When it comes to catching the beauty of nature, we often view it through the lense of our own experiences and on our own scale. This is even more apparent in the world of photography. That being said, Mel B. does a wonderful job of capturing a fleeting moment of cohabitation between human and wild creature in her photo “Bird and surfers“. The brief moment before the bird takes flight juxtaposes well with the idle relaxation of the surfers in the background. However, with how blurry the background is compared to the bird on the pier, it can seem too busy and distracting. The primary focus should be on the clearest part of the image.
Now take a moment to look at the similar image above. The rule of thirds plays a very important role here. By cropping in and shifting the center of the bird to the top left third of the image, we enhance the focus of the original image. Also, by removing a portion of the background it helps make it less busy and distracting, thus adding the effect of the world blurring away. With this enhanced focus, your eyes are more likely to fall upon the bird first, followed closely by the path that lays ahead of it, inviting you to join it where it goes.
In March of 2019, my sister and I had the opportunity to travel with our church to Washington, DC. During our visit, we toured the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, a 30-foot-high statue that honors the life and legacy of Dr. King. Dr. King fought for freedom, equality, and justice.
The before photo below is a picture of that cold day in Washington while sightseeing at the MLK memorial. The resolution of the photo is not the best, but I wanted to use this photo because of the impact it had on me that day. History came alive to me on that day. That day I thought about the struggles my grandparents faced while growing up in the 1960’s and how Dr. King and other civil rights leaders gave them hope for a better world. That day also taught me to Keep my eyes on the prize which is to dream of a world where freedom and equality will be granted to all.
The focal point of the photo is the MLK memorial; however, you have a lady on the left walking and other distractions in the background. This photo could use better composition.
I used PhotoPea to crop the photo. Although I really hate the resolution, the cropped photo now has the focal point on the MLK Memorial which towers over my sister and I as we reflect on the life and legacy of Dr. King. The cropped photo is better composition and creates a more powerful photo.
Oh that kiss! R2D2’s head begins to spin around and around. C3PO looks down at his little friend and says, “R2, I believe you have a girlfriend.” Just one kiss, started my Berriprincess’s love affair with the most adorable droid out there. And her love didn’t fade even though her path didn’t cross with R2 again for several years. But she drew pictures and decorated her room with her love. She wore R2 decorated t-shirts and dresses to show her affection. She even carried around a R2D2 purse. Of all the droids in the galaxy, she remained devoted to her beloved even while they were worlds apart.
Then one day, a few years later in the early spring, Berriprincess and her brother visited a spaceport called, “Hollywood Studios” where they learned of the Millennium Falcon’s arrival. Dare she hope that her lost love was onboard? Wading through the crowd, they managed to find Luke and Leia, and yes, R2D2 was still with them! Berriprincess’s brother greeted these old friends and began asking Luke how he might train to be a Jedi. While the boys were engaged, Leia tried to make polite communication with our Berriprincess.
Although the marketplace was thick with conversations around them, the world fell silent, melting away for a brief moment, as her hand reached out to find him. Nothing else in the world mattered. They were together again!
Technical Notes: I cropped two photos to tell the story of my daughter’s love for R2D2. It was important to remove the others from the images to center the story around the characters. In the first photo, I use the cropping tool to focus the reader on the kiss that started it all. By cropping the second image, I was able to focus the reader’s attention on the little detail of her hand placed on R2D2 using the rule of thirds. I also used the blur and brush elements in Photoshop to remove small traces of Leia’s robe that was not easily cropped from the bottom right size of the photo.
This photo was taken before I knew anything about photo composition (except “that looks good to me”), but that is not the whole story for why the original is framed the way it is. First, to the immediate right of the frame was a fisherman that I did not want in the photo, which is why the pelican is nearby. They are not above begging for a free meal! Second, I spent more than a few minutes inching up on my subject and had determined that I was as close as I could get without causing him to fly away.
The crop succeeds in emphasizing the focal points of the photo (the pelican and the sunrise) by using the rule of thirds, leaves out all the unnecessary beach, ocean and sky, and uncenters the subject. I tried to be aware of where the horizon line fell in the frame; leaving the brightest light slightly above the top third line so the foreground would be highlighted. In order to display the images side by side, I had to reduce the resolution to a width of 400px.
Now, if you can forget that I told you about begging the fisherman, doesn’t it look like the pelican is enjoying the sunrise?
I chose to crop this image as I felt that the original compostion didn’t have a focal point. I tried out a few croppings with the man on the bicycle and the shadow, but felt that with both it was too centered and busy. I chose instead to focus on the shadow of the man on the bicycle as I felt like the texture of the wall and the shadows were the most interesting part. When cropping I took into account the rule of thirds. Unfortunately, to get the image I wanted without any of the physical bicycle it does halt movement in the frame after it was cropped like mentioned in class.
The calmness during the destruction and fighting for freedom can be seen in the marketplace, where people can gather and continue to uplift each other. Looking through the many vendors and their differing trades, you can see the people conversing and catching up on any news or gossip while bartering and selling or buying. This idyll is a relief for the many that live in bombed houses and areas, allowing Palestinians to remember the normalcy inside the insanity.
I was interested in this photo since it reminded me so much of the marketplaces that I have visited in Honduras. Sometimes, I forget that certain places can have the same feelings and emotions in any part of the world.
Many fans and or listeners of Jazz Music don’t know the behind-the-scenes mechanics. It’s crucial for the drummer to keep proper time for the entire ensemble to stay on tempo. This is done by using the snare drum pictured above. You hear in the audio file the snare drum being stroked on the 2 & 4 when counting. I’m a percussionist and I love live music, this interest drew me to the audio and image selection. The meaning is enhanced by combing my two selections.
Liberian Girl by Soulja Unit (c) copyright 2018 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/SouljaUnit/58357
“Sunrise or sunset: If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all,” is something my dad would say when I’d tell him about my New Year’s Day plans. I have it set every year, for the last four years: my partner and I wake up an hour before sunrise, stretch, and make the drive to the nearest beach. Then we take out our blankets, for sitting and huddling, and we wait. A picture wouldn’t do it justice, it couldn’t capture that initial flash of gold as it peaks just over the watery horizon. It just can’t and, frankly, if I move, I’ll miss so much more than just that sunrise.
See, it’s more than just seeing the sun rise on the first day of the new year. It’s also about that moment when it feels like the whole world is holding its breath and quietly cheering on the day. Sometimes there are clouds and sometimes it’s a lot colder than we could have anticipated. I fell for the song first, because it reminded me of that anticipation of watching a sunrise, of a sunset, and of those quiet moments in-between its travels. The image puts everything into perspective.
Even though the image may not be from Florida, or even a beach, its colors are familiar.
One of the things I love about traveling is that no matter where you go, there will be things that are different, but there will also be things that inevitably remind you of home. Take this image for instance. Shibuya is one of the busiest places in Japan and is well known for the large sidewalks that people walk across every day. I remember crossing it myself in the rain. What sounds come to mind when you think of the bustling city? What about when it’s raining? For me, soothing sounds.
Despite the fast pace of the city, the rain calms me. I can envision light Jazz playing in the background. It’s as though everything is fast and slow at the same time. Fun to think about, no? Rain can drown out most sounds, so in a way, naturally quiet places and naturally loud places sound the same. The next time you feel like you need a break, think about the sound of rain and some jazz and perhaps it might help you relax and think of home!
Walking around on the weekend. Visiting all the beautiful side streets. Wandering for hours on end with no plans. This is what my dream weekend looks like. When I put my headphones in, just putting on some background noise keeps me moving. Often, I find the best stores or restaurants when I get to wander. I will look for streets I’ve never been down and check them out.
Being able to put in your headphones, let the world disappear, and wander aimlessly is the most relaxing and chill thing I have ever done.
This image of Walking On Sunshine And A Red Headphone by Alfred Grupstra is what I look like to the rest of the world on the days when I get to wander around. It’s beautiful and calming with the warmth of a new world. The song Chilling by Popoi has the beat of the steps, but also the upbeat tone of a casual stroll without too much excitement or adventure. Just a sense to keep moving.
