Hello!

There is a saying that to ask a question, you have to almost know the answer. Well in this instance, I am so far removed from the facts, I almost don't know where do begin the question.

Maybe it should be remedial Backgrounds 101. . . [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] But I've been thinking about the sometimes forgotten background. . .

ok here's what I know.

  1. backgrounds are important
  2. and here lies the paradox. . . a background is important but a good background stays exactly there. . . in the background barely taking your attention away from what is the focus of you image (or story. . . since they also say an image is worth 1000 words)
  3. I specified Landscapes in the topic because it occurs to me that a picture of objects in outer space have no visible horizon. ... and all we are left with are the lights the objects (like planets and moons and asteroids and spacecraft) reflecting the lights. and the size and placement of the lights or objects reflecting the lights
  4. and the paradox continues. . . without the background, the image looks Uni-dimensional or flat
  5. I imagine that in the days before Photoshop, a person painting a landscape image had to plan a bit more before picking up the paint and brush. . .
  6. Do we still do that? Should we?
  7. Is there ever a time when you would not use more muted colors in the background of a landscape?
  8. for example when I've bothered to notice the colors of things in the distance, they always seem a very muted blue/purple/grey. . . is that just because I'm not looking at things at dawn or at dusk?


I'm sorry that this question is so unfocused. . . I think part of the problem is that I have 50 questions rolled into one.. . . but I can't tell which question should be first. . .I thought I'd toss this beginning of a question out and see if anyone else can sculpt this heap of questions and ideas into a more meaninful question or discussion.


Just bursting with curiosity [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Athena