Assignment 1

Spent the last couple of days looking at a lot of photographs to try and find ones that represented (or could be seen to represent) the contrasts listed for the assignment. I had taken a great number specifically for the assignment but found that either some did not represent the contrast aimed for or could have been used for a different contrast depending upon the pairing used.

All the images viewed required other knowledge on the part of the viewer for the stand alone image to make sense. For example I used a photograph of an elephant to represent 'large'. If someone had no knowledge of an elephant the picture by itself would not convey the information desired. Although the elephant is large in the frame it would be easy to take a picture of a mouse that would fill the frame in the same way and to the unaware would be of the same size.

It is perhaps of significance that the instructions in the assignment require the student to clearly mark the images with the contrasts they aim to demonstrate.


Notes made at time.

Still/Moving

Perhaps water is one of the easiest things to convey in one state or another. Most people can recognise when water is still or when it is moving as it is an element that touches virtually everyone.

Strong/Weak

The choice of a statue of a man of muscular development wielding a club was chosen to represent strong. Although I had other images of 'weak' I found in the pairing exercise that they worked better where there was some connection between the two images hence the choice of the child.

Many/Few

Easier to make a choice but again retaining the link  emphasised the contrast. I noticed that when selecting elements to represent this pair I automatically looked for examples containing more or less of the same sort of element.

Broad/Narrow

The choice of subject was made easier by the fact that some canal boats are known as 'narrow'. It was then a matter of finding one that was broader.

Diagonal/Rounded

I was unsure about this pair as I am not sure that they are contrasting elements.

Light/Dark

I deliberately set out to avoid the obvious, night/day; light/shadow. I was fortunate in so far as I noticed this woman in a white dress that was quite striking. Within the same area I came across the woman in the dark clothes.

Smooth/Rough

Photographed a number of options as there were so many examples around. The choice of the gravestones was again one of them being in close proximity. I spotted the 'rough' gravestone and took a photograph. I wondered then how I could find a comparison that related in some way. Fortunately as I walked down the path in the cemetery I came across several gravestones that were polished so highly that they acted almost as mirrors.

Straight/Curved

Given that I was in a city (Prague) when I was thinking how to photograph this contrast there were by far the most examples around. The final choice was made because the glass curved building (supposedly the architects view of Ginger Rogers) was a curve created by the use of a straight framework.  The columns are a bit obvious but provided not only a contrast related to building but also imply two different architectural periods.

Large/Small

I took the image of the snail without a great deal of thought about where it would fit into the assignment. Initially it could be have been used as  a composite representing smooth/rough.  However when searching through my photographs I came across the one of the elephant which is rather an obvious choice for 'large' in the animal kingdom. It then seemed only natural to use the snail as the 'small' element.