http://www.flickr.com/photos/organize/?start_tab=sets
So far I have discovered that I hate the color management problem. I will take a picture and it looks good on the lcd display on my camera, and then when I upload to my computer it’s a lot darker than I thought it was. I found that a lot of my photos are very drab and neutral, when on the camera they were fine. I’m also discovering the cliché’s of photography, such as comic sans is to graphic design, shallow depth close-ups are to photography. Not to say that it is bad to have close-ups, and it is surely not as extravagant as comic sans, but it does get old, and its like a movie that ends with a suicide, and easy cop-out.
When I was shooting the ruler and changing the aperture, I was intrigued to find that each F stop made such a small difference. Doing them all in a row, I didn’t even notice that anything was changing until I looked at the difference between both extremes. Then I viewed them on my computer and there were very noticeable differences between F stops. It makes me wonder how to judge a picture from the camera’s lcd screen, because of the drastic differences between such a small screen to a monitor.
The first photo I was out in my backyard. I wanted to capture the blue house in the midst of a lot of neutrals. Its always stood out to me because it doesn’t quite fit in with the surrounding area. Oddly enough, after I looked at the picture, what I was most drawn to was the bird bath. I like that it is somewhat alone surrounded by a deteriorating fence and it seems to want to push attention off itself. I’ll try to stay focused on the bird bath put my eyes keep getting push up towards the chaos of the scenery, but I want to examine the bird bath. The photo as a whole is very cool giving a feeling of tranquility and its almost cold. The dead trees help to magnify the feeling of somberness. Over all, it looks like a nice neighborhood that has been through some rough times.
The second photo is of a handicap sign. It leaves me wondering what its pointing to, especially because there is no indication of a handicap speciality being needed. There’s no indication of where the sign is at either. Even the branches seem to be pointing to the left. I do know where the picture is and I know what the handicap sign is for, but if I just for minute disregard that knowledge, I have an entire imagination to think of what the sign is for. I think it is a very good photography to let the viewer use his/her imagination to complete the picture.
The third photo is a depiction of freedom. Its almost as if a homeschooler suddenly discovered that he can leave his own backyard. It also looks like a storm is coming, because of the shaded lighting, so maybe the homeschooler will encounter some troubles on the way. However, the world itself does not appear to be dangerous. The frame is very symmetrical with an open door on each side which gives it a structure, especially with the road up the center. It does not appear to be toppling over. The road ahead reminds of the scene in the Lord of the Rings when Samwise is suddenly about to be the furthest from home he’s ever been. He’s leaving his private yard, and stepping onto the public streets.
The fourth photo reminds me of really old lo-fi music. The type of music that uses loops from a cassette player, and records with nothing fancier than a 1980s casio keyboard. I get the feeling that I am in a dirty basement, and yet it is comforting for some reason. All of the cords and the technology look very primitive, except for the bright blue ipod on the organ. I would get rid of the ipod if I were to shoot this again, but this is how the organ was found. I guess that raises an ethical question, how far is too far when dealing with “staging” a photo?
The fifth gives me the same feeling of dirtiness as the fourth. This has as lot to do with the rotting fence, but even more to do so with the very bland colors that make up the photo. It is very neutral. Its quite boring in fact. There is a juxtaposition of an old man-made fence, with old technology. The photo looks like its stock from the 80s. It has a very depressing mood about it. Neutral colors are a good way to emote apathy (quite the oxymoron).
http://flickr.com/photos/brogshan/2511630986/
This photo tells the story of a caterpillar who is trying to gain his bearings back on the limb. The caterpillar lay suspended in mid-air alone. It was effective to the caterpillar dead center, because it shows that there is only more botany around. This is emphasized by the green so as to show that there is nothing but greenery in the area. It was good to use short depth because otherwise the caterpillar would have been lost, although I would have made the caterpillar pop more, so he is unmistakeably the center of the photo.
http://flickr.com/photos/gregoryjameswalsh/2683796968/
This photo made feel bombarded by a job or by homework. The short depth is effective because it gives the illusion that the stack goes on and on, while the point of view is also effective because the stack appears to go up and up. The black and white gives me the feeling of monotony, especially because there aren’t a lot of mid-tones. I feel like I’m bored at work and simply staring at everything I have to do for the day.
http://flickr.com/photos/skovdalen5/1352114341/
With this photo, I was just impressed by how close they were to the fly. The clarity and color is remarkable. The depth of field is so short that even the right legs are out of focus. I’m curious as to how long such a shot would take. I almost doesn’t seem real. The story is simple of a fly landing, but the technicality of the photo has really made me appreciate the beauty of a fly. A bit weird.
http://flickr.com/photos/gregoryjameswalsh/2655842341/
This reminded me of last summer when I worked in a factory. Rows of the same machine and all you want to do is STOP. The repetition of the handles is very fitting because in a factory, you do the same task all day long (or night depending on your shift.) The STOP button helps to make the photo hopeful because it instills in me the idea of “I can’t stop working here whenever I want. Just push the button.” The light in the background is representative of the “light at the end of the tunnel.” In the reflection of the button you can see the row of fluorescent lights on either side, which is also symbolic of the drabness of a factory, which is illuminated by fluorescents. Just go in Wal-Mart. If those fluorescents don’t suck your soul I don’t know what will.
http://flickr.com/photos/nothing-mind/2938086333/
This was haunting picture. I expected all sorts of ghosts to come hovering by. The translucent brightness of the window panes are the sole reason for the ghostly effect, accented by the dark and mysterious hallway. Because it is a short depth of field, it looks like an eternal hallway. The way the panes reflect off the shelf helps give the effect of apparitions, and also the undefined quality of the entire photo makes me feel uneasy. Our mind is left to draw lines where there are none, and assume what we don’t know. Almost in the same way that we see figures in the night, due to our mind playing tricks on us.
