Colors!

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/03/10/35-fantastic-hdr-pictures/

For this masterpiece the photographer utilizes a method known as HDR photography or High dynamic range photography.  This method allows for photographers to bring out more colors in their pictures.  So obviously a very visually striking part of this photo is the color that they are able to capture such as the wonderful blues and yellows.  Also just the impact the sun has the photo is astonishing as it lightens up the whole environment.  Another necessary piece to this amazing picture is that of the reflection on the water that shows another view of the incredible skyline.  The artist does an incredible job of capturing this beautiful scene with the perfect reflection underneath.

Eiffel tower

https://media1.biola.edu/modernlanguages/photos/2010/Oct/20/cache/3305640-Moon-light-Eiffel-Tower-0_large.jpg

When it comes to this photo, one can already acknowledge that the sight of the Eiffel Tower already makes it a beautiful photo.  However, what makes this picture special is what the artist captures around the tower.  When looked at more closely one sees the full moon, another beautiful object to behold.  Also included in this pic is the splitting of the sky with clouds and then the clear skies where the moon can be viewed and if one looks closely you can see the light from the top of the tower streaming across the photo.  This to me is a very desirable effect in the photo and only adds to the skill of the photographer to include it here.  Finally, the artist includes a view into the nightlife of Paris at the very bottom of the picture where you can see the various lights and some buildings of the bustling city.  Overall, I see this as an amazing picture that the artist put together very well by including the various things I mentioned above.

Amazing

http://www.chilloutpoint.com/images/2010/04/amazing-non-photoshopped-pictures/amazing-non-photoshopped-photos-04.jpg

What really amazes me about this photo is the overall beauty that the artist is able to capture.  When first looked at one is immediately drawn to the beautiful sky, but then you notice how the sand acts as a natural mirror with the water above it; a truly remarkable sight.  In addition, the photographer makes sure to capture what I assume to be one of their friends as well as what appears to be a fence in the distance to take advantage of the grounds reflective nature and add to the beauty of the photograph.  Furthermore, the lighting of the photograph draws ones eyes to the center of the picture and then when you look out to the corners the picture gradually darkens which I see as an admirable effect as it draws one to the beauty of the sky and reflective sand/water below.  I think this is an amazing picture and hope to have this skill when it comes to taking photographs in the future.

2 photo posts from Atticus Graven

1.

From Smashingmagazine.com artist: Alin Ciortea

What I really really love about this photo is the focus. The textures in the brick are recognizable, if not distinct all the way up the street and walls. There is a patch of dryness right around the subject, giving him even more weight. The contrast is very intense, and the trees just feet away from the foreground are simply silhouettes. The vantage point makes the street huge and the child tiny in comparison. The icing on the cake is the girl's expression. She is tiny, but she is crisp and clear and in focus, and where we see an unoccupied cobbled street, she sees the entire world. She is curious, even a bit afraid, but she is about to step into the world she has been told so much about.

2.

http://knarfinthecity.blogspot.com/ Title: Progress Artist: Unlisted

Another image of striking contrast, which is important, because it is basically a photo of shadows. It very clearly delineates what light passes though and what it cannot. There is very little grey in this at all. The title is "Progress" which implies a relationship, though framing, between the endless body of water and the zigguranic skyline, and its clear-white emissions. I think what is most powerful is the stark color difference between the water and the machines, and then the similarity between the water and the steam. Upon enlargement, the photo gets a little blurry, but it think the focus would actually benefit from being pushed even more towards silhouette than it is now, more than it would benefit from better content focus.

Mapping

This image stood out to me because of its strong suggestions of time. The photographer, Kim Boske, was interested in time and space, and in her work, Mapping, she blends moments of time together. I think this a fascinating image because it is not one moment frozen in time like most photographs but several; this adds an element of passage of time to an otherwise static picture. It also falls into our categories of the thing itself and frame because the photographer chose to frame the tree in the center of the picture making it the obvious subject.

http://foam.org/foam-editions/portfolios/boske,-kim

Quatorze Juillet

This picture was striking to me for its detail. Everything from the cracks in the wall to the lines in sidewalk to the chains hanging from the beams above the people is clearly visible. This great detail and contrast helps to bring you into the photo. It also has strong elements of time. It captures this singular moment in time where two people are dancing in the middle of the street. The woman's hair is caught in the action of swinging as they dance. All of these aspects of the image are instrumental in making the viewer feel like they are part of the scene.

Johan van der Keuken, 1958
http://foam.org/foam-editions/portfolios/keuken,-johan-van-der

On Scale

The Dutch photographer Raimond Wouda explores human relationships in his work On Scale. Specifically, in On Scale, he examines how tourists affect a landscape. In my opinion, the presence of the tourists, as well as the flocks of birds, significantly detracts from the potential beauty of this image. The architecture is very interesting, and the building in the center of the picture is particularly magnificent. However, the crowds of people distract from the overall splendor of the scene.