The After Photo
I found it challenging to find a suitable picture that could tell a different story when following the rule of thirds. This exercise really made me think outside of the box. I went through so many pictures but only very few that could give me what I was looking for. In the original photo seen below, the people are the focal point of the image…so is the water and the sun. Cropping the image the way I did makes the image look like there is no water for miles hence the name “Long Walk to Water.” The original could very well be two people walking on the bank of a lake. They look almost like they are from the west with the woman behind having a handbag on her shoulder. Whereas the derivative I made looks like they are in the desert.
Original Photo
I was absolutely stuck by your photo! The original photo was beautiful but the way you cropped it created a new photo that was mesmerizing to me! The original photo made me think “That was a nice sunset”. The new photo made me feel like I was watching two people who started a long journey. It gave the feeling of bravery as the figures are on the right side of the photo looking at the vast unknown ahead of them. Crazy how much a simple crop can create an entire story out of a photo. Great job!
Hi Jessica! Great picture choice on the mirage. On the original photo, I was thinking that it was a fairly unique picture with the people walking under the sunset/sunrise while having a view of the water. For the cropped picture, it completely changed the meaning of it to where the people seem to now be walking in a hot barren desert with no end. The lack of other elements in the photo drive this illusion as well since the only components are the people, sun, bare ground, and clear sky. The people also seem to be walking from right to left and the cropping shows a route of progression while keeping a barren tone. With that being said, I believe that your cropping was the best possible way to make the photo more focused on the subjects pictured.