Elements of Art and Principles of Design in Photography

Elements of Art

Lines are marks made by a pointed tool: brush, pencil, pen, etc. Lines can vary in width, direction, curvature, length, or color.

             

                    

The painting represents lines because                I chose this photo because there is a 

a dark black line is what they used to                curvy line used as a fence.

draw the body of the animal.

Shapes are formed wherever the ends of a continuous line meet. Geometric shapes such as circles, triangles or squares have perfect, uniform measurements and don't often appear in nature. Organic shapes are associated with things from the natural world, like plants and animals.

            

I chose this painting for shapes because           The photo is of a quilt and it is only

it has many square, rectangles, and small         made up of squares and triangles.

circles in it.

Color wheels show the primary colors, secondary colors, and the tertiary (intermediate) colors. They also show the relationships between complementary colors across from each other, such as blue and orange; and analogous (similar or related) colors next to each other such as yellow, green, and blue. Black and white may be thought of as colors but, in fact, they are not. White light is the presence of all color; black is the absence of reflected light and therefore the absence of color.

                 

I chose this painting for color                        I chose this picture because they have

because it shoes the 3 primary colors           the basic colors and the colors across from

and there is complementary colors across     each other are are analogous, are related.

from each other.

Value, or tone, refers to dark and light; the value scale refers to black and white with all gradations of gray in between.  Value contrasts help us to see and understand a two-dimensional work of art.

         

I chose this painting for value because         I chose this picture because its tone refers

the tone is black and white. The scale is      to black and white and is even.

even.

Form describes objects that are three-dimensional, having length, width, and height.

          

This describes form because the objects in     The picture of the flower looks like it is

the painting look three-dimensional.               popping out at you, and looks very three-
                                                                       dimensional. 

Texture can be rough, bumpy, slick, scratchy, smooth, silky, soft, prickly--the list is endless.  Texture refers to the surface quality, both simulated and actual, of artwork.

               

I picked this for texture because the surface         The ice cream looks smooth and cool.

quality looks smooth and slick.                            you can see where it is starting to melt.

Space refers to distances or areas around, between, or within components of a piece. Space can be positive (white or light) or  negative (black or dark), open or closed,shallow or deep, and two-dimensional or three-dimensional. 

                          

I chose this because the space around              The space around the subject is

the piece is black and dark.                               black and it makes the photo look deep.

Principles of Design 

Balance is the comfortable or pleasing arrangement of things in art.  There are three different types of balance: symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial. 
        

I chose this because there is symmetrical      I chose this picture because it shows 

balance withe the cans.                                 that the building are asymmetrically balanced.

Contrast is created by using elements that conflict with one another. Often, contrast is created using complementary colors or extremely light and dark values. Contrast creates interest in a piece and often draws the eye to certain areas. It is used to make a painting look interesting.

              

I chose this painting because there        I chose this picture because the picture

are complementary dark and light         looks interesting with it being black and white

colors, black and white.                        and draws the eye to the house.

Emphasis in the focal area of an artwork gives it importance.  An artist may stress some elements of the design over others. The eye of the viewer will focus on the area of emphasis or center of interest first, then take in the rest of the composition. 

           

I chose this because the flowers are                I chose this photo because the color

colored bright so you focus on them and       of the rainbow stands out in the black 

then look at the man.                                      and white photo.

Movement in an artwork means the artist is taking viewers on a trip through the work by means of lines, edges, shapes, and colors often leading to the focal area.  Movement is a visual flow through the composition. It can be the suggestion of motion in a design as you move from object to object by way of placement and position.  Directional movement can be created with a value pattern. It is with the placement of dark and light areas that you can move your attention through the format.

          

I chose this painting for movement                 The movement of the water and the waves

because you can see the ripples in the            leads your eyes to the boat in the water.

water that suggests motion.

Patterns are made in art when the same shapes or elements are repeated again and again.  Pattern uses the elements of art in planned or random repetitions to enhance surfaces of paintings or sculptures.

                     

Pattern is shown in the picture because the          The pattern on the wall is the same

person gossiping is shown twice and it goes       design over and over so if it continued

from one person to the other.                               you would know what goes on next.

Rhythm is the repetition of shapes, lines, and forms.  Rhythm is a movement in which some elements recurs regularly.  

                

The same line strokes are used in                In this picture the same strokes are shown

the painting.                                                in the sand. They recur regularly. 

Unity means that all elements in an artwork are in harmony.  Unity brings together a composition with similar units.  

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I chose the painting because only swirly         I chose the picture because there are

lines are used and not a single geometric        only the same strokes over and over.

shape.

Avoiding Mergers

In this photo there is smoke everywhere and a lot of people. You can see that some people were cropped out and where not all completely in the shot so this is considered a merger. If the only were to take a photo of a few people so that all of them could be in the shot that wouldn't be considered a merger. 

Framing

The two buildings on the left and right side of the picture and the truck at the bottom of the picture can be used as a frame. The frame is surrounds the crane so you know exactly what your subject is.

Balance

The photograph is almost symmetrical. There are an equal amount of buildings on each side and even the refection on the water are equally balanced. If you would cut the photo in half vertically they would almost be identical.

Lines

This photo is made up of lines. You can see the horizontal lines of smoke coming out of the building and give the photo an interesting look. 

The Rule of Thirds

This photo represents the rule of thirds because the man is in the center of the photo and you know where the man is heading. The path is very clear to where he is heading.

Simplicity

The photo is zoomed into where the plain hit the tower and you can only see the the tower. The background is just the plain blue sky so you know exactly what to look at and nothing is in the background. You know the subject is the tower. 

Photo Manipulation and Ethics

1.

A. The photos have been altered and photoshopped obviously and it causes people their jobs. They are mostly political matters such as making their country look stronger, to intimidate, to show prejudice, but they are all offensive. The people who  manipulate photos are just trying to make their photos look better and eliminate distractions.
B. These type of photos are unethical because it offends several people and they're prejudice. It's not right to to change a photo just to benefit their power.






2.
A.

I think this is the most Unethical because Bust and Hussein did not debate and they are lying to everyone. If they didn't they shouldn't have manipulated the photo and said they did.

B. 

 + =

                       

I don't feel like this photo shop wasn't as unethical as the others. They are trying to show diversity in the campus and I feel like it was fine to do it. No real harm was done to the picture in my perspective. 

National Geographic Contest

This is my favorite photo because I love how the photographer captured the nature and scenery. It's beautiful and it makes me wonder if going there is as breath taking as the photo. I love the lighting and the reflexion of the landforms in the water. It looks so peaceful and calm, somewhere i would love to be at. 

If I were to take a picture representing my world I would take it at Fredericksburg on top of enchanted rock. The sight is so beautiful on top of that rock and you can see for miles up there, you're higher up than the birds fly and its breath taking. 

Post Shoot Reflection

http://stephaaaniee.blogspot.com/

1. I really liked that she took different angles for each of her photos. Its not dull or boring but gives another view of the subjects in the picture.
2. You can definitely tell she understood the assignment.
3. I would like to say, she could improve on focusing more on the red subject, he was blurry but other than that I really liked her photos.

40 Greatest Photos Ever

Louie Favorite

I picked this photo because it warms my heart to see a mother being reunited with her mother. They have been apart for several months and this picture moves me to tears. The photo was just of them and it blurred out the background so the photographer could focus more on the scene. It made the top 40 because the photo captures so much emotion and it just freezes the value of life.

Rich Lam

When I look at this picture it brings me to awe. The main reason this photo caught my attention was that it was just focused on the couple and everything was blurred out (the police officer especially). Ive noticed that most of the photos on the site mostly have to do with war and politics and since this was during a riot, that probably why it was chosen to be in the top 40.

Gary Cosby Jr.

I love love love this picture. I love dogs and he might have lost everything in that tornado and might not have any family left. Having his companion with him still by his side makes me feel so happy for him. I can tell the photographer was  on his knees taking the photo zooming in on the man and his dog. I would say it made the top 40 because it shows how even when you lose anything you still have someone right by your side. It was a miracle and it shows hope.

Great black and white photographers, Part 2

Walker Evans

   

   Walker Evans was born 1903 in St. Louis Missuri. Evans only attended one year of college before dropping out  to go to New York City where he found work in bookstores. He had a had a passion for writing and went to Paris to work on his short stories and non-fiction articles essays. As if being drawn back, he went back to New York in the intend to become a write but also grabbed a camera while he was at it. With the camera he gradually redirected his passion of writing into taking photos since it was another way of capturing literature, irony, and all of his writing.  One of his famous works published was the picture he took an Alabama tenant farmer's wife. 

  

Red, Metal, Happy

Red

Metal

Happy!!

Camera Parts

Definitions 

Aperture- an opening, hole, or gap that emits light
Shutter- a device that opens and closes to expose the film in a camera
Exposure- the act of exposing a photographic film to light or other radiation
Depth of Field- the distance between the nearest and the furthest objects that give an image judged to be in focus in a camera
F-stop- a camera setting corresponding to a particular f-number
Focal Length-  the distance between the center of a lens or curved mirror and its focus

Buttons on the camera 

• Aperture/exposure/erase- regulates the amount of light let into the camera
• Live view shooting/movie shooting- lets you capture videos
• Setting- lets you control the settings on the camera
• Display- lets you see the images and videos on your camera
• Playback- rewinds videos to see them again
• Mode dial- lets you decide how to use the settings on the camera
• Power Switch- turns the camera on and off 
• Flash Button- is in charge of the flash settings
• Main dial- used to dial the film
• Shutter button- is used to shoot the picture

Camera History

"The Camera"

1. The "camera obscura" affect is when a scene is projected (upside down) on an opposite wall. It is achieved by making a small hole in the wall where light is focused through into the dark room.
2. In the 17th century man created glass lenses which took them a step forward in the creation for modern camera.
3. A dark box, glass lens, and film were used to create the first modern camera.
4. The process of taking the photograph is still the same, light passes through the lens, into the camera, and exposes the film. The end results will always be a picture.
5. Digital cameras capture images with an electronic sensor called a CCD.

"Camera Modes"

6. In auto mode, the camera will completely control the flash and exposure. Unlike auto mode, in program mode you will have control over flash and a few other camera settings.

7. Portrait mode is used when you would like to blur out the background. To do this, the camera will try to use the fastest available lens setting.

8. The sports mode is used for when you would like to take a freeze motion shot. To do this, the camera will use the highest shutter speed possible.

"The Half Press"

9. Photographers should use the half press technique because it's a faster-full press response and it allows the photographer to freeze the point of focus before taking the shot. It has more focused results.

"Controlling Flash"

10. The symbol means the flash is disabled. You would use this when you would like to use the natural light to make a more dramatic shot.

11. The symbol means the auto-flash is enabled by default. The camera will use this when it thinks it needs more light.

"Introduction to Exposure"

12. If there is too much light in the photo, it will be washed out.

13. If there is not enough light in the photo, it will be too dark.

"Stops and Exposure"

14. A "stop" is a relative measurement of light.

15. It would be 1 stop brighter.

16. It would be 2 stops brighter.

"Shutter and Aperture"

17. A longer shutter speed has the affect of more light.

18. A shorter shutter speed has the affect of less light.

19. The aperture controls the lights opening. 

20. You can increase the amount of light through the aperture by changing it to a smaller F-stop number.

Masters of Black and White Photography

 

Couple at Cony Island

By: Walker Evans

           

                            By: Gary Winogrand 

 White Barn and clouds

White poplar tress

                            By: Minor White

Flip

La Sidewalk