging the shutter is a cool technique that professional photographers use when shooting pictures in a room. To keep the room from looking like a cave, a flash is used, but the warm ambient lighting in the room, such as from a lamp, remains. It’s also a great way to take photos of your pumpkin.

In the above photo, the speed was set at 15 seconds to capture the glowing flame. However, you see little else of the scene.

In the second picture, I used a flash, and the camera speed was set at 1/60 second (which means I didn’t have to use a tripod). You can see the scene, but the glow of the candle is lost.

In the final picture, the camera speed was set at 15 seconds (like in the first shot) and I used the flash (the camera adjusted the intensity). This time, you can see the setting and the pumpkin, but the glowing effect of the candle is still there. A much better picture than the other two.

Try it out for yourself, and experiment with all kinds of possibilities. The key is to set the speed according to the ambient light and let the flash add whatever else is needed. Obviously, this tip is for SLR cameras (you’ll know what it is if you have one) and point & shoot cameras that let you adjust the shutter speed.

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