What makes a photo dramatic? Is it the scene? The subject? The color or lack of it? In this week’s challenge, Patti asked us to show what we consider dramatic and her wonderful images gave us examples. I believe it is the feeling that an image invokes in us. So here are some examples of what I consider dramatic.

Black and White: I love black and white because it helps create drama with certain subjects. My two examples are of Lake Waterton, Waterton NP, Canada and a lotus. In both these examples, it was the editing that brought out the drama for me. The lake brought me serenity. The lotus was a striking monochrome of a flower of colorful beauty that brought me excitement.

Wildlife: The American Bald Eagle reigns supreme over the wetlands, sending smaller birds into flight. They even look regal as they sit on branches. Even his gaze demands respect. To catch a hawk in flight is difficult, especially when your maximum range is 300 mm. When you do capture one through your lens, it is a dramatic result. Both images got excited.

Architecture: When I visited Melbourne Australia, I was in awe of the buildings. They were dramatic in design. I was excited and eager to photograph them. My examples are close ups of two buildings showing what I thought were the unique features of each.

Skies: From sunsets to clouds, skies help us create drama in our photographs. They also accent our subjects. Peacefulness and excitement describe my feelings for the next two photographs.

An environmental act: A tree falling down certainly creates drama especially for the homeowner! What more can I say except YIKES for this. Maybe gratefulness that my property wasn’t involved!

Shadows: Shadows accent structures, especially bridges. I remember being on the other side of the Fair Oaks Bridge and walking down to see what I could photograph from this side. It was then I saw the shadows bringing the bike rider toward me. I was happy that I walked to capture this image.

These images spoke to me and brought me into the photo. That’s why I love photography!

Thank you Patti for having us go deeper into our photographs. When you respond to this challenge please link to her original post and tag Lens-Artists. I enjoyed seeing all your favorites from last year. I remembered a lot of them. Ann-Christine will be presenting next week’s challenge.

If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info. 

38 thoughts on “Lens Artists Challenge #282: Dramatic”

        1. I guess it’s the age of the tree and how deep its root system is. Sacramento used to be called the City of Trees, but then decided to call itself the Farm to Fork Capitol. Maybe the trees took exception to the slogan change!!

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  10. I’m in awe of your gallery, Anne! I love how you categorize these photos. Great take on. The BnW images are stunning. The Bald Eagle and bird in fly, Wow! That is a huge tree, glad it didn’t fall on a house or car…

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  11. Nicely defining photos of “dramatic” – and I think B&W does add to the drama. However, drama is obviously not just visual, but experiential – that tree is so beautiful and it is sad to see it downed. Hopefully no one was injured when it fell.

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  12. Thanks -N! No one hurt and no property damaged by the tree fortunately, except for the fence. It came so close to hitting a carport. Yes, what we perceive as drama depends on our life experiences.

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  13. Oh how I love your selections and the power you brought to them with explanations and comparisons. The two monochrome define drama in different ways. And the eagle can truly stand alone. They are impressive to watch. My favorites were the two skies, one peaceful and one exciting. A fantastic post, Anne with a wonderful lesson for us to learn from.

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  14. Terrific post Anne! Loved all the choices and your explanations. The lotus is gorgeous, the eagle and hawk majestic. The oak reminded me of last week’s storm here. Lots of grand oaks down, happily not mine and no major damage thank goodness. Excellent drama!

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