Project Imagina1i0n

THEMES OF STORYTELLING

These ten categories, in order, are Mood, Goal, Backstory, Character, Obstacle, Relation, Setting, The Unknown, and Time. The last theme will be revealed later.
In order to deepen our understanding in the meaning of these categories and the method used to capture this emotion, I have selected an image from each category to analyze and comment upon. Enjoy!

Mood

"City Lights"

This image of a girl looking over a cityscape embodies the theme of mood by focusing solely on the girl, while keeping the city lights blurred. By doing so, the Z axis keeps pointed on the city, while retaining the concentration of details on the girl. The shallow focus on the girl evokes feelings that describe the theme of mood by causing the audience to inquire about the thoughts of the girl. By keeping the f-stop small, the lighting on the girl becomes artistic instead of distracting. This exposure setting also gives the image a sense of contrasts between the ligts of the city and the shadows on the girl's face.

Goal

Ski Jump

By concentrating on the z-axis, the ski jump equipment obviously revolves around the narrator's goal of succeeding in a daring sport. The use of the concept of the rule of thirds plays a major role in this composition, as the photographer chose to include a clear barrier obstruct the full view of the ski jump. By keeping the clear screen in the top left corner, the image stresses the idea that goals are not easily achieved, instead of being a simple display of a sport.

Backstory

Broken Dreams

Broken Dreams is an inspirational image of potential after devastation in wake of the destructive hurricane Katrina. The narrator decides to stay in a wide focus range in this photograph in order to focus on the ruins of homes instead of letting viewers be distracted by the potential colors of the image. By employing such techniques, the narrator is able to express and explain the story of the incident, and incites the viewer to think about the horrors faced by residents during the hurricane. If this image had selective focus, it would take longer contemplation on the side of the viewer to create a story from the image.





Character

By using a large aperture on the image of the window, a color contrast is created that attracts the

Ghost Reflection by Afton D

audience's attention towards the girl instead of the frame. Instead of showing the character as she is in reality and by creating a lower opacity image of the girl, the photographer is able to use the concept of character evaluation. The girl is transparent, as she can be described as innocent and transparent. This causes the viewers to contemplate their own status, and discover flaws in their daily actions. The girl is also seem holding a mirror, perhaps a symbol for her curiosity of how she is seen by others. This effect is created with the transparency, and the simple use of a larger aperture to help the windows remain brightly lit in comparison to the girl.

Obstacle

Homeless by Cal G.

This image addresses the theme of obstacles by presenting monetary gain as a barrier for character development. Without the necessary influence of money, this man would be free to express himself in a world free of biased thought based on profit. This revolutionary theme is expressed by the image being in grey scale. If not for the absence of color, this sight would be ordinary, as many people are shelter less. Therefore, the discoloration of the image adds to the mood of the piece and helps define the theme as an insurmountable obstacle for the society we live in.






Relationship

3 is a Crowd by Jennifer M.

This image of the penguins is very different that most images of the sort. Here, the rule of thirds may not seem to be followed in this image, as the penguins "kissing" are not in the top left of the screen. However, the subject of the image is not the penguins kissing, it is the penguin of the left. The reason this becomes apparent is that the penguin on the left matches the requirements for catching the viewer's attention according to the Rule of Thirds. By using the rule of thirds to distinguish the subject of an image, photographers allow the viewers to easily identify different aspects of the piece.


Setting

The Street by S.F.

This use of a small f-stop allows the image to focus on a solitary drain gutter. In normal instances, this may appear dull, but by making the side of the picture black, the image intrigues the audience and questions the actual significance of this road. The single source of light is probably from a lamp post, which also helps to build question into this image. With several sources of illumination, the feeling would be ruined, as all 'questions' would be deemed solved.








The Unknown

The Line by Tracy B.

The unknown should be represented by a detail of a larger object that at the same time shows a lot of info about a small detail, while revealing a larger understanding about the plot situation of the image. Evidence is available
With an overview glance at this image, many people would assume it is pointless, however the small details




Time

Reflections by Cheryl R.

With the use of reflections, this image allows for the viewer to examine the world of the subject through. This perspective is generaltd by alining the souce of the reflection on the z-axis of the camera. By doing so, the allusion of viewing a world through the mirror is created. The world on the other side of the mirror seems unaffected, and free, even if it depends on our actions to be able to reflect something. The subject of Time is effectively shown in this image by creating depth with an image of a mirror showing a replica of our world.