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Set 20: Color in Motion Photo
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| "Dancing Droplets" by Sam Stawara |
Written Statements Part 1:
Composition
I decided to frame this photo with a diagonal composition to really enhance the dynamic feel of it. I have a habit of tiltiing my camera. I am glad that I did on this photo though, because I feel it would be way too linear if I were to shoot with the horizon line straight. I also bent down a bit so that I could see the water rise, rather than shooting down on it. Another part of the photo that I aimed to get was the black area of the sewer grate. I really like how it creeps in out of the corner to balance out the rest of the dark areas in the photo. It also helps because it gives a dark background for the water droplets to rest upon, giving them much more dimension.
Concept/Aboutness/Idea
The idea and concept I was trying to convey while shooting this photo, was a moment in time. I wanted to capture something that we don't always get to see with our naked eye. I have always had a love for shooting water with a fast shutter speed because it almost gives an "ice-like" quality to the photo. I wanted the idea of the photo to be about stopping motion.
Method
My method is kind of explained above in the composition section as well. I did bend down to get closer and lower to my subject. I wanted to make sure that I shot this in high levels of warm light, so this photo was taken around sunset sort of in the evening. I didn't really have to sketch this photo out or anything because I was just walking around and taking photos and came across this cool fountain by Pizza Pi in East Lansing.
Motivations
My goal with this photo relates closely to any sports photographer's work in the sense that it is capturing a subject at high speed. My photos are most obviously different from these types of photos too though because of the fact that my subject is water droplets and not athletes. There isn't really any larger work relating to my photo other than the message of beauty. I want my viewers to see the beauty of water in all forms, but in this case, droplet form.
Written Statements Part 2:
Interpretation
Others interpreted my image just how I would want them to. They felt the playfulness of the stop action and liked the composition.
Evaluation
The only thing that wasn't really working in the image that I got critiqued on was possibly playing around with the color. As much as I appreciate constructive criticism, I feel like I want to ignore this one lol. I really like the warmish, yet sort of cool colors I get from this photo.
Extension
I would LOVE to use this photo as a jumping off for a series of stop motion water. I would continue this more with colored water, splashing water, running water and so on. Hopefully I will have an opportunity in the future part of this class to take the idea and run with it!
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Set 5: High Contrast Lighting Photo
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| "Blue is Knot Bold" by Sam Stawara |
Written Statements Part 1:
Composition
Like all my photos, I decided to shoot this with a diagonal composition so that it had an elongated and looking down feel to it. I also really liked the visual tension between the rope going up and to the left and the fence post going up and to the right. I wanted to also put a bunch of emphasis on the strength of the knot.
Concept/Aboutness/Idea
I feel like my image is about the strength and pattern of a knot. This idea is supported in my composition of the visual tension as I mentioned above. The high contrast lighting really adds to it too, because it makes it so much more of a bold statement.
Method
This photo was shot moments after my fountain shot, so there wasn't really much planning behind it because of the fact that it was just something I walked up upon. My method was to shoot experimentally at it to see which angle I liked best. This was all natural lighting that took place in the evening giving it that nice warm glow on the right side.
Motivations
There was nothing that really inspired me to shoot this, but my goal was to have that quick fall off of light as well as depth of field to give you that stretched out and elongated feel. My intention, I feel, was executed well through the photograph.
Context
This photo doesn't really relate to any photographs that I have seen in the past, but I know there are a lot of artists out there that take simple things you see everyday in the world and photograph them close up so that you as the viewer, are forced to examine it and appreciate it up close. The only idea that I can really see this photo standing for outside of the art of photography is strength. That is why I like the idea of the knot so much, because it looks strong and bold with that blue color.
Written Statements Part 2:
Interpretation
Others interpreted my image, pretty much how I wanted them to.
Evaluation
The class really liked the use of color contrast as well as lighting contrast. They also liked the shallow depth of field as well as the diagonal composition. I did have a suggestion from a fellow classmate to fix the hot spot on the highlighted part of the rope so I did that for the final critique. Other than that though, everyone thought it was pretty successful.
Extension
I could use this photo as a jumping off for another project, by photographing different types of knots with different color strings. Some monochromatic, while others use different types of colors and strings. That would make a cool series :)
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Set 6: Backlit Photo
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| "Bold Bottle" by Sam Stawara |
Composition
I decided to give this a bit of a diagonal composition because the vertical framing was too plain. I wanted to be sure to pull the edge of the cap almost to the edge of the frame to really fill the frame and draw the viewer in.
Concept/Aboutness/Idea
My idea and concept behind this photo was to go with a more commercial feel with the high key background and black line glass shot. Only difference is that if this was a commercial photo, they would really make sure that you could read the brand name. I wanted it to feel refreshing at the same time.
Method
My method for this photo was to actually light this bottle with my nightstand lamp. I took the lamp down and off of my night stand and reversed the shade on it. After doing so, I turned the lamp on and covered it with a white t-shirt of mine to diffuse the light. I set the bottle about a foot away from my newly created light and started to shoot. I made sure to use a quick enough shutter speed so that the front of the bottle was not exposed.
Motivations
My motivation behind this photo came from past lighting assignments I did at LCC. We had to do a white line and black line glass photo assignment and I really enjoyed working with colored glass. I felt like doing this same type of thing for a backlit shot would be cool because it wouldn't leave me with a black silhouette, but instead, an awesome glow feel.
Context
My work doesn't really relate to any other artists that I know of. I'm sure there are other artists that like to photograph lit glass, but I don't really know of any.
Written Statements Part 2
Interpretation
Others really liked this photo and interpreted it as I had planned. I remember hearing a lot of "commercial photography" comments. I am thinking that it was the high key background that really gave it that feel because one classmate said that they could see it in an ad in a magazine.
Evaluation
Based on critique, people really liked how I kept the silhouette of the cap. They also liked how the edges of the glass faded off to black lines. They also liked the gradation between the green and the white in the blown out area of the glass. A couple constructive critiques I got were to get rid of the color cast in the white background as well as playing with the fall off of light in the corners.
Extension
Like my other photos, I could see a series coming out of this photo. Shooting different colored glasses with different colored backgrounds and different lighting angles would be interesting to play around with. Possible theme for a final series.
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