Principles and Elements of Design in Photography 7490 Project 1 Frances Syverson

1. Principles and Elements of Design in Photography 7490 Project 1 Frances Syverson I love to view photographs. Pictures tell a story, evoke emotions, create mystery. Some of the photographs in this project were taken several years ago while others were taken more recently. The photos will depict different elements and principles of design.

2. This photo was taken at Serenbe. The outdoor spaces around the houses are beautiful. The design principle of movement can be seen in the curved walkway. It causes the eye to move across the photograph. The small building in the background is an example of perspective. “Perspective refers to another kind of movement: the sense of movement into the distance or through a foreground, middle ground, and background” (Golombisky & Hagen, 2010, p. 54). Movement/Perspective Serenbe, 2008

3. Cruise, 2007 Focal Point/ Contrast The focal point of this picture is in the center where the sun is shining through the clouds. The dark clouds and water are also in contrast to the light shining through and the white clouds. Most will view this photograph and remember a time where we watched the movement of the water.

4. Shape The juxtaposition of the man-made sign out in nature grabbed my attention. The organic shape of the sign somehow allowed the sign and nature to flow together. “Organic forms are more natural, as found in nature” (Golombisky & Hagen, 2010, p. 47). By creating the sign to mimic the leaves and shape, it seemed to serve its purpose. Serenbe, 2008

5. Beach, 2009 Texture The texture of the rocks with the sand is very evident in this photo. The crushed shells next to the big rocks bring back memories of stepping on them barefoot while trying not to yell because my feet hurt! When I look at the photo, I think of a beach nearby waiting for me to sit and listen to the waves.

6. High School, 2012 Line/ Pattern/ Balance There are many lines in this photo. There are the handrails that lead your eyes up to the archways. The brick pattern is repeated. There is also balance with the three archways and the door in the center. “Texture, lines, and shapes lead our eyes through a black and white picture in ways they do not in a color picture” (Knowledge Quest, 2010, p. 14).

7. School, 2008 Space I created this image using negative space which by the way is not your enemy as a means of drawing your attention to the colorful photos. It took a great deal of time to get the placement of the images correct. The poster was a big hit with our students!

8. There are several patterns at play in this photo. The windows, the vents, and the roof lines are all repeating patterns. Contrast between the darker shadows and the clear blue skies makes the building even more of a focal point than if there had been trees or something else in the background. Serenbe, 2008 Pattern/ Contrast/ Focal Point

9. This photo was taken several years ago of my niece and nephew. The focal point is definitely my niece and nephew. The depth of field causes the viewer to realize the trees in the background are quite large. The subjects being children and playing outside lends itself to the picture telling a story. I believe many photos can evoke emotions. “Research suggests that when confronted with a photograph, the human brain will instinctively react by assuming the image is reality, and therefore, impose meaning based on personal experience” (Body, 2012, p. 154). Upon looking at this photo, viewers may have a brother or sister with whom they had great play experiences who will, when viewing this photo, have fond memories. Others may have different experiences and will have different emotions and/or memories when viewing this photo. I remember how well the two played together as children when I look at this picture. Perspective/ Focal Point

10. Pottery, 2009 Unity/ Space School, 2013 “Unity refers to oneness, that the result is one cohesive design or visual image” (Golombisky & Hagen, 2010, p. 55). Because the three things grouped together are all books tells the viewer they all belong together. The pottery not only shows unity but also the use of negativespace. The contrast of the black background with the colorful pottery really makes the pottery “pop.” These pieces are my husband’s favorite pottery.

11. Rose, 2013 Value “As a design principle, value refers to light, dark, and in between, whether we’re talking about black/white/gray or the color spectrum. Value also is necessary for strong composition” (Golombisky & Hagen, 2010, p. 49). The value in this photo I think is strong due to the dark background being blurred and the pink rose being in focus.

12. Reflection: Photography has always interested me. My husband and I finally purchased a nice camera which I still haven’t learned how to use that well. Reading through this book has opened my eyes to so many possibilities. At my school, I am the person who makes all of the posters. One summer, I spent many hours making different tiger posters with meaningful quotations to hang all over our campus. In retrospect, some principles and elements I got correct but many others I did not. Not only will my students at school benefit from what I have learned but so will the faculty as I continue to produce their standards posters, brochures, and other visuals. This will definitely be one textbook I will keep and use!

13. References Body, A. (2012). The Digital Design of Photography: Digital Photographic Manipulation and its Representation of Reality. International Journal Of The Image, 2(2), 153-162. Golombisky, K. & Hagen, R. (2010). White Space is Not Your Enemy: A Beginner's Guide to Communicating Visually through Graphic, Web and Multimedia Design. Amsterdam: Elsevier. Principles of Design and Composition: Black & White Photography. (2010). Knowledge Quest, 38(4), 14.