Compose Your Frame

I'll be the first to admit, photography and I usually don't go well together. Regardless to say, I've procrastinated this assignment for just shy of two months. And because I did so, I'm treating you to not one, but many of the photos I took.

 

The above photograph plays on the rule of thirds in a few different ways. (Disclaimer: I cropped the photo just a tiny bit, so that the rule of thirds would be more prominent.) The sun, as it peaks over the mountains in the distance, rests on the bottom right point in the rule of thirds grid. The mountaintops and horizon line touch the bottom rule of third gridline, allowing the sky to take up the top two-thirds of the image. The road and signs act as graphic vectors, guiding your eye through the photo and towards the sun. The viewer should have an understanding that, if they were in a car on the road, they'd most likely be traveling toward the sun. The diagonal lines of the power cables create movement, also sending the viewers' eye to the sun, the focal point of the image.

This photo, too, lends itself a spot in the rule of thirds. The "Do Not Enter" sign is positioned in the left third of the photograph, sending your eye immediately there. However, upon further observation, the viewer's eyes travel down the road, as it acts as a motion vector. The tops of the houses provide a diagonal line, sending the viewers' eyes to the road. The "Do Not Enter" sign is an index vector.

The sign that's closest to the viewer rests in the right third of the photograph. Your eye should first be drawn there but then direct itself down the diagonal line of the signs and path of the road. The signs, road, and power lines, act as both motion and graphic vectors in this image, guiding the eye down the road and out of the image. While they each act as vectors, they also play out the diagonal rule, in that they provide movement and direction to the image.

The trees closest in the image rest on the left third and right third of the image. The homes play on the diagonal rule, giving movement to the photo. There's also a figure-ground relationship between the bushes and trees that are in the foreground of the image and the houses and plateau that are in the background of the image.

Similar to the image directly above, the tree in the far right of the photo is where your eye should first be directed; it rests in the right third of the photograph. The mountains and a few of the clouds rest in the bottom third of the photograph, and the bushes, trees, and homes are in the foreground while the mountains are in the background. The branches on the tree closest play on the diagonal rule, directing your eye up and out of the photograph.

 

The more I look at the above photo, the more I'm drawn to it. The snow-covered shrubbery, the Dixie-red rock and the dust-covered clouds are in the bottom third of the photograph, allowing the bright blue sky to take up the top third of the photograph. The clouds and mountains play a little bit on the diagonal rule, providing movement in the image. The shrubbery is in the foreground, while the red rock and clouds are in the background. The highest cloud on the far right acts as a motion vector in a way, sending your eye out of the image.

 

 

Now, as much as I'd love to take credit for this photo, it was actually my husband who captured this shot. I thought I'd post it anyway because it plays on the rule of third perfectly. The largest icicle rests on the left third of the photograph, while the largest of the smaller icicles extends down to the top third of the photograph. The icicles act as graphic vectors as they hang from the rooftop of a house. The light purple against the dark purple of the exterior paint on the house play on the diagonal rule, sending your eye back and forth along the bottom third of the image.

 

Communication Artifact

Warmhouse Coffee Advertising

I chose two communication artifacts: an advertisement and a rewards card. Both artifacts are a way for our company, Warmhouse Coffee, to market its business. Because I don't have any graphic design experience, I spent probably way too much time making both the ad as well as the card. However, I'm very pleased with the results. Let me explain the design elements I used for each piece below.

 

Magazine Ad

(would format to fit a standard 8 in. X 10.5 in. page)

original photo (below) by Andrea Watkins Photography

photo illustration by Katelyn Boulton

When I created this ad, I had a vision - It's a chilly evening in Tacoma, Wash., (the location of our company) and the winter has found its way with its first snowfall. Cold weather might've stopped people from leaving their houses before, but thanks to Warmhouse Coffee, it isn't stopping people from leaving their houses now! Instead of keeping to their inside quarters, the young couple above decided to beat the weather only for a short time until making it to Warmhouse Coffee, where they know they can "Stay Warm."

The red and brown shades in the ad create a warm tone, while the soft, gray colors of the trees seen through the window make it obvious that it's a cold evening outside. The couple is dressed for colder temperatures, but they are able to shed their coats and wear only light layers while inside Warmhouse.

The rule of thirds is incorporated into the ad, with the subject (the couple) positioned in the bottom right third of the photograph. Even though they're sitting, their height is extended up to the top right third of the photograph. The window is positioned in the top left third of the photograph, and the table and empty chair extend across the entire bottom third of the advertisement. The rule of thirds is also incorporated in the window, with the window frame positioned in a grid-like pattern, where the intersections of the lines meet at particular points. However, the offset window framing is intentionally asymmetrical to illustrate that the window extends out of the photograph's frame. This is an example of the law of closure. I added a filter to the photograph of the trees outside, allowing for the snow to be in motion, as if it's snowing in present time.

I placed the saying, "Stay Warm", beside the couple to draw the viewers' eyes toward the couple, as they are the subject of the ad. I then placed the Warmhouse Coffee logo in the bottom right of the ad because that's where the human eye is naturally drawn. I also outlined the logo in a tan color, the same color as the framing in the window allowing again, for an asymmetrical balance between the two corners of the image. I left negative space above the couple so that the ad is easier on the eyes and not too text or image heavy. The negative space also send the eye down toward the subject of the photograph.

 

original photo by Andrea Watkins Photography

 

Rewards Card

 

Lauren designed our logo and used two font types. The cursive of Warmhouse was strategically used because it's a softer font type, resembling a mother or grandmother's handwriting, two people who make everyone feel at home. The cursive is welcoming and inviting.

For the back of the rewards card, I chose a serif font type because serifs make individual letters and words easier to read when on print material. I chose a paper-sack-like color to fill in the background of the card because our products are also packaged in paper sacks which are recyclable, an element of Warmhouse letting our customers know that we strive to take care of the earth we live in. Outlined in an orange border, the card and logos are able to pop out and make the card easy to find in a wallet with several other rewards cards piled on top of each other. The burnt orange color was used throughout our products because it's a warm and bold color and is said to make people hungry. I spoke with several people who drink coffee, and a handful of them liked particular brews that had bold flavors; their opinions support our decision to have burnt orange as one of our company's colors. The use of the logo and colors of our company on our rewards card, as well as our magazine ad, is an example of the law of continuity.

The grid-like pattern of the logos is easy on the eyes, due to each logo having an equal amount of space between each other as well as the four sides of the card. Because the logos are placed around the outside edges of the card, it helps to frame the text in the middle of the card; this is important because it draws people to the center, so they know right away that this card is the Warmhouse Coffee Rewards Card.

Project Bloopers 

Like I said already, I don't have any graphic design experience, so I spent hour after hour, day after day (literally) putting together the ad and rewards card. Not only was I trying to be a graphic designer, I was also trying to incorporate as many design principles as I could. In the ad, I played around with the placement of the logo, different tag lines, and the window framing. In the rewards card, I played around with the placement of the logo (or logos), color and font. Below, I've included a number of "bloopers" along my way of creating these designs. There were a lot of "takes" throughout this project. 

 

Ad - Take One



Ad - Take Two

 

 

Ad - Take Three

 

Ad - Take Four

Ad - Take Five

 



 

Ad - Take Six

 

(See top of blog post for final magazine ad.)

 

Rewards Card - Take One

 

 

Rewards Card - Take Two

 

 

Rewards Card - Take Three

 

 

(See top of blog post for the final rewards card.)

 

 

 

Mis-en-Scene: Hugo

Costume Designer Sandy Powell had quite the task ahead of her when she signed up to design the costumes for "Hugo", an award-winning film set in 1930s Paris. But, after receiving a handful of raving reviews, it looks like there couldn't have been a better costume designer for the film. According to IMDB, "Hugo" received the following nominations related to costume design:

Oscar:

Best Achievement in Costume Design 

 

CDG (Costume Designers Guild Award):

Excellence in Period Film

 

Critics Choice Award (Broadcast Film Critics Association):

Best Costume Design 

 

Saturn Award (Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films):

 Best Costumes 

 

BAFTA Film Award (British Academy of Film and Television Arts):

Best Costume Design

 

PFCS (Phoenix Film Critics Society Award):

 Best Costume Design

Rather than simply listing the awards that "Hugo" won for its costume design, I wanted to take a more in-depth look into what it took to make such top-notch costumes.

A number of different journalists were able to ask Powell about her designs. They're listed below:

The following can be attributed to FIDM: Museum and Galleries:

1. Did you consult the book or its illustrations when designing costumes for the film?

A) They served as an inspiration for the feeling and tone of the whole look...
Martin Scorsese also screened films for us to watch...

2. How does this unified color scheme affect the mood of the film?

A) Since this is a film to capture the imagination of children as well as adults, I wanted to use a colour [sic] that would resonate...

3. Hugo is an active kid with a dirty, scrappy life. How did you account for this when making his striped sweater, jacket and short trousers?

A) I wanted his jacket and trousers to always be a bit small to show that he was alone, with no one to look after him and buy him new clothes once he had grown out of them.

The following can be attributed to The Huffington Post:

1. How did you start making the costumes for the film?

A) ...I have a bunch of clothes that I just found or rented from the period and we tried them all on. I try lots of different things on the actors when I first meet them and see what shapes work, what colors work.

2. What is it like when you first see the actors in their costumes?

A) When the actors become their character, that's really the moment when you've done your job...

3. Were there any costumes you didn't love?

A) ...There are a huge number of principal actors, and non of them have more than two changes of clothing. In a film like "Hugo" where there are only one or two costumes, you've got to get them all just right.

The following can be attributed to Frock Talk:

1. What were your initial discussions like with M. Scorsese about the look and feel of the film?

A) The look and feel of the film was largely influenced by the original book by Brian Selznick. Although I didn't copy the clothes from the illustrations in the book, they served as a stating point and inspiration. M. Scorsese wanted everything - sets and costumes - to be slightly heightened and unreal as if seen through the eyes of a child or like illustrations in a picture book. ...He screens films for the crew to see, things that he is using as reference either as a feeling or as a literal reconstruction.

2. I noticed a lot of really nice knits in the film - I presume you had them custom made.

A) Hugo's sweater was based on an original one I found, so I had to find wool to match. If the colours [sic] weren't right, I dyed them to the exact shades I wanted. ...Isabelle's colours [sic] weren't so unusual; I wanted a very 'French' look for her, so she is in a lot of navy and burgundy...

3. If I may, what was your budget?

About 1.2 Million British Pounds Sterling (Approximately $1.87 Million U.S. Dollars)

The following can be attributed to Below the Line:

Powell began her work, as she does on all Scorsese films, by watching films he has recommended. There were also photographs from the period along with photographs of Melies and his wife...

"Everything is seen as if through the eyes of a child, therefore I wanted to simplify the looks to just once, maybe two outfits for each character. I approached the actual costumes as if they were illustrations from a children's picture book, keeping the looks simple, graphic and colorful," Powell explained.

Hugo wears stripes as he runs through the idealized Paris of the 1930s... with his only ally, the plucky Isabelle, who also wears a striped sweater throughout the film. The result is... a consistent look for each character defining their personalities and helping to distinguish them among crowds in the busy railway station...

The following can be attributed to Clothes on Film:

The blue of the Station Inspector's uniform is deliberately intensified.

The stripes motif on orphan Hugo Cabret and his new friend, Melies goddaughter Isabelle, for example, helps to distinguish their fast moving bodies in the packed train station...

"I wanted the characters to be seen amongst the crowds in the station, especially since a lot of the time they are seen from Hugo's point of view from up high," Powell said.

...The sleeves on Hugo's Norfolk style jacket are too short, implying he has grown out of it since his father died, suggesting the passage of time and his dire circumstances: living alone in a train station on scraps, scurrying between levels like a rat. Hugo could not be any lower when we meet him. His existence is Dickensian in the worst sense of the word.

Powell said: "I wanted the characters to be instantly recognisable [sic], like illustrations in a children's book, where characters usually stay in one outfit throughout so they can be remembered...

 

 The still frame our group chose is pictured above.

  

Design Analysis

Line:

Because the movie is intended to be seen through the eyes of a child, there were no more than two costumes for each character, and costume designs were simple. Stripes were used on a handful of the costumes, including Hugo's and Isabelle's sweaters. Similarly, Madame Emilie's coat and skirt had a zig-zag pattern. These particular patterns made it easy for the characters to stand out amongst the crowds in the station. As stated on the class blog, lines "lead your eye around the composition and can communicate information through their character and direction."

 

Form:

Similar to line, form is apparent throughout the rectangular shape of the lines of Hugo and Isabelle's sweaters. The station inspector's hat has an almost zig-zag pattern, which also adds depth to his costume.

 

Color:

Color was one of the most important aspects of costume design. One of the most prominent examples of color is illustrated by the station inspector's blue uniform. Powell described that a typical station inspector's uniform would be navy. However, navy would appear black on screen, so she exaggerated the intensity of the blue in his uniform to assure he would stand out on camera. The value of the blue is also associated with energy, which is perfect because the station inspector is constantly chasing Hugo, as well as other orphans, around the station.

Similar to the station inspector's uniform, Hugo's costume featured an intensified blue color, as well as shades of burgundy, orange and brown. Isabelle's costume was made of navy and burgundy, creating a "French" look. These colors are dull, portraying a serious mood. Isabelle's outfit matches well against Hugo's, which is important as the two characters are beside each other a majority of the movie. Together, the reds, oranges and browns are warm colors, while the blues are cool colors.
 

Texture:

There was plenty of knitwear throughout the differing costumes, as well as wool, heavy overcoats, hats and scarves. The film is set in the 1930s but includes costume designs from the 1920s as well. The winter coats and hats takes viewers to that specific time period. When I think of running my fingers along Hugo's coat, I imagine it and his shirt to be rough, as if he's worn these clothes a hundred times without a single wash. Isabelle's coat seems to have a leathery texture, accounting for the wealth her family has.

 

Gestalt Principles

Law of Similarity:

Items that are similar tend to be grouped together.

Hugo and Isabelle's clothes are similar in color and pattern, making it easy to group the children together.

 

Law of Continuity:

Lines are seen as following the smoothest path.

The horizontal lines in the stripes of Hugo and Isabelle's sweaters imply continuation. This is especially important as Hugo and Isabelle move from scene to scene but remain in character.

 

Contexts

Social:

Hugo's costume puts the viewer in the most obvious social context. His clothes were purposely too small, giving an illusion that he is alone and has no one to look after him or provide him with new clothes.

 

Cultural:

The setting is 1930s Paris, intending a "French" culture. This is most obvious in Isabelle's costume, as the colors are explained to create a "French" look.

 



Axioms of Web Design

The website I chose to analyze is Pottery Barn. I've analyzed it below using the axioms of web design (as outlined on the class blog).

Business/Communication Objectives

Pottery Barn's website fulfills its business objective as soon as you are at the landing site. It is obvious that Pottery Barn is a home furnishing and décor business. You are instantly drawn to three large photographs near the top of the webpage. Each of the three photographs is a link to a particular type of décor, such as décor for decorating, entertaining, and gifting. While the web designer could have made text links serving the same purpose, it is not as likely that someone would click on the link; the visual aspect draws the attention of the viewer and makes the viewer desire to see more.

Similarly, it is beneficial to have photographs of actual Pottery Barn décor so viewers have an idea of what to expect from the business. The photographs set the tone for the type of business that Pottery Barn is - elegant designs that are inviting and illustrate that this is what home feels like. While Pottery Barn products are on the more expensive end of the scale, the design of the webpage does not exclude the business to "poorer" viewers. The design doesn't make viewers feel as if they are not "rich" enough to buy their products but rather invites all customers to enjoy a taste of this type of elegance - whether it be limited to their time on the website with intriguing images or brought into their home through purchased products.

Strong Grid

Pottery Barn's website has a quiet structure. Unlike the information- (text-) based CNN website or similar text-based websites, Pottery Barn is picture-based, meaning that users don't go to Pottery Barn to read but instead to buy. While a quiet structure is easily defined in accordance to text, it can still be illustrated through the arrangement of photos and two or three word headings.

At the top of the page, there are 11 headings that direct your search. If you put your cursor over one of the headings, a list of subheadings appear. The subheadings are again divided into categories, each divided by a vertical line and bold text for headings. The spatial relation are categories is well designed in that nothing is grouped too close or spread far apart. Similarly, as you scroll down the page, each major photo spread or block of text is separated with a clean, white line. This white line has the same width horizontally as it does vertically, minimizing visual noise. In simpler terms, it is a consistent grid. The lines are even throughout the page, side to side, top to bottom. Although there is no pattern to the background, the white color creates continuance throughout the website - as you click and are taken from page to page, the white background remains. This allows the user to feel comfortable in knowing what to expect of the entire website and its contents.

As you continue to scroll down the page, there are photos on the right with text on the left. In this horizontal layout, the reader can read from left to right, and the eyes do not have to move all around the page to obtain information. This is a great use of space and creates for a clean alignment. As the cursor is placed on several of the photos, a sentence appears explaining the particular product in the photo. However, the photo still appears in the background of the text, but the opacity of the photo is reduced so it isn't difficult to read. This, too, creates continuance in that the user isn't taken away from the photo but instead remains in contact with the photo and the information.

The Lower Right

The landing page of Pottery Barn does not execute a lower right. It simply has three, large photographs of different products. Because there isn't necessarily one product offered by Pottery Barn (unlike the GoPro website illustrated on the class blog and here), I don't think the lower right is necessary for the website. The three photographs act similarly to the use of the lower right by GoPro - they provide a visual example of what to expect out of a Pottery Barn product.

Continuity

As I said above, underneath the "Strong Grid" heading, Pottery Barn's website illustrates continuity quite well. With evenly spaced horizontal and vertical grids, the website is creating continuance for its users because the eyes aren't jarred up, down or all around in order to collect information. Also as explained above, the white background, though simple in pattern, allows for continuance from page to page of the website. The viewer comes to expect the white background as he/she scrolls pages or clicks images.

Intuitiveness

The design of the website allows for intuitiveness; the user can navigate throughout the website based upon previous experience of web navigation. There is nothing confusing or different in the web design. Also illustrating intuitiveness are the photographs of Pottery Barn products. Photos of dining rooms, living rooms and bedrooms provide intuition to the user - This is what the website is about. This is what the product is about - It isn't a surprise to click on an image of a dining room and be taken to a page where there are several more dining rooms. Perhaps better explained, the user knows that an image of a dining room won't take him/her to images of food. While dining rooms and food are related, the intuitiveness of the user is successfully put into place by the design of the website.

Another part of intuitiveness is whether or not the company logo represents what the product is truly about. Pottery Barn's logo is simple: a capital PB, white in color, inside a black box. The logo, in particular, isn't a product of intuitiveness. However, much like the different logos of cars or appliances, Pottery Barn's logo, if used on all products, can become intuitive to a user who buys from Pottery Barn often or shops at potterybarn.com frequently.

Affordance

The Pottery Barn website executes affordance because the user knows how the webpage is to be used because of its design. The landing page allows the user to scroll up and down and click from heading to heading, photo to photo. One website stated affordance as when you see it, you know what it means. Upon entering the potterybarn.com, you know it's a home furnishing and décor brand. You are not confused that it has to do with pottery or barns because there are headings and photos throughout the website that tell you what Pottery Barn sells.

Greatest Contrast

The contrast of Pottery Barn's website is illustrated in its colors. While the design is not a bold black and white contrast, the colors used still create a strong contrast. As I said above, under the "Intuitiveness" heading, the Pottery Barn logo is a capital PB in white, inside of a black box. The logo has the greatest contrast, but the rest of the webpage uses a less obvious contrast of colors ranging from white and ivory to shades of brown and reds. This palette of colors is warm and creates an inviting feeling. As explained in my introduction of this post, the photographs set the tone for the type of business that Pottery Barn is - illustrating that this is what home feels like. Just as the photographs do, the contrast in colors also illustrate a feeling of "home sweet home". The example of contrast on the class blog and here, is black and white photographs of testimonies from survivors of the 911 tragedy. The black and white contrast sets a mood for what is expected in the webpage. It sets a tone of tragedy, reality, determination, perseverance, etc. Pottery Barn's contrast, too, sets a particular mood and tone that users can be in touch with while on the website.

Good Looking Means Easy

This particular axiom relates to Pottery Barn because the website is, as explained in the seven axioms above, well-designed. It's clean and "good looking" - which, apparently, "means easy". One way I look at this axiom is that if the look of the website is good looking then the product is too; if the website is easy then the product (the timeliness of the service), is too. It's most likely a rarity that anyone would order products from a website that is confusing and doesn't execute the axioms of web design. It's more likely that someone is to actually purchase an online product if the website is "good looking". It's kind of like judging a book by it's cover.

Small Screen to Large Screen

 

 

The assignment for this post was to find a video that can be easily converted between two screens. The above YouTube video is a recent advertisement for Apple's newest creation, the iPad Air. The ad reminds me a lot of the Lexus ES commercial shown on our class blog, here. As the video plays from frame to frame, the pencil remains in the center of the screen, illustrating the law of continuity. There's a sense of secrecy as the ad plays out, making the viewer wonder about the relationship between an ordinary pencil and the extraordinary iPad. The narrator's voice is deep and sultry, adding to the suspense. It's not until the last frame that the viewer sees the iPad hidden behind the pencil and knows what significance the pencil has to the iPad. The figure/ground relationship of the pencil is also well-presented, in that the pencil is the figure (element in focus) and the background doesn't draw away from that focus. As the video ends, a person picks up the iPad, but only the person's hands are shown so that the iPad (the new figure) remains in focus. Lastly, the iPad logo is flashed onto the center of the screen before the video goes to black, leaving the viewer's eyes centered continually from start to finish.

 

Design Evaluation

What do you think about when you first look at this advertisement? I feel comfortable to say you most likely feel like the woman is being directly compared to a horse - something no one wants. This is all due to poor design. 

My initial question was, "Is this shampoo for humans or animals?" The name "Mane 'n Tail" and the image of the horses insinuates a shampoo for animals, but upon further research it's not for one or the other, it's for both:

"The original horse to human crossover shampoo that provides fuller, stronger, longer, healthier hair."

Now who wouldn't want to use the same shampoo their horse uses on its coarse, flea-attracted mane and tail? Better yet, if you look closer, the shampoo bottle is also for the body - 3 in 1! I'm sure anyone would agree with me in saying that as badly as I hope to never use the same shampoo my horse uses, I sure as heck don't want to use the same body wash. Horses don't exactly smell like roses. If the shampoo and conditioner isn't already bad enough, the "Mane 'n Tail Hoofmaker" is for humans to use on their hoofs hands as a moisturizer. 

Taking a look at more literal design concepts, the design team did do one thing (arguably) right: they used complimentary colors. The orange against the navy creates some sort of contrast, but it's strongly overruled by the confusion in the product name and logo. Maybe if the design team made the bottles a bit more sleek and not so plain Jane, I might be able to talk myself into believing that this shampoo is indeed for humans, too.

Take a look at the design above. Don't you feel better already? 

It's much easier to take literal design concepts into consideration here. The colors are what initially caught my attention. Even though they aren't necessarily complimentary colors on the color wheel, they still compliment each other in their hue and shade. Each color is bright and each color has a shine to it. One of my favorite parts of the bottles is that the names of the shampoo sets are unique to their own. A few of the clever names are: body envy, color me happy, and hello hydration.

Not only are the colors and names of the products attractive, but also the shape of the bottles. The shampoo and conditioner bottles are shaped so they fit beside each other much like a puzzle piece. It hints that a customer can't purchase just one or the other but must purchase both because they are a pair.

Even the "Herbal Essences" motto is written with design concepts in mind:

"Dive into the world of Herbal Essences, with products that stimulate the senses, clean and care for your hair, and wrap your body in luscious fragrance."

While it may not come right out and specify that this shampoo is for human use, there aren't any pictures of horses or mystifying names that confuse the customer. 

Well, at least now.

The "Herbal Essences" product that was once named, "Bee Happy" is now named, "Honey, I'm strong." It seems as if the "Herbal Essences" design team caught onto was what the design team for "Mane 'n Tail" did not: humans do not want to be treated with any products related to animals (or insects in this circumstance).

For my own curiosity, I researched the "Bee Strong/Honey, I'm Strong" collection to find out why the product had any reference to bees. The following was stated on us.herbalessences.com:

"Did you know honey is nature's golden elixir? Once a luxury reserved for kings and queens, honey has been revered for centuries as a natural healing remedy and beauty secret for the hair."

Perhaps if "Mane 'n Tail" explained the relation of humans to horses a little more like that, then I'd take a second look at buying their product. But, perhaps not.

Contrast, Balance and Harmony

Photo Credit: Hans J. Hansen

 

This photo was quick to catch my eye as I was searching for a picture that created contrast, balance and harmony.

 

The contrast can be most easily seen in the color; the bright orange boat complements the bright blue water. Similarly, if the top of the image stopped just below the white rim of the top of the boat, the contrast would not be nearly as significant. Contrast can also be seen in the texture; the cracked wood of the boat is quite the opposite of the smooth, rippled water that it sits on.The texture works so well that I can feel the broken edges of the boat against my hand and the refreshing water beneath it. One way to look at this is in the highlights of the water and the shadows of the boat. Another way this photo depicts contrast is in the shapes; the triangular point of the tip of the boat is striking in relation to the subtly rippled water.

 

The photo is symmetrically balanced, with the boat being centered in the image. The size and position of the boat also create balance and harmony. If the photographer took the image directly head-on, rather than angled above the boat as he did, the boat would appear much smaller, drastically lessening the contrast, balance and harmony.

 

Though the contrast, balance and harmony is easily explained by principles, it can also be explained by its psychological, social and cultural context. When I first looked at this photo, my visceral response was absolute awe. Normally, a photo of an ordinary boat wouldn't mean anything to me, but this photo immediately struck me as different. With it's rough edges, I saw love and laughter; the boat carried family on many fishing trips, where grandpa would take his grandchildren out for a day of fishing and tell tall tales of his life. Even though the title of the photo is "Fishing boat", even if I didn't know the title, I would still imagine the boat the same because it's weathered surface puts it in into physical context. Clearly, the boat wouldn't be able to withstand the turbulent sea or a long excursion in billowing water. Instead, the boat is one that was taken out for day trips, only a few hours at a time. It wasn't used by the culture of men dedicated to the fishing industry but instead a culture of family dedicated to bonding through love—the love of one another and the love of fishing.



 

Visceral Response

Photo Credit: Underwater Dogs by Seth Casteel

When I initially came across this photo my first response was laughter. Seth Casteel's photography provides a view of dogs that humans wouldn't have otherwise. I haven't researched Seth Casteel and what drives his photography, but I imagine him as a dog lover who had the spontaneous idea one day to take photos of his dogs underwater. Casteel was able to take something as simple as an every day game of fetch and create an entirely new viewpoint of it. I feel the anxiety of the each dog as he/she races to get the ball before the other. While I said my initial response was laughter, I began to feel a connection to the photo after I better understood the design elements, as follows:

Line: 

As written on the Visual Communication blog, "Diagonal lines covey a feeling of movement." The placement of the two dogs in this photo makes me feel as if I just jumped into the water with the dogs. Also as written on the Visual Communication blog, "The curve of a line can convey energy." In this photo, the curvature of the dogs' noses and the tennis ball create an energy of playfulness. I can feel that the dogs are truly having fun.

Form:

The most apparent form in this photo is in its three-dimension. The dogs look as if they are about to swim out of the photo, if that's what it takes to catch the ball!

Color: 

The color in this photo is phenomenal. The warm color of the dogs matches the warm shade of orange in the ball. The hue is mostly blue, creating a feeling of calmness. The value and intensity is light and bright, creating a feeling of happiness and positive energy. This same light and brightness is what draws my eye to the tennis ball, in turn leading my eye to the dogs right behind it. There is a mixture of both warm colors, such as the orange hue of the dogs' fur and the orange and fuchsia in the ball, yet the water surrounding the dogs is a cool color.

Space:

There isn't much negative space in this photo, though it could be argued that the blue water surrounding the dogs is negative space and the dogs with their eyes focused on the ball is the positive space.

Texture:

The texture in this photograph is obvious. The water has a wet texture, but I wonder if the splash against the dogs as they jumped into it was sharp against their soft fur, such as how water feels to a human as he/she belly flops. The dogs' fur has a wet texture as well. I usually think of fur as soft, but I'm curious if the fur of the dogs in this photo would have more of a rough texture due to its wetness.

All in all, the design elements create a photo that's more than an average Joe photo of dogs playing catch. Because Casteel is able to take an underwater photo and because he is able to use a number of design elements in his snapshot, he creates that visceral response of laughter, happiness, and joy inside me.