Putting together my shots for the contrast assignment

I've been working hard on the first assignment, contrasts. I think I have all the pairs of contrasts, but I'm not sure if I have the best shots for each one. One of my big takeaways from this assignment is how hard it is to pull it all together.

First, there's the concept, and there's the execution. I've had ideas that I thought would work, to show soft, or diagonal, or whatever, then when I take the photo, it doesn't really come across, even if the shot is well executed. I've discovered that sometimes the concept doesn't work because it's either a cliche, or on the end of the spectrum, comes across as too hokey, sophomoric, or silly. I would also say that I'm still getting used to the idea of creative shots, so I don't have much of a feel for how well the subtleties will come across. So there's this balance on the conceptual side between being creative and unique, but also communicating clearly without laying it on too thick. I guess a lot of the decisions along these lines begin to reflect my style. Perhaps as I get more experienced and develop and become aware of my style, I will gain more confidence.

Then there's the execution. It's amazing how often I got the concept right, but either the light wasn't quite right, or my camera wasn't quite level, or I got a kink in the film while I was loading it onto the spool. Or there's dust on the negative I just can't get rid of. Or the shot's not composed just right. So many factors, and each one of them is a place where it can go wrong. I've discovered that I'm a real perfectionist!

Then there's deciding which are the best examples of each shot. After looking at so many shots for so long, I think I'm beginning to lose perspective.

I would say that working on this assignment for the past month has literally made my eyes open wide. I started out having a hard time thinking of or seeing examples of many of the contrasts. But now, I can be driving down the street and see something out of the corner of my eye that looks like it might work for one of the topics. It's also amazing how you can find examples of these contrasts in a very limited geographical area. I could have done all of them at the nearby marina, if I wanted to. When I first started this project, I never would've believed that. And while I'm seeing what I'm looking for, I'm also just seeing much more. I notice the subtle changes in the light right away. I see small details on the sidewalk while I'm walking down the street. I see the relationship between an object and its shadow. Pretty cool.