This week in Multimedia Production we discussed photography and the creative devices we use to make photos visually interesting. On February 7th, we moved from our typical class spot to the University of Wyoming’s Williams Conservatory where we took pictures inside and outside of a greenhouse.
For this assignment I was supposed to take shots using creative devices including, rule of thirds, leading lines, and several others.
During this hour of snapping photographs, I used an older digital camera. The Canon Rebel T3i and shot in manual mode.
These were my favorite shots taken during the hour. I found myself using depth, focus, and leading lines the most while I was taking pictures.
I consider focus to be the dominant creative device in the photo. I lowered my aperture on my digital camera and focused on the branch closest to my camera. The clear focus on the first branch draws the viewers eye to the left side of the frame first before traveling down the rest of the branch.
A few other creative devices used here include leading lines from the left to the right side of the photo, rule of thirds with the first branch in focus on the far left side, and framing with the dark cabinets going around the focused branch.
In the photo I wish I could have gotten on the level of the branch instead of looking down at it.
Rule of thirds is the dominant creative device in my photo titled ‘Just Hanging.’ I believe that if this hanging plant was in the middle, the photo would have lacked depth and visual interest. However, with the pot towards the right side of the frame, it allows for a better understanding of where the plant is in the environment.
Balance is another device used. The focused pot in the bottom right and the hanging leaves in the top right create balance in the frame.
One thing I wish I did not do was crop out the bottom of the pot. I believe the viewer would have a better understanding of where it is in the space if they could see the entire object.
I believe that the most dominant creative device used in this photo was cropping. I cropped out the tire of the bicycle from the visual frame, however, left just enough for the viewer to understand that it is a bicycle wheel.
Some of the other creative devices used in this photo are rule of thirds, focus, and depth. I wish I had turned down my ISO on my camera to allow less light into my lens. Due to the amount of light used, the background is a bit washed out.
I used leading lines as my dominant creative device. This tree trunk reaches from the bottom of the frame to the outer two corners, leading eye throughout the photo. I believe this photo proves that even a still shot can create movement.
Another device used in this picture is depth. The natural lines created by the branches lead up showing that the trunk is tall and wide.
The creative device that I believe is most prominent in this photo is depth. The focus on my dear friend Kathryn and the blur in the buildings behind her create a foreground and a background. The foreground being the subject, Kathryn, and the background being the trees and the building.
I am quite proud of the snow flurries I was able to capture in front and behind Kathryn. One thing I would have changed was the cropping. I would have preferred a vertical photo than a horizontal photo.
This is my favorite shot out of the five I have chosen. Mainly due to the happiness captured. I was in the right place at the right time. I sure do love my friend Kathryn, even if she uses Nikon.
McKenna Nylander Media 