Abstracts

Broadleaf Cattails (Typha latifolia)

Oakes Quarry, Fairborn, Ohio For this picture of broadleaf cattails, I dialed back the shutter speed quite a bit to 1/6 a second. My plan was to slow the shutter enough to introduce the artistic blur while keeping it obvious what the subject actually was. This was a breezy day and this patch of cattails resided by a pond out in the open. The afternoon light helped cast a warm glow for the image. Opting to put the entire frame well in focus, I used a very shallow depth of field with f/32. ISO was kept to a minimal at 100 due to the longer exposure time. I used my 75-300mm zoom at 150mm mounted on a tripod with cable release. I personally feel like if I can get someone to say "this looks like a painting" then I am flattered. In a strange way, making a long exposure image look so far removed from being a "regular" image is my goal. I want it to look like a painting, as then it becomes more artistic and abstract. The impressionistic feel of this image is what I was aiming for: an "altered reality" look and I achieved it. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Macro Leaf Detail

James Ranch Garden, Xenia, Ohio "In every change, in every falling leaf there is some pain, some beauty. And that's the way new leaves grow.” - Amit Ray The wonderful part of macro photography is simply the closeness of every subject and detail. In the case with this wide leaf branching out of a large flowering plant, I made use of such method. My end goal in mind was to create an abstraction and show the textures and patterns of the leaf while some gorgeous morning light shone through. An external flash was fired in order to provide minimal light on the side facing towards me. To compose this image I placed the stem off to the right side, using manual focus to drop it down in the middle. The colors looked incredible here, and I had a good feeling in the moment that this would be a keeper. f/8 further lent itself to an abstract as it slightly blurs out part of the photo, also creating that macro-like effect. Mounted on a tripod at ISO 800 and 1/50 of a second made quick work of this beautiful subject others may overlook. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

The Concept

Buck Creek State Park, Springfield, Ohio “Looking at beauty in the world, is the first step of purifying the mind.” - Amit Ray This is the work of having an idea envisaged and going after it. It takes a well developed eye to recognize patterns and reflections such as this one. Abstractions have diversified my portfolio to such a large extent. They feel unrestrained and creatively freeing. Almost in a lawlessness sense.."anything goes" in the artistic world. I probably would've walked past this subject a couple years ago, but now this is as interesting to me as any other grand landscape or otherwise. One could make this image even more confusing and unrealistic by rotating to a vertical composition. Make this world your world! You are the master and all the tools are in your possession. Dare to be different. Flip that camera upside down and take a picture with the reflection on the upside. You may even try to photograph just the reflection only. The possibilities are simply endless and know no bounds. Driftwood in water is a prime example of taking the mundane and seeing it in a new way/light. Without the camera, I would simply be blind to it all. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

The Reflection

Siebenthaler Fen, Beavercreek, Ohio "I don't think I will ever meet a human being as kind and forgiving as a tree." - Debasish Mridha While I try my best to not romanticize the artistic aspect of photography, sometimes there is no other way. Patterns are omnipresent thoughout nature. Reflections of animals and objects in water have remained a mainstay for my photographic interest, and that interest has only grown. Here, a half submerged, mangled dead tree trunk piques my vision. The twisted nature of its' being interested me but wouldn't be enough to make for an image based on the tree trunk alone. Fortunately, the near dusk reflection in the water of The Beaver Creek shows another side of the driftwood. Symmetry is imperative in a balanced image like this, so the horizon line is placed straight down the middle. A contact polarizing filter was ultilized for bringing out the reflective side more powerfully. I have gone back many times to this same spot since then, and as one can imagine the wetland water has risen and fallen over the years. Simply put the driftwood is no longer visible, having truly sunk below. This is an image that cannot be recreated. A abstraction encapsulated in time. © 2017 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

The Now and Then

Spring Lakes Park, Bellbrook, Ohio “Photography is the story I fail to put into words.” - Destin Sparks Minimalism, simplicity, negative space. This type of image is meant to have room to breathe within the frame. The beauty of it is in the perfect symmetry and composition; everything is laid out as it should be to aid the viewer. The very calm and still water made sure an exposure of several seconds on a cloudy day let in enough light. A circular polarizer filter was essential to achieve this proper look. From there, the biggest concern was composing to uniformly frame the driftwood subject. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

The Focus

Spring Lakes Park, Bellbrook, Ohio “Photography is the story I fail to put into words.” - Destin Sparks Minimalism, simplicity, negative space. This type of image is meant to have room to breathe within the frame. The beauty of it is in the perfect symmetry and composition; everything is laid out as it should be to aid the viewer. The very calm and still water made sure an exposure of several seconds on a cloudy day let in enough light. A circular polarizer filter was essential to achieve this proper look. From there, the biggest concern was composing to uniformly frame the driftwood subject. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Reed Water Reflection I

Oakes Quarry, Fairborn, Ohio "Nature is pleased with simplicity. And nature is no dummy." - Isaac Newton Sometimes the simplest of subjects make for compelling images. In the case of these reed grasses growing above pond water. You'll find these grasses in just about any wetland environment as they tolerate high amounts of water. To make the photo, I used a Circular Polizaring Filter to accentuate the reflection and form. What would otherwise be a bland image becomes something more artful and fascinating. Converting to black and white can also show a whole other side to the subject that color may detract from. Both are plausible approaches. YOU are the creator, this is YOUR piece of work. That is why I love this so much. The feeling of empowerment helps break down creative walls we create for ourselves. Since I come from an art background throughout K-12, I love to incorporate those ideals into my photography. Having viewers be challenged to see what I intended to portray beyond the lens is one of the goals. I love to get others to think more about art and things they may see in everyday life they would otherwise pass by. I aspire to the idea of making a photograph having mean something to another, whether it's a bird species they're fond of or a location they resonate with. The medium of photo taking has a way of instilling memories and emotions in others that we may overlook in today's image-laden society. Billions of photos are taken each day so my personal goal is to make something I'm satisfied with. Hopefully it is also something that is different enough to stand out from the crowd. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Great Miami Reflections

Taylorsville Metropark, Vandalia, Ohio © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Leaves Water Reflection II

Spring Lakes Park, Bellbrook, Ohio © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Underside Tree

Russ Nature Reserve, Beavercreek, Ohio "The only time I can really relax is up a tree or somewhere outside. I love being outside." - Tom Felton Before anyone asks, this is the correct orientation of the photo. Some trees have a spectacular display of their branches, as this one did. My full intentions were to create a dizzying angle of composition, so I braced up against the tree with my back and knelt down. A wide angle lens allowed all the branches to come into view. The blue skies meant a polarizer filter could help deepen the color. The pastoral colors of yellow mixed in with the browns of the branches makes this image appear like a nature painting. I liken the subject to lightning strikes as they appear to fall down. The calm intensity was my goal, and for that it is one of my favorite tree images thus far. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Trees / Reflections II

Glen Helen Nature Preserve, Yellow Springs, Ohio "Art and love are the same thing: It's the process of seeing yourself in things that are not you." - Chuck Klosterman I am always won over by a nice simple reflection in water. In this case the Yellow Springs Creek harbored many good looks of overhanging bare tree branches in the way. For a "cleaner" image, one could wait patiently for the ripples to settle. For a messier appearance, the ripples can work in your favor. This photo becomes more abstract by how the subject becomes a faint reminder of how it used to look. Seek out these textures and patterns when on your next hike. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Hoarfrost Rock Detail

Glen Helen Nature Preserve, Yellow Springs, Ohio "There are moments when all anxiety and stated toil are becalmed in the infinite leisure and repose of nature." - Henry David Thoreau This shot was made with the intent of showing the finer details up close on the beautiful gorge-like rock. It was still very early in the morning on this frigid day, and so a thick layer of frost had developed overnight on everything in sight. The moss and colors underneath this rock gave some more visual to the overall white and grey look of the photo. The cracks in between breaking up the monotony. When out in the field, my eyes like to almost infinitely shift gaze. No one particular subject in nature holds my singular interest overall. The multifaceted world around us is begging to be photographed, and so I never truly tire or bore as a result. There is always something new to discover, so long as you are eager enough to learn. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

The Little Beaver Creek

Creekside Reserve, Beavercreek, Ohio "Truly, art is embedded in nature; he who can extract it, has it.” - Albrecht Dürer Further melding the ideas of ecology and art, this is a long exposure blur of the Little Beaver Creek at Creekside Reserve. Probably one of the earliest images I will share with you, this is actually a pretty narrow crop at the top and bottom. Normally, a long exposure would include a sharp focus object near the fore or middle ground to focus on. I see these as "visual anchors" that make an image appear not blurry on accident. However, I wanted to throw that ideal away with this. As you can see, this is purely blurred. I wanted to make a surrealist image with the water flowing right through. The Little Beaver Creek is unique in a sense as it is a tributary to the Little Miami Watershed. It is a spur off the larger and longer Beaver Creek that travels up north to Fairview before closing off. The Little Beaver Creek flows directly along the mile-long Creekside Reserve before stopping just before Woodman Feb to the far West towards Dayton. Creekside nonetheless will forever be a personal favorite location to explore and shoot. © 2016 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Twig Frozen in Ice Abstract

Glen Helen Nature Preserve, Yellow Springs, Ohio "What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness." - John Steinbeck Twigs lost under the ice, begging for the thaw. This beautiful display of light and form stole my attention away. The shifting colors and dichotomy of warm to cold show the transition of winter into spring. This change is a process of course, and the photo shows how jarring it can be with how the late day lighting showed itself. This image isn't begging to be front and center. There is no real display of drama; simply a calmer look at an intimate view in nature. Some of my favorite work comes alive with this notion. Not everything has to be so boisterous. Anyone can find this scene, you just have to see. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Thin Ice Abstraction

Grant Park, Centerville, Ohio "The artist's job is to be a witness to his time in history." - Robert Rauschenberg A crater in the dirt and sand by the creek caught my attention. Not for the crater alone, but the thinnest ice right above it. This thin layer had many lines crossing through one another. The dizzying patterns in this sheet of ice were begging for an abstract photo to take. With a 24mm focal length, I set up the tripod above my height and pointed the DSLR straight down. A deeper depth of field put the majority of this frame in focus and included some nice touches to the image. An iridescent rainbow refracted off the top left of the frame from a subtle and dim sky above © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Thin Ice Abstraction

Grant Park, Centerville, Ohio "Those who cannot understand how to put their thoughts on ice should not enter into the heat of debate." - Friedrich Nietzsche A slightly different take on the ice abstractions session I had at my first visit to Grant Park. I took about a dozen or so different shots, as always working the scene and its composition. Deliberately slowing down and adjusting camera settings to fine tune the ideal image I am seeking out. Much less attention arresting, this image to me is more subdued and disarming to the viewer. I specifically added in more tree roots from the edge of the dried up creek to provide context. After that it was as simple as setting focus to the right spot and capturing the results. Overall this was a bit special for me to photograph yet made it worth it. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Sand Textures

Huffman Metropark, Dayton, Ohio “If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: I am here to live out loud.” - Émile Zola The pleasing sway of sand with its many movements and details in this particular spot. I worked the scene pretty effortlessly so long as the best patch to photograph was one undisturbed by human footprints and otherwise. This area that became the image was the "cleanest" one around. For camera exposure settings, I shot this image at f/16 which allowed all the frame to be in focus. The soft diffused light of an overcast day made the photo much more possible. A shutter of 1/40 of a second using a 24mm focal length meant I was not concerned with motion blur from carrying a heavier lens. ISO 800 also rounded it out to make this textural shot. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Ground Textures

Huffman Metropark, Dayton, Ohio "Everything you can imagine is real.” - Pablo Picasso Very poignant, a quote by a painter describes my feelings about this image quite well. Textures, patterns and details are abound in natural areas. While I enjoy these textural shots, they are more reality than we may think. The subject is the entire frame and that is the goal; to imply that the "subject" is neverending outside the confines of the photo. A wide angle lens captures enough of the pattern to show all the detail in this image. These are everyday textures you can find anywhere. Even if you don't feel compelled to photograph them, search for them anyways. Training your eye to see beauty in the mundane will help you appreciate the smaller things around this planet. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Ground Textures

Huffman Metropark, Dayton, Ohio "I am never lost out in nature, only found." Attenuating the finer details when out with the camera, I feel as though this image could live on the wall of a prospective office. Simple, wholesome, and interesting enough to "read" it like a book. A wide angle lens shared enough of the ground to make the photo possible. I had to take heed when creating the image as I checked the entire scene for previous (or my) footprints embedded in the dirt. The cracks in the dirt had these many smaller leaves peeking through, and so that added to the composition already started with the cracks themselves. Simple but effective, reality yet also art. The photo speaks for itself. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Ground Textures

Huffman Metropark, Dayton, Ohio “Essentially what photography is is life lit up.” - Sam Abell There is a good bulk of my work that involves photographing everyday scenes and the ‘mundane.’ Some viewers may scoff or simply question why that is so, and that is exactly the reason. In our fast-paced world, some may easily pass by the simplest of things laid out before us. My photos of these subjects are created with that purpose in mind. I wish for prospective viewers to appreciate the simplest of scenes out in the nature, such as this dried mud interwoven with many sticks and twigs. The outdoors can contain so many beautiful moments of light and color, however these more subdued and intimate landscapes can be what I crave. Minimal photography can have a maximum effect. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Tree Trunk Detail

Sweet Arrow Reserve, Bellbrook, Ohio © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Tree Trunk Detail

Sweet Arrow Reserve, Bellbrook, Ohio © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Creekside Reflection

Creekside Reserve, Beavercreek, Ohio © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Lake Abstractions III

Spring Lakes Park, Bellbrook, Ohio "What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce." - Karl Lagerfeld The culmination of working a scene and exhausting all options to compose it. This image felt like the finite destination of what I wanted to create in a photograph. The final piece of the photographic puzzle was a common motif in my work: trees. The midday lighting while normally would be unattractive worked out better in this case. The strong directional lighting of late morning came after the sun broke through a heavy layer of clouds. These very dark shadows casted over the image I had in mind, but instead of fighting it, I ultimately decided to work with the conditions presented. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Bokeh Grass

Russ Nature Reserve, Beavercreek, Ohio © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Water Swirls

Charleston Falls Preserve, Tipp City, Ohio "I guess I’ve shot about 40,000 negatives and of these I have about 800 pictures I like.” - Harry Callahan This was yet another shot I had envisioned long before pressing the shutter down. The swirls of the confluence in a river can create a dazzyling view. This moment in time felt special and eternal; the wind was calm and the rain had stopped for the day. I set the camera on a tripod and angled the scene just on right on a ball head. My goal was for a subtle blurring and a softer image. To achieve this, a longer exposure was necessary. Then I prefocused towards the back of the frame and took the shot. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Little Miami River Reflections

Narrows Reserve, Beavercreek, Ohio "Every artist was first an amateur." - Ralph Waldo Emerson Whilst the majority of my work shown here is created alone, I have found great value in "collaborating" with others and sharing the passion. Working with others for me requires a different subset of motivations, whereas I am in control mostly of the variables in taking a photograph alone. Having more sets of eyes allows one another to see things you may not normally see with your own. This is especially true when searching for birds. With landscapes, the melding of the minds allows ideas to bounce off one another. For these reasons and more, I have found it to be a pleasure to share the wonders of nature with others. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Sugarcreek Abstracts

Sugarcreek Metropark, Bellbrook, Ohio "The mind loves the unknown. It loves images whose meaning is unknown, since the meaning of the mind itself is unknown.” - Rene Magritte Abstracts are a sought after subject matter when out in nature. The patterns and textures created are ones I simply find or perceive. In this case, the namesake creek of this metropark became the focal point for the image taken. The creek had several points of stillness and where dirt and other plant material sat. Thus creating these fascinating swirls in the water with texture. A fully extended tripod and the DSLR pointed straight down achieved the shot I had in mind. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Cedar Lake Reflections

Carriage Hill Metropark, Dayton, Ohio © 2020 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Tree Bark Abstracts

Estel Wenrick Wetlands, Medway, Ohio © 2020 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Angels Pass Reflections

Angels Pass Memorial Park, Beavercreek, Ohio © 2020 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Sycamore State Park, Trotwood, Ohio © 2020 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Englewood Lake

Englewood Metropark, Englewood, Ohio "A picture is a poem without words." - Horace Every breakaway from the footpath lead me to the lake's edge. As a result every view I encountered was a unique perspective on this abstractive photograph I had in mind. The blue sky was flipped in the composition from how we would traditionally think of ground on the bottom and sky at the top. Reflections can be a provide a powerful asset to creative and conceptual photography. © 2020 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Englewood Lake

Englewood Metropark, Englewood, Ohio "A picture is a poem without words." - Horace Every breakaway from the footpath lead me to the lake's edge. As a result every view I encountered was a unique perspective on this abstractive photograph I had in mind. The blue sky was flipped in the composition from how we would traditionally think of ground on the bottom and sky at the top. Reflections can be a provide a powerful asset to creative and conceptual photography. © 2020 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Englewood Lake

Englewood Metropark, Englewood, Ohio "A line is a dot that went for a walk." - Paul Klee With each successive shot I took in a similar fashion, I found myself getting closer to the overall vision. Standing atop a hill offered a nice view over and through the bare trees surrounding the reservoir. A telephoto focal length in the range of 400mm or so allowed a tight crop into the visually messy scene before my eyes. © 2020 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Nature's Antennas

Indian Riffle Park, Kettering, Ohio "There’s a whole world out there, right outside your window. You’d be a fool to miss it.” - Charlotte Eriksson Interpretation is everything in my photographic work. Particularly the more abstracted imagery begs for a purpose, a search for meaning. What does this image look like to you, both in reality and in imagination? The color being removed gives even more permission for the image to creatively mused over. © 2021 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Spring Snowstorm

Beavercreek, Ohio “If you love photography enough, the equipment will come, the portfolio will result and if you enjoy the process, success will follow. You will evolve your own formula.” - Bruno Schreck A special occurrence of the changing seasons intermingling. Snowfall the morning after on fresh flowering trees caught my eye. A quick photo session and a telephoto zoom lens allowed me to point in all directions from the front porch. Textures from the 'clean' and untouched whiteout adorned the tree branches. © 2021 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Morris Reserve, Bellbrook, Ohio © 2021 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

The Space in Between

Clifton Reserve, Clifton, Ohio “I think nature's imagination is so much greater than man's, she's never going to let us relax” - Richard Phillips Feynman The clean and uninterrupted view of untouched snow in the middle of winter is a treat to behold. A highkey photograph was my intentions and so I used this simple composition to my advantage. Overexposing by about two stops of light managed to push the histogram very far to the right side, leaving no shadows in the frame on this overcast day. The result is a minimalist image with room to breathe. © 2021 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Island Park Reservoir

Dayton, Ohio © 2021 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Island Park Reservoir

Dayton, Ohio © 2021 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Tire Tracks

Ellis Park, Yellow Springs, Ohio © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

The Could-Not-Wait

Oakes Quarry, Fairborn, Ohio © 2021 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Holes Creek Reflections

Grant Park, Centerville, Ohio © 2021 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

The View From Below

Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve, Logan, Ohio © 2021 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

The Living of Life

Oakes Quarry, Fairborn, Ohio "Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment." - Claude Monet Reflections are a prominent part of my abstract work. Cropping out the realistic elements of a small pond can share the more surreal ways we see the world. Look for them in stunning color and shape while outdoors. © 2021 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

The Perfect Match

Oakes Quarry, Fairborn, Ohio "Art is the triumph over chaos." - John Cheever The summation of many parts to a photograph. Textures embody a sense of drama and skepticism. An image like this is not one of digital art, it is the byproduct of actually being the real world. The host or source of subject matter does not matter here. What do you really see? © 2021 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Holes Creek Reflections

Grant Park, Centerville, Ohio "The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work." - Emile Zola The gift in photography is the precise moment the shutter activates and the mirror flips up. The prism is penetrated by all light for a second or a few. This little moment creates the birth of compositions we hope to entertain ourselves or others with. © 2021 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

The Bitter End

Delco Park, Kettering, Ohio © 2021 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

The Downside of Up

Delco Park, Kettering, Ohio © 2021 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

High-Key Ice Sheet

Spring Valley Wildlife Area, Spring Valley, Ohio "Nature is a divine art; it cannot be the artist. It is a dominical book and cannot be the scribe. It is embroidery and cannot be the embroiderer. It is a register and cannot be the accountant. It is the law and cannot be the power.” - Master Nursi High-key abstract photography can be a fun change of pace when other nature subjects aren't cooperating. The distant sheet of ice was no problem for a telephoto lens, as I focused on a small bit of driftwood out in the open. © 2022 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Indian Riffle Park, Kettering, Ohio © 2021 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

The Beaver Creek

Beaver Creek Wetland Nature Reserve, Beavercreek, Ohio © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

The Little Beaver Creek

Creekside Reserve, Beavercreek, Ohio © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.