Photo Fundamentals: Alex Graves: July 2020

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Project 6- First Progress Review

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Research & Write: Cartier-Bresson Image Critique

I picked this image because when I saw it, it truly stopped me in my tracks. The amount of emotion it evoked in me was startling. I usually like to look at travel photography, or beautiful scenery that arouses a sense of adventure and wonder in me. I have never looked at photography that is meant to be so disquieting. This image is very different and has an important message.

I feel like growing up in the United States to a middle class family is such an incredible privilege, looking at this photo really made me think about that. There are so many people who are living in abhorrent conditions and the photographer is shedding a light on that. He is sending a message with his photograph and telling a story of extreme poverty. To see such despair in their eyes is depressing and makes you want to help these people. I believe the focal point is the man closest to the camera, his face is fully in view and his eyes are begging for help. I believe this is the main message of the photograph. From the focal point there is a clear line down the stairs that your eye is drawn to, almost like reading a book, watching things get worse and worse. The color palette is made up of blacks, whites, and grays. All the negative space in the background forces you to focus solely on the people and their situation, there are no distractions here. I believe this photograph is a call to action. He is throwing this horrible image at you, begging you not to ignore it. Showing you such tragedy, in the hope these people get help.

Monday, July 27, 2020

Project 6 Proposal

Proposal 1-

The goal of this photo essay is to capture mornings. Life is too short to wake up in the same place and do the same thing every morning. I want to capture the feeling of adventure you get from exploring things around you. With COVID going on I think a lot of people have gotten bored and antsy, feeling like they can't leave their house or go out and do anything fun. I want to inspire people to get out and experience the world. I want to shoot a cup of coffee in different places that I spend my mornings. A few ideas I have for the shot list are at national parks with a beautiful scenic background, taking a morning walk, or even more mundane places like next to a good book on my bedside table. The point of the photo essay is to show that mornings are beautiful, the world is beautiful, and you should go out and see it. Don't waste life away sitting on the couch watching other people do exciting things on Netflix, go out and experience the world for yourself!

Alternate Proposal-

For my alternate proposal I would like to focus on textures. Often times we are so busy or caught up in a podcast, music, TV, or other distracting things that we do not slow down enough to focus on the things around us. I want to photograph different textures around us in everyday life to evoke mindfulness. Slowing down and really looking at your surroundings, seeing how different everything is and thinking about what the textures may feel like. Ideas for my shot list are really endless, I could shoot grass blades blowing in the wind, old wooden floorboards, liquid in a cup, or even close ups of rocks with unique textures.