Having Symmetry in Photos

Symmetry is an important asset to making photographs look amazing. This blog will be centered around symmetry. Symmetry in photography creates balance in by splitting a photo into different parts. I will be using Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs by Henry Carroll to help try to master using symmetry in my photos.

"Symmetry isn't simply a case of composing your image like an ink blot. It's about creating an overall sense of harmony and balance. Placing your subject in the middle of the frame is a good way to create symmetry. Just be warned: there's a fine line between balance and boring. If everything is to perfectly mirrored, an image can feel a little soulless" (Carroll 20).

Here are two photos I took that have symmetry:

    








The photo on the left has symmetry because the main subject is centered. Also a line can be drawn down the middle which splits the image. The photo on the right has symmetry because the main subject is centered. In both of my photos I tried not to over use centering so that the photos wouldn't look boring but they look balanced.

Thank you for reading this blog! Hopefully you learned why symmetry is important in photography. Don't forget to leave a comment and answer the question!!! :)

Question: How does symmetry make a photo look balanced?

Citation: Carroll, Henry. Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs. Laurence King Pub. Ltd., 2014.

Leading Lines

Welcome back! This blog's topic will be centered around leading lines. Leading lines is a technique where the viewer's eyes is attracted to lines that lead directly to the main subject of a photo. This is a way to draw attention to photos. Having leading eyes causes the viewer's eyes to follow the direction to where the main subject is instead of just looking at a photo normally. I want to be able to use this technique in my photos and I will be using Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs by Henry Carroll as a guide. 

"Great compositions take you on a journey. Your eyes are guided around the image on a specific path, leading to where the photographer wants to take you. Use leading lines to give your composition structure and draw the viewer to key elements" (Carroll 10).

Here are photos I took that have leading lines:



                                                                              

                                               
The image on the left has leading lines because the rope is directing your eyes up to where the parasail is. The image on the right has leading because all of the kites are all flying in the same direction.

Thank you for reading this post! Hopefully you learned about how important leading lines are in photography. :) Don't forget to leave a comment and answer the question!!!

Question: What do leading lines add to a photo?

Citation: Carroll, Henry. Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs. Laurence King Pub. Ltd., 2014.

                                                 

Having the Right Depth of Field

I'm back! I've already discussed about composition and lighting in my previous blogs but this blog will focus on the depth of field. What is the depth of field? Well the depth of field is the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a scene that appear acceptably sharp in an image. This very important in photography because it determines what areas of the photo will be in focus. Using the very helpful book Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs by Henry Carroll I will be experimenting with a shallow depth of field and deep depth of field.

"Depth of field is at its most shallow when shooting close-ups. By throwing an area of your image out of focus you're effectively getting rid of detail. This causes your subject to really stand out" (Carroll 44).

"A narrow aperture causes everything from the foreground through to the background to be in focus. A deep depth of field helps communicate the scale and detail of the landscape" (Carroll 48).

Here are two photos that I took that represent a shallow and deep depth of field:

Shallow Depth of Field

Deep Depth of Field

The photo on the left is an example of a shallow depth of field because the ice cream is in focus while everything else in the background is out of focus. The photo on the right is an example of a deep depth of field because the detail of the entire landscape can be seen. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my post and hopefully you learned something about depth of field! Stay tuned for more and don't forget to comment and answer the question! :)

Question: Which is depth of field is better for taking landscape photos? Which depth of field is better for taking portraits?

Citation: Carroll, Henry. Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs. Laurence King Pub. Ltd., 2014.

Having the Right Type of Lighting

Hey guys I'm back with another blog! Today's topic will be centered around lighting. Lighting is major when taking a photograph. It determines how bright or how dark a photo will turn out. Personally the best lighting to me is using natural light and it's what I use in almost all my photos. But I want to learn how I can use different types of lighting for my photos. According to Henry Carroll author of Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs there is hard light and soft light. 

"Hard light comes from one direction and is typical of a spotlight or bright sunshine. Due to its intensity, one of the most common traits of hard light is high contrast. Hard light causes anything in its path to become a highlight, while everything remains dark" (Carroll 62).

"Soft light is less intense meaning there isn't such a stark divide between the highlights and shadows. Soft light still casts shadow as it very often comes from one direction, like hard light. But the shadows aren't nearly as dark and dramatic. Rather then being void of black, detail is still very visible" (Carroll 64).

Here are two photos that I took which represent hard light and soft light:

Hard Light 

Soft Light

The photo on the top is an example of top light since there is a high contrast and since this was taken at a concert everywhere is dark except for the stage where the light is being directed to. The photo on the bottom is an example of soft light since there's less contrast and it has that 'soft' look. Also everything is in detail there are no dark areas. 

Thank you for reading this post and hopefully you learned something about lighting like I did! Stay tuned for more and don't forget to comment and answer the question! :)

Question: Does the setting of where you want to take a picture affect how the lighting will turn out?

Citation: Carroll, Henry. Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs. Laurence King Pub. Ltd., 2014.

Having the Right Composition

Photos are everywhere today. It is always on social media and we're always taking photos. So I've decided to pick the book Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs by Henry Carroll. I want to learn how to improve my photography skills and take more aesthetic photos. Also learning how to take better photos is going to make my Instagram look great! Because who wouldn't want a cool looking Instagram feed?


"When lining up your shot, it's your subtle movements that will make everything slot in to place- a little lower, a touch to the left, a couple of steps back. When composing your image avoid passive areas that don't add much" (Carroll 25).

This section of the book is focused on composition which is a major skill in photography. So before I take a photo I want to make sure everything is in place and is in frame. I also want to make sure that unnecessary areas that won't add detail are not included in the photo.

Taken in Portland Oregon

Taken at Over the Rainbow Tea Bar

In these two photos that I took I followed Carroll's advice on having proper composition. I took a few steps back moved left to right to make sure everything I wanted to include in the photo was in frame and I made sure that those areas I included added detail. Composition is just one out of many skills in photography I hope to continue to improve in many other skills as I move along. Thanks for checking out my first post and stay tuned for more! :)

Question: What does having proper composition add to photos?

Citation: Carroll, Henry. Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs. Laurence King Pub. Ltd., 2014.

City Life: Art in the Streets

        The city offers many opportunities for great photos. There are countless possibilities of what you can shoot in a city. Particularly, I have chosen to focus on the artsy side of a city that can be observed by just walking on the streets. Instead of having specifics of what you want to shoot, I recommend going into the city with an open mind. The author stresses this when he writes, "Carrying your camera with you at all times. . .helps to keep your mind attentive and open to photographic possibilities as they arise" (Ang 355). This tip is fairly easy to follow since the city has so much to offer, you'll never run out of inspiration.
        Keeping an open mind, I wandered around the city, taking photos of things that caught my eye. While doing so, I followed the most important rule of keeping my camera with me at all times while looking around (Ang 354). After taking a wide range of photos, the photos below are the ones I ended up selecting because I was visually pleased by them the most. The author imposes importance on lighting when saying, "The visual appearance of many urban locations depends on the quality of the light" (Ang 355). I especially admire my last photo due to the luminous lighting. I do like my other two photos; however, I wish the lighting could've been better. In the future to improve the quality of my photos, I will possibly invest in a tripod because the author suggests, "In dim conditions, place the camera on a tripod or other support instead of using flash" (Ang 357).
         This being my last post, I'd like to sum up some things I've learned about photography and myself as a photographer. I have learned to consider multiple aspects when taking photos such as color, light and shade, patterns, and textures; just to name a few. I have only recently been interested in taking professional, skillful looking photos so I have a lot more to learn and improve on. Moving forward, I plan on getting more comfortable with my camera and bringing it everywhere I go. I'm excited to be enrolled in Photo 1 at Kentridge where I hopefully will learn more about photography, specifically film and digital photography, and gain experience.

What do you like to photograph when you go into the city?
Do you like keeping an open mind? Or do you like to know what to expect? 

Ang, Tom. How to Photograph Absolutely Everything: Successful Pictures from Your Digital Camera. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2007. Print.

Architectural Beauty

        In the handbook, "How to Photograph Absolutely Everything", the author focuses a whole section on architecture. Personally, I find architecture to be very fascinating and beautiful, so this was the perfect photo subject for me to attempt to shoot. In the beginning of the chapter, Ang states, "Architecture offers an enormous advantage over almost any other field of photography: your subject will stay in one place. . . To create something fresh, you need to consider light and viewpoint just as much as. . . the building" (Ang 213). Regarding this, I recognized I needed to pay close attention to the light and angle in my photos.
        I decided to head to Seattle, somewhere I knew I could find inspiration in many of the modern and abstract buildings. Architecture provides endless inspiration, so walking around and taking in a structure may be a good idea to further understand what you want to photograph (Ang 216). This recommendation helped me spontaneously capture shots, that I would later sift through to isolate my favorites. Usually I'm drawn to sleek, modern buildings like the ones in the first picture. As Ang states, "Beauty is often in the detail" (216), which I conveyed in my next photo of a building with abstract patterns surrounding the exterior.

        A location I specifically wanted to go to was Gas Works Park, located on the north shore of Lake Union in Seattle. A couple pages were dedicated to the topic of "Industrial Appeal". The photo provided on these pages reminded me of the gas plant at this particular park, which inspired me to go out and take my own photos there. Ang advises, "You may travel past an industrial landscape. . . without seeing any photogenic potential. However, sun, cloud, and smoke can sometimes conspire to create a stunning composition. . . It's unlikely that you will be able to get very close, so you may need a long zoom setting" (275).  I focused on capturing the sun and clouds as the background since the gas plant was no longer active for there to be any smoke. Additionally, I wanted to portray a sunset silhouette, where the strong colors present in the sunset would further bring out the silhouette of the industrial structure. Also, I used a long zoom setting as the author advised. 

        An extra photo I chose to include exhibits bridge architecture. Ang tells the readers, "Bridges are full of photographic potential. Start taking pictures of the structure as soon as it comes into view. . . explore its many characteristics, suggesting ideas and angles for many fine images" (246). Intrigued by the bright orange and blue color of this bridge, I decided to shoot it from an angle showing the bridge as it lifted to let ships pass. 

What types of architecture do you think look beautiful?

Do you agree that beauty is in the detail?  

Ang, Tom. How to Photograph Absolutely Everything: Successful Pictures from Your Digital Camera. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2007. Print.

Exploring Patterns and Textures

        Photography helps us notice the smaller, more intricate details scattered around us in the places we'd least expect. If we take the time to acknowledge these unique attributes of places, we can view things in a more creative and artistic way.
        Pattern is a particular detail that often stands out when taking a photo. Many environments display regularly repeating patterns of simple shapes; furthermore, isolating them in your shot can create strong graphic images (Ang 278). I put this into effect when shooting the 1st photo. The repeating pattern of the fence helped isolate the scene behind, consisting of boats and boardwalks. Recognizing this pattern made it possible to view a scene through a different angle and perspective, making the photo more interesting to look at.

        As well as patterns, textures can add extra visual complexity to a photo. Ang writes, "The greatest visual rewards may. . . lie in the time-ravaged textures. . .compose the shot carefully to balance the different elements and to give a sense of scale. Choice of lighting is. . . important, since the more detail you manage to capture, the better the textures are revealed" (352). Using this insight, I made sure to take photos while it was still light outside to best capture the texture in my photos. I chose to snap a picture of a tiled shape I stumbled upon walking down a street. The texture is easily seen, but the photo may have been turned out better if I would have zoomed closer to enhance the texture even more. Also, the lighting could have been improved if the tiled piece wasn't in a shady area, which softened the texture's appearance.















        Lastly, I have an extra photo I shot of a fascinating wall arrangement of mirrors that displayed both pattern and texture. Pattern was shown in the repeating hexagonal shapes; while texture was represented in the varying cuts of the glass.
     

What catches your eye when you first look at a photo?
Do you agree that patterns and textures enhance the visuals of a photo? Why?

Ang, Tom. How to Photograph Absolutely Everything: Successful Pictures from Your Digital Camera. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2007. Print.

Christmastime Cheer

The holiday season is here! Soon it will be gone but for this blog post I wanted to capture the essence of the season in these photographs. Christmas is many people’s favorite time of the year for many reasons including putting up lights, exchanging gifts, drinking hot cocoa, and seeing friends and family. One of my favorite activities to do during this time of year is looking at lights. No matter if I stroll through a neighborhood by car or go to a local park, I love how much Christmas cheer a string of lights can bring. 

I ventured to a local park that was having a lights display to take some photos of Christmas lights. This time I decided to use a higher quality camera, the Canon EOS 60D. I admit I still need to get comfortable with using some of the buttons and adjustments on this camera, but in the long run I’ll be able to take better photos once I figure it out. 

In my independent reading book, Ang says, “. . .your versatility as a photographer improves the more you see color as a subject in itself, not something that is only a feature of your subject. . .Try isolating a strong color against a muted background to emphasize the shape of an object or the perspective in a scene” (Ang 36). I kept this in mind when I shot these photos. Since it’s currently winter time and the sun sets early, by the time I got to the park the sun had already set and it was fairly dark. I used this to my advantage since lights are more vibrant at night. I would be able to use the author’s tip and isolate the strong colors emitted from the lights, while also including the shape and backdrop. In my 3rd photo I attempted to isolate a single light, but since it was so dark the color was washed out and the photo didn’t come out the way I wanted. Although, I thought the other two photos turned out pretty well since the bright colors give off a feeling of high-energy and excitement (Ang 37).

What do you love about Christmastime? What aspects of Christmastime would you choose to photograph? 

Ang, Tom. How to Photograph Absolutely Everything: Successful Pictures from Your Digital Camera. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2007. Print.

Artistic Vision Through My Phone

     We all take photos, whether it's to capture a moment or show off our daily cup of Starbucks coffee. These photographs we take have different meanings to each and every one of us; photography is a way of expression. Even though I find myself constantly taking photos, I am by no means a professional. Almost all the time, I use my phone's camera to capture moments while on vacation, at a concert, or if I see something photo worthy. We can all agree that our phones are the quickest and easiest devices to use as cameras since we always have them on hand. I've chosen the book, "How to Photograph Absolutely Everything" by Tom Ang to help me understand the basic elements of photography, how to apply them, and other tips and tricks. As I continue to read this book, my end goal is to be able to use a somewhat professional camera, such as the Canon EOS 60D available in my household, properly and effectively using its controls and settings to take photos full of inspiration and technique. For now, I will apply the information I learn to the photos I take on my phone.

     "Artistic expression refers to picture-making at its most relaxed. . .it is photography in which you aim to satisfy only your own visual curiosity, allowing your imagination to follow where the light leads you" (Ang 325). I applied this to when I take photos, since I pull out my phone to snap a picture of something I find visually interesting and appealing (of course whenever there is good lighting). I've realized there is never any pressure to please anyone but myself when taking photos.

     Fresh and colorful foods come in all different kinds of shapes, sizes, and textures with great color combinations (Ang 334). Keeping this in mind, I decided to shoot photos of fruits and vegetables. Piles of fruits and vegetables create photos with rhythm and structure (Ang 335).  Rhythm establishes pattern and texture, while structure is the shapes and contrasts between light and dark. This is why I decided to photograph a pile of pumpkins with different shades and variations of orange and white. As well as this, I took a photo of a bowl of fruit salad which shows a variety of textures and colors between the different fruits including strawberries, blueberries, nectarines, and peaches. In both photos, textures and colors compliment each other, creating an appealing photo. 

      As I continue to read different sections of my book, I plan on continuing to try out different ideas and techniques to take photos. My goal is to step out of my comfort zone of using my phone as a camera and learn how to operate a higher quality camera. This will hopefully prepare me in some way for my Photo 1 class at Kentridge during 2nd semester. Ultimately, I want to look at the world around me through a lens with a broader knowledge about photography. 

How often do you take photographs? What do you take photographs of? Where do you get inspiration from?

Have you taken any photography classes? Possibly Photo 1 at Kentridge? What are some tips and tricks you find to be useful?  

Ang, Tom. How to Photograph Absolutely Everything: Successful Pictures from Your Digital Camera. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2007. Print.