Photograph Project
My subject matter in this photograph is a flower corolla. I chose this flower because it fascinated me with its bright, beautiful, unusual, and delicate nature.
What are the specific formal elements that you focused on in this photograph?
When taking this photograph, I considered several formal elements such as light to ensure that the uppermost part of the flower is brightest. I also considered shape so that both straight-edged and curvy areas of the flower can be seen clearly. The texture is another element that I focused on and light to ensure white balance. Lastly, I considered a focus where I took only the petals of the flower.
Would you classify your photograph as representational, abstract, or non-representational?
I consider my photograph as a representational photograph. This is because my photograph is made up of the real world and represents the object (flower) photographed in a relatively realistic and objective manner. The flower photograph that I took explicitly reveals the representative properties of the flower to the viewer. Therefore, this photograph provides a more accurate image of the flower corolla, making my photography representational.
Do you think your photograph is “artistic”? Why or why not?
Yes, I think my photography is artistic. A close look at my photograph shows the influence of paintings. While taking this photograph (and when I usually do), I apply a lot of skills to ensure that the image itself speaks to the viewer and provokes a reaction in them that is no different to the reactions evoked by art. Hence, I consider my photograph as artistic.
Do you think that photographers are artists and photography is art? Why or why not?
Yes, photographers are artists, and photography is art. Firstly, different media make it possible to photograph the subject in a particular way. Secondly, the process of bathing a film makes it possible to achieve different results from a photograph. However, it is upon the photographer to choose different formats to represent different scenes/objects. Before taking a photograph, the photographer must design the scene and colors such that he/she does not take a photograph haphazardly. All this is the photographer’s way of expressing an artistic intention.
Work Cited
Kelsey, Robin. Photography and the Art of Chance. Harvard University Press, 2015.