One photo - show the beauty of light. Find a great subject and put it in great light. Think about shooting early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Content counts, too.
Up next is an environmental portrait. We'll review this in class on February 25 , so you'll need to have it on the server by February 24 at 7:00 p.m. (when lab closes).
You need to choose a news-worthy person and tell us their story in a single image. You get to control everything - location, pose, composition. You're responsible for everything in that frame - make smart choices. Do not be afraid of controlling this image.
This photo needs some background control. I think the frame should have been shifted a bit to the left so the door behind the police officer isn't showing. I understand that the article is about a bulgary so people need to see how messy the room is, but a better angle on this photo would have made it better and still just as effective.
Your next assignment involves shooting four photographs of the same scene, but with four different camera settings. They must all have the same composition, altering the focal length and the aperture as follows:
You've got three of your 36 faces worked up and submitted. To keep you honest, by 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 12 5 p.m on Friday, February 13, you need to put nine more images on the server - three from 28 mm, three from 50 mm and three from 75 mm. Crop then in the same way (4 inches by 6 inches at 200 dpi) with full captions, as we did in class on Wednesday.
This photograph taken of the recent fire on Milledge Avenue is a great representation of good composition such as the rule of thirds, framing and leading lines. I love how sharp and crisp the smoke is in the photograph as well.
In opposition, this photograph is not my favorite. Although it has leading lines and I like the color, the background control...well, I don't think there is much! The photograph is overall too busy...
For this photograph I wasn't sure if it would be possible to make the picture on the cell phone more clear? I like how the person's head is out of focus, but could it be possible to make the sharpness of the device better??
I really, really like this picture! I would have tried a different angle, but it's fun and I think for a staged photo that it is composed very well. I like the yarn in the background and the expression of the woman's face.
For a picture I just don't like, there's this. I feel like the horizon is tilted and there is nothing interesting about it. Also, the photography definitely doesn't implement the rule of thirds.
For my questionable picture, this one makes me think. Would a tighter crop work here? Is it too empty up top?
This National Georgraphic photo is clean and colorful. (Although my favorite photo of the year is this one, which might get on others' nerves because his hand is cut out of the frame. I'm really just looking for an excuse to share it with someone, since none of my friends cared when I showed it to them last March.)
The photo is bad. The caption is a different matter entirely. It's hard to decide what to look at in this photo. There are random blurry objects in the foreground, and the firefighter is behind bars.
With photos like this, is it just luck? How difficult is it to have control over composition when in a plane or helicopter?
I like this picture because I think it's very striking and the firefighter in the back is cool. The woman in my second picture is too dark, and I want to be able to see her expression (although I guess I can imagine it). I was wondering in my third picture about the lighting. It just looks funny to me.
I liked this picture because the colors all came out well, you can tell it's a bad situation and it forces you to atleast read the headline. The rain factored in just right too because you can tell it's raining but it doesn't distract you from what's going on in the photo.
I didn't like this photo because it took me too long to focus in on what the picture was of and I think a little more contrast would have helped make the scence clearer.
I would have liked to see the patient in focus since it's an article about healthcare but that's obviously not the angle the photographer too...Would it have worked to have some sort of middle ground so that the woman wasn't so out of fucus in this picture?
Here is my choice for the picture I have a question about...
It breaks the rule of thirds by putting the subject of the photo right in the center, but in my opinion, it is still well composed. I think it works because the men in the background are equally in focus, and they have color the man in the foreground is lacking. I was just wondering who agreed with me, and if not, how you would do it differently? I don't think shifting the man to the right would improve the image at all.
Here is my bad photo... I think it looks very amateur. There doesn't seem to be any thought put into the composition, the article just needed a picture of the Apollo, and someone snapped one. There's a little warping like Mark talked about as well.
This has got to be several people's choice for best composition, because its on the homepage, but I couldn't pass it up. I loved how the yellow of the fireman's outfit popped because of the smokey environment. The focus is great, even though the firefighter in the the background is also yellow, he is muted and obscured. Great use of the rule of thirds.
I like this photo (photo number 9) because it is very sharp. I also like the smoke in the background. I do not like this photo because it is very dark and there is not a lot of contrast to it. How would you re-stage this photo? It doesn't make me think if a home foreclosure, it looks more like the results of a natural disaster.
The good:
I like the composition of this photo (# 2). I think the focus is right where it should be and I really like that you can see the reflection in the man's binoculars.
The bad:
I don't really like the composition of this photo (# 32). I think the picture could have been taken from a different angle, or even cropped better to get the cars out of the bottom and the streetlights out from the front of the sign.
The ?:
This photo (# 10) is taken from underneath ice. Would the photographer be able to to get a picture without going underwater to take it?
I like this picture because every inch of it explains what it is trying to convey. It's very simple in a way, but it makes a direct message that is powerful.
I don't like this picture (Number 29) because there is no information besides a silhouette. It looks sloppy.
I have a question about this picture (Number 3). I think the content is so interesting, but you don't know what it is at first glance. Wouldn't it of made more sense to step back and show more of the camel? At this angle it could be someone's shaved head.
The Good: Paolo Pellegrin's photo of Frank Langella for The New York Times ( the 4th one in Langella's series). The photo is interesting and plays with the shadows to create a compositional effect.
I really liked this photo. It has great depth of field.
I did not like this image at all. I feel like there should be less depth of field, especially since the seats are not completely filled. The background being in focus makes the image look very busy, and it takes away from the players and the ball, which should be the center of focus.
This image confused me. I wasn't sure what the focus was supposed to be. The caption refers to the people in the background, which makes me think they are the focus of the image, so I wondered why the photographer did not choose to put the people in the center of the frame. The picture also seems a little crooked to me, and I don't like how the walkway is not centered because it does not lead the eye to the focus like it should.
-Lindsay
1. GOOD PHOTO
"The 'W' Word, Re-Engaged"
-I thought this photo was great because of the way it captured the words written on the booklet, and how the book almost acted as a direct line to the man sitting down. It was clear where you were supposed to look instantly. The picture is so descriptive you don't even need a title or a passage to figure out what's going on.
2. BAD PHOTO
"Landmark downtown diner changing owners, but nothing else"
-I just felt like there was too much going on here. I'm not sure who the focal point is, and the lighting is really annoying.
3. QUESTION PHOTO
"Dappled"
-I just wanted to know how the photographer was able to put light on just the 3 subjects they wanted with this picture. It seems to be pretty effective.
Good picture:
I really like this picture because the body of the butterfly is in so clear and in focus. I find it hard to blur surrounding images while making one element sharp and this picture demonstrates this concept perfectly. Also, the colors in the picture are vivid and pleasant to the eye.
Bad picture:
I really do like this picture (picture 10/10), but I think the photographer could have snapped the picture a second later and got the tennis racket at a better angle. The composition of the picture would be more "intense" if the racket was more visible.
Question:
The composition and coloring of this picture is unreal. It looks painted and the reflection of the mountains in the water is without a single flaw. My question is, did it take a lot of "photoshopping" to get this image to look this way? Also, can the cameras we are given to use take pictures of this quality? If not, what type of camera took this?
I like this photo I think that the composition uses the Rule of Thirds well. The photographer also uses the water coming out of the hose to draw your eyes across the rest of the picture.
I did not like photo 31. There is a lot going on in the background. The lady in the white coat has a head coming out of her shoulder and the arm coming out of the top left of the photo is rather distracting. I think there could have been a better angle to take a photo of a career fair than this.
How did the photography get such a contrast between the building, the wall and the people in this photo?
This is my choice for a great photo. The positioning is very well done, colors are great, and it's something interesting to look at.
My choice for bad composition is this photo. Maybe the photographer couldn't get another good shot but his aim is a bit off and the fuzzed out policeman in the foreground distracts us from the subject.
My question picture is this one. How in the world can you get this effect? It's absolutely stunning.
I really liked this photo. The fencing down the middle helps guide the viewers eyes through the picture and the whole space is filled in an interesting way.
I wasn't a huge fan of this photo. I feel like there was definately a good idea behind it, but it is a little to hazy for my taste. Not only that, but only the horse on the left side is the only one which is clear. I found it to be distracting.
I really liked this picture also but as I was looking at it, I wondered why the photographer didnt move her camera to the right or left a little bit more so that she was able to get more of the white horse and less of the backsides of the horses in the background.
I thought this photo had a nice composition. The bridge guided the eye to the ferry and it was placed well (rule of 3rds).
I thought this photo compositionally was a bit sloppy. Maybe the photographer was going for "chaos," but it starts to give me a headache if I look at it too long.
My question about the composition of this picture was why the photographer chose to be so far away from the subject. It seems like some of the information in the photo (like the car sticking out on the left) could have been left out in favor of a closer shot.
Good photo
I thought this picture, the first in this "The Big Picture" series titled "African Immigration to Europe," was very well-done. The boldness of the red blanket really makes the subject pop in contrast to the dark browns and blues of the background. It also follows the rule of thirds which I think works well here. And lastly, the expression on this man's face really grabs your attention and captures the essence of the story.
Not-so-good photo
I wasn't crazy about this photo. I liked individual parts of it, like the fallen crane, the anger in the man's face (assuming he's telling the photog to go away ... who knows?). Some parts of it seem out of focus, and it's just busy overall. The guy on the left is distracting, as well as the cut-off guy on the right. I just think the photographer could have achieved a better angle with a little less clutter.
Questionable photo
This Reuters photo was of a serve during a recent tennis match. I think it looks kind of cool in a Magic Eye, playing-around-with-Photoshop kind of way, but I think sports photos look best with the traditional frozen snapshot, with lots of detail, as opposed to the blurriness of this one. My question is when do sports photogs choose to go for a non-traditional shot like this one, and why?
Good: I thought this photo's composition was powerful. The photographer is almost eye level with the man crawling so you get a personal view of his facial expressions. Also, their is a sense of direction from this man and the others in the background as they are crawling. Would the composition be better if the photographer were not dead on with the man crawling?
Bad: I don't think this photo is well composed. I'm not even sure where the focal point is? or what is even going on in this picture. My eye is not directed in any particular place.
Question: When is it good to put the focus in the center? In this photo, does it work?
I really like the first picture in this slideshow; because I thought it was good contrast between the clear ice and the color of the bird. Also I thought the bird and icicles were in very much in focus. I didn't like this picture, because I thought it was too dark to the point where you couldn't even really make out the subjects. This is the picture I have a question about. I like it but I was just wondering how high of a shutter speed this was shot at and I thought it was a cool angle.
I thought this photo had a really nice composition. The contrast between the white snow and the bright uniforms of the skaters is really nice. The colors of the skater's uniforms really make them pop and that is what your eye is drawn to first because they are placed in the middle of the photo.
This photo (number 22) I believe has poor composition. The stained glass window is not focused very well. The women in the picture is badly placed in the corner that it takes a while to actually notice her.
In this photo, (number 26) the caption does state that it was a long exposure, but I was wondering how long would an exposure have to be to have this effect.
The good: Here (Jan 22.-29, photo 8). I like the placement of the man in the frame and the position the photographer managed to make this photo from (i.e. looking down on the subject). The caption adds a lot of vital information; however, I think it's a well-composed image.
This is my first composition photo, one I really think is good:
Beach Girl
I love this photo! It has a really clean background, a diagonal line (the beach line) that leads to the subject (the girl). Also, it follows the rule of thirds, because the girl is is the bottom of the first third of the photo. It has a really nice calm moment and I like the muted tones of the picture. Very simple photo, in composition and colors.
This is my second composition photo, one I know is really bad:
Two Dawg Guys
What is up with this picture? It's just a mess. The background is out of control. There's no moment at all. The second guy (on the right) is in some kind of shadow. Also, the photo doesn't focus on anything. I'm not quite sure what I'm looking at.
This is my third composition photo, one I have questions about:
Cargo Plane
I really like this photo, how it's framed with the trees and the sun is peeking out behind the plane. My question is, how do you take a picture where an object is completely shadowed like is this photo?
The Good
This picture is a great illustration for the story. It shows the situation from a great angle and has great composition.
The Bad
The picture I chose is the fifth one in the slideshow. This picture has a confusing background and the caption doesn't match what is going on in it.
The Questionable
The eighth picture in this set is really neat looking. It is as if the droplets are frozen in air. How do they do this while maintaining the clarity?
Zebra
I love this picture because the focus on the lighting are so sharp and the viewer's eye goes directly to where it should. The picture captures a great moment between the animal and the photographer when the zebra stands apart from the rest of the herd as he looks at the photographer.
Penelope Cruz
(number 13) I don't like this picture because there are too many highlights and objects in the background distracting from the main subject. I looked at everything else in the photo before I looked at her.
Kat Dennings
I was wondering how this photograph was taken (it is number 4).
This photo of a streetlight on 96th St. in New York was taken very well. I imagine it was very difficult to get the proper exposure in light of such poor quality, but many details came out quite nicely. I thought the way the people and cars were blurred was very poetic, as if the world was just rushing by, completely oblivious of this streetlight, even when it was broken. Also, I really like how the lights (not just from the streetlights, but also from the brake lights in the cars) stand out so prolifically. Very nice contrast to the general darkness of the rest of the picture.
The role of Lee Van Cleef will be played by this photo of Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad. The huge flash of light at the top of the picture (it kinda looks like a spirit bomb...from Dragon Ball Z...anyone?...I'm a nerd?...OK, let's just get on with this) definitely shouldn't be there. Visual hierarchy is pretty much out the window, since there are so many other faces and extraneous body parts.
I do have a question about the composition in this picture. While the focus is properly centered on the proper subject (Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner), there are plenty of other faces in the picture as well, and there is a feeling of jumbled-ness. Is it OK to have this many other elements in the picture if the focus is well-executed?
Good Photo:
Mustangs
This photo has a nice leading line to the helicopter, which is unexpected. The fence also works as a frame, to separate the two elements in the photo, the cowboy (old school) and the helicopter (very modern). I also think the shadow on the cowboy works well as a metaphor for his disappearance as part of American society.
Bad Photo:
Boy at Eclipse
It looks like the top of the boy's head magically disappeared, and he now has a tree and building growing straight out of his brain. It's also very hard to separate him from the goats behind him. Cute moment with the goggles on the goat though.
Question:
M. Luther
How did they achieve this lighting? There's white light coming in at the window, but the room is all blue, and then there's the white spotlight on the Bible itself.
Well composed: Photo 4.
The machine creates a line that you can follow to the subject of the photo.
Poorly composed: Photo 14.
I can't stop staring at the giant, blurry hands to the left of the man the photographer is actually trying to shoot.
Question: Photo 12.
It looks like this was taken from above (perhaps the funeral was closed?). How do ethics play into photos like this one? Is it ethical to shoot it from above if you can't get in?
By 7 p.m., Sunday, February 8, please find links to three photos that center on the ideas of strong composition. One well composes image, one poorly composes image and one that you have a question about. You need to post links to this blog and please be sure you assign the right label to them ... makes my life easier.
A perfect way to show just how ridiculous the coverage on every stage of inauguration day was. A nicely composed, light-hearted photograph, I enjoy the little surprise of realizing that the glowing sea the Obamas are dancing in is so many point-and-shoot cameras and cellphones.
I really liked this photo of the president and his wife. It is a great moment, one which I believe exemplifies the presidency. When I think of the balls, this is the moment I think of, probably because it is in so many movies. It also has great point of view and good composition.
I enjoy this picture the most because it speaks to what the day truly meant more than the pageantry and ceremony. The envelope symbolizes the threshold the country was and there is a sense of mystery that intrigues me and most viewers.
I really liked this photo because in my opinion it reflects the American spirit. The Lincoln Memorial in the background is surrounded by fog, and the light coming through the trees seems to be showing a new sense of hope.
The photo is very visually appealing and has many different elements which all seem to go together really well.
I liked this picture because I thought it captured a moment. It made me laugh just because here are two people who are opposed on virtually every issue and they're acting like old friends. It's so political. I also liked these pictures, particularly #39 because it's had a mood to it and I think that it's just a beautiful image.
This was taken the day of the inauguration; however, it isn't exactly of the inauguration. It's a well-composed shot, though. It definitely captures the moment well and has journalistic value. I like the inclusion of "Git'mo" at the top.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/01/21/world/abroad_paris.jpg
I really liked this picture because it was one of the few pictures that was not set in the United States, but in Paris. It shows how important Obama's election is to other nations, and how people all over the world seem to be rooting for Obama and his success. I really enjoy pictures that show how people in other countries react to important events that happen here. Not only is the hall beautiful, but I also love how the picture is composed.
Lindsay Dobras
So many wonderful photos to choose from, narrowed it down to these three...
I loved this one with the Obama fam from nytimes.com - Sasha is giving Pres. Barack Obama a thumbs-up after he's sworn in. It's a great moment, and I think subtly reflects the importance of family in his life. I wish we could see more of Barack and Michelle's expression in this, but this photographer was probably not close enough to get the best angle.
This photo is one of my favorites (The Boston Globe), simply because I always wonder what politicians say to each other during small talk opportunities, especially when they're surrounded by cameras. I think this has comedic potential for a caption contest. I also really enjoyed the ring of "Former President Bush" in the caption.
Also, this hat deserves a photographic shout-out.
-J. Paxton
I really like this photo because it's so simple but has a lot of significance and historical value. The colors of the Bible and Michelle Obama's gloves and coat also came out very nicely.
This photo I thought was a really nice photograph of Obama before he stepped out on the podium. The way the people are angled around him draws your eye to Obama. I though this was a nice moment that during all the chaos he is still able to take a moment and take it all in. (The picture is 10 of 15)
I also thought this was a nice moment for a photographer catch of Obama and his daughter. Even though the background and composition of the picture is not the best, it's still a nice moment between father and daughter.
So, I know there is so much emphasis on diversity and coming together during this inauguration but nonetheless I still see beauty in multiculturalism. In this photo, the couple is obviously interracial and they are embracing in front of a large diverse crowd at the national mall. I think the photo could be a little stronger had the blonde woman in the background been looking up as well as the others but still I found this couple's embrace to be so powerful as power and strength through diversity has been brought to the forefront.
I really like this picture from the Commander-in-Chief Ball photographed by Doug Mills of the New York Times. The coloring of the floor is slightly faded which makes the President and First Lady stand out. Also, I think the photographer captured a perfect moment due to the couple's positioning on the United States Seal (near perfectly placed in the middle). When I first saw this picture it reminded me of a wedding cake which I found quite ironic because both the Inauguration and a traditional wedding symbolize a unification.
I also really like this picture taken in the President's Room shortly after Obama was sworn in as the 44th president. The hand gestures and facial expressions in this photo are symbolic of the change our nation embraced and the photographer did a good job capturing both at the right moment. In my opinion, Obama's placement in relation to the glow from the lighting makes it seem as though anyone/everyone is welcome to join in on the special moment.
I am so glad someone took this picture.
I'm a huge fan of the Big Picture, so when I scrolled down past this, I was quickly scrolling back up to take a second look.
I LOVE seeing pictures like this because -it is the 21st century- and our phones or point and shoots are always handy to capture a moment. Even the bigtime photographers have to take notice. Here these people are, without the fancy equipment or training, taking their own pictures of this historic day.
This picture is my favorite and it makes me smile because it shows a different kind of story. It wasn't enough to actually be there, or attend a ball and witness this sight, but many people pulled something out to take a picture. Their own picture that says, "Yes, I was there!" They could have easily pulled a fantastic image and years later shown that to their grandchildren, but I guarantee that the one processed in that Blackberry will be what is shown.
It conveys a sense of pride and belonging to me. To be honest, I would have been plum nervous to take any type of picture that night. I would have been an emotional wreck.
For kicks, this picture came in second. I just couldn't find a real, coherent reason I liked it other than that "It's just cool. It's like a sea of people. It has depth!"
In the sense that photojournalism is a medium of visual storytelling, then this is in my opinion the best inauguration photo I've found. I've been looking for quite some time at photos, and I have seen far superior photographs. There have been some wonderfully composed images of President Obama and his wife dancing, or parading. There have been photos of the president and his new cabinet. Or of him being sworn in. I've seen a photo of Obama saluting the crowd at his own inauguration.
This photo was not the most well-composed, or the prettiest. It certainly doesn't have the best quality of light. What it does, for me, is tell by far the most interesting and compelling story. This is an image of a file left by President Bush for President Obama. What this image does is serve as a reminder that, while Obama's election and inauguration are a major step toward racial equality in the United States, and that is something worth celebrating, ultimately that isn't what he's here for.
The sticky note--written perhaps in Bush's own hand--does not say 'racial symbol,' or 'the first black president.' It says simply '44.' It reminds us that President Obama doesn't just get to be a symbol of hope or change. He has to actually be president. Our president. For at least the next four years.
Christopher Taylor
(photo from Getty Images, taken by Eric Draper)
