Composition Rules Part Two

Rule of Thirds:

Balancing Elements:

Leading Lines:

Symmetry and Patterns:

Viewpoint:

Background:

Create Depth:

Framing:

Cropping:

Mergers and Avoiding Them:

Funny Captions

This is Mickey, 54 years old and homeless, living a life full of struggle in New York with only his shopping cart, his trusty companion, Homer, and his $1000 laptop. Mickey's house burned down 4 years ago in 2012, but thankfully, he was able to save his most prized possession: the laptop given to him on his birthday.

Carla is 85 years old and still doesn't need some stupid exterminator, she knows a rifle like the back of her hand; she kills this beaver from 200 feet away in less than ten seconds. Carla grew up in Kentucky, learning how to use a gun from her dad; she still utilizes this skill today...obviously.

This is Paula and Julia, best friends since day one; they sit here smoking cigars at 90 years old, not giving a single care about society and it's normalities. These girls have smoked a cigar every day for the past 85 years of their lives, and they're not planning on stopping anytime soon.

Warm Up

1. As I viewed Merendino's images of his wife, I felt deep remorse and sympathy.
2. I think these photos represent the entirety of Merendino's life, supporting and loving his wife until the day she died.
3. If I were in his situation, I don't think I could've shot photos like his. I'd be too overwhelmed in sorrow.
4. If I could write Angelo a letter, I'd thank him for taking these powerful photos, because it must've taken a strong willpower. I'd apologize for his wife's death but also celebrate her life, as she seemed happy up until her last day.

Prompt Shoot #2

Cold:

Purple:

Electric:

AFRICA

1. My initial reaction to Nick Brandt's photographs is disbelief. The animals in his pictures look extremely surreal, as if they are painted. Turns out, these creatures are just naturally magnificent and Brandt is blessed with their presence.

2.

3. This photograph depicts a caring lioness holding her cub in her mouth. At first look, it seems she has caught and killed her prey, but the reality is quite different. This image is my favorite because it shows the compassionate side of an animal usually portrayed as a vicious creature. 

4. Simplicity is evident in this photo, demonstrated by the simplistic background. The rule of thirds is also used because the lioness's head is in the top right third of the picture. Her head and the cub balance out her large body. 

5. Brandt used a Pentax 67II with merely two fixed lenses. This is important because he doesn't use a zoom lens like most nature photographers. He chooses to get within point blank distance of his subjects.

6. Nick wanted to display these beautiful, ethereal creatures in their natural habitat. He wants to fill viewers with awe and encourage others to support the well-being of these animals.

7. He hopes that, after viewing his photos, viewers will have sympathy for the animals in East Africa and help to make them safer or donate to certain charities.

8. "In 1995 I first drove the main road from Nairobi down through southern Kenya to Arusha in northern Tanzania. Along the way, in completely unprotected areas, I saw giraffes, zebras, gazelles, impalas, wildebeest. A few months ago, just 13 years later, I made the same drive. I didn't see a single wild animal the entire four-hour drive." -Nick Brandt

Mural Project Preview

1. We could base our on-campus theme on the unseen parts of Bowie. The trash, the roaches, the dirty bathrooms. etc. As for off-campus, we could do the same thing except relate it to the neglected aspects of society: the poor, the homeless, the starving, etc.

2. We should use camera phones and real DSLR cameras.

3. I'd want to put the mural on the side wall of the weight room, between the portables and the courtyard.

Great Black and White Photographers PART 3

When I initially viewed Lee Friedlander's photos, the peculiarity of them caught my eye. Some of his pictures are also a little creepy. They look like they're out of a thriller movie.

I see an artistic genius, utilizing his own body as the subject of this photo. I smell whiskey and cheap, dollar-store cigarettes. I hear the shutter of his camera snap, over and over again. I taste citrus floor-cleaner, compensating for the general mustiness throughout his entire household. I feel the emptiness and sorrow in the air, unaware of the cause.

I see four iconic teenage boys, each with their faux leather jackets. I smell the streets of New York, a potent mixture of feces and pollution. I hear the simultaneous honking of dozens of cars' horns. I feel the foundation of this marvelous city under my feet, and everything it's been through. I taste the pungent dryness of my mouth, I haven't had a glass of water since last night.

I would like to make a powerpoint to display Lee Friedlander's photography.