Weekly Blog Post 7

I think that the visual arts can be one of the most appealing to the heart and mind. Within this category of visual arts, photography captures ideas, thoughts, and emotions in ways that other visual arts cannot. While paintings can express some of these emotions and ideas, they sometimes do not come off as "real" as photographs. Photographs captures the exact moment or feeling that the photographer experienced at the time. I find it interesting to look into what seems like a simple picture, like the one to the right, and try to figure out what the photographer was thinking or feeling at the time he/she took it. I have a much more personal connection with photography.

Photographs, because of how real they are, can also tell stories. From snapshots that you may take on your digital camera to a professional photographer's work, each brings to mind a story that may have taken place within the picture or that is related to the ideas of the photograph. I have a personal connection to photography in this way. All of my most precious memories are stored in still framed images, pictures. I love looking back on them and reminiscing about the fun times and not so fun times of my past. Some photographs make me cry, while some send me into laughing fits. This shows how emotions (or pathos ;)) can fit into photography. Everyone can connect in some way.

While some may think that photography is very simple in that you just push a button, they are very wrong! There are several different aspects that one can play around with when developing a piece of photography art. Becoming more popular in digital cameras, SLR cameras have many gadgets to change your photograph into the way you want it. Exposure and focus are two common ways of altering a photograph. Using tricks and techniques such as these can help make your photograph a piece of art. Colors can also be played with. Black and white versus color can definitely bring another idea to a photograph. One color singularly stinking out of a black and white photo can as well. With all of the many techniques to photography that are out there, each photo can definitely help define your idea or purpose.

I'm very excited to start this analysis of photography and think it will be a very interesting section of this English class.