Five Frames

A Seat Beneath the Infinite

This bench sits quietly at the overlook, as if waiting for someone to notice the sky above it. The Milky Way rises behind, continuing its rhythm whether or not anyone sits here to watch it.

I like that thought. Not everything depends on us to be meaningful. Some things, like the arc of stars, or a night of still air, simply exist in their own quiet brilliance.

What struck me most was the contrast: something made by human hands placed in front of something no hands could ever build. A small seat of wood against an endless river of stars.

A Tip

Photograph the Bench, Not Just the View

When faced with a sweeping scene like the Milky Way over a canyon, it’s tempting to aim only at the grand sky and mountain silhouette. But including a small human-made element like a bench, fence post, or trail sign can anchor the scale and make the vastness feel even more immense.

Behind the Capture

For this shot of the Third Flatiron, I wanted to do more than photograph the mountain head-on. From the side, the contrast was striking, with the snow clinging to the face while the sides remained bare. That contrast in texture and tone was what drew me in.

I lined up the angle so the ridge of the Flatiron stretched corner to corner across the frame, giving it movement and direction. The curve of the trail below felt important too, pulling the eye gently toward the trees and inviting the viewer to wander into the scene.

To balance all of that weight—the rock, the forest—I left space in the sky and the open, treeless corner in the bottom right. That quiet space holds everything else in place.

This photo became less about a single landmark and more about how each element leaned on the others to create harmony.

It’s one of the images currently available in my print collection, a piece of this winter day you can bring home.

 A Thought

You set out to capture one thing, only to find something else pulling at your attention. The scene you planned fades, and the surprise becomes the photograph.

Do you see detours as distractions, or as the real work of photography?
How often does your favorite image come from what you didn’t expect?
Do you follow the surprise, or stick to your plan?

A Quote

“We are making photographs to understand what our lives mean to us.” - Ralph Hattersley

I’d love to hear from you! Have a question, suggestion, or want to explore a collaboration? Get in touch!

Help spread Five Frames. Share it with other photographers, artists, writers, and creatives.

If you were forwarded this message, sign up here to receive it each week. It’s free!