Assignment 1 Formal Analysis

 Formal Analysis of One Picture 

  

    The first element I found when examining my photo was the focus around the post. I used a wider aperture of f / 4.5 to create a shallow depth of field to blur out the background. This amplified the focus of the post and narrowed in on the texture of the post. When reviewing the texture, I noticed the grain of wood with many dark cracks and holes. The cracks run from the top of the post all the way down to the bottom. These cracks resemble the formal element of lines. In addition to the texture of the wood, there is a piece of wire wrapped around the post. You can clearly see how the wire is twisted, looped, and bent together. The piece of wire adds a rustic feel to the image, enhancing the composition of the picture. 

    Located in the blurry background, I found a pattern and the repetition of lines. The tilling in the ground makes it seem like there are continuous groves throughout the ground. It draws the eyesight along the picture to one side. 

    I would say by observing this photograph, the content suggests an agricultural, countryside, and rustic look. I think I did a good job at highlighting the important elements of form to support the content. For example, when I first started taking pictures of the subject I only focused on the post. Then, I realized that the scenery behind the post would help create a better story for the picture, therefore, I changed up my angles. In addition to the angle, the post has side light. It helps to direct our attention to notice which way the sun was beaming and helps create the form aspect of the photograph. 

    Next, we see the elements of both positive and negative space. The positive space, which consists of the post with wire wrapped around it, takes up a decent amount of space. I thought this photograph also incorporated a perfect amount of negative space. Negative space can also give depth to an image, and it helps with creating the three-dimensional shape of form within the photo. The main negative space I see within this picture is the sky and the dark trees that almost look like silhouettes.

    Lastly, the picture shows the whole scale of black and white value. The trees in the background, the detail in the post, and the wire clearly represent the black value to the picture. The sky, the barn, and the white between the grooves on the ground do a good job at providing white value. There is an even amount of the two values throughout the image, which I think results in a well composed picture.  

    During my critique, many people agreed that this photograph was one of my best shots. Many people in my class liked the aperture I was on, because it gave the piece a nice shallow depth of field. They also talked about the texture on the wood and how the piece of wire gives more detail to the main subject. Each of my top five choices has an interesting texture to them, which led me to conclude that texture is one of the formal elements that I look for in a subject before I start taking pictures. 

Other Four Pictures