4/10/2020 Weekly Theme: PlaceIn photography, we sometimes hear the phrase "capturing a sense of place." What does that mean to you? To most of us, it means more than just recording the physical attributes of a location. It goes beyond suggesting the time of day, weather conditions, or even if it's a bedroom or business. If a photograph is really going to give a "sense" of the place where the photo was taken, it has to tell the viewer how the artist felt while being there. Did the artist feel like they got to know whoever's space they were in? If so, how? And how do you capture that for your viewer to understand as well?
Here is the big question you should be asking yourself:After looking at this photograph, what do I think I know about the place and person/people who occupy this space? If your photograph gives us enough information to start building our own story about the place or people who occupy it, then you are on the right track! This is one of the rare occasions where being judgmental can be helpful. Look at the photo, and then close your eyes and imagine what it would be like to be there, in that place. Give it a try with this photo -> What do you know about the people who occupy this space? What do they value? What are their struggles? Well, we can assume there are six of them. They seem to really like flowers, bright colors and patterns. The table is set formally, so maybe it's a special occasion, or maybe these people... a family probably, place a lot of value on the time they spend together over a meal. Maybe it's a grandparent's house who doesn't get visitors often? The story is yours to create, but the photo needs to give us enough information to build off of. If your photograph can do that, than you've successfully captured a Sense of Place. Direction:
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