Photographs from Lesson 1

Hi Casey,

I’m using the blog because it’s easy to post and have a kind of permanent record of things. Also maybe it seems natural because I spend so much time working with websites.

I really enjoyed looking through lesson 1 and taking photographs, thinking about the principles. Please make comments on them!

I’m definitely just beginning: learning how close I can get without making things blurry (I’m constantly getting too close), but even a little application of these techniques seems to have improved things a lot. I’m more careful now. Technically and compositionally, I definitely have a long way to go.

The assignment only asked for a few photos, but I ended up with a lot that I wanted to share with you.

Here we go!

Composition

“A great picture communicates.”
– From the lesson

I’m also studying design at the same time, so knowing about contrast, alignment, repetition, repetition, and proximity helped some in making these photos.

Filling the Frame

I tried the “simplify” method for this photograph. It’s a nice flower that we’ve had sitting around at the meditation retreat (where I live).

From the lesson: “What is it about this specific flower that is crying out to have its picture taken?”

“The petals naturally make the viewer’s eye move in a circle… The effect is similar to a whirlpool, drawing the viewer in.”

Framing the Subject

This is hill that I can see from right outside my work. On the day I first told anyone at Ananda Village about my decision to move here, I saw a beautiful huge rainbow, with around 13 stripes, connecting this hill and the “downtown” area of the Village. (Didn’t have a camera then!)

On the photography side of things, this is framed on 2 – 3 sides of the photo.

Seeing Subject as Shapes and Leading Lines

With this photo I was trying to use repetition and contrasting lines – plus there’s the line leading “into” the photograph… It seems a little weak somehow, like maybe there is too much that is visually distracting. Also it was raining! and you can see a drop of rain on the camera lens.

From the lesson: “A row of trees or street lights that vanish in the distance can create very strong leading lines that take the viewer’s eye all the way through the image.”

Leading Lines 2

That’s the sign for the “Ananda Meditation Retreat.” The entry is to the left! This uses the rule of thirds some – do you think the sign should have been higher or lower, maybe? (Instead of smack in the center.)

This one has a verbalizable message! One that I intended!

A “Roll of Film” With One Subject:
The Penguin

Examine and grasp the subject first. Simplify and clarify your intent.

Walk around your subject; watch how the background changes. Try to get as many viewpoints as possible.
– From the lesson

Here we see the penguin pondering – perhaps with surprise – its origins. There is a yin-yang shape, and I tried to balance the negative space on all sides of the photograph.

This is a penguin wearing glasses.

Penguin on a field of gold.

I remember you saying, “It’s all about the rule of thirds.” This last photo is definitely more interesting and dynamic for having the penguin off-center.

I also took some photos where I was trying to create a triangle effect, like the lesson talks about, but I found that more difficult than anything else. None of those photos turned out well!

One thing I forgot to do is do photographs from different distances. All of my photos of the penguin were up close.

Abstract Photos

“A marvelous learning tool.”

“Get in close and use color and lines in your composition to create the whole image.”
– From the lesson

Pretty simple.

What do you think of the effect of this one…

… compared with this one?

I hope you’re well and happy, and enjoying life. Thanks for doing this with me.

Love,
Nabha

P.S. Please critique the photos if you have time. It would be a great help.