
During the time allotted for this assignment I was quite surprised by how hard it was to take a picture when you actually have an element of photography in mind for each shot. Taking pictures often comes naturally for people you see something you think is interesting and so you capture a photo to remember it. However, going out seeking an image rather than one falling in your lap really complicates this process.
Of the hundred and twenty-ish images I captured I was shocked at how few were even average not to mention if any of them were even any good. Really the one thing I would have liked to do differently would be having a better camera. All of these photos were captured on my old I-Pod touch camera, I was unable to even use the camera on my I-phone 8 due to the fact that it is cracked. Having a better camera may have made some of the things I was trying to do as a photographer easier to see for the viewer and for myself.

One plant stretches from its pot into another.
For the first photo “It’s a Plants Life” the dominant creative device that stands out to me is a leading line. This is seen in the part of the plant that is further away and reaches forward to the closer potted plant. The leading line highlights the fact that this plant appears to be in both pots at the same time even though it is actually only growing out of one. I think the photo is aesthetically pleasing in the sense that the viewer’s eye can follow an incredibly detailed plant structure from one pot to the other and back again without truly knowing where it begins and ends.

The bright flame colored flower that takes over the green house.
The second photo showcased patterns. The flower slowly turns from a bright yellow or orange into a dark red almost maroon color at the bottom. On top of that the way the pedals are slowly unfolding on the way down in the perfect pattern so that they can each catch water makes the photo quite pleasant to look at. The bright colors really draw the viewers eye as the rest of the image is filled with nothing but lush greens. One could argue that the green around the flower frames it up in a way that really allows it to shine and take all the attention to a point where you almost do not notice the surrounding plant life.

A cluster of fuzzy cacti presents a false sense of softness.
From above this collection of cacti look like the soft fur of a puppy. However, looks can be deceiving. I thought this image showcased the aspect of texture. The small needles poking out of the cacti are so tiny and close together it does not give off the same appearance as local cactus in the mountain west region with their more spaced out larger needles. The background in the photo provides a sort of contrast as you can see the condensation on the window behind it reminding folks that we are in fact in the midst of another Wyoming winter. I think the texture of the cacti really draws the viewer’s eye from piece to piece of the plant which part stands out the most within the cluster is up to the viewer.

A tiny pile of rocks sticks out in the rooms filled with green.
The main theme that stuck out within this image appeared to be background. With the rocks in focus and the variety of plants in the background out of focus it really draws the eye of the viewer to the tiny stack of rocks. Each rock is unique to the others and has plenty of small detail. Also, the color and size transition of the rocks as you work from top to bottom or vice versa makes the picture quite pleasant to look at.

A vibrant flower deep within the Williams Conservatory
The last photo may have been my favorite of the day. Seeing it on the screen now I know my camera truly could not do it justice but it did come close. This photo is absolutely using color as its main photographic tool. The flower is so incredibly bright it seems to have been edited. Of course it has not, some of the most breathtaking colors we can find are out in nature just waiting for us to take them in. The background of the photo does a good job of making the pink stand out even more than it already does while also creating a slight sense of depth to allow viewers to understand it sits somewhat high off of the ground.