Final Photography Project

Jake Poxon                                               

            Ansel Adams is a famous American Photographer who is well-known for his stunning black and white photographs of Yellowstone. Adams’ ability to capture beautiful and natural scenery inspired me to take landscape photos that encapsulate the natural beauty of Tucson. In today’s times there seems to be an emphasis on technology and expansion. We as individuals are rarely exposed to mother nature because we are constantly surrounded by infrastructure and concerned with facebook notifications and text messages.  I was thrilled to simply escape the buildings, my cell phone, and my computer for an hour, and was able to free my mind and wander through the Sonoran Desert without any distractions. There is a hiking trail approximately two miles south from my apartment complex that guides you through the Sonoran Desert and intricately intertwines up the side of the Tucson Mountains, which are covered and surrounded by Saguaro cactuses. I wanted to capture the natural landscape while using Adams’ signature Black and white effects. My main goal is that I want people to see the beautiful nature that exists in this city and almost forget about the expansionary chaos that is occurring in Tucson. I really feel as though I capture the feeling of being in the wilderness because there is nothing surrounding these mountains. Your on your own in the middle of the desert and in essence, one with nature. Three out of the 6 pictures are in black and white and therefore represent photographic ideas that are primarily present in Adams’ photography. The other three photos are different from Adams’ work because I have added my own effects to reflect my own individual creativity. I really enjoyed wandering through the mountains and was blown away by the landscape Tucson had to offer. I plan on discovering new landscapes in the future and will use Adams’ techniques to capture a photograph that I can show my friends and family so that they can experience the beauty of nature.

This photo is taken from a unique perspective because I wanted to capture this exotic plant in front of the mountain to show some creativity and originality. This plant and the mountain are obviously not typical in a city and allows the person viewing the photograph to feel secluded from daily life in a busy and bustling city.

For this photo I wanted to capture the abundant amount of cactuses that exist on the backside of these mountains. I blurred the edges of the photo to give it a interesting and eerie vibe. Once again the fact that there is no infrastructure captured in the image makes it feel as though we are removed from the city.

This photo captures three distinct mountains as well as numerous cactuses. The contents of the photo combined with the black and white effects makes it appear as though this photo was taken during the old western times.

In this photo there are unique plants that you otherwise wouldn't normally see in the city and are accompanied by cactuses in the background. For this photo, I combined a boost in color with a fade in color and the end result was that the landscape appears a mossy green.

This photo is was taken in black and white and is inspired by Ansel Adams' classic black and white style. In the photo there is a large mountain covered in cactuses and because there is a lack of infrastructure, you almost feel as though you are in the middle of nowhere, free from civilization.

In this photo I added my own personal touch. I boosted the color and therefore the dirt appears red and it almost feels like this photo was taken on Mars. The sky has two different color shades. The upper left appears almost purple while the rest of the sky has different shades of blue.

Texture

The three different photos I took of the cactus plant outside of the Art building show the texture of the plant in a very interesting light. The first photo I took was a standard image of the plant and you can see the prickly thorns that stick out of the outer edges of the plant. There is also some visible wear and on the plant as some of the individual frawns have darker brown spots. The second picture I took revealed a second texture that some people may not easily notice about this plant. Although the fringes are thorny and sharp, the inner part of the frawn is visibly smooth and pretty flat. The third and final shot illustrates the pointy tips at the very ends of the frawns, and you can visually see the texture of those thorns as they appear durable and spiky.

Perspective

Perspective is extremely crucial and is an important component of photography. The first photo shows a unique perspective and illustrates what it would be like to actually yield the putter on the golf course. I thought that this perspective would be unique, and would allow my viewers to experience the Scotty Cameron and make it seem as though they are holding the putter themselves. The second photo analyzes the putter from a more head on angle and really allows the viewer to analyze the shape of the putter. The third and final angle is from a further distance and allows the audience to view the putter in its entirety. All of these angles capture the essence of the putter in a unique light.

Emphasis

Advertising is prevalent in photography. These pictures illustrate the importance of brand recognition. The creator of this putter is named Scotty Cameron, and the brand of the putter is called Titleist, and there seems to be an emphasis on marketing Scotty Cameron as well as the brand Titleist multiple times on the putter. This esteemed craftsman has established his own logo which is seen down the middle of the candy red grip, the sticker which is on the shaft of the putter, and the hosel of the putter. The brand name Titleist is also stamped on the putter face. I tried to focus in on these parts of the putter to emphasize the reoccurring theme of brand his name as well as the brand Titleist.

Lighting

Changing the lighting by turning off the lights had a great impact on the details of my putter. I turned on the flash and the first picture I took was of the face of the putter. The face of the putter is actually much more detailed as you can see the smooth circular lines that make up the face of the putter. The second photo outlined the cavity of the putter, which holds the four circular colors and the screws but the fangs of the putter were dark because of the angle at which the picture was taken. The third and final picture was also neat because the shaft of the putter almost appears black when in reality, it is a grey steel. All of these lighting changes outlined different parts of the putter and added a new perspective.

Perspective Photos