Creative Landscape

The subject of this image, is my friend Michael, running in the snow on the naval base in Brunswick, Maine. In order to make this image, I asked Michael to meet me at the base on a day that the clouds were dark, but it was still light out. I chose to create this image because it speaks very much to who Michael is as a person, which I will explain later on. Elements and principals used in this image include, line, color (of the sky), space (the vastness of the image itself), contrast (of the dark sky and light snow), and movement (Michael running).

Composition rules and techniques showcased in this image include formal balance because it's very symmetrical, and sharp focus. At first, I asked Michael to go all the way to the fence to stand in front of it as I photographed him, and when he started running to the fence, I noticed the footprints that he left in his trail. I ended up liking the photos of him in motion more than the ones of him standing in front of the fence.

My concentration is societal issues. My friend Michael is openly gay, and I think this photo really does a good job of capturing his feelings in a single image. His whole life, he's known he was gay. But once he got into high school, he's become much more self conscious than he ever has been in the past. This is because of the standards and judgements that society has set for us today. This also is linked to social media and how it influences our opinions on certain subjects. Nobody should be worried about what others think of them, their personality, or their sexuality. I think this image represents this because Michael has learned to overcome these social standards that are set for us. However, he also has learned that once you overcome these standards, there's always a wall blocking you from overcoming your next problem. Wether it's someone who doesn't agree with your opinions and wants to hold you back, or if it's someone who's jealous of your bravery to be different and stand out; there's always someone who wants to hold you back, which is nicely represented by the fence in the photo. Also, there are the footprints in his path, which in my mind, represent the mark that my incredible friend has left on people. If I could do something to make this image stronger, I would edit the fence so that it's straight instead of the weird uneven lines that appeared above it in my editing process.