Rhythm

This photograph is meant to represent my roommate Paul. Paul spends hours playing these drums and is quite talented. My intention was to create a circular motion through the photograph for the eye using the drums themselves. I left the Zildgian Hi-hat as the only piece in focus because it is the only part of the drum set that is actually Paul’s in this picture, the rest of the pieces are mine. I think that the eye is drawn to the earplugs first because of their bright color. The drumsticks then stop the eye and move them to the rest of the drum set. I think that the earplugs are a good place to stop because you can then see the ware on the snare drum and the ware on the Hi-hat. I think that the colors keep the eye unified and don’t let the eye stray too far from the focus.

Cigarettes and Video Games

This Photograph represents my friend Chris. These are all some of Chris’ favorite things. The bottle of Irish whiskey represents his love of drinking. The pack of cigarettes and the full ashtray represent his love of smoking. The video game controller represents his love of gaming. I attempted to get all three things as close together in the frame to create a sense of unity, because my friend likes to do all three of these things at the same time. I put the controller in the best focus because game play is continuous, there will be breaks between shots and cigarettes. I think that this photograph gets part of my friend’s personality across quite well. I used a shallow depth of field to keep the eyes focus where I wanted it to be. I think that the bottle of whiskey brings the eye into the frame and towards the ashtray. The cigarette pack stops the eye and brings it back down to the controller.

A Strong Woman

This photograph represents my friend Erika. She is one of the heads of the Nursing Students for Choice group on campus and a member of several other feminist groups. One of her favorite things to do with these groups it to make buttons, which they sell on various occasions. I think that this picture captures her personality not only because these are something that she loves to make, but also because of the sayings and words on the buttons themselves. I used a very shallow depth of field to give the illusion that these buttons went on for longer than they actually do. I think that the lamp in the upper right draws the eye towards it because it is the brightest part of the photograph. The buttons create diagonal lines going towards the lamp, the most prominent of which begins in the lower left hand corner. The circles seem to stop the eye but give more insight into the personality that I am trying to convey.