#tgp4m

[artsycherry]

Photographer: Cheryll (Me)

Assignment 4 - 1 Photo and 100 Words

I believe that there are many themes that this photo could be said to represent.

One of these themes is that of distance, as there are 3 levels of distance in this image. The first is that of the individual or viewer on the ground, as they are looking up at the plane far above them. The second level is that of the tree branches up above through which the person must gaze in order to see the plane. The last level is that of the plane itself which is so far up above the person that it appears to be very small, and somewhat ghostly and out-of-focus.

Another theme that this photo may be said to represent is that of the contrast of nature versus man. The tree branches could be considered to be nature's representative, while the plane and its exhaust-trail could be seen as man's. The idea of nature and man clashing is subtly hinted by the fact that the plane and the tree branch overlap each other to form a perfect X.

The three elements and principles of design that are best represented by this image are that of line, contrast, and colour. Line is seen in the diagonal and angled lines of the tree branches and the plane's exhaust. These lines help to direct the viewer's eye, and divide the image into different sections.

The principle of contrast is most prominent in the lines of the branches as they are lit in such a way that one side of each branch is brighter while the other is darkened by shadow. This contrast helps to make the lines of the branches more eye-catching, dramatic, and engaging.

The photo's use of the element of colour is very subtle, but the photo does make use of the complementary colour combination of orange and blue. The tree branches have an orange tinge which contrasts well with the blue sky. This colour combination makes the photo appear more dynamic.

[artsycherry]

Photographer: Cheryll (Me)

Assignment 6 - Shape and Form - Part 4/4

This photograph was taken fairly recently in the sculpture room. My intention when taking this photograph was to keep record of the various clay sculptures I have created (in case anything bad happens to them). However, I decided to use this photo for this assignment as it has a good composition, and is a good example of the element of form.

I think that this photograph is a good example of form because it depicts three 3-dimensional objects that are side-lit. It is the photograph's use of side-lighting which helps to show the depth of the objects to the viewer.

This photograph also makes good use of the element of line. The diagonal lines of the table in particular help to add interest to the photograph as they draw your eye from the bottom-left of the photo to the top-right. The curved lines of the crescent moon and the cup are also interesting, as the curve of the crescent appears to almost hug or frame the cup. Lastly, the diagonal lines created by the book intersect with the lines of the table to form an X.

I believe that should also be noted that although the photograph does not exactly follow the rule of thirds (except for maybe the crescent moon), the composition of the three sculptures is still effective and pleasing to the eye.

[artsycherry]

Photographer: Cheryll (Me)

Assignment 6 - Shape and Form - Part 3/4

This photograph was taken mid-winter when the sun was setting and the sky lit-up with some truly beautiful colours. I had to make my camera zoom-in quite a bit in order to capture this shot because it was so far from me, and there was no way for me to get closer without losing my line of sight all together as I was on the ground, while what is depicted in this photo was on top of a 2 or 3 story building.

I chose this photograph to represent the element of shape as I believe that it is a good example of that element. The photograph depicts the silhouette of the upper part of a building, some tree branches, and some electrical wires. The silhouette was achieved with a fairly fast shutter speed, and because the subject was back-lit by the brightness of the sky as the sun was setting. It is the two-dimensionality of this photograph that makes it such a good example of the element of shape, just as it is the photo's use of contrast that makes it such a good silhouette in the first place. Without the contrast of the silhouette with its background, the silhouette would not be as distinct, and the photograph would be weaker and less engaging.

This photograph also makes good use of the element of line in the angled lines of the tree branches, and the straight lines of the electrical lines. These lines make the photograph more engaging and lead the viewer's eye on a journey around the photo.

This photo is also made more interesting by the contrast of the sky's colours. In the upper half of the photo the sky is a stormy purple, while in the lower half it is a soft peach.

Finally, I believe that this photograph makes good use of the rule of thirds.

[artsycherry]

Photographer: Cheryll (Me)

Assignment 6 - Shape and Form - Part 2/4

This photograph was taken while I was out for a walk around my neighborhood with my camera and with the intention of taking photos for my various photography assignments. The photo is of an electrical pole, electrical wires, and various tree branches. This photograph is definitely more abstract than the photos I usually take, and that is probably the reason I like it so much.

Like two of the other photos I have submitted for this assignment, this photograph makes good use of the elements of shape and line, and the principle of contrast.

The photo is a good example of the element of shape as its subject appears to be two-dimensional. This silhouette was achieved through the use of a faster shutter speed, and because the subject was back-lit by a brighter sky. It is the contrast between the sky and the silhouette that makes the photograph more engaging and dramatic, and the silhouette itself more distinct.

By making this photograph a silhouette instead of a 3-dimentional image, I made the photo more abstract. This is mainly because the photo has a great use of line in the tree branches, and the electrical poles and wires. These lines (when made two-dimensional), overlap each other and it becomes very difficult to figure out where one line ends and another begins. All of these lines make the viewers' eyes dance around the image, as when they finish following one line there is always another line ready to take their eyes somewhere else. These overlapping silhouettes also serve to make it difficult for the viewer to figure-out what the picture is actually of.

[artsycherry]

Photographer: Cheryll (Me)

Assignment 2 - Line - Part 3/3

This photograph was taken about a week and a half ago while I was out for a walk around my neighborhood. It is a close-up shot of the side of one of the houses there.

I believe that this image is the best example of the element of line out of the three that I have posted, as there is not a single part in the image that is devoid of line, and because there are three layers of line on the single surface that is the brick wall.

The first layer is the brick wall itself which is made-up of long, thin, evenly-spaced horizontal lines, and short, thin, vertical lines. The next layer is made-up of the wires and the security light attached to the brick wall. The lines in this layer are rather thin and are a mix of straight, horizontal and vertical lines, and a couple of curved lines. The final layer is made up the shadows being cast on the wall. Most of these shadows are from a tree near the house (and are straight, angled, and curved lines of varying thicknesses) however, the two dark, thin, straight, diagonal shadows that cut across the photograph are cast by the electrical wires seen near the top of the photo.

I also feel that it is important to note that the lines formed by the various wires (and their shadows) play the significant role of directing the viewer's eye around the photograph.

Though the placement of the wires near the top of the image and the security light near the bottom are not exactly where the should be for the rule of thirds, I believe that they are close enough to still effectively draw the viewer's eye. Unfortunately, I was unable to frame my shot so that both would be positioned properly. It was either have them both almost positioned properly, or have only one of them positioned properly. So, I took three photos. One photo had the security light following the rule of thirds, the other had the wire clump following the rule of thirds, and the last has them both almost following the rule of thirds. I felt that the most effective photo was the one where both almost follow the rule of thirds, and so that is the one that I chose.

[artsycherry]

Photographer: Cheryll (Me)

Assignment 2 - Line - Part 2/3

This photograph was taken on a mid-winter day, in the late afternoon. I had happened to glance outside my window earlier, and seen how beautiful the sky was. So, I decided to take a walk with my camera. I am very glad I did, as I got some gorgeous and really colourful silhouette shots out of it. This one was one of my favourites, and I chose it for this assignment because I thought it was a good example of the element of line in photography, and because it had a very pleasing composition.

This photograph portrays a great variety of the different types of line. The tree is mainly made-up of thin angled lines, the electrical pole is made-up of a thick, straight, vertical line and a couple curved lines, and the electrical line is one long, thin, diagonal line. These lines lead the viewer's eye around the image though the path may differ for each individual. My eye however, is automatically drawn to the pole as it is very thick and dark. They then travel up the pole, along the electrical line, and then drop down to the trees. Someone else may find their eye traveling around the image in a different way, but no matter how your eye is directed around the photograph it is primarily because of the photo's use of line that it is.

This photograph also makes use of the element of shape as it is a silhouette image and therefore 2-dimensional. Being a silhouette image, the photograph utilizes the principle of contrast as well, as the back-lit silhouettes are so much darker than the sky which surrounds them. This use of contrast is what makes the silhouettes so eye-catching.

Finally, I believe that this image follows the rule of thirds, as the placement of the tree is a third of the image's width from the bottom and a third of its length from the right side.

[artsycherry]

Photographer: Cheryll (Me)

Assignment 2 - Line - Part 1/3

This photograph was taken on Superior Avenue near the Lake-shore in Mimico. The photograph depicts some buildings, a fence, some electrical lines, and the sidewalk. I have passed by this spot numerous times in the past and paid it little to no attention. And yet, while I was out taking photographs for my various assignments I happened to glance across the street and noticed the great use of the element of line before me. I took two shots of these buildings, with each shot being framed differently, but this one was my favourite.

The most distinct use of line in this image is the gray wall with the white, vertical lines in the bottom center of the image, and the electrical lines that run horizontally across the top of the image.These lines are made distinct by the high level of contrast the have with their surroundings. These two regions of the photo also display a fair amount of symmetry.

I believe that the photo's lighting also played a significant role in its effectiveness, as the lighting created many shadows which added another source of line to the image. The most significant example of this is the dark shadows on the center wall. The contrast on that wall between the white lines and their dark shadows easily draws the viewer's eye and strengthens the image as a whole.

My favourite thing about this photo is the fact that it has very little perspective, thereby giving the impression that that which it depicts is 2-dimensional. I think that this works especially well because the photo is depicting many square and rectangular-shaped constructs (eg. the buildings, fence, and sidewalk).

[artsycherry]

Photographer: Cheryll (Me)

Assignment 6 - Shape and Form - Part 1/4

This photograph was taken from my backyard. It depicts the silhouette of a tall tree a few houses over. I took this photo because I loved the shape of the tree, and the way the sky looked at the time.

 I believe that this photo is a very good example of the element of shape, as the tree appears completely two-dimensional. This silhouette was achieved both because the tree was back-lit at the time, and because I used a faster shutter speed to capture the image. The great use of contrast also makes this a more effective silhouette shot as the silhouette is kept separate from its background by the contrast between the two. This is also what makes the silhouette of the tree so sharp and distinct.

This photograph also makes use of the elements of line, and value. The lines formed by the tree branches direct the viewer's eye around the image. The use of value in the clouds makes the image as a whole more dramatic and interesting as the differing shades of gray are preferable to a solid, single-shaded gray background.

Lastly, this photograph is a good example of the rule of thirds.