Robin Michals | COMD 1340 Photography 1

Author: Sasha

HW 8: Final Project Statement and Mood Board

The theme I chose for the Final Project is people and surroundings; street photography. I think that my personal enjoyment in drawing people and scenery is the reason why I settled on this theme. I would like to take a range of photos of different people going about their life in different settings, which is what’s going to be my subject matter. Whether it’s playing sports, running, sitting, talking with others or people simply walking by. These types of photos tend to freeze different and raw expressions and emotions, which for me, personally helps make the photo become more intimate, or touching. For instance, if a photo shows a group of people playing basketball and smiling, I would mirror that expression. It’s cool to be able to capture a candid moment of enjoyment and wholesomeness. I find it a bit comical when people look directly at the camera, but at the same time, I think that it helps embody dominance or confidence in that person. Through these photos, I’d like to portray peoples’ lives on a regular day, most likely done around a couple of different areas throughout my neighborhood, so that the backgrounds are not repetitive. I’d like to add a few long shots of the scenery, so that there’s an overall idea of where the people are. Plus, it can be used as a reference of how the neighborhood looked like for the years ahead. I’ll take these photos during and/or throughout the day. The aforementioned surroundings would include buildings, parks, streets, etc. I want to attempt to show various types of people, young and old, groups and individuals, carrying out different activities and expressing different emotions in different settings using techniques like medium shots, long shots, perspective, leading lines, filling the frame and symmetry. 

HW 1- Photo Description

https://www.suzannesteinphoto.com/New-York-Street-Two/i-xsDjBL4/A

The photo I chose was titled “East Village” taken by Suzanne Stein, from her New York Street Two Photography collection. The photo consists of two people passing by each other on the street. One is an old man holding a green bag, and the other is a little girl with three dog balloons. I think the photographer’s intention was to capture a typical scene in the streets of New York. But with the positioning of the photo, it looks like it was captured in a rush. I’d say this image gives me a somber feeling just because of the age difference between the two subjects, or the difference in carried things, showing their different priorities. In addition to how they’re facing different directions; him towards us, looking straight ahead of him, while her more turned away.

The rule of thirds, patterns and diagonals are the formal elements that can be seen used by the photographer. The use of rule of thirds could be seen in the space between the two subjects and their placement towards the left side. Although they take up two-thirds of the image instead of one, they still align with each third in a grid. This positioning may be so because the girl is walking at a quicker pace than the old man. Pattern can be seen in a couple of things like the vertical lines in the old man’s flannel or the gridded box to the left, but I feel like it’s more prominent in the brick wall background, and the black and white vertically striped dress of the girl. Additionally, the squares in the background seem to also create another pattern. However, I think it applies to diagonals as well because the squares help outline the perspective from which the picture was taken from.

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