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.