SUBJECT
Every good photo has a “subject”. That does not mean that there is a person in the photo, it means the photo is OF and ABOUT something. Of describes what object may be in the picture, while about describes About describes emotions or concepts. For example, go to http://photofocus.com/2010/05/31/whats-the-subject-of-this-photograph/ and read the article “What’s the Subject of This Photograph”. In this example there are several pictures of a barn with horses in the window. Each picture has a clear subject, or is of and about something. If you look beyond the Of and think in terms of About the pictures begin to tell a story. A picture is worth a thousand words, but in a great picture the words create a story.
When you are thinking about the subject of a photo think about how you would search the web for the picture. Often the obvious subject is listed. For example if you search Google images under the search term “bridge” the photo below will come up. The bridge is the obvious subject of the photo. Although that is what this photo is “of”, the subject of this photo can be much more than that. This photo is about something other than a bridge.
When you are trying to determine the subject of a photo ask yourself the following questions.
Who? Who or what is this a picture of? Are there people? Children? Men? Women? Cows? Horses? Trees? Buildings? A specific named person or thing?
What? What are the creatures or objects in this picture doing? What is their condition or state of being? What emotions are conveyed by these actions or conditions? What abstract ideas do these actions or conditions symbolize?
Where? Where is this picture spatially? Is it an identifiable geographic place? Is it a mythical place? Does place matter in this picture?
When? The concept of When can be both a specific date and a time period. Is the time period significant? Can you determine the time period?
Every good photo has a “subject”. That does not mean that there is a person in the photo, it means the photo is OF and ABOUT something. Of describes what object may be in the picture, while about describes About describes emotions or concepts. For example, go to http://photofocus.com/2010/05/31/whats-the-subject-of-this-photograph/ and read the article “What’s the Subject of This Photograph”. In this example there are several pictures of a barn with horses in the window. Each picture has a clear subject, or is of and about something. If you look beyond the Of and think in terms of About the pictures begin to tell a story. A picture is worth a thousand words, but in a great picture the words create a story.
When you are thinking about the subject of a photo think about how you would search the web for the picture. Often the obvious subject is listed. For example if you search Google images under the search term “bridge” the photo below will come up. The bridge is the obvious subject of the photo. Although that is what this photo is “of”, the subject of this photo can be much more than that. This photo is about something other than a bridge.
When you are trying to determine the subject of a photo ask yourself the following questions.
Who? Who or what is this a picture of? Are there people? Children? Men? Women? Cows? Horses? Trees? Buildings? A specific named person or thing?
What? What are the creatures or objects in this picture doing? What is their condition or state of being? What emotions are conveyed by these actions or conditions? What abstract ideas do these actions or conditions symbolize?
Where? Where is this picture spatially? Is it an identifiable geographic place? Is it a mythical place? Does place matter in this picture?
When? The concept of When can be both a specific date and a time period. Is the time period significant? Can you determine the time period?
Who, What, Where, or When is the subject of these photos?
Assignment #2
For assignment #2 you will take a picture that has a clear subject. One important concept to learn is that you will not get good photos unless you take photos, lots of photos. For this assignment you should take at least 20 pictures and then you can select a few favorites. Get input from at least 2 other people, (people in the class would be great to get input from), and select your best photo. You will post this picture to your blog as a demonstration of your amazing ability. Below the photo you should write a brief explanation (2-3 sentences) explaining why you think your photo has a clear subject and what story you think your photo tells. I would like to show some examples in class so if you do not wish for me to use your example please make a note of it on your blog.
Your blog post should contain the following:
1. A photo with a clear subject. (it should tell and story)
2. An explanation of why you feel this photo has a clear subject.
3. An explanation of the story you think your photo tells.
Remember to answer the questions:
Who
What
Where
When
No comments:
Post a Comment