Contrast, Balance, & Harmony

I decided to analyze some of the pictures I took on a recent trip to Northern California for this assignment. It was my first time visiting that part of the state & I was absolutely blown away by how beautiful it was. I often pour over pictures that are taken in places such as the ones I visited, which were Monterey, Henry Cowell State Park, Santa Cruz, Big Sur,  & McWay Falls. So naturally, I attempted to capture with my own camera (which was sadly just an iphone, as I had forgotten the batteries for my Canon) what I thought worked the best aesthetically for me. I didn't realize at the time the kind of work I would be doing in this class, but I'm really glad I have some of my own stuff to assess & learn how to improve on.

Hiking the Redwoods

The first picture I want to assess is one I took while hiking in Henry Cowell State Park. In this photo I was walking across a fallen tree that allowed me to go a little bit of the way across the San Lorenzo River running parallel to the trail. What I now realize caught my eye about this photo is the contrast between the washed out appearance of the gnarled roots below the fallen tree and the intensity of both the red/orange of the inside of the tree and the green lichen growing on and around it. I can also now identify the line of the branch beside the tree that draws the eyes to the vibrant colors there. There is certainly texture in this photo, although I think it could have been better had it not been for my iphone. The texture is there on the bark, on the lichen and even on the shiny rubber portion of my shoe. In the sense of balance I think it may work due to the intricate winding of the roots in the top right hand portion of the photo. I don't think, however, that the harmony is quite right in this particular photo.

Exploring Capitola State Beach

This next photo was taken while exploring Capitola State Beach just before sun down. I was climbing across where the beach became a cliffside, when this rock caught my eye. Many of the rocks had these same fossilized impressions on them, but this one not only had the most I'd seen, but had that one perfect impression of a Seashell in it. The texture in this picture is spot on, and I even think there's an excellent contrast between the soft, warm light and the hard shadows on the underside of the rocks. My one issue is balance. It just seems a little heavy on the right side to me, perhaps I should have went with a different angle or position.

Overlooking a little secluded beach in Santa Cruz

The last photo is a panorama shot I took while exploring Santa Cruz. In this photo, I like how the amber tones of the cliffs complement the vivid blues in the sky. I also think that I was able to capture a lot of texture in this photo. The jagged terrain at the top of the cliffs, the damp smoothness of the sand on the higher portion of the beach, the slick surface of the water receding on the sand, the white water of the waves coming in, an then the sleek surface of the water retreating into the distance. There are a lot of natural lines in this photo that drag your eye along the curve of the coast, and also the diagonal line of the concrete from the overlook that is parallel to the angle of the beach. This photo is balanced by the rising, incoming wave, the presence of the two surfboards, and the surfers standing at a memorial on the right side of the photo, with the farther reaching edge of the cliff on the left. I really think I managed to capture all of the elements in this one panorama. This is the photo that I think really works in the sense of contrast, balance, and harmony.

Visceral Response: Music

I was probably born to a really good song playing... at least in my dad's mind that is. Much as people are raised into religion, I was raised into music. There isn't a genre I don't appreciate (although I'm not really a fan of country music), but there are a few genre's that hold most of the space in my heart. The biggest placeholder is rap, hip-hop, and R&B alike. My dad wasn't the type to play Kidz Bop for my young ears. Instead he would just tell me to "put my earmuffs on" and I would hurry to cover my ears if he didn't want me to hear something, which wasn't too often after he accepted that I had just about heard it all from Marshall Mathers.

The real Slim Shady

Ah Eminem, I have an intense visceral response to his music. It brings me back to the days when I was just a young girl and my dad would sing to me while we drove places in his speedy, white, tricked-out Nissan.

Hailie's Song

My dad passed away almost 11 years ago and this is one of the most vivid memories I carry with me today. I'm grateful for the look it gives me into his struggles and emotions that he attempted to hide from me at the time. You can imagine why Eminem's music affects me so.

Sigh

It's not all pain though. I'll never forget the hours I spent in front of MTV (when it was actually music TV) dancing and dreaming of artists such as Usher, 50 Cent, Nelly, etc.. The 90's/early 2000's were wonderful years to be alive and aware of music.

While attending Coachella 2014 last year, I actually got the pleasure of seeing some of those artists like Outkast (Big Boi & Andre 3000), Pharell, Usher, Nas, Jay Z, T.I., Busta Rhymes and Kurupt live. I thanked my dad the entire time for creating a connection like that with me.

Big Boi & Andre 3000

Andre 3000

I know the beauty of this genre of music is hard for most people to see, but I absolutely without a doubt see it. I did mention, however, that I'm passionate about a few genre's of music (and surprisingly they're not just all sub-genres of rap). My dad also introduced me to the beauty of bands like the RHCP, Incubus, Staind, Blink 182, etc..

You also can't go wrong when you enjoy EDM, which is sub-genred like hell, but since I'm not specifically devoted to any one sub-genre of electronic music I just kind of generalize. The possibilities of this genre are endless. It's absolutely enthralling to be at one of these performances. The sounds/lights/energy are exhilarating to say the least.

And finally I must mention my flirtation with alternative bands such as Circa Survive, Brand New, Modest Mouse, Manchester Orchestra, Maricopa, Autumn Rhodes, In:Aviate, etc.. During my middle school years I dappled with quite a bit of loneliness and depression. The mere sight of the artwork from one of Circa Survive's albums Juturna chokes me up and gives me a sense of comfort and relief all at the same time.

At that same year at Coachella I got to see Anthony Green live which is the lead singer of Circa Survive. And now this year I get to see the actual band perform as well as the band Brand New.

These are the exact experiences that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. They are so incredibly special to me. Nothing makes me feel more alive than when I'm listening to music, seeing a live performance, or watching a music video. That's what resonates emotionally with me rather than intellectually. Music is what truly evokes a visceral response in me.