Lens Based Photograph
Title: Contemplation
Size:15.2cm x 20.3cm
Medium: Photograph
Completion: September 2020
Exhibition Text
Contemplation was taken to show the beauty of nature and the environment. I emphasized colors by adjusting contrast, brightness, and other components on my phone. I was inspired by the photograph taken by Carr Clifton included in his "Alaska One" photography album. He captured nature with intense hues which created visually stimulating effects. This piece represents the beauty of the world but more specifically nature.
Process
Inspiration
Carr Clifton won many awards over the span of his photography career. He spent more than thirty-five years exploring endangered landscapes. He has travelled to many parts of his world and is an accomplished wilderness guide which allows him to explore wild regions where there are no architectural structures. He graduated from Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs, Colorado with a degree in Commercial Photography.
I was inspired by Carr CLifton's photograph, which is nameless, but was included in his "Great Lakes' photography album. This inspired me because sunsets have always been beautiful to me especially when there are various, dramatic colors. Clifton captures endangered, wild landscapes that many will never see. |
Although the photograph above peaked my interest in Clifton, the photograph to the right more heavily influenced my final product. This photograph, which is included in his "Alaska One" album, has softer hues in the sky and represents the vast and beautiful landscapes that nature can provide. In this piece, he captures the soft waves of the water, which almost appear flat, with trees and a mountain off in the distance. |
I plan to use this inspiration to influence my piece by taking a landscape photo of nature. I plan to capture the beauty of nature during sunset or sunrise. This is the ideal time which emphasizes the hues in the sky and in the grass or trees depending what I plan to capture. I would prefer to capture an image which has a reflection on water just as Clifton does in many of his photographs. Reflections are beautiful and create a sense of balance in the piece because rather than a dark, opaque surface, it has an even distribution on both ground and water. I also plan to capture this photo at a lower angle than usual because Clifton took many of his photographs this way. Capturing photos from a low angle will create a sense of exaggeration of the landscape and all its forms. I plan to also edit these pictures using the basic photo editing options on the photos app to emphasize color in the sky and/or ground. I will practice on some of my other photographs so I can get the hang of the technique and make my final piece look natural but still with a sense of beauty that will strike viewers in awe. I would prefer to take my final picture on a day with many cumulus clouds, which are the soft fluffy white ones because these will had depth and more subject to the sky. I don't want it to be so cloudy that the sky is hidden but enough to add depth to the piece.
Planning Sketches
In this sketch, I was planning out the components I wanted to include in my final piece and practice on as I was taking photographs . I discuss the difference between the sun being in a high setting versus the sun being in a lower position near the horizon I decided upon the lower horizon because the effect is the intense hues that Clifton demonstrates in many of his photographs. He also has many clouds in his pieces so I decided I would include clouds as they add depth to the sky making it less flat. |
This was my idea for my final photo I will take. After all my research about photography angles and sun positions, I decided upon taking a photograph during sunrise or sunset with a low photography angle so it would put emphasis on any structures in the foreground. Preferably, my final piece would include water and the reflection of the sky within it. These sketches show how I imagine my photograph will turn out. |
This sketch includes a photo of Clifton's photograph, which will influence my final piece. I also planned to edit my photos to create more resemblance between my inspiration and final product as well as make the colors in the sky more vibrant. I write down notes on this page about what I plan to use and what they will effect. I also add a demonstration of how I plan to use these components to positively impact my final piece. |
Experimentation and Process
Setting One
This was the first photograph I decided to take. There was a pond in the distance which could create the reflection I was searching for. I decided this would be a good place to start and at first took this photo from a normal angle, rather than high and low, to experiment and see how the results would turn out. I believe in this case, a higher angled photo would look better because then you would be able to see over the plants and see the water.
|
This piece captures more nature regarding the plants rather than of the sky and water. In these I decided to take the photo from an angle which created a kind of skewed image. I like how the long weeds in the front turned out because there are many highlights and shadows within them caused by the sun. |
In this one, I decided upon taking the photo from a higher angle so the water could be seen. I tried to have a high angle but also aim the camera down because there was a lot of light from the sun interfering with the outcome. The sun was making things dull and a little blurry because it was shining directly into the camera which is why I decided upon this approach. |
This was my final picture I took in this area. It turned out the best because I combined all the techniques and things that worked well together which resulted in a very clear picture. The placement of my phone was high but angled lower so that the sun would not create a blurry image. The water is very clear and distinct because of the higher angle in which I took the photo and the grass in the front is very detailed . The eye is drawn to the sky and water because these are the brightest spots which also went well with what I wanted to portray which was mostly the beauty of reflections and nature.
|
Setting Two
Although my theme was nature, I decided to experiment with angles and how that impacts the overall product. This bridge seemed to be the perfect subject because of the geometric lines it contained along with the trees and buildings in the distance. In this photo, I captured the bridge along with the building behind it from a straight on point of view. I really like contrast in this one because the sky is a distinct blue which adds to the unity of the piece. The building compared to this blue creates contrast and adds depth to the background.
|
I decided to angle my phone's camera along the outside of the bridge which caused the bridge to look narrow and long. I like the effect this had on the photo because it emphasizes the length of the bridge and the viewer is drawn to the center point because of this. The building in the background also create a sense of asymmetrical balance because they are balancing out the bright white bridge. |
In this one, I decided to have my camera slightly above the top railing of the bridge which also created the long, narrow effect. The viewer's eyes are still drawn to the center point in which the bridge is spanning outward from. There isn't quite as much balance in this piece because the building on the left off sets the balance on the right. there is nothing in the right side of the sky making it appear unbalanced. |
This was one of my final photos I decided to take in this setting. I used a very low angle method and kneeled on the floor to capture this. The viewer's eye is drawn to the center of the bridge because of the geometric lines leading into it. This has the one of the most satisfactory results of the photos I took of this bridge. The building on the right were obstructed by the railings of the bridge which was one of the things which I planned to improve.
|
This final photo was a direct result of the photo above and what I learned from it. I stood up slightly while still staying low to the floor to create the illusion of the bridge fading off into the distance but also not covering any details of the buildings. I learned that geometric lines greatly affect where the viewer's eyes are drawn to. |
Settings Three
In these photos, the setting is a sandy beach with many branches along the sand along with rocks which are in the water and on the shore. There was a large branch on the floor and I decided to put my camera close to the branch to create a look as if the viewer were looking at something from their point of view. I wanted this to emphasize the waves and highlights on the water but this was not the outcome of this piece, rather it showed a low perspective of the world.
|
I captured a photo along the shoreline in this photo. I tried to get as low as possible and show the texture of the water. While you can see some of the texture closer to the sand, the rest of the water looks a bit flat. I thought taking a picture along the shoreline as Clifton did would result in contrast between the deeper, more ridged wave and the calm parts but this was not true. |
I then decided to slightly move away from the shoreline so that I could capture the whole shoreline without being in it. This created a curved look of the water while allowing the texture of it to also be seen. The buildings have dark shadows cast upon them while the edges and waves of the water are highlighted by the sun. |
I used the same technique as she first one which was having some material with texture close to the camera as if it was through the perspective of an onlooker. This photo was different than the first photo with this technique because it is farther away from the water which allows the viewer to see where the water begins and ends. The highlights of the waves are more emphasized in this because there are no objects in the way of the shoreline. |
This photo was straight on at a medium height position. It wasn't low or high, rather it was in between. I decided to take this photo because the branches and rocks added texture to the piece. The sky was empty with no clouds to be seen which makes it feel as if it is missing something. The sky looks unbalanced compared to the foreground due to this. |
This was the final photo I took along the shoreline and my plan for this was to have a textured material close to the camera but far enough away from the shoreline so that the waves were clear and distinct. I learned these techniques through practicing different angles along the shoreline. This photo also has tire tracks which curve along the shoreline. This adds texture to the piece and makes the sand look not as flat as it would. The building in the background have very dark hues compared to the hues of the water and sand which creates contrast.
|
Setting Four
This setting consisted of trees which cast its reflections on the water and rocks surrounding it. I took a variety of pictures here while switching angles. In this specific photo, there was a bridge which overlooked the water and was in the way of the reflections. I wanted to include the bridge in an aesthetic way and this was my first attempt to see if I could. I then realized I would rather the photo consist of only nature as much as I could.
|
I took this photo with the bridge thought in my head so I took the photo in a lower angle so that the bridge would not be visible. I didn't like how this turned out because the top of the tree was cut off and there was very little reflection in the water. There were a total of three trees but with this technique, only one was visible. |
I moved closer to the trees while still including the rocks. I moved past the bridge so that it would not interfere with the picture. I kneeled across the rocks and captured this photo which has shadows and highlights both in the foreground and background. I liked this result but something was off so I would continue to get more angles and perspectives. |
I angled the camera more to the side for this one to create an effect of vastness and so the water looks as if its continuing into infinity versus the photo above which makes the water look like it has a beginning and end. The geometric lines of the barrier between the water and trees causes the viewers eye to go along the horizon. |
I used the same technique as the photo above but I adjusted the angle of which I took the photo. I kneeled lower so that more detail of the rocks would be apparent and moved the camera to the right a little to include all three trees. I prefer the one above compared to this one because this makes the water appear as if there's a very limited amount of space of water, which isn't true. |
This was my final piece both from this setting and overall between all photos. I really liked how the reflections appeared in the water and how the horizon was straight but consisted of different components such as the water and the land. The rocks in the foreground were also all differing in shape and highlights and shadows were cast upon them creating texture. The sky was a deep blue which also reflected upon the water which was another reason I chose this overall. |
Editing Experimentation
I experimented with many different components such as brilliance, highlights, shadows, vibrance, and more. I practiced on multiple photos before finally using the skills and techniques I acquired to edit my final photo. This was a little hard to get the hang of and also look natural but I am very proud of the final edited product. It makes my inspiration and my final piece much more similar in tone due to the editing.
|
The editing I did to this photo was :
-60 exposure, -20 brilliance, +4 highlights, +100 brightness, +100 saturation, +100 vibrance, -45 warmth Each of these components aided in brightening the hues of each color and enhancing elements such as shadows and other details. I tried my best to brighten each color, especially the yellow within this photo. I am happy overall with the result as this was my first time using these tools but I would like it to look a little more natural. |
The components I edited : +30 brilliance, -100 highlights, -50 shadows, +20 contrast, +50 vibrance, I edited this photo to brighten hues in the sky as well as the yellow of the flowers, As a result of editing these two, the green was also brightened. I am happy with how bright the hues became because they were very dull before. I wish to get a little bit better so that I will be able to make it look more natural. |
|
|
I edited this with : +35 brilliance, -35 highlights, +25 shadows, +25 contrast, -40 brightness, +5 saturation, +5 vibrance In this photo, I focused on making the hues more distinct in the sky so that I could practice before my final piece. I wanted to mimic Clifton's famous landscape photos. |
I edited the elements : +100 brilliance, -50 highlights, -100 shadows, +40 vibrance, -5 warmth I edited this picture so that the texture of the rocks would be more apparent and so the shadows and highlights of the rocks and sand would be distinct. The effect of editing these also effected the hue of the sky and water which made it brighter. I am content with the outcome but I also wish that the blue tint was a little less dramatic. |
|
|
I edited this photo using : +75 brilliance, -50 highlights, +40 shadows, +40 contrast, -60 brightness, +15 saturation, -10 vibrance I wanted to emphasize the water reflection as well as the sky. After editing, it became a deep blue which id exactly what I was going for. I am proud of how this one came out and it looks somewhat natural as well. |
This is my final piece and the components I edited :
-55 exposure, +100 brilliance, +80 highlights, -100 shadows, +100 brightness, +50 saturation, +75 vibrance, +75 warmth, I edited this photo to better resemble my inspiration piece of CLifton in "Alaska One". The editing I did affected the sky and made it look as if it was taken while the sun was close to the horizon. I increased contrast, shadows, and highlights to emphasize the rocks and colors of the sky and water. I used all the skills I learned while practicing on the other photos, such as now knowing that exposure affects how much light is in a photo, to create the final product which I am very proud. I am proud because I was able to create the sunrise/sunset affect, which interests me very much, using new editing techniques I learned during the research portion of this. |
|
Reflection
I believe my final piece is very impressive because I am not used to taking photographs of scenery while taking into account lighting, angles, and other components I paid very close attention to during this process. I am also proud of the final result because it was my first time using editing tools on the photo app and I believe the result looks pleasing for the viewer while not looking totally edited. My final photograph compared to my inspiration looks very similar in tone and mood because they both have a sort of calming tone of purple over them. I also took a landscape from a somewhat low angle just like Clifton in many of his photographs along with my inspiration piece. I captured a setting which included water which created a reflection of trees onto it. This is similar to the effect Clifton captured in his photo from "Great Lakes album. I am proud of the perspective I captured of the water and trees and although I took many different angles of this same setting, I believe this was the best one. It was the best because it showed the reflection of trees, the detail in the foreground, and the differing hues within the sky.
The major components of my final piece is the contrast of the sky compared to the trees and the reflection it casts upon the water. The hues of each subject captured in my piece is also a major component because they all are very different in hue and are distinct between one another. All components create a sense of unity and harmony because each hue compliments each other and doesn't feel out of place. They all go well together and unity is formed because of this.
I am very proud of the overall outcome and I believe that my editing came out very well. At first, in many of my practice photographs, I attempted to edit them and make the colors more vibrant but in those, the colors were too bright or the wrong shade and looked heavily edited and out of place. After some practice on photographs using the editing, I mostly got the hang of each component available to adjust and soon created my final piece using the techniques I acquired after practicing I am also very happy with how the reflection came out in the water. It is clear and distinct on top of the water and adds to the harmony of this piece. The texture of the rocks in the foreground also came out very well and you can see each and every surface. This adds depth to the piece because the foreground and background have texture to it. Although I am proud of many of the outcomes during this process, I also believe I could have improved a lot. The first and foremost thing that was troubling me was the weather. I wanted to include clouds in my final photograph so that it would had depth and texture to the sky but during the span of days which I was free, the sky was cloudless. This made me disappointed because sunset or sunrise photos with clouds within them are an interest of mine but this piece didn't include any. I am also disappointed with the time this photograph was taken during. I took this photograph while the sun was still mostly high because it was the only available time I could go while remaining socially distant and far from large crowds as the lake gets very busy close to sunset. This means the sky was a constant blue throughout the photo which was the opposite of what I planned to capture in my final piece. I was able to overcome this obstacle by using editing tools, but I still feel the photograph would be more pleasing to look at with the somewhat natural lighting of the sunset. I could have also improved on the placement of objects because there is some symmetry to the piece but the left portion is empty compared to the right portion which contains the trees and the rocks. I wish I could have taken this photograph with more symmetry even if that symmetry is asymmetrical. I was very difficult to get this angle because I wanted to threes to show in the reflection while showing the vastness of the water. Many obstacles appeared during this but I am very proud it overall.
The major components of my final piece is the contrast of the sky compared to the trees and the reflection it casts upon the water. The hues of each subject captured in my piece is also a major component because they all are very different in hue and are distinct between one another. All components create a sense of unity and harmony because each hue compliments each other and doesn't feel out of place. They all go well together and unity is formed because of this.
I am very proud of the overall outcome and I believe that my editing came out very well. At first, in many of my practice photographs, I attempted to edit them and make the colors more vibrant but in those, the colors were too bright or the wrong shade and looked heavily edited and out of place. After some practice on photographs using the editing, I mostly got the hang of each component available to adjust and soon created my final piece using the techniques I acquired after practicing I am also very happy with how the reflection came out in the water. It is clear and distinct on top of the water and adds to the harmony of this piece. The texture of the rocks in the foreground also came out very well and you can see each and every surface. This adds depth to the piece because the foreground and background have texture to it. Although I am proud of many of the outcomes during this process, I also believe I could have improved a lot. The first and foremost thing that was troubling me was the weather. I wanted to include clouds in my final photograph so that it would had depth and texture to the sky but during the span of days which I was free, the sky was cloudless. This made me disappointed because sunset or sunrise photos with clouds within them are an interest of mine but this piece didn't include any. I am also disappointed with the time this photograph was taken during. I took this photograph while the sun was still mostly high because it was the only available time I could go while remaining socially distant and far from large crowds as the lake gets very busy close to sunset. This means the sky was a constant blue throughout the photo which was the opposite of what I planned to capture in my final piece. I was able to overcome this obstacle by using editing tools, but I still feel the photograph would be more pleasing to look at with the somewhat natural lighting of the sunset. I could have also improved on the placement of objects because there is some symmetry to the piece but the left portion is empty compared to the right portion which contains the trees and the rocks. I wish I could have taken this photograph with more symmetry even if that symmetry is asymmetrical. I was very difficult to get this angle because I wanted to threes to show in the reflection while showing the vastness of the water. Many obstacles appeared during this but I am very proud it overall.
Critique
Similarities
1. In both photographs, the subjects and themes involved nature. In my piece, I focused on the beauty of nature while Clifton focused on the endangerment of nature. His main focus was to show the beauties of the world untouched by civilization.
2. Each photograph was taken in landscape style to show the length of each setting. It emphasized the vastness and how far beauty reaches.
3. In every photograph, they contain a soft lavender tone created by the sun either setting or rising.
4. There is clear distinction and contrast between the foreground, water, and sky. Each part of the setting has texture created by highlights and shadows.
1. In both photographs, the subjects and themes involved nature. In my piece, I focused on the beauty of nature while Clifton focused on the endangerment of nature. His main focus was to show the beauties of the world untouched by civilization.
2. Each photograph was taken in landscape style to show the length of each setting. It emphasized the vastness and how far beauty reaches.
3. In every photograph, they contain a soft lavender tone created by the sun either setting or rising.
4. There is clear distinction and contrast between the foreground, water, and sky. Each part of the setting has texture created by highlights and shadows.
Differences
1. My photograph included man made structures such as the boats in the distance and the fence which separates the sidewalk from the water while Clifton's has no sign of any man made structures.
2. The sky within Clifton's piece has clouds and cliffs which creates depth within the photograph.
3. The hues within Clifton's pieces are much more vibrant than my photograph because of the position of the sun it was taken during. He took the photo while the sun was close to the horizon while I took it while the sun was somewhat high.
1. My photograph included man made structures such as the boats in the distance and the fence which separates the sidewalk from the water while Clifton's has no sign of any man made structures.
2. The sky within Clifton's piece has clouds and cliffs which creates depth within the photograph.
3. The hues within Clifton's pieces are much more vibrant than my photograph because of the position of the sun it was taken during. He took the photo while the sun was close to the horizon while I took it while the sun was somewhat high.
ACT Responses
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
Clifton's photographs were landscape photographs taken while the sun was low along the horizon and focused on the endangerment of nature which greatly influenced my piece into becoming a landscape style one focused upon the beauty of nature.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author of the pictures and information I used was Carr Clifton himself, who explores vast regions to show nature unpopulated and how beautiful it can be without human creations.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I have drawn the conclusion that nature is beautiful especially when preserved from man made creations and structures and there are many vast regions in which many of us will never get the chance to see in person.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The theme was the beauty of nature and the overall world and to show the vastness among it.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I inferred that Carr Clifton was an advocate for the preservation of nature because of how he captures his photographs to demonstrate the beauty of it without any architectural structures.
Clifton's photographs were landscape photographs taken while the sun was low along the horizon and focused on the endangerment of nature which greatly influenced my piece into becoming a landscape style one focused upon the beauty of nature.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author of the pictures and information I used was Carr Clifton himself, who explores vast regions to show nature unpopulated and how beautiful it can be without human creations.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I have drawn the conclusion that nature is beautiful especially when preserved from man made creations and structures and there are many vast regions in which many of us will never get the chance to see in person.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The theme was the beauty of nature and the overall world and to show the vastness among it.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I inferred that Carr Clifton was an advocate for the preservation of nature because of how he captures his photographs to demonstrate the beauty of it without any architectural structures.
Bibliography
Clifton, Carr. CARR CLIFTON, 2017, carrclifton.com/galleries/nggallery/galleries/Great-Lakes.
Burney, Robert. “Capital Arts Gallery.” Capitol Arts Center, Mar. 2017, web.archive.org/web/20150923125249/www.plumasarts.org/capitol/capitol_opens.html.
Burney, Robert. “Capital Arts Gallery.” Capitol Arts Center, Mar. 2017, web.archive.org/web/20150923125249/www.plumasarts.org/capitol/capitol_opens.html.