I can pretty much click through my entire camera roll in under a minute. I just don’t have that many photos on my computer due mostly to the fact that my phone was for a very long time too small to constantly be taking photos and also the fact that I have not liked taking photos of myself for the majority of my life. The few pictures that have been snapped and saved are of a very strange variety of things, which makes this assignment all the more peculiar.
Well, the selection here is a toaster on fire. (the pencils are burning in it, see William Swainson)
The lighting is what I think is the most interesting part of this photo. The fire in the middle obviously pulls the eye first, but the circle of light that it makes on the rocks and people around it is like its own kind of selection. It chooses what else to contain in the photo.
I do not really want to tell you the story of this image, or any of the following. I think you ought to figure it out yourself. I’ll just say that I enjoy how the darkness doesn’t give too much context.
I am not a photographer, that has never really been how I engage in art. Clearly, that is changing, but it does mean that the photos that I have taken previously were not exactly for artistic reasons.
I think that the foreground and background on this one are interesting because there are three levels of things in this photo, the heads in the front, the teacher and the middle, and the board behind it all. But the things in teh foreground are not the focus at all. The eyes go straight to the teacher.
For this one, I choose to talk about depth. One of the things that were mentioned in Becoming Better Photographers was creating depth using dark backgrounds. Even though the cat is in the front of the photo, the fact that the background is so very dark gives the impression that the space continues far beyond it.
This is what I would also qualify for a moment picture. I don’t remember when I took it, it might have been a while ago, but this cat never stood still much, so for me, this photo is clearly just a single moment captured right before he turns back around.
This one is perspective. I took it from much higher than normal head height, and of people kind of farther away.
I think this one is particularly interesting because it does pose the question of how and why the view is so high up. Where is the viewer? Why are they looking here now? I won’t tell you. Whatever you think up is probably more interesting than the truth.
In terms of thoughts on the reading, it was enlightening. As someone who, as I have said, is not super familiar with photography, it gave this beginner a new way to think about the medium in an accessible way. I might not have a camera other than my phone, or any classes or professional instruction on photography, but I can do the things he listed out. I can think like that be critical and try my best to put together an interesting photo.
Always an open novice,
stay safe and wash your hands,
