Art Of Photography

Assignment – Contrasts

The objective of this assignment is to find and photograph subjects that represent contrasting concepts. This assignment helps to see and recognize design elements like point/line, straight/curved etc. To complete this assignment I need 8 pairs of contrasting photographs and one photograph that has both the contrasting design elements in one image.

I had a list of contrasts to choose from. I wrote the list in my notebook and carried it with me everywhere I went. I noticed that this task to find the contrasting elements activated me very much. I started to see shapes, lights, darks… all potential subjects to take a photograph of. I found this very pleasing. I liked this and made a note to myself to have some sort of project under way all the time. This forces me to look to my surroundings more intensively and see much more than normally “eyes open but not seeing”.

My choice of contrasts

From the list I chose (in no particular order or reason) the following pairs:

• black / white
• many / few
• pointed / blunt
• transparent / opaque
• light / dark
• much / little
• straight / curved
• diagonal / rounded (this one also for the one image with both)

Some of these photograps I took in home “studio” (which is my dinner table some black and white carton and flash units). Below are my photographs as pairs. I do feel that explaining them too much kind of ruin the purpose of the assignment. If the meaning is not self-evident, I have failed.

black / white

many / few

pointed / blunt

transparent / opaque

light / dark

much / little

straight / curved

diagonal / rounded

two contrasts in one photograph; diagonal/rounded

Some thoughts and conclusion

After previewing this page I have started to think that some of these photographs could represent some else element than intended. For example the puppies represent “few” but because the black puppy is separated from the other three it could also be “black”. Also “light” and “dark” were difficult. I used the same tunnel for both of these elements. My idea was to photograph from light to dark and dark to light. Still the “light” might represent “dark” as well. I also wanted to experiment a little. That’s why the “diagonal” is diagonal only in the photograph but horizontal in real life (the wave on sand). The rounded is a photograph of three bicycle tires against white wall and strong flash from below. The photograph with two contrasts in one is a photo of a shopping mall staircase from below.

I found this assignment, well, not difficult but challenging in a very pleasant way. It made me open my eyes and see my surroundings in a different way. I actually made a long list of possible subjects but these were the ones that were finally selected. I’m anxious to hear my tutor’s verdict and I’m ready to try new ways to approach these subjects.