Second Portrait

Subject: Travis

Location: Outside E Wing

Camera Raw Edits: -100 Vibrance, 

-0.20 exposure

Subject: Travis

Location: Outside E Wing

Camera Raw Edits: -10 Shadows, -15 Blacks

Composition Review - 3 Rules

Before:

After:

The after photo shows my 3 rules of composition, the rule of thirds, leading lines, and background. I cropped the photo so that the rock and the leaf are roughly placed at the intersections of the thirds grid. Although there are no "defined" lines, the border of the right can serve the same linear purpose. You can also see a stage further in the background. This photo also uses shallow depth of field very nicely, but that isn't one of my rules of composition.

Example of Rule of Thirds

Example of Leading Lines

Examples of Background

In the Lens blog Revisiting Unhealed Wounds in Chechnya, I decided that picture 4 (shown here) best demonstrated my three rules because the grave markers in the foreground and the group of people are roughly placed on the intersections of the rule of thirds grid. The short wall/fence serves as a leading line to draw attention to subject of the photo, which is the group of people reciting the Quran. The background is dense with fog, but you can still see tens of grave markers in the distance, as well as electricity poles, a paved road, and green flags.

First Portrait

Subject: Briant Shen

Location: Mural outside E-Wing

Camera Raw Edits: Increased exposure to +0.40 and decreased blacks to -50. 

Subject: Rose flower

Location: Outside main office

Camera Raw Edits: None

Self Portrait

Tired Monday morning...

Shallow Depth of Field

This photo shows a shallow depth of field. The foreground and subject of the photo are in focus, whereas the background is out of focus. I adjusted the shadows a little bit on Camera Raw to draw more light onto Briant's face.