Marissa Ann DiLallo Writing, Research, and Technology Photo Assignment
Introduction: Love is everywhere. Love means knowing no matter what someone will always be there for that special person. They can also count on that person too. It surrounds each and every one of us every day. Love can be in many relationships such as: friendships, married couples, siblings, and even our parents. Not only do I want to point out that love is everywhere, but also point out that the little things count in those relationships. Throughout these photos, one will be able to see the love that is portrayed in each and every one of them. Each picture tells its own story and displays a certain kind of love. Also, within this photo assignment, one will be able to identify the specific relationship that is displayed. Candid photos are the best photos that can definitely describe “love”. I have a couple of those types of photos. I chose to elaborate on a couple different relationships. I picked friendships, parents, siblings, and married couples. By looking at these photos, I can agree that all these photographs portray love. Also, there are some images of things that signify the love from these people to others. The photographs are split up into people showing love, and things that simply signify love. All of these photographs are self-explanatory. These photos were taken on a Canon Camera and iPhone 6 Plus. The reason I used my camera was because I had it while I was at a Wedding and was able to capture a few moments on there. On the other hand, my iPhone is with me all the time, so it was reliable when it came to fulfill the needs of this assignment. While constructing my photo essay, I made sure I spread the love, because the concept is that “love is everywhere!” I truly believe in this because I come from a big family and “love” is a key point in all of our lives.
Analysis: All of these photographs that I took signify or portray love. These photographs definitely tell a story. Many people could look at these photos and totally understand the fact that love is a factor in these photos. The reason many people will understand it is love by looking at their facial expressions. One can see how happy each of these individuals are. Each picture expresses a different kind of love such as: parents, siblings. friends, and more. As I stated in the introduction, there are candid shots that absolutely explain the love we have for each other. Also, there are images of parents and their children. One can explain that loved has a factor within that relationship because of the facial expressions each person makes. Facial expressions are significant in each of these photos. My audience who looks at these photographs will be able to come up with a great explanation about these photographs. Some of these photographs are sweet, but some are funny. I believe looking at the physical aspects of the photograph, one will be able to determine the relationship and love within those individuals within the image. According to Sontag, “To photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed. It means putting oneself into a certain relation to the world that feels like knowledge-and, therefore like power” (1). This quote within her article expresses the importance of what is being photographed. This will be simple for my future audience because of them identifying love in different relationships as are conveyed in each photograph. The message will be clear to the auidence because of the actions that are taken place in each photograph. I believe the powerful the photograph is the more powerful the message or story will be. I took most of these images on my iPhone 6 Plus camera. For The other photos I used my Canon Camera. I believe the iPhone 6 plus camera was a great form of technology that I could fall back on. I used my iPhone 6 Plus majority of the time because I never knew when I would witness a sign of love. Love takes place in our everyday lives, but we never know when we will witness it. The photographs comes out so clear and focuses on the main point of the photograph. The reason I used my iPhone most of the time would have to be because I had a busy weekend when this assignment was assigned, and I knew I would be exposed to many moments that would portray love. The photographs I took with my Canon Camera were great too, but my iPhone was easier to access. I also made sure my photos were bright and vibrant. In my photographs, I made sure I used the bright filters on my iPhone such as: Chrome and other filters on Instagram. I also adjusted the contrast and brightness within my photographs too. I thought that would be a great idea because it can coincide with the concept of “love is everywhere”. Therefore if I make my pictures brighter and more vibrant, one will be able to see it from a distance.
Each and every one of these images really do explain and tell a great story. I know when I look at them I smile. I smile because I know the exact story that was going on while these moments were being captured. Whereas the audience has to assume and guess what the story is for each photograph. Whereas, for me, I know the stories behind each of these photographs. They have a clear purpose and meaning that demonstrates “love”. In those particular photographs, there is a specific kind of love that is portrayed. These photographs demonstrate happiness from one person to another. We should love everyone and always be there for one another. Each and every one of these photographs mean a lot to me, not only because they have to with “love”, but because these are individuals I see on an everyday basis and I wouldn’t picture my life without any of them.
Lauren and Zack Van Atter
Brief Description on how the photograph was taken: This is the photograph that is my absolute favorite. This photograph was taken by me, while I took Lauren (on the right) on a scavenger hunt for her bridal shower. This particular adventure was to meet her future husband, Zack (on the left) at the place they met 8 years ago. When I drove Lauren there, he was outside of his Dodge Avenger, leaning on it with a dozen red roses waiting for the love of his life. When I pulled into the parking lot of the park, where they met for the first time 8 years ago, I suddenly got goosebumps. I am so excited that I was able to catch this moment, because not only for my photo assignment, but for them to keep and hold onto as a memory. Lauren was so happy she cried happy tears. That’s how this particular photograph was able to happen. Breaking down the photograph in elements we’ve learned: Some aspects that we learned in my Writing, Research, and Technology class this semester, I can identify in my photograph. The leading lines from the bottom right where Lauren is diagonally leading to Zack in the top left hand corner. Also, the angle I took this picture on was great because I got to see her facial expressions and his. By looking at the photograph, one will be able to determine they were happy and crying happy tears. Within this photograph, I do see the Rule of Thirds twice. The first one would be where Zack is (top left hand corner) and where Lauren is (bottom right hand corner). I also enjoyed the fact that this picture mainly focuses on Lauren’s face, but you can still see Zack through the car window. I also thought that Zack’s Dodge Avenger was the entire width of the window of my car, where Lauren and I were. Lastly, I believe the brightness from the sun gives it a brighter and vibrant look on the photograph. This photograph dealt with those specific elements I’ve learned about this semester in Writing, Research, and Technology class. Why this image portrays my point on “Love”…
This picture was a part of my topic, because these two lovebirds at this point were on their way to getting married. Lauren and Zack just got married this past weekend. This image was taken at Lauren’s Bridal Shower, so this was a picture that was already taken before I knew about the assignment. These two have been dating since the 6th grade in Middle School. Both of them are my best friends. Also, the amount of love that these two have for each other is noticeable. They are always there for each other and they both count on each other. This past weekend, Lauren and Zack are now a married couple. Since we could include one or two of those kinds of pictures, I truly believe that this photograph portrays the concept of love in a great way. As the audience, they wouldn’t know that this was the very first place Lauren and Zack met and then started dating. They won’t know that unless it is written down or specifically told. That’s why I included the description before the picture happened. The photograph itself is a strong point. I believe the photograph is strong because of the angle it was taken on. The picture provides a sense of emotion because of the way the two people look and the way the angle was taken on. The description is there to provide the audience with a better understanding of the photograph. Connecting to the reading: According to Sontag, the powerful the picture is will be how powerful the message will be (1). Sontag discussed plenty about photography and the importance of the meaning behind the photograph itself. I believe the message behind the photograph is the most important aspect. The message of the photo is exactly why the people are the way they are in the photograph. Also, Berger states, “A photograph is effective when the chosen moment which it records contains a quantum of truth which is generally applicable, which is as revealing about what is absent from the photograph as about what is present in it” (3). I believe Berger is saying the truth in the photographs are the meanings that a represented. I believe this photograph demonstrated a great amount of composition elements I’ve learned and the meaning behind the picture and the photograph itself expresses an even bigger meaning!
Works Cited Berger, John. "Understanding a Photograph." N.p., 11 Dec. 2015. Web. "Rules of Photo Composition." Rules of Photo Composition. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2015.
"Susan Sontag." Susan Sontag. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.