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.