Connotations photo excercise

Connotations photo excersise.

To begin our media course, we learnt, as apart of induction, about different shots and angles. Through this we learnt about connotations of lights, angles, shot distance. In order to do this, we begun by taking 6 different pictures, experimenting with these features to create in essence the perfect image.

For Wealth, the subject appears large, to show perhaps how large their presence is and how they can afford to be so intimidating. Lighting is mostly bright, to show how they can have most of the room light, despite it appearing to be quite large, yet shadows are cast on oneside to show the darker parts of wealth and how all is not what it seems. Indeed, this subject is rather small, but from the close up angle and lack of background detail make the subject seem larger and perhaps more wealthy.  

For friendship, a point of view shot is used to try and have the viewer integrated into the friendship. They too feel as though they are friends with the subject and the photographer. Lighting is used to make a contrast between the dark world and the light friendship around it, it creates almost a sense of unity and purpose, as the two friends face the darkness together, another reason for the point of view shot, it makes the two subjects seem as if they are in the world together and must travel as such.

For Fear, which normally involves two people, we chose to have two people, one higher in the frame than the other. This connotes intimidation and how one is inferior to the other. The lights aren't quite dark or light, showing how the fear is bad for one party and perhaps good for the other. The camera is slightly knocked to again try and achieve the leveled affect, and the two look at the camera to show some look of defiance. Though these are for different meanings, the one who looks straight on is in defiance of the fear, and the one who smirks at a sort of angle is in defiance of any accusations of the fear she seems to create.

For strength, we chose to have the subject in the middle of the frame, to connote dominance and power, two prominent symptoms of strength. The person looks down, at the camera positoned in a low angle, to show the photographers inferiority. The lighting is a crude representation of chiaroscuro, with the shadows representing perhaps the darker sides to strength, such as corruption and cruelty. The walls either side are blank to show the woman's, lone status, she is the strongest and no ones power seems to match her.

For Love, we chose a straight on shot, to show how one is supposed to be 'straight(honest)' with the one one loves. The shot isn't too close, to show to show how the photographer respects the peoples privacy. Lighting is used to connote both the light sides, as it is most of the photo, and the darker sides of love, such as adultry and domestic abuse. Relationships have both good sides and bad sides, and photo represents that.

For Desire, a close up shot was chose to try and connote perhaps some of the more intimate feelings surrounding desire. The shot is however low angle to connote an emotion that often accompanies desire, disappointment, when one desires something only to find it is not quite what it seemed or even inferior (hence the low angle shot). Lighting is used to connote the darker sides of desire, how it can lead to disappointment, how people can get carried away, which is done through the spotlighting created around the facial features. 

For Danger, we decided to use a low angle shot, to connote and maybe even manifest fear in the view through the intimation created by the feeling of inferiority, at being lower than the subject. The light is dim, to convey the darkness and create a sense of mystery, a fact that will create an image of the danger of the unknown. The subject is only partly visible, constructed by the use of the medium profile shot, again creating a perhaps danger of the unknown presence surrounding this photograph.

For weakness, a long shot was used to convey how the photographer is unable to help the subject, how they are caged and unable to do anything. The subject also appears quite small, seemingly helpless. Lighting is used to create shadows, to show hopelessness, but a little sliver of light is present in order to try and convey that even though there is weakness and hopelessness, there is still a chance.

For poverty, a relatively small high angle is used to show how the photographer is above the subject, yet the subject still aspires to be more, and prevail out of their poverty. The shot is taken from far away to perhaps convey the photographers unwillingness to go near this poor subject, representing much of the arrogance shown around modern day poverty. There is barely any darkness, showing how the subject is not allowed to be private, that their whole world is broadcasted to the rest of the world. The subject appears small in the photograph, small and alone, to show how they are insignificant to the rest of the world, neglected and discarded from society

For loneliness, a long shot was used, making the subject seem small and helpless, as well as highlighting the fact no one wants to go near hence the reason for her loneliness. Lighting seems to highlight her situation, as well as creating shadows around her to highlight her dark present. Light floods from where the photographer is, to show perhaps that gives her hope. Focus also rest on the bowl, to show her lack of human contact.

For Purity, a close angle was used to creat an interrogative feeling, as if the photographer was interrogating the subject so they could be sure of the purity. Spotlighting is used, where only part of the photo is well lit, to create the idea the subject is pure and bright in a world full of shadows and darkness. The low angle is used to create the idea of how the subject is trapped and needs to be freed, from this world of darkness, perhaps connoting that they are the only good thing there.

For greed, a long shot was used to create the idea the subject is so arrogant that they don't want the photographer near them, but instead below them, where they cannot touch the subjects wealth, hence the reason for the low angle. All the light appears to be on the subjects side rather than the photographers, seeming as if the subject has taken all the light due to excessive greed. Looking closer though, will reveal a slight venetian blind effect, as if the subject is metaphorically caged by the greed.