I am now finished this challenge and have to say that I truly loved doing it as well as felt it could be better. First, I ended up mostly posting old photos from my archives since going out and capturing photos daily just isn’t a thing right now given our self-isolation and distancing protocols. It could be better if we took these concepts of composition rules and practiced them each day, mixing them up would be good too.
I noticed that some of my group did just that because, no surprise, these skills are not just a one off ideal that is incorporated into each of our photos. We use multiples of these skills in each and every photo when and as we can. You will see that some of my submissions carry more than one rule but I only submitted one photo emphasizing one rule at a time. If I had been smart, like some of my photo team, I would have combined the rules and made this a bit easier on myself.
So here we go… Days 3 and 4
Day 3
Negative Space helps define a subject, it should not just be empty space but should support and add content value to the subject by helping tell a story, setting a mood or providing ‘breathing room’. This staircase and its shadow captivated me. It was captured when BD, SD, Sis and I went to visit Idaho Springs this winter. We were in Colorado for our niece’s wedding (what fun!) and our nephew turned out to be an excellent source of information as to where we should go and what we should do in our free time while visiting.Rule of Thirds – the most recognized rule for photographers. By placing two equidistant lines both horizontally and vertically and place subject below, above and on those lines it creates visual tension and makes the image more interesting. This was on an island in BVI and I can’t remember the name, sorry. I think I could have used this image for more than the Rule of Thirds… Visual Weight and Leading Lines come to mind. The BLUE of the water is amazing!!!S-Curves and Z-Curves are simply leading lines that supposedly subconsciously excite the viewer. BD and I took a walk one day during self-isolation only to find too many people out on the pathways so we chose the path less traveled. This is the first day that I saw crocuses in Spring 2020 and have photos of some in another post. Are you excited about spring coming? You can check the pictures of those beautiful flowers here if you like.Silhouettes can be so gorgeous don’t you think? This is another BVI photo and I am pretty sure this is when we anchored in Virgin Gorda. Silhouettes can be powerful story telling elements. I hope you see a story in this image.
Day 4
Diagonal Lines in and of themselves are a bit boring so I took a bit of artistic licence to at least make these ones a bit prettier than the boring brownish grey that this bench is. However! If I had been thinking creatively I could have used this assignment to create a sense of movement, to add drama or a moodiness or to move your eye in a certain direction. Sadly, I did none of those things, just got a photo of some lines. Monochromatic colour is a great tool for setting a mood or showing emotion. Orange is often used as a means to depict warmth and relaxation. Other colours are used to depict other moods or emotions. I loved the red of the rocks in Red Rock Canyon, Colorado and the canyons in Utah. I hope to spend more time in both places. Repetition can involve colour, shapes, objects or anything that draws the viewer into your image. Miss Donna and I did a bit (I’m just going to put it that way and leave it) of shopping when we got to each of the islands we visited in BVI. I love the colours of the islands, no matter which ones you visit! The shops abound with everything thing I want to buy… but I know better. When I get home all those knick knacks never have a place in my NOT beachy home. Luckily I have a camera!
Well, that is two more days. I will be back as there are 11 in total – I will likely pump those out in two more posts over the next few days. Cheers my dears!
