Project 1: Framing and Composition

This project was the start of our photography class this year. The goal of it was to explore different photography techniques that was an introduction to more complex ones. We had to shoot hundreds of pictures that encapsulated 8 different techniques: rule of thirds, frame within a frame, close up, bird's eye view, bug's eye view, leading lines, diagonals, and filling the frame. Here are my final shots for this project:

Contact Sheets:

Rule of Thirds:

Original

Edited

This is my rule of thirds photograph taken in Director Park. I saw this man casually sitting on the bench and I asked him if I could take his picture as I thought his position and set-up was very accurate for a rule of thirds photograph. To edit this picture, I cropped the white pole out on the right side of the picture and increased the shadows in the picture to add a darker feel. I also added a dark vignette around the edges to accentuate the subjects. 

Frame Within a Frame: 

Original

Edited

This is my frame within a frame photo. I took this in the Pearl District and I thought it was a good representation of frame within a frame because the fence of the parking garage framed the car inside. It also contrasted with the white brick wall. To edit this photo, I desaturated the colors and turned it black and white. I thought that turning it black and white gave the seemingly normal photo a more eerie and isolated feel.

Close Up: 

Original

Edited

This is my close up photo. I was walking my dog and saw a leaf on the ground and I decided to take a picture of it. At first, when I saw the picture blown up on the computer, I wasn't very satisfied with it because it wasn't very clear. When I edited it, however, I sharpened it up and made the colors of the leaf more vibrant. I also darkened the background to make it darker which made the leaf stand out more. I really like the final picture because you can see the veins on the leaf and how much it stands out from the dark background.

Bird's Eye View: 

Original

Edited

This is my bird's eye view photo. I decided to take a picture of a chess board because of its simplicity.  I also like how the class pieces looked from above because usually, chess pieces are viewed from the side. It adds a different perspective to it. To edit this photo, I cropped it to make the sides of the picture disappear. I then added a bit of vignette to it and made it grainier to give it an older mood.

Bug's Eye View:

Original

Edited

This is my bug's eye view image. I feel like this is a good representation of bug's eye view because as I was taking this image, I was so low down to the tree log I was almost lying on the ground which shows the perspective a small bug might have. To edit this picture, I saturated the greens and darkened the image a bit to highlight the main subject of the photo, the tree log. I then added some finishing touches like vignetting the corners and sharpening the image more.

Leading Lines:

Original

Edited

This is my leading lines photo. I think it is a good representation of leading lines because the gaps in my patio led the viewer's eye to the end of it. I really like how the lines were so distinct and how only the mid ground is clear. To edit this photo, I made the blues darker and sharpened the image. I also cropped it to make the lines more of the subject of the photo.

Diagonals:

Original

Edited

This is my diagonals photo. It is a building near Pioneer Square and I was so enthralled by the old-school fire escape. I feel like it added character to the building. By cropping and tilting the image so that the fire escape is at an angle, it made the diagonals more distinct. I then desaturated the colors and made the entire image a bit dimmer. I think it made the image have a more somber mood by making all the colors less vibrant.

Filling the Frame: 

Original

Edited

This is my filling the frame photo. I looked up and saw how the leaves of the tree formed a canopy over me . I though it would accurately represent filling the frame if I just shot the leaves and branches filling the whole picture. To edit this picture, I first worked on adjusting the color to my liking. Because the dominating color in this picture is green, I wanted it to be the main focus of the picture so I made the green brighter and to pop. I put some white vignette around the edges to pull the viewer's eye towards the center of the photo.