Activity 3

Compare and contrast a landscape photograph with a landscape painting. Discuss the expressive possibilities of each medium using your examples to illustrate your argument. Choose your examples carefully as representative of the medium.


Example: The two images below are similar in subject matter, how are they similar? How are they different? What options does a painter have compared to the options a photographer has in
terms of expression.

Photo by: David Edwards 

Painting by: Ed Mel

Photo by: Unknown

Painting by: Lori McNee

The two images are similar in subject matter being that they're both of white mountains. They are different because the photographer only has what is in front of him to work with, but the painter is open to interpretation.

Activity 2

Find two landscape photographs that question social values or act as a metaphor for personal issues that the photographer is trying to express. Discuss whether the communication is clear or ambiguous and how this communication is conveyed.

Example: What does the image below say about humans need to control the environment? Or, does it indicate an attempt to recreate a time long past and remind people of their outdoor beginnings? What do you think? Does it say anything different?

Photo by: zhuyongming

This photograph demonstrates a question in social values because it's showing pollution from factories with a pretty sunset in the background. The personal issue the photographer is trying to express is that factories are polluting the air and essentially killing the planet. The communication is very clear about what the photographer trying to convey.

Photo by: PEI

This photograph demonstrates a question in social values because it is showing deforestation. Deforestation is causing global warming, soil erosion, and flooding, as well as the lack of trees causing the air to remain polluted. The communication is mostly clear with some room for interpretation.

Activity 1

View the image by Walker Evans on this page and describe what you can actually see (objective analysis) and what you think the image is about (subjective analysis).

Discuss how effective Walker Evans has been in using a landscape image to communicate a point of view. Can this photograph be considered as Art? Give two reasons to support your answer.

Make sure you include the image in your blog post with credit in the citation. When you analyze the photo, look for deeper meaning beyond the literal description of the Photo.

Photo by: Walker Evans

This image by Walker Evans shows a large cross and what seems to be a graveyard. There are some buildings and telephone wires in the background and mountains in the distance. I think the image is about the tranquility of the afterlife and the busyness of life. The entirety of the picture is a little crowded, but when you focus on just the cross, or just the tombstones there's a sense of peace. Evans effectively uses landscape to communicate a point of view by showing how while life can be chaotic and busy, death is peaceful.

Activity 4

Blog Entry
Find two examples of photographs, which make use of maximum depth of field, and two examples, which have very shallow depth of field.
Describe how the photographer’s selective use of aperture affects the subject in each of the photographs you have chosen.

Photo by: PHOTOS4U2C

Photo by: Jim Zuckerman

This photo is an example of maximum depth of field. A photo with a large depth of field has a large area of the picture in focus. It is sharp from front to back. This photo has a large or deep depth of field. Everything from the rock in the ground to the trees and mountains in the background is in focus. A larger aperture is used to achieve this effect.

 This photo is an example of maximum depth of field because everything is in focus to capture the full beauty of the landscape. A larger aperture is used to achieve this effect.

Photo by: Patty Wockenfuss

This photo is an example of shallow depth of field to draw all attention to the flower being the subject of the photo. Everything else is blurred to ensure maximum focus drawn to flower. A smaller aperture is used to achieve this effect.

Photo by: Sara

This photo is an example of shallow depth of field to draw all attention to the cat. The background is blurred out to make the cat the main focus of the photo. A smaller aperture is used to achieve this effect.

Activity 3

Find two images that have been shot into the light or included the light source. Explain how the photographer may have gone about taking a light meter reading for these photographs.




Photo by: David Peterson

This photo is included light source photography because the sunset in the background is the only source of light lighting the photo. The light coming from the back of the photo creates the image of silhouettes as the subject of the photo.




Photo by: Sarah Vaughn

This photo is an example of included light photography because the only light is coming from the lamp in the center of the photo. This form of lighting creates a lot of shadow with some light on the child to draw attention to the selected subject of the photo (the child).

Activity 2

Blog Entry
Find an example of a photograph where the subject has been lit by a single light source and an example where more than one light has been used.
Describe in each the quality and position of the brightest or main light and the effect this has on the subject. In the second example describe the quality and effect the additional light has.

Photo by: Tony Corbell

This photo is an example of single light source photography. The light is from the side of the photo, only lighting her face creating a shadow on the side of her face. 

Photo by: Joel Echelberger

This photo is an example of multiple light source photography because more than one light is being used. The lights are lighting her face to draw the audience's attention, and creating shadows on her arms and lower body. 

Activity 1

Blog Entry

Look through assorted photographic websites and find some examples of subjects lit by hard light and examples of subjects lit by soft light. Describe the effect the light has on the subject’ texture, form and detail, and the overall mood of the picture.

Photo by: Bethan

This picture is an example of hard light photography because it has shadows with harsh edges.

 

Photo by: Kailee Willard

This picture is an example of soft light 

photography because the light source is large relative to the subject. 

Photo by: George Hurrell

This photo is an example of hard light photography because the light creates shadows with harsh edges.

Activity 4

Blog Entry

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.
Create four images, placing the focal point and/or visual weight in different areas of the frame. Discuss whether each image is balanced.

Photo by: Josh

In this picture, the photographer uses an unbalanced technique with the balance leaning towards the left side of the picture. This is in order to create interest and make the viewer wonder what else is happening in the picture.

Photo by: Josh

In this picture the photographer uses balance to create a settling, pleasing look to the viewer. The photo is equal on both sides because of the reflection, therefore it represents balance.

Photo by: Kaitlin Cohen

This photo represents unbalanced photography because of the
heavier weight on the left side of the photo due to the train opposed to the free space and distanced objects on the right side of the photo.

Photo by: Kaitlin Cohen

This photo represents unbalanced photography because of the train up close adding weight to the right side of the photo while the left side has free space.

Photo by: Kaitlin Cohen

This photo represents unbalanced photography because of the heavier weight of subject on the right side opposed to the left.

Photo by: Kaitlin Cohen

This photo represents balanced photography because the weight is distributed across the photo created a sense of balance and visual pleasure to the eye.

Activity 3 part 2

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.

Photo by: Brooke Tasovac

This photo by Brook Tasovac is not an example of rule of thirds because the subject is filling the majority of the frame.

Photo by: Brooke Tasovac

This photo by Brooke Tasovac is not an example of rule of thirds because the subject is not to the right or left side of the photograph.

Activity 3

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.

Photo by: Pamela Tavlov

This photo by Pamela Tavlov is an example of rule of thirds beacuse the palm tree is on the right side of the picture where the grid lines would meet.

Photo by: Posterjack

This photo is an example of rule of thirds because the people are on the left side of the picture where the grid lines would meet.

Activity 2

Activity 2

Blog Entry




Read the following passage taken from the book The Photographer’s Eye by John Szarkowski and answer the questions below.

‘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?

When John Szarkowski says photographers are quoting "out of context" he means that the photographer is taking and focusing on one subject rather than capturing the whole scene. The photographer gets to choose what he/she wants to include and exclude.



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.

Degas used photographs to freeze a moment in time.  This allowed him to closely study human movement and light.  The public would be surprised by the movement shown in his paintings.  Instead of having a subject sit for hours in a stiff, posed position, Degas would capture subjects in various poses throughout an action with movement.  This expression of movement would be a new concept and shocking to the public.

Important: Find another example of a painting that you feel was influenced by photography and include it in your posting!

Painting by: Eugene Durieu

Activity 1

Activity 1

Blog Post

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.

Photo by: Nahom

In this photo by Nahom, the photographer uses a shallow depth of field to keep the focal point on the front-most flower. The photographer blurred out the background, or "excess", to draw complete attention to the subject.

Photo by: Arun Bhat

In this photo by Arun Bhat, the photographer uses a plain background to draw attention to the focal point. This technique of simplicity draws maxim attention to the subject because there is nothing else to focus on.