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Talking about Photographs Content: What kind of image is it? (Advertising, editorial, fine art, etc.). What does it show? what emotional impact does the image have on you? Composition: How are the objects placed in the frame? how does your eye travel around the image? What elements lead your eye into, around, or out of the photograph? What graphic elements come into play here? does the image follow "The Rule of Thirds" or not? Negative Space: How dies the so-called "empty space" in the image work? How does it work with the Positive Space? Background and Foreground: What is the relationship between the Background and the Foreground? Framing: How does the image meet the frame? What is cropped out and what is left in? Does the image feel Balanced? Light: What kind of light is it? It might be direct (hard) light, diffused (soft) light, directional-diffused, or diffused. It may be coming from the front, side, back, over or under the subject. The subject might be a silhouette and become a dark cut-out against a brighter background, or the subject could glow. How does the lighting help determine the mood of the photograph? Is your eye drawn to a particular area because of the way the light is used? Mood: What is the feeling conveyed by the image? What is the mood and how is it created? Perhaps the mood is "Hi Key’ with bright, light tones overall or is it "Low Key" with more subdued darker tones. Tones: Does the print have a full range of tones, from near white or near black and a full range of gray in between? Is it high contrast or is it low contrast? Point of View: Whose point of view is the image shot from? Is it an unusual view or an eye level view? Is it a "high View" (Bird’s Eye View), as seen from high above, encompassing the scene or a "Low View" (Bug’s Eye view) as seen from a low position looking up at the subject (this can give the subject a feeling of power or importance). Is the image a Wide View or a Detail? What is the Scale of the Subject? Perspective: Compressed or expanded? Focus: Is there lots of depth of field where everything is sharp and in focus or is there selective focus to draw your attention to a particular thing? Texture: Does the lighting emphasize textures in the image or minimize them? Look at the way sunlight falls on objects around you> Which light direction brings out the most texture in the object? Personal P.O.V.: How does your personal experience and knowledge affect your interpretation of the photograph? Before reading any captions or labels, spend some time with the image and try to see what the image means to your first! (Note: Read chapter 16 on "Seeing Photographs" in Upton’s Photography)
Photo 100 - Introduction to Black and White Photography Raymond Elstad: Instructor
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