Photo Portfolio Design Elements 2

DESCRIPTION:

The elements chosen were depth of field and motion. Depth of fields concentrates the viewer's focus of the selected subject. Motion gives movement to the image, preventing it from becoming static and boring.

NOTES:

When taking pictures of a particular subject , it is often best to have a deep depth of field. This allows more texture to be captured from further away. When using a shallow depth of field, it is best to leave the subject to a side, so as to employ the rule of thirds and to show the lack of focus on other objects.

RESEARCHED IMAGES:

The photographer used a shallow depth of field, focusing only on the firefly and on the stick that it is resting on. This directs the viewer's eye to the subject. This prevents the viewer to look aimlessly around the frame.

This photographer also used a shallow depth of field. This directs the viewer's attention to the subject; the doll. If a large depth of view was used, the entire picture would have been in focus, defeating the purpose of the image itself.

This image is an example of motion. The shutterspeed used was slow, so that there would be blur. This gives the viewer the illusion of motion.
MOTION CONTACT SHEETS:

I did not have a lot of possibilities to take pictures of motion. I tried to work the best I could with what I had. One of the main problems I encountered was that as my shutter speed got slower, my images were blown out. They appeared almost completely white. I also tried to capture motion, as I did with the water fountain.


DEPTH OF FIELD CONTACT SHEETS:

When taking pictures of depth of field, I wanted to take pictures of nature. I later decided to also take images of mad made objects, do my whole collection would not be monotonous and boring. I tried to take pictures of common household objects; objects that people usually do not take a second glance at. That  is why I chose the pen as my favorite photo. 

FINAL SELECTION OF MOTION:

I decided to use a picture in which I froze motion as my final selection. I have always preferred pictures where a moving object is frozen in motion, capturing the detail that was present for a fraction of a second.  As I was walking, I was thirsty, so I drank from the fountain. I then stopped, and wondered, how many people are actually aware that this was here, how many people recognized how convenient it was? I then stepped on the pedal, and took a picture of the water that flowed ever gracefully from the tap. 

When I was relocated to Pattaya because of the floods, I paced around my hotel looking for opportunities to take picture with motion. As I was by the lobby, I came across a pond. People walked by it without much thought, ignoring it completely. The more I looked at it, the more I realized its size, and its potential. Unfortunately, when I used slower shutter speeds, the whole picture blew out. I then decided to use this picture, so as to have a picture with frozen motion, and one with implied motion in my final selection. 

FINAL SELECTION OF DEPTH OF FIELD:

As I was taking notes in class, I stopped and looked at my pen, realizing that It was extremely useful. I decided to express it, but the challenge was how to set it up? I over heard a friend of mine come up with the idea of placing a pen next to writing and taking a picture of it. When I did, I took several pictures, most of which aren't in the contact sheets above. The challenge I faced was to focus on the writing, because its small size made it hard for the camera to pick up. 

As I was walking around ISB, I was looking for anything that wasn't green and had potential. I then happened across a couple of purple flowers in a bush. I realized that not only could I use a shallow depth of field, but the purple flowers would serve as complementary colors. After a few attempts, I came up with this. The other flowers are out of focus, and they also serve as leading lines to direct the viewers attention to the biggest flower.

DESCRIPTION OF LEARNING:

During this portfolio, I learned to pay attention to common objects which other people over look on a daily basis. I decided to look for potential in everything, but I also learned that even though most things have potential, it is not necessarily easy to bring out that potential and use it.

DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS:

In the future, I want to use the rule of thirds more often, and to employ leading lines towards the subject on the side of the frame. I will also try to take more pictures of one subject before giving up and moving on.