MY RESEARCH

Throughout our mentorship we are to come up with an essential question about our field of interest and research for an/a answer(s). The question I wanted to answer through my research in my mentorship was what makes a great photo? This proved to be a challenge because of the varying opinions and answers of what different people consider a great photo. So I used my secondary research and compared them with my own experience and opinions and picked out different aspects that I deemed most important to creating a great photo. Much of my research came from articles of photography magazines and comparing my photos with my mentor, Jim Haynes. In the end, I broke down my research into components that each photo should have. While it has simplified my answer to my question, my research won't be finished for a long time because there are many answers out there I've yet to find or reach myself.

Below is a video of a presentaion about my essential question.

What makes a great photo?

In my presentation, I disscuss the different components that come together to create a great photo. These include time & place, the equipment, composition, and telling a story. I have researched each of these aspects and used my own experiences to explain each.

Time & Place

For time and place, I used two pictures( below) one of Jim Haynes and my own. They are pictures of an interception in a football game we both attended. Comparing these photos, I can expain the importance of being at the right place and taking the picture at the right time. Obviously, Haynes displays the stronger picture because the place he chose to stand incorporates more of the event and the subjects faces, while mine is bland and doesn't offer much information to the viewer. Second, Hayne's picture was taken at the right time. It is crisp and clear and the motion is completly stopped with minimal blur.

Equipment

Jim Haynes photo

My photo

In this section, I discuss the importance of knowing your equipment and using it to its full potential. Being in the digital age, there are factors that are added in. One advantage with the digital camera is the multitude of images and magnification. One disadvantage is the intitial cost. These days, "photography is both a blessing and a curse," said professional photographer Ed Dvorak. However once you do obtain your camera, you can begin to use its potential which means using the Exposure Triangle.

The Exposure Triangle is a great diagram for photograhers. It allows the photographer to see what settings best fit for the image they want or if they're in a certain senario. For example, the picture below has a shallow depth of field which means the background is blurred. It also has a high shutter speed because the subject is frozen in time. Lastly, this was taken in a very bright setting so it had a low ISO. ISO is the sensitivity the sensor in the camera has to light and determines how much light interacts with sensor. If there is an abundance of light, lower ISO. If there is lack of light, raise the ISO. Knowing each of these and what they do is very important to creating the image you want and/or adjusting your settings when in certain situations.

Composition

Compositon is the whole of the picture and all the elements in it. This includes the rule of thirds(below). The rule of thirds is used to create interest in the photo.

Looking at the picture, the point of interest is the softball where the lines cross. This makes the picture interesting and allows the viewer to have room to follow the ball in the direction it will be thrown.

The use of lines in the picture is also a good element to use to create good composition. Lines can be used to lead the viewer into the picture and also direct the viewer to a certain point. All in all, using your surroundings is a big part to creating good compositon. Lastly, in most photos there needs to be emotion. Emotion lets the viewer connect with the photo and again adds interest. They also tell a story, which leads me to my final component.

Tell A Story

Every photo should tell a story. Wheather it be a point in a game, express a feeling, or a hisotrical event, every picture tells a story.We all can understand a picture even if we speak different languages. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In actuality, a picture is more than words can even compare to.