Category: Composition

Deep into the garden, I found a archway and upon walking through noted the striking contrast in lighting. The side I was on was protected by trees while the other side was brighter and more open. I increased the contrast and vibrance of the original photo to make the archway opening sharper and the brick darker, to make it feel as if the archway came out of nowhere.

For props I used the spiral binding of a notebook to mimic a tunnel. When zooming in, the rings of the spiral appear closer than they actually are to give a sense of an enclosed space. When putting the lens flush against the notebook, the viewer is almost given the impression that they can walk through the rings since the scale is manipulated.

For this photo I wanted to use depth of field to emphasize the hand and mouse. I used a smaller F stop (f/3.5) to ensure the hand and mouse would be the only things in focus. When using the computer, I feel like the mouse is an extension of my hand and not just another inanimate object since I’ve used it for a couple months now and feel more comfortable using it.

I took this photo from a worm’s-eye view by getting on the ground and tilting the camera upwards.

I’m fascinated by how seemingly short objects to us, like plants, are the size of trees to bugs. When looking at most plants, like the one shown in the frame, we usually see them from the top. Looking at things from an unconventional perspective allow you to see a new side of everyday objects.

Before I edited this photo, it had more of a yellow tinge to it from the above lighting. I then experimented with how it would look with a a blue hue. After the edit there is still a faint, yellow glow from the lighting, but there is more contrast between the banana and its nearby surroundings. The indigo hue surrounding the yellow banana gives a sense of complementary colors. Additionally, if the banana were to be removed from the composition, the color palette would be composed of primarily cooler, darker tones. Although the banana creates a contrast and draws the eye with the inky background.

At first I had difficulty grasping the rule of odds because it seemed so similar to the rule thirds, but after analyzing various examples I was able to discern differences and differentiate the two. One could say I was stumped in terms of photographing an urban landscape or architecture. As I walked around our neighborhood, the only prominent structures were other people’s hoses which were out of the question to photograph. So instead of treating my afternoon walk as all or nothing, I scaled down my definition of “architecture” and looked for inspiration on a smaller level. I was able to find some at a nearby park.

In this photo the stumps take up the right third of the composition, their shadows elongating into the empty left side. I also used a shallow depth of field, only leaving the front log in focus. Leading lines is also come into play with the lines of wood guiding the viewer’s eye deeper into the composition.

The discarded stuffed animal is our dog’s toy. He enjoys looking out the window with the bear in his mouth and leaves the toy when he’s no longer interested in it.

The placement of the bear in addition to the contrast in lighting reminded me of when kids grow up, they tend to get rid of or ignore stuffed animals they used to play with. The background through the window is supposed to represent the world we enter and explore upon growing up, in the process leaving behind childhood.

The emotion I was intending to portray is not exactly sadness, but an extension of it. Not that I know of this personally, but I can assume the process of letting a child go to be their own self and move into the real world can leave a hollow feeling. Their old belongings being a reminder of what used to be but is no longer.

At first I was unsure what to photograph for when using one color, how does one make the composition interesting? On a spur of the moment decision, I sat down in front of a door that had the blinds almost completely drawn. The primary color is grey but used in various shades. What little light that is able to leak through creates a stark contrast to the blinds themselves. Additionally, from this angle the light is mostly coming through on the right of the photo, drawing the eye compared to the shadowed left. I purposely made the blinds fill the entire composition for I wanted the lines to create an evident pattern. The only disruption being the light.

I found this experience to be strange because humans are not meant to be symmetrical. For most of us our right side does not perfectly match our left. It was very interesting when seeing the pictures side by side and make comparisons. Before this I knew my eyes were different shapes so I was interested in knowing how that would turn out. This exercise also made me think about how people are constantly chasing perfection, especially in their facial features. I can’t say I’m surprised with the results and still prefer my original face over both the reflected ones.