I still couldn’t get the embed to work correctly; it keeps showing up as a JavaScript error. So here is the published link:
https://tributaries.shorthandstories.com/solitary-quarantining/index.html
Photography has never been one of the hobbies that I ever thought would take an interest in me. And while it still hasn’t really, I’ve at least developed a sense of understanding as to why people find great enjoyment in it. Just the act of having to take a step back in a certain location and think about how you will frame the shot and doctor the photo creates a deeper memory of that place. And you even start to notice things that you hadn’t before, such as the bear in the photo I used as my featured image. That bear has always stood right next to the front door of my house—my parents swear by it—but I never *noticed* it until I took that photo and thought: “hey wait, I could do something with that here”.
And that makes me sort of regret not paying attention to stuff like that elsewhere in the world. I don’t take photos often, but when I do, they are usually just quick shots of me pulling out my phone and pressing the big, white circle. But on occasions like the bear I described above, it makes me wonder just how many small details or hidden gems I might have missed, especially in Spain. The architecture there is so vastly complex that, of course, you are bound to miss things. Though if I had taken just a few more moments when capturing these photos, I wonder what more I could have spotted. If I had bothered to consider the “rule of thirds” in Spain, maybe I could have noticed one more detail that makes me appreciate the place even more. So, for my own personal sake, I’d like to further develop some techniques in photography, like post-editing, leading lines, or proper lighting setups, not for the purpose of finding the perfect shot and opening a business, but so that I spend at least a few more minutes really thinking about the locations I find myself in in the future.
What else could I find?
The tip that I “stole” from two other projects was the exceptional use of dark and light contrast, as seen in Phoebe Ackor and William Kim’s projects (project 1c). This technique has incredible power to pull things out of the image, and it creates an opportunity for some clever storytelling points. I had already tried to make high-contrast photos, but they took the idea and cranked them up to eleven, darkening the image to an exaggerated amount to really bring out the light in the shots. I am especially in love with Phoebe Ackor’s photos of the various shadows cast by the windows onto the floors and walls, with the rays of light added in as well. So, like them, I took some new photos and I darkened them obsessively this time.
Direct Links:
