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.