Fill the Frame

Assignment #22:  Get so close to your subject that it extends beyond the borders of your picture.

There are numerous ways to "get close", of course - you can do it physically or with a zoom lens or with a post-production crop.

As a "fix", this is a good way to eliminate distracting background elements but use it also to create impact and emphasize details.

You 'Rang?
San Diego Zoo, San Diego, California

Bug
Metamora, Indiana

Gourds
Fishers United Methodist Church Pumpkin Patch, Fishers, Indiana

Vibrant Colors

Assignment #21:  Take a picture that features a combination of bright, vibrant colors.

This kind of photo can attract a viewer's eye before they even look closely at it.  Bright colors are friendly and welcoming.  It's not by chance that a lot of children's items use the red-yellow-blue-green palette.  Include orange or purple to avoid being too kid-like.

Strung Up
Metamora, Indiana

Maya Riviera
Fishers, Indiana

Herd That
Metamora, Indiana

Curves

Assignment #20:  Take pictures of curves, spirals, and circles.

To my eye, finding some curves is a pretty reliable way to make a compelling photo.

Droop
Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, Indiana

Park Blue
Pocket park bike rack, Fishers, Indiana

Washington and Illinois
Indianapolis, Indiana

Back Lighting

Assignment #20:  Take a picture with a backlit subject.

Pointing your camera towards your primary source of light is just asking for trouble, right?

Seagrove Bronze
Seagrove Park, Delmar, California

Best Fronds Forever
San Diego Zoo, San Diego, California

Street Light
Fishers, Indiana

Close-up

Assignment # 19:  Display an often unseen level of detail with a close-up or macro photograph.

I originally had the this concept on my list as two separate items - one for recognizable items and one for the sort of semi-abstract types of things.  But I eventually decided that there is a lot of gray area between those two ideas so I combined and simplified the assignment.

Oh, and I think close-up is a relative term.  Fancy lens, schmancy lens.

Gamel R 283 S
Colorado Railroad Museum, Golden, Colorado

Afire
Fishers, Indiana

Zebra Longwing
White River Gardens, White River State Park, Indianapolis, Indiana

Pattern

Assignment #18:  Take a photograph that contains a pattern.

I think of a pattern as a series of repeating or predictable elements.  I think a pattern doesn't have to be perfect or be in a straight line or have the consistency of size that enables it to go on forever.  I think almost every fence and sidewalk and cornfield makes a pattern.  I think compelling photographs can be made where a pattern is a property of the subject and also where the pattern is the subject.

Union Pacific Windows
Colorado Railroad Museum, Golden, Colorado 

Section 106
Victory Field, Indianapolis, Indiana

Not Level (Deceptively)

Assignment #17:  Take a picture that you intend to rotate for its final presentation.

There were two things that inspired this assignment.

The first was a picture of a bicyclist.  He was backlit to a degree so that his shadow fell between him and the camera and the shadow was bigger than the cyclist himself.  The picture was flipped 180 degrees so that, at first glance, the shadow appears to be an out-of-proportion silhouette.  Fun!

I also have recently seen some photos from a series of head-and-shoulders portraits in which the subjects were hanging upside down for the shoot but the final images are, again, flipped 180 degrees.  Some of the pictures look like the people are wearing fright wigs or lots of hair gel while others look almost normal.

Photos from tilted "mystery rooms" could work here as could some variation on the old "Batman and Robin climb a building" scenes which were filmed at a 90 degree tilt.

So, yeah, "deceptively" might be a little strong.  We're making a specific rotation for a specific reason but the ultimate goal isn't to permanently fool anyone.

Water Garden
Wheeling, West Virginia