We can start our investigation of what photographs work well with the first couple photographs that are snowy. These especially make sense since this is winter.
The first shot by Katie is a simple scene with some snowflakes falling and it becomes interesting because the foreground bushes are a little diffused, and then there is an empty middle ground where the snowflakes are falling, and then, off in the background, we have a row of trees. This is an interesting use of space that you should consider. It is made more extreme because the bushes in the front are very close to the camera and they run right out of the frame on both sides along the bottom. Typically when one has an extreme foreground element you try to get make sure that is in focus. It is okay to let the background go little bit soft in this case because the viewer’s attention will be captivated at first by that extreme foreground. The other interesting factor in this photograph is that it looks diffused and I am not sure what is making that happen. It could be as simple as just the snow on the leaves and the snow in the field add this kind of white glow that is indicative of infrared photography. Whatever it is, it is very subtle and very cool.
The next photo by KT Mallory is equally obscure. This is a set of three pine trees that have snow on them but almost appear to be illuminated, like ornaments on Christmas trees. The fact that the view is close and the trees are cut on the sides and on the top makes the photo more extreme and the fact that there is no horizon line or ground line or base for the trees to sit upon makes it that much more tenuous. The dark sky also makes it look like it was shot at night which adds to the mystery. This is a collection of very subtle tools that all add up to make something fascinating.
This photograph by Christina, also of nature, looks more like a dream than reality. The foreground is dark, the trees are silhouetted and the sky looks ominous. This photograph is a good example of how a compelling photograph can be constructed using a bit of post-processing. The toning is somewhat extreme but still excellent.
This next photo out in the country by Ahyoung brings us a bit back towards reality but it is still wonderfully dramatic. The heightened contrast and the darkened sky make this happen. The vertical pole placed against the left hand edge adds some tension and gets us something to look past. Then the frame drops off even further on the right-hand side beyond the little house. This sets up a visual path through the photographic space. This visual structure comes up and another series of photographs later on so stay tuned…
This photograph also has a dark sky that makes the scene appear ominous. The buildings are just barely in the frame along the left-hand side and then the power lines form a graphic element from top to bottom. The placement of the sneakers at the very top of the frame are the most important part, however. The whole frame is nicely balanced.
This is another photograph that includes an upward look and they darkened sky and, look, more sneakers! Still cool
This nighttime shot by Kang maintains the drama in this series. The moon struggling to shine through the clouds is a key element. The strange lighting on the building and the triangle a crates in the lower left-hand corner is unusual in a good way. The extra added element is the small rectangle in the bottom right-hand corner. That gives our eye something the bounce off of to come back into the frame. These little visual elements are really critical for making interesting photographs.
This photo by KT is a little different in that we are inside looking out. The water on the windows distorts the view, putting us in the mindset of the person looking out the window. This is another dream image that is just as much about the experience as it is about the appearance. Consider how you can do this in some of your upcoming photos.
This is another view out of the window, shot by Lauren again. Now we get to see the world through someone else's eyes.
This shot by Katie follows the visual structure of the previous two window shots but it is something completely different. If you think about it long enough you can figure it out but it is not so much about what it is but how it looks.
And now for something completely different by Kang. This is almost a psychological sketch. We don't know if it is the photographers hand or perhaps someone else’s, and we do not know what they're reaching for, but it gives us enough information so we have to finish the story for ourselves. That will require aligning our emotional selves with Kang. Another dream…
These flowers by Ahyoung stand out from the background in extraordinary fashion. The tonality of the background wall and the foliage have been pushed down in the tonal range allowing the flowers to glow. This pushes the photo beyond reality, yet does not go too far or break our belief.
The light coming from behind these leaves as shot by Vancesca are also a unique photo. The highlights are very bright but the midtones and shadows are all pushed down. This seems to indicate that this is shot at night. While we may know that these are simply a collection of leaves, the light and the tonality make this beautiful and mysterious.
Continuing this theme of lights, Ahyoung gives us a collection of seemingly randomly placed work lights that are quite interesting. The space recedes and the lights come closer together at the bottom of the frame. There is some other information at the very bottom that is hard to make out and it may explain the situation, but maybe we don't need to know.
Here we are introduced to a huge interior space by Morgan. There is a string of lights across the top that reflect twice from the floor in the very foreground (actually there is a second set of lights that just barely make it into the frame at the very top edge). This is an interesting visual set up but it is the emptiness that is most intriguing, especially for a bowling alley that is usually full of people.
Here's another deep space, again by Morgan that utilizes lights along the ceiling as a guide into the background. There are interesting patterns across the ceiling and some wonderful side light coming in behind certain pillars on either side.
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The next two interior photographs are by Rebecca.
This first shot again uses an extreme foreground element that is in focus, followed by the stem of the wine glass, followed by a bottle of wine, followed by the rest of the interior space. The succession of objects leads us back into the space and inspires us to start thinking about what was going on here.
This photo becomes a little more personal because we see someone writing on the edge of a bar, but still it uses the foreground, followed by the two inverted glasses in the middle space, backed by a window in the rear (or perhaps it's a mirror). These three planes of space and all the objects that reside within give us many things to keep us occupied and yet we keep returning to the person and their writing.
Morgan uses the reflection and refraction of glass and water and metal in a very close up frame to paint and interesting picture. The repetition of form is an interesting feature. This photo is also a beautifully toned.
What could be a simple shot of tomatoes is altered by Morgan's close up view, making it just as much about form. The overlaid shadows also replicate the shapes of the fruit. (Yes, tomatoes are fruit not vegetables!) It could also be about the idea of connection. If I see more work by this artist that is conceptual then I will follow their train of thought. If on the other hand their work is more visual then I will follow them in the other direction. Sometimes it is the intent of the artist that makes the work what it is. This requires some research on the part of the viewer, once you have decided that you are interested someone's photographs.
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This next photograph takes us into the more abstract group of shots from this critique:
A simple bike lock becomes transformed by Lauren because of those two essential tools; closeness and angle of view. The way the curve sits within the frame and the way gravity seems to disappear pushes this more towards a visual construct and makes it look more like a Franz Klein painting than a piece of industrial hardware.
This next abstract photograph by Woojae could be a very large architectural form or some small mechanism. Since the perceptual cues have been removed we are left with only an exquisite form that is softly focused and beautifully toned. This photograph has been constructed by the photographer's eye and the photographer's hands and is a visual delight.
The source of this photograph and its original scale are not completely clear, but that is not the point. The form created by the folds, the little gather at the cener, the speckles in the material, and the nice warm tonality all work to make this another pleasing visual design.
Woojae gives us another photograph that takes a much more dramatic turn. It almost looks like fractured ice. The high contrast and sharp lines make this a fascinating composition.
This shot by Ahyoung follows with a similar diagonal format. Again it is not clear what exactly this stuff is. Some of the lines look real while others look like they might be shadow. It is the two opposing diagonals in the top left corner that make this photograph work. All the energy emanates from that source and it becomes a rather powerful piece.
This dark photograph by Vancesca takes us into a more personal and more emotional realm. It is just the light coming through venetian blinds but it establishes the entire environment of the inside of that room, and that reflects on the emotional state of the person sitting in that room. It is amazing how much can be portrayed with so little. That is the definition of the phrase "economy of means" – to say a lot with as few words as possible. Once again the simplicity gives this photograph power.
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Now we come back to reality with a series of photographs in the vertical format that all deal with deep receding space in various ways:
This photograph is shot by Rebecca by the ocean. The pillars of the pier indicate power by the sheer scale of the architectural structure. This is also accentuated by the power we know the ocean has. The two closest pillars almost frame the rest of the shot, and the space receds back into the distance forever.
In a similar manner, Ahyoung uses a tree right up against our face to restrict most of our viewpoint. This forces us to lean to the right to look past to see what else is happening. The space is relatively empty but the curve of the curb in the center turns gracefully and just barely touches the edge of the tree. There are two small lines at the very bottom that counterbalance that curve. This is another good example of how the angle of view can be used creatively. This is also an example of one of my secondary topics that I call 'obfuscation' (deliberately confusing the issue).
Here again Ahyoung uses the same basic tactic but this time a very shallow depth of field throws the background completely out of focus. The focus is directing our attention in one direction yet the background seems to be calling us in the opposite direction. This sets up an interesting conflict which bounces us around the picture frame.
Rebecca uses the light in the late afternoon to create a dramatic experience. The receding space and the people moving through it adds to the adventure. For some reason, even though bicycles show up in a lot of photographs, they never seem to fall into that cliché category.
Vancesca accentuates receding space by shooting from a slightly lower angle. She keeps the foreground in focus which keeps the shot solid. It is not uncommon for people to shoot like this but they let the very foreground go soft, which doesn't work well.
Here again Vancesca uses receding space but in a much different environment. The darkness of night and the sharp illumination bouncing strangely off the fence to the left make this a much more edgy photo. I am not sure if the photograph is inviting me to come down the alleyway or if it is scaring me and making me want to run away. This sets up an emotional tension that is good in photographs.
Another photograph by Vancesca moves us indoors looking out. The screen somewhat obscures the view while it diffuses the single light source on the right side. What makes this photograph so wonderful is the person walking through the frame. These last three photographs show that Vancesca has established a shooting style that is consistent yet varied. This is what we should all be working for as we move towards the end of the semester.
This dimly lit interior space shot by Rebecca creates a strong emotional sense. It is empty and light is coming through two windows creating a pattern on the wall.The fact that we cannot see where that receding space goes makes it that much more interesting. This photo also has that same push-pull between being an inviting space or a repulsing space.
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This last set of photos takes adds people into the mix. Some of these are self-portraits but not necessarily all. These first two continue with great use of light.
Extreme exposure coming from the rear in this photograph by Woojae is magical. The figure on the right side is almost disappearing into the light. There are some spiritual implications in this but I will refrain from commenting on.
Vancesca pulls off another great backlit shot here, but in this case the light is more active and comes into the room that we are in. This long shot of the figure is also intriguing. What exactly is happening here is unclear and that is the Mystery.
This is a great portrait by Lauren, sitting on these dirty steps with great attitude on her face. The photograph is shot from way down below that accentuates the space in the photo. Even though she's looking right back into the camera she is not posing but rather, acting (which in this case might be really real). It is a great talent to be able to project a personality into a camera.
Lauren does it again with another shot inside her bedroom, this time with her face completely missing. The gesture of the hand on the floor could be exhaustion or it could be worse. It depends on how many cop shows you watch every week. It is the low angle of view and the close cropping that makes it so effective.
Morgan continues the use of clever cropping in this very close up shot. The lips and the hair and the shoulder can all be sensual elements in a photograph, but the expression is neutral. Either way, it makes you wonder.
Here Vancesca cuts her face in half and balances that with empty space. It is the expression of her sidewards glance that becomes the most evocative part of this photo.
Katie stares us right back in the face and then add the gesture of the hand with a most intense grasp. It is almost as if she is being shocked by something going on in front of her, but it is a soft tension. The closeness of the camera is what makes all this work. Her intense gaze is not 'posing for the camera'. It is a direct interaction with integrity.
Christina presents us with another intense photo. Here the face is hiding behind the hand, shrouded in dark shadow. The room is dark but there is a hint of some of the space behind her. It's important to keep that and not have a completely blank background. It is better to just hint at something than eliminate it all together. Then there is nothing to stimulate the imagination.
Woojae lightens up things with this more whimsical photo. The camera is shooting from very low and quite close. He adds these little graphical elements behind his head that are quite humorous. This is further enhanced by the lollipop. And finally, the toning is superb.
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A note on grading: To figure out how you are doing, you can count how many of your photos made it into this blog. If you only have a few, then you need to work harder. If you have a lot then you can start refining your vision. How you are doing now does not reflect on your final grade, however. Some people start off slow and explode at the end, while others start off good and just stay the same. It is just as much about growth as making good photos.
