Frame and Composition: Activity 4

Collect one image where the photographer has placed the main subject off center and retained a sense of balance and one image where the photographer has placed the main subject off center and created a sense of imbalance.
Discuss the possible intentions of the photographer in creating each image.

Balanced:

I would say this is a Balanced photo because int he background you don't have a lot going on. You simply have a few trees that a path way coming towards the photo. Then, we have one person riding their bike on one side which sort of balances the whole photo out.

Sarah Greenman.

Unbalanced:

I think this would go as a Unbalanced photo because it has the model, about in the middle of the shot but we also have other subjects unbalancing her out. We have the barn sort of thing in one corner. We have a horse, and then we have a van beside her. All of it just unbalances everything, which is sort of cool.

Tessa Barton.

Frame and Composition: Activity 1

Look through assorted photographic websites and observe how many photographers have moved in very close to their subjects. By employing this technique the photographer is said to ‘fill the frame’ and make their photographs more dramatic. Find two examples of how photographers seek simple backgrounds to remove unwanted detail and to help keep the emphasis or ‘focal point’ on the subject. Attach two images you find to your reply to this discussion.

In this photo, the photographer uses the close up technique by leaving out the unnecessary background around the model. The photographer also left out one half of the models face which is different than other photos I've seen before. This photo adds a lovely feel compared to regular photos we see of the model possibly with their whole body or even a background.

Melissa Ray Photography. 

I really like this shot because you could get the view of the persons whole body but you just get the shot of her neck, up to a bit of her nose. You can see pieces of her hair flying in the shot which adds a bit of detail, while her smile shows true happiness and joy. Using the close-up technique, you are really able to see that.

Unknown.

Frame and Composition: Activity 3

Find two examples of Photographs that follow the Rule of Thirds and two examples that do not. Comment briefly on why and how you think the composition works.

Rule of Thirds:  

If you put a 9 squared grid on this photo, the subject in on the side of the shot while the rest of the photo has the entire background shown. This picture is a good example of the Rule of Thirds technique. 

Jessica Janae Photography 

Again, this is a very good example of the Rule of Thrids technique. If there was a 9 squared grid put on the photo, the aubject is put on the side of the shot. 

Pati P. Photography 

No Rule of Thirds: 

Even though this is a good picture, it's not a good example of Rule of Thirds. The subject is placed right in the middle of the shot. 

Jessica Janae Photography 

Another, really good picture but It doesn't have Rule of Thirds applied to it. If you put a line straight through the middle, the subject is right there and that isn't a Rule of Thirds type of picture. 

Stephen Alkire Photography

Frame and Composition: Activity 2

O‘To quote out of context is the essence of the photographer’s craft. His central problem is a simple one: what shall he include, what shall he reject? The line of decision between in and out is the picture’s edge. While the draughtsman starts with the middle of the sheet, the photographer starts with the frame. The photograph’s edge defines content. It isolates unexpected juxtapositions. By surrounding two facts, it creates a relationship. The edge of the photograph dissects familiar forms, and shows their unfamiliar fragment. It creates the shapes that surround objects. The photographer edits the meanings and the patterns of the world through an imaginary frame. This frame is the beginning of his picture’s geometry. It is to the photograph as the cushion is to the billiard table.’

Q. What does John Szarkowski mean when he says that photographers are quoting ‘out of context’ when they make photographic pictures? 

A. When Szarkowski says "out of context", I think he means that photographers have a unique thug about them that they're able to show through their photos and make them fantastic. 
Q. The frame often ‘dissects familiar forms’. At the end of the last century photography was having a major impact on Art. Impressionist artists such as Degas were influenced by what they saw. Look at these examples of Degas work, which clearly shows the influence of Photography, and explain why the public might have been shocked to see such paintings.

A. Looking at Degas's paintings, I think that people were so shocked to see those paintings because many of them were nude shots of some sort. Maybe having people bare and shown like that was different through paintings. 

I could tell that this painting could be from a photo because it is a simple shot of an actual day or actual people. From what I see in paintings I see very imaginative or a lot shapes in paintings. This photo/ painting just shows a realistic day out to town.

Gustave Caillebotte.