Photography 101 - Week 4

Assignment: Shadow & Light

This week's lesson started with this photo gallery. We were supposed to look at how the shadows take on a "materiality" almost as strong as the architecture itself and how the photos are all about the quality of the light. The Prof's instructions included "look for shadow as geometric form."

We were also supposed to read two linked articles on Minor White. But both of the links were dead, so I read 4 articles I found around the net. Dude was a little weird. Basically, what I got out of this work was looking at light as a metaphor for spirituality.

The professor commented, "how can we use light as poetic metaphor." Another little hint the prof included was "Can you photograph a beam of light?" He also encouraged some use of black and white.

Well, yeah, I've done it before, but I'm trying not to dig into the archives for this class...all fresh shooting. And try though I might, sunbeams just don't happen every day. I didn't really hit the spirituality metaphor either, I don't think. I picked the wrong times to shoot and/or the wrong locations, but eventually I had to just stop and call this sucker done even though I didn't really have what I wanted to have. So here they are, the 2 best +6 to 8 more.

I chose this one as one of the two best.

It comes close on the spiritual essence of light. However, I'm a bit dissatisfied because I framed it poorly in the field and had to crop it pretty hard in post. The gap in the leaves in the upper left is pretty distracting, and I probably should have 'shopped out the twigs at the base of the tree.

It was hard to choose a second one, there were two I pondered over, but this one won the #2 spot.

The reason I chose this one is that it's got an almost x-ray or early photo processing feel to it. I don't know, I keep staring at it, so it must be sort of something kind of close to nearly good, eh?

This one almost got the 2nd spot. The closest I came to light beams.


and the rest...




There, that's that. I'm not thrilled overall, maybe give myself a C, possibly a B if I'm feeling generous...I'm not. Think I'll go curl up in bed with my copy of Understanding Exposure for extra credit.