april 2011

of 8themes photography

all 8 themes inside

photographed by Christine Ng

the cathedral of transfiguration

architecture featuring

what makes a good composition?

tableofcontents
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vol. 1 issue 1
portrait dan brown architecture cathedral still life cupcakes landscape stanley beach wildlife panda fashion accessories photojournalism camera store sport skateboarding

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04

03 04 06

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07 08
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09

PORTRAIT

dan brown

his photograph is an example of the theme portrait. This is a portrait of Dan Brown and it is a medium shot. It is a good example of a portrait photograph, because it is candid and shows a person as the subject or focal point of the composition. Also, this photo tells a story about the subject that is in the photograph. It is a candid shot of the subject painting with wax, so it tells us a story about the subject, Dan Brown as being an artist and someone who is creative. The Elements

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and principles of design that is used in this photograph help to create a good composition. Value is shown in the photograph because there are lighter areas in the photograph which contrast the darker areas.

It helps create form of the subject, making the composition more interesting. Also, line is present in the photograph because there are implied lines from the line of sight of the subject and also the diagonal line of the paintbrush which creates movement in the photograph, drawig the viewers eye to look at the painting which is what tells the story in this portrait. Also there is a clear focal point in this composition which is Dan Browns face. It is a clear focal point because it falls on an interesecting point of the nine zone grid.

ARCHITECTURE
8 Themes

About The Photograph

This photograph is an example of architecture photography. This photo is a long shot and the focal point of the photograph is a cathedral, which is classified as architecture because it is a man made or built. The silhouette of the cathedral allows the photograph to show details of the the cathedral. It shows the unique arched shapes of the windows, the dome roofs, the crosses at the top of the building, and also the details of the shape of the lamps are shown in this photograph. This is a composed shot, because the elements and principles of design are present.

the elements and principles of design are present

The element of design, line is shown in this photograph. The lamp posts are shown in this photograph to demonstrate line. There is also repetition of line, which suggests movement to the focal point which is the cathedral. Also the contrast in size of the lamp posts and the size of the cathedral suggest dynamic balance. Emphasis of the focal point is also present, because the contrast of the black silhouette of the cathedral against the blue background gives the focal point dominance in the composition. There is also symmetrical balance.

Still life t
his photograph is an example of the theme still life. It is a composition of non living objects together, which in this photograph, the cupcakes, plate, and fork are composed together in a composition. This photograph is a close up shot. These non lviing objects are staged to make a good composition, and the elemtns and principles of design are used to create a good composition. An element that is used is unity. There is unity of the pink and red colours of the focal point cupcake and the colors on the cupcakes in the background. Space is also used because there is the focal point cupcake and the fork in the foreground and the 2 other cupcakes in the background. There is also a middle ground where the cupcakes stand. There is assymetrical balance, because the focal point cupcake lies on an intersecting point of the nine zone grid. Also, line is present in the diagonal

8 Themes
lines of the fork, and the vertical lines in the cupcakes which draws the eyes attention to the top of the cupcake. Contrast in value is used to create a smooth texture of the fork and plate, and the curved lines and vale of the icing creates a smooth texture, also the vale of the cupcake wrapped gives the focal point form.

the elements and principles of design are present

landscape photography
photographed by Christine Ng

his photograph is an example of land scape photography. It is a candid medium longshot photograph. There is also a clear focal point, which is the gazebo which falls on the nine zone grid. The horizon line of this landscape photograph is up high. The composition also tells about the environment in the photograph which is calm, serene, urbanized but also still environmentally friendly. The photo also shows that the landscape is a tourist area. The composition of this photograph uses the elements and principles of design in order to create an eye catching or appealing composition. The element texture is used in the composition and is created by contrast of texture in the water. It gives the water form and texture from the darker areas and lighter areas. Also, there are curved lines in the water which gives the

stanley beach hong kong august 2009

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the elements and principles of design are present

mood of calm, peaceful, and soothing. Therre is also texture in the rocks which is created by the contrast of valye of the darker and lighter shaded areas. The principle balance is also used in the photograph because the focal point (the gazebo) falls on an intersecting point of the nine zone

creating assymetrical balance. There is also contrast or variety of colour of the boats and the water. This helps the boats stand out against the water and the contrast of blue, green, yellow, and red creates interest.

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wildlife
This photograph is an example of the theme wildlife. It shows an animal in its natural habitat. It was taken at an outdoor zoo for giant pandas in China.

The elements and principles of design are used in this photograph to create a composition. There is symmetrical balance in the composition. Also, there is unity and harmony of the surroundings and environment in the composition of the grey colour of the rocks. Also, there is contrast between the white head of the panda (the focal point) against the dark background and generally dark surroundings of the composition which helps emphasize and draw the

the viewers attention to the focal point. There is also texture of the water in the composition. The curved wave lines in the water creates a mood of calmness, and also the value of light and dark areas of the rocks give an effect of a smooth texture. The lines also give the rocks a texture that looks cracked. The lines of the panda bears fur also help create texture of the fur.

elements and theprinciples of design are present

fashion
his photograph is an example of the theme fashion. It is a good example of this theme, because it is a close up show of a belt, a bracelet, and a ring. The photographs are displaying a product which are the accessories (belt, bracelet, ring) that the model is wearing. It is a photograph that is a mix of candid and planned, because the position of the model is planned but the model is not deliberately showing emotion in the photograph. The model also assensuates the accessories.

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In the first photograph of the belt, the diagonal lines in the models fingers direct the eyes attention to the belt. Valye is also present in the photograph to show a ridged and smooth texture in the metal clasp and the leather. There is also contrast of colour in the composition of the gold belt against the dark grey and black outfit of the model. This creates emphasis of the golden bird clasp, which is the focal point. Assymetrical balance is also used to emphasize the focal point, because it falls on an intersecting point of the nine zone grid. n this second photograph, the element value is used. Contrast of value is used to show form in the ring, and also texture. Value also helps assencuate the form in the bracelet beats to show shiny and dull areas. There is also texture in the ring of the gold areas that uses lines and value to show a ridged texture, and also the value of the gemstone shows that it is smooth. There is also line in the ring gemstone. Color is also used inthe beads of the

photojournalism
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about the photograph

the viewer about the location (the camera store) which is what the background story of the photograph is. There is also assymetrical balance in the composition. The focal point, which is the subjects face falls on an intersecting point of the nine zone grid. Also, the contrast of the bright blue colour of the subjects hood helps emphasize and create movement of the eye towards the focal point, because it contrasts vastly against the predominantly beige, grey, and black colours (neutral colours) in the composi-

his photograph is an example of the theme photojournalism. It is a medium close up shot. It is not staged and it is a candid shot. The emotion that this photograph evokes is excitement, interest, and curiosity.This photograph tells a story of a shoppers (the subject) first time in a store that sells cameras (the lomography store) Line is used in this photograph. The repetition of the shelves creates diagonal lines which help to draw the viewers eyes to the subjects face (focal point), and the line from the arm directs the eye back to the camera, which indicates to

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sport

his photograph is an example of the theme sport. It is a candid medium shot that shows action of a skateboard jump. This photograph showcases the sport skateboarding. This photo was taken with a fast shutter speed of 1/1000 of a second. It is also a candid shot because it was not staged. The elements and principles of design are also present in this photograph to create a good composition. The blue colour in this composition helps to create unity in the composition. The blue colour is repeated in the skateboard, the skateboarders shoes, the shirt, the hat, and in the persons shirt in the background. Space is also shown because there is positive and negative space.

Also there is foreground and background with the main skateboarder in the focal point in the foreground and the background being the skatepark surroundings. There is also assymetrical balance in the composition, because the focal point, which is the skateboarder falls on an intersecting point of the nine zone grid. The lines of the skateboarder are also shown. The curved line of the back, and the diagonal lines of the legs and skateboard create movement in the photograph and create interest.