Panorama: Vertical vs. Horizontal

The most common panoramas are horizontal landscapes. While some of these can be very interesting, I would like to challenge myself and shoot a vertical. I am hoping that I can find a unique piece of architecture that I can shoot rather than a landscape/cityscape.

This is an interesting angle of this builing. There are a lot of textures and colors in this shot. It is much more effective as a horizontal shot because of the floor and ceiling.

Example of how this panorama is effective more as a vertical shot. Directional lines throughout this photo draws your eyes to the subject (helmet man) which then begins to tell a story.

Lighting

We discussed in class how lighting can drastically effect the contrast of a photo, particularly when shooting in black and white. When capturing landscape, you must constantly be aware of the position of the sun. Front lighting is where the sun is behind the photographer, causing direct sunlight on the front of an object. Then there is back lighting, where the sun is in front of the photographer. This direct sunlight can make it hard for the photographer to see the composition and could cause the subject to have a silhouette. Below is a few landscape photography that I feel is strong BECAUSE of the direct sunlight.

Project 1: Anachronism

This photo was chosen over my other anachronism because of its humor. It does not scream anachronism although it definitely works.

Corrections: I definitely need to crop this image. I was unsure at how long the chicken was going to stay put so I did not focus on composition as much as quality/sharpness. I will need to work with cropping in order to create a more interesting shot while still keeping the key information entact (logo, chicken, building, etc.). I will also work with levels to take this overall grey image and make it pop. The chicken blends into the photo which undermines the entire purpose of the image.

Project 1: Object

This photo was chosen out of all my object photography because of the interest in the hand. I like how I captured the texture in the sculpture of the broken off hand, while the face is blurred slightly. This makes a much more interesting composition then just simply take a detailed photo of the entire sculpture.

Corrections: I need to work on the levels (once again!) in this photo. The background is completely black, which is good, although the face comes off a little grey. If I go in and make the face have stronger shadows and highlights, then the photo will come off as much more interesting. I also may crop this photo, focusing in on the detail of the sculpture just a little more.

Project 1: Portrait

This portrait stood out more than the rest of my portrait photography because of the story it tells. I also shot my one year old nephew, although it can be very hard to capture an emotion and tell a story with that emotion because of his age. I chose to have Juliana (the model) stand more to my right for two reasons. First, I was thinking about the "Rule of Thirds" and how boring the composition would be if she stood in the dead center of the road. I also knew that if she stood to the left of the road I would not be able to capture her shadows as well.

Corrections: I need to work on the levels in this photo...a lot. Because I shot her around noon, the sun was very intense. The shadows are very dark (especially around her face) and the highlights could be a little brighter. I do not need to crop this photo, although I do have some issues with pixelation (because the photo is so dark). I may need to work with a blur in order to correct this problem.

Project 1: Landscape

This picture stands out more than the rest of my landscape thumbnails because of its movement. There is good diagonal lines throughout this photo to keep you drawn into the page. I did not take this photo straight on, but rather I walked to one side of the bridge so I could capture a more interesting view of the bridge. I think this photo works well in black and white because of the texture of the metal on the bridge.

Corrections: I need to work with my levels in this photo (make highlights a little brighter and shadows a little darker) because overall it is a little gray. I may work with cropping a little but overall I am satisfied with the composition of it.

Philip Hyde

Philip Hyde is considered a master of landscape photography. He shoots in both black and white and in color, although his most powerful work is color photography. I struggled with landscape more than the rest of the subjects. I think this is because I wanted to capture more than just farm houses and rolling hills (most of Carroll County). What draws my eye into Hyde's photography is his incredible talent to capture depth. None of his photos are boring because the subject matter is perfectly placed in his compositions.

Lee Jeffries

Lee Jeffries is considered a master of capturing portrait photography. He usually chooses to shoot in black and white. The models he shoots are usually either old people or homeless children, both of which have incredible character and emotion in their expressions. His photography is very moving because of the detail he captures in his high contrast work.

Creating Negative Space

The photo above is just one that I found on Pinterest. I don't know the artist but that is irrelavent. What I wanted to focus on was the idea of using props (fences, gates, bridges, etc.) to create negative space. The black design created emphasizes the effel tower and also adds interest to the shot. The photograph below is one I took in Washington D.C. where I use the same technique. It is much more contemporary than just taking a shot straight on.

Motion in photography

Capturing movement and motion in photography without blurs and color/object distortion is difficult. Although, when captured correctly, these photos can stand out among the rest. The photos below are just a few that I found on Pinterest that stuck out to me.

An invitation idea...

This contemporary invitation idea is designed with three layers. One paper cover layer, one stenciled information layer, and one photograph. All three layers work together to give off an earthy, bohemian mood. There are several different ways you can go about designing a party invitation, although this one took a more contemporary route. This is just another example of how photography is EVERYWHERE.

Reflections & Mirrors

Windows, mirrors, and other reflective objects can negatively affect your work. It is easy for a photograph to be scratched because of a harsh light reflection or blurry aspect. On the other hand, these can become resources to make your photography go even further. The photographs shown below are great examples of taking relatively boring portraits and giving them an artistic edge. I really like the portrait of the girl with tree relection overlapping her face. I could easily see this photograph in an Anthropology catalog.

Content is key.

Birds are often overshot, although this photo shows motion (which is often not shot enough!)

What makes this photo humorous is that the only object you see fully in this photo is the cat in an unnatural position. Cats can not intentionally put themselves in this position. Your eye goes from the cat (consciously placed in the center of the photograph so your eye immediately goes to it first) to the girl, where you put together what is happening.

The contrast in this photo is what draws the viewer in. The erie mood that this photo creates (silhouette of woman walking away, empty seats, water across floor, open door with no one walking in) is what makes it a good photo.

A person who likes to take pictures would shoot the horse as a whole, while a photographer will focus in on what characterizes this animal (like its huff). You might think of a horses hair to have interesting texture, but the bottom of the huff is much more unique and has lots of contrast.

Portrait Photography (2 of 2)

This not only is a unique and creative shot, but it shows that "portraits" do not necessarily have to be of a person's face. There is intent with this photograph, otherwise the photographer would have simply just shot their hands (in a more naturalistic way).

The composition of this photograph is weak, although the content is what makes this photo interesting. This shows how subject matter is just as important as the composition in order to evoke a feeling.

Happiness...it is the same in any language. If this portrait was shot farther away, then it wouldn't have had the same mood. In order to get her true expression and show the detail of her textiles and skin, it is key to shoot a close up.

Portrait Photography (1 of 2)

Sometimes staged photography can be read as boring. This one is unique because it looked like it was taken spur-of-the-moment.

The perspective in this photograph is what makes it interesting. Mirrors are often turned away by photographers almost instantly because of reflections and harsh lightings.  But if used artistically, it can make the photo.

This is the perfect example of shooting with intent. Without knowing who this man is, this photo immediately evokes an emotion (and tells a story).

NASA released updated "Blue Marble"

Last week, NASA released the updated version of "Blue Marble." While most people are clueless as to Suomi NPP's purpose in space, almost every iPhone has this satellite's masterpiece as their default. When Suomi NPP captured a sequel back on January 23, it began trending almost instantly. "Blue Marble" is one of the all-time most viewed images on the site after only one week, ringing in over 3.1 million views on Flickr (an international image and video hosting website). Flicr is a great source for photographers that are a) getting there work out in the world or b) seeing what other photographers are engaging in. Whatever the reason, Flickr, along with other image-based websites such as Pinterest, is a great source for photographers to research the world of design.

"Blue Marble" 2002 (iPhone default)

"Blue Marble" 2012 (Western Hemisphere)