A Photographer’s Eye

This photo is most interesting because it is a photo of someone taking a photo. Jenna, like myself, is very interested in photography. Although it’s hard to tell, not only is she using an old manual film camera, but is also wearing a shirt with pictures of different old cameras on it. She actually didn’t even plan to wear that shirt for this project, but it goes to show how much she enjoys the art. The camera and also her hands taking the photo are the focal point. She is pushed to the edge of the frame for a more dramatic look, and so that the viewer can make inferences about what she is taking a photo of- in this case, the Black-Eyed Susans on the right side. Her arms help lead the eye to the action while the flowers provide a simple yet captivating background. One can tell she is not just an amateur photographer by the type of camera she is using. This is a portrait of Jenna, even though her eyes and face are hidden. You can tell about her interests by her actions.

Reflecting

This photo is of one of my best friends, Josh. He is also quite an individual person. This photo was actually taken in the back porch of his old apartment. It was his favorite room in the whole house, because it featured an entire wall of windows where the sun could shine in and the breeze could flow through. The reflection in his sunglasses of these windows and the view outside give the idea of a “reflective” and pensive attitude towards his memories of this old place. It can be assumed that he is gazing out of the many windows and thinking, although we cannot actually see what he is looking at. This causes the viewer to use their own experiences to shape their idea of what he may be thinking or looking at. I used the angles of the room and the angles of his face to draw the eye into the much brighter reflection, and also the circular shape helps frame this as the subject. The brightness of the glasses against the dark, muted background really makes it pop. While the scene itself is very stoic, the curved and distorted view helps illustrate Josh’s carefree, dynamic attitude.

Dancer’s Feet

These feet belong to Laura. I met her over a year ago and she is a very unique individual. She had been a dancer since she was young, and is able to contort her feet and body in many ways because of it. The bright nail polish on her toes helps illustrate her classic style but also boldness, both traits in which she has. I purposely took the photo at an odd angle and placed the action off-center to show the viewer her individuality and non-conformist attitude. Her legs and feet clearly stand out from everything else in the photo, as she can usually stand out when in a crowd. The background is full of gray and bluish-gray tones while her skin is a warm color. The harsh geometric lines and shapes, as well as the leading angles, bring the eyes right to the subject. Yet this leaves some mystery to what she really looks like besides her feet. She could really be anyone.