VersePic: Thanksgiving Background

[James Staddon]

Kinda nice to have a little easier of an assignment, eh? 🙂 Thank you, everyone, for your submissions. We’ll look forward to hearing what Ben decides to use (or not use), and then I’ll go over them myself on the November 12 critique webinar! https://www.lenspiration.com/webinar/photo-critique-46/

[James Staddon]

And oh, good decision, @elmullet, to submit your photos here on the forum as JPG even though you were unable to figure out a way to submit a DNG version.

If @bensharpeningcharacter needs a higher resolution version than the ones you submitted, then I’m sure he’ll reach out to you to help you figure out how to do that.

[Benjamin Holmes]

Thank you to everyone that submitted a photo! We really do appreciate your support.

Unfortunately, none of the images that were submitted were what I was looking for.

For sake of time right now, I’m going to have to be very brief.

@blessingscaptured’s pumpkins looked great, but weren’t suitable for the special simultaneous horizontal and vertical aspect ratios demanded by VersePics.

@elmullet submitted a ton of photos, and I loved the variety! Unfortunately, the photos didn’t communicate what I was looking for.

@ernestf-lloyd’s photos of mountains weren’t what I was looking for, either.

@esther’s pictures of fall decorations came the closest to working, but ultimately, the subjects are placed too far off center to look pleasing on a VersePic.

—

I was trying to think of why there is often a disconnect in the submissions I receive and the pictures I have in my head even when I do ask for particular subjects. What I came to understand is that I’m usually not looking for a specific subject as much as a particular theme and a mood.

The theme will influence the subject, props, and the location. For instance, a pirate theme will likely be near the sea, nautical instruments, or boats, while a studying theme might feature a library, books, paper, and office/school materials.

When artists talk about how they feel about a piece, they are describing the mood. The mood influences the lighting, camera angles, photography style, focal length, colors, and the specific props I would or would not include in my photograph. Running with the same examples, a pirate theme emphasizing antiquity would likely focus on warmer colors, older ships and instruments, straight-on camera angles, more documentary styles of photography, and somewhat stronger contrast in lighting. If I was trying to make pirates seem exciting, I’d use more vibrant colors, creative camera angles, abstract photography styles, dramatic lighting, and a greater range of props.

One thing that I noticed in this particular assignment was that there seemed to be a disconnect between both the theme and mood I was looking for and the theme and mood of the submissions I received. I was primarily searching for a theme of prayer or internal contemplation with a mood of calm, introspective thought. This could have been communicated a little more clearly from the beginning, and for that, I apologize.

Hopefully, that was a little helpful! I’ll be a little more clear from now on in what I’m looking for specifically.

Thank you all again!

Ben
VersePic Director for Sharpening Character

[Esther M.]

Oh @bensharpeningcharacter, I just found this other picture of the fall foliage.

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