Photo Challenge 2

Photo Challenge (1/21/18 - 2/2/18): Photographs to Art

One of my favorite exhibits at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, CA, is their Bouquets to Art exhibit in which florists choose a piece of art on display at the museum to interpret in a floral arrangement. The results are stunning and so creative! 

So, for our next assignment, let’s visit a local art museum/gallery and choose a piece of art (painting, sculpture, etc, any medium other than photography) to interpret photographically. The pieces could be portraits, landscapes, abstracts, and there is no need to interpret literally. Get creative! Take a photo of the original artwork so that you can post it with your composed photo. Take note on which elements you want to carry over: is it a certain color scheme or pose or interesting lines that are key to the original artwork that you can replicate photographically? What elements drew you to it?

This could take some planning and coordination to execute so let’s give ourselves until Friday, Feb 2, to complete this assignment. Post your photo and a photo of the original artwork in a gallery post on Instagram - and tag me (@fotofem) so I can see!


Photo Challenge 1

Photo Challenge (1/12/18 - 1/19/18): Creating a storyline out of images, “landscape” photography 

Choose a location: One that you can visit at least 3 times before next Friday, January 19; make it within a mile of your home or work if that will guarantee your commitment, or it can be that one place that you’ve already taken a thousand photos of and are looking for new ways to photograph it 

What you’ll need: Camera, notebook and writing utensil, Instagram account (if you want to share your work publicly) 

Trip 1:
Scout out location. Walk around, sit in different spots, but take no photos (okay okay, if you can resist the urge). Simply take notes on your surroundings: what makes the location special/unique, what objects qualify it to be what it purports (is it a park? what makes it a park?)? What are some details that stick out at first glance? Look beyond those, what are the details that aren’t as obvious but are still germane to the location? What are the objects/activities that are common to the location? On the other hand, are there objects present that are uncommon to the location? The purpose of this trip is to simply take it in, to be present in your chosen location. When the objective is to not take photos, perhaps we can allow our eyes to see things that aren’t obvious or don’t immediately classify as killer Instagram shots, and then allow our minds to digest everything that we have seen and come up with a game plan. 

Trip 2:
Take 3 different focal length shots (wide, medium, and up close) of each scene/object/activity you have identified as special. Take a wide shot first (a frame that includes the entire scene). Sure, having a wide-angle lens, a macro lens, and everything in between is desirable, but if all you have is your phone camera, you are just as prepared and capable. Want to get a shot of a detail? Move your body, get in realllllll close. This seems like such a simple idea, but when I thought about it after reading someone else’s advice of the 3 different shots, I thought, “I think I’ve sort of been doing that but in a very disjointed manner.” Having images of the same location at different focal lengths generates a more dynamic story. 

Trip 3:
Think about some of the objects/activities you’ve captured so far, is there a certain light or time of day that would create a more profound or interesting image? Think of the lighting or shadow or dramatic sky potential and go back at the time of day that would create the best results - and of course, take those 3 varied focal length photos (for example, my intention here is to force myself and other sunset shooters to not just take the wide shot that includes the entire brilliant sky, but also to focus on a single detail and capture how the light and colors of the sunset play with that detail.) 

Bonus Trip:
If you have another chance to return to your location before week’s end, go back at a completely different time of day than all of your prior trips. Did you only go at golden hour whether it was sunrise or sunset? Go back at noon when the light is harshest, or go back in the middle of the night to discover what is hidden or what is highlighted (as always, your safety is paramount, use the buddy system if at night). Make sure you are taking 3 photos at different focal lengths of each scene/object/activity on this trip, too. 

Edit your images however you like. Determine which 6 to 10 images are the most defining - that together tell a story - and arrange them in a gallery post on Instagram on or by Friday, Jan 19 - and tag me (@fotofem) so I can see!

1