Balance, Harmony, Contrast

As a lover of the outdoors, I also love the animals it harbors. This is the last picture I took of my dog before she passed and to me, it perfectly describes contrast, balance, and harmony.

The contrast in the picture shows between the shades of brown of her fur, and the sharp green of the grass she is laying on. There is also contrast in the fur on her face, between the dark brown/black color of her fur and nose, and the white fur taking over her face.

This photo shows balance with the position she is laying in, her head off center with her face following the rule of thirds, bringing the weight towards the top of the picture. Her body and my hand provide leading lines, leading the viewers eyes to the right side of the picture, bringing into focus the bright green of the grass and the white of my pale, almost vampire like skin.

The harmony in this photo shows in the calmness of her facial expression, and the relaxed body position. Just looking at this photo makes me feel nostalgic, and peaceful. The cool green color makes me feel calm, and this photo really captures the texture of her fur and it helps me image petting her soft head.

Visceral Response

I love nature, whether its the hills of the sand dunes, the greenery of the forest, or the waves of the ocean. I chose this photograph that I captured of a stream in Kanarraville. Looking at this reminds me of the relaxing sound of the running water, the birds chirping and the wind blowing threw the trees and around the mountains. This picture truly captures my definition of beauty.

The stream acts as an attention grabber and leads your eyes along the length of the water to the vanishing point. The branches in the upper right hand corner help guide the viewers eyes to the edge of the water.
The depth of the water and the small drop offs where the water cascades down give this picture form and shape.
Green grass in certain areas help balance out the overall dark red/brown overtone of the photo, with the white of the falling water helping to lighten up the picture.
The water disappearing around a bend forming a vanishing point, along with the stream taking a bend at the bottom develop space and really give the picture a three dimensional feel as if the viewer was actually in the area.
As the water cascades down the slope of the stream the viewer can really see the texture of the water, being pulled down the stream, and the blades of grass, jutting out of the ground. It's easy to see the texture of this landscape.