Connecting Essay 2

This image is one I had found online. It shows a fairground scene, but the main focus is the blurred ride that has been achieved by long exposure to show movement. This is very effective and shows movement very well as we can see the ride is not stationary. I like the way lines of coloured lights are created as the ride moves, and it attracts the eye as the bright lights are contrasting against the plain blue sky in the background. The fact that the background in plain works well in this image as nothing is distracting the eye away from the ride and the image isn't too much for your eye to focus on. I also like the way the sky fades into a pale pink colour as this adds to the image but also allows the metal railings around the ride to contrast against it so that clear shape and lines are shown. A variety of different colours are shown in this image such as bright reds, yellows and blues. The colour in the image helps create a positive yet busy atmosphere. The ride is not central in the frame which works well as we are able to see the pretty sky behind it, and also it makes sure that the image does not get overcomplicated. 

This picture is one that I had taken by decreasing the shutter speed on my camera and moving it slightly while taking the image. It shows the lights from cars in the dark. The vivid red, orange and yellow lights are able to stand out very well as they contrast significantly against the dark, night sky in the background. The individual beams of light form unusual and interesting shapes and lines, which is what I like about it. Depth is shown in the image as in the distance we can see the road and the cars get smaller. The buildings behind the lights are shown as a silhouette, as they contrasts against the dark blue sky so we can see the outline of the top of the buildings. This is more clear further into the distance as the sky gets lighter. I like how the lights fill up a large percent of the frame as this makes the image interesting and gives the eye more to look at. 

Both of these images use the same technique, which is long exposure, to show movement. They both show elongated beams or blurs of light which are shown due to the movement in the image. Both of these images focus on light and colour, and they show contrast in order for the lights to stand out in the image. The images both use the same main colours which are red, yellow and blue. 

An obvious difference between these two images is that the source of light is different in each one. In the image I had found the light is coming from a light at a funfair, but in my own image the light is coming mainly from car headlights. In the top image, the lights remain close together so that the structure of the ride is still visible. This is effective as it doesn't overcomplicate the image and allows the ride to still be recognisable. On the other hand in my image the lights are travelling in all different directions and are spread out so that the majority of the frame is filled. I think this makes the image more unique and abstract while also making it more interesting and gives more for the eye to look at. In the image of the ride, we can assume that the camera was held still and the ride was moving quite quickly which is why the ride shows movement but everything else in the frame is still. When taking my photo, I decided to slightly move the camera as I knew this would create interesting and appealing structures of light, which it did. One last difference between these images is that one is taken as a portrait, and one a landscape. The image I had found has been taken as a landscape which I think works well in this situation as the ride fits nicely into the frame and more of the surroundings are visible. My image was taken as a portrait, and because it consists of  a lot of vertical beams of light, the portrait frame allowed these to fit in well.