The List of 50

This is where my list of 50 assignments ended up, with links to those that I've posted to date. Today, I tend to think that 50 is too many, that I broke a few things down too far and there's too much overlap. But anyway...

Framing

  01 Rule of thirds 

  02 Fill the frame 

  03 Frame within a frame 

  04 Isolate via depth of field 

  05 Isolate via negative space 

Symmetry

  06 Symmetry 

  07 Off-center symmetry 

Lines

  08 Leading lines 

  09 Converging lines

  10 Curves/Spirals/Circles 

  11 Horizontal lines 

  12 Vertical lines

  13 Diagonal lines

Motion

  14 Motion blur 

  15 Freeze motion 

  16 Panning

  17 Full-scene sweeping blur abstract 

  18 Zoom blur – stationary lens – spiral 

  19 Radial zoom blur

  20 Light painting 

  21 Harris shutter effect (simulated) 

  22 Long Exposure 

  23 Star trails 

Portrait

  24 Candid portrait - family/friend

  25 Candid portrait - stranger (performer/in the public eye) 

  26 Candid portrait - stranger (spectator/part of the crowd)

  27 Self-portrait

Landscape

  28 High-horizon landscape 

  29 Low-horizon landscape 

  30 No-horizon landscape 

  31 Panorama 

Point of View

  32 Close-up/macro 

  33 High point of view 

  34 Low point of view 

  35 Dutch tilt 

  36 Deceptively not level 

  37 Purposely unfocused  

Patterns and Textures

  38 Texture 

  39 Pattern 

  40 Broken pattern

Color

  41 Single color 

  42 Two colors (complementary or warm/cold contrast)

  43 Combination of vibrant colors 

  44 Combination of pastel colors 

Light and Reflections

  45 Side light 

  46 Back light 

  47 Silhouette 

  48 Shadows and highlights 

  49 Reflection on water 

  50 Reflection other than on water 

So I see, after adding the links, that I actually got through 32 of the 50 assignments, even though I only counted up to 30. Looks like I re-used #20 and #23 in my counting. Oops.

Will I try to finish the list? I don't know yet. I still don't want to put myself in  the position of posting photos that I don't particularly like. We'll see.

That's Enough Assignments for Now

I'm going to officially put the "assignments" posts on hiatus for a bit. Life and weather are not conducive to taking a lot of photographs right now and I don't want get desperate and use shots I'm not thrilled with.

I have some other things to "talk out loud" about, though.

Converging Lines

Assignment #30:  Use converging lines to create depth or tell a story in a photo.

This one is a close cousin to leading lines.  I suppose radiating lines really "go" in the opposite direction but I think maybe they take the eye on a similar journey.  Also, I don't know that the point of convergence always needs to end up in the frame.

Y Warehouse
Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky

Fractured
Batesville, Indiana

Panorama

Assignment #29: Create a panorama shot of a wide view.

I used to use a pretty impressive piece of software to stitch together panoramic shots.  Then I got a new phone and the software became obsolete.  Now I just need to get somewhere with some big views.

Before the Drubbing
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

Texture

Assignment #28:  Photograph a texture or contrasting textures.

I want to say something like "it's not that hard". I crack myself up.

Yellow Brick Wall
Akron, Indiana

Pacific Cacti
Torrey Pines State Reserve, La Jolla, California

Columnar Shadows
Balboa Park, San Diego, California

Reflection (on Water)

Assignment #27:  Take a photo of a reflection on water.

I'd like to get smarter about the type of light that makes the best reflections.  It seems like I could do a better job of getting in the right place at the right time for these shots.

Fellerman Ford Bridge
Ripley County, Indiana

Across Fawn Lake
Kokiwanee Nature Preserve, Wabash County, Indiana

Isolate via Negative Space

Assignment #26: Focus attention on a subject by surrounding it with sameness.

I'm partial to a bunch of black but there are a lot of ways to go with this.

Bourbon Barrel
Bardstown, Kentucky

Colter Bay Pelican
Jackson Lake, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Dutch Tilt

Assignment #25:  Tilt your camera for an artistic, unstable look.

While you can certainly overuse this technique, the off-balance, slightly-chaotic effect can sometimes be just what you need.

Escape
Akron, Indiana

Leading Lines

Assignment #25: Use leading lines to direct a viewer's eye towards your subject or through your image.

These never pop out at me as much as I wish they would.

Devil's Gulch
Natural Bridge State Resort Park, Slade, Kentucky

Whitewater Blue
Whitewater Canal and aqueduct, Metamora, Indiana

Candid Portrait (In the Public Eye)

Assignment #24: Use as a subject someone whose job or activity routinely puts them in front of other people.

One step up from taking pictures of friends and family is taking pictures of the large group of people who are out in public every day. A lot of them are probably accustomed to occasionally having a camera pointed at them. Doormen, buskers, flea market vendors, and the like can all make for an interesting photo.

Squeamish about aiming your camera at someone you don't know? Yeah, me too. I appreciate this great write-up by Andrew Kantor, which, while not legal advice, addresses concerns about legality. Very, very briefly, if someone has no expectation of privacy and you're not trying to embarrass them, it's pretty much okay to take (and publish) their picture.

Legality aside, I doubt most of us want to make someone we don't know uncomfortable (or angry). That's where focusing (literally) on those in the "public eye" may help.

Keeneland Bugler
Keeneland Racetrack, Lexington, Kentucky

Exhale
Metamora, Indiana

Walking Paddock
Keeneland Racetrack, Lexington, Kentucky

Radial Zoom Blur

Assignment #23:  Zoom in or out while taking a picture.

If you hold your camera body reasonably steady and twist your zoom lens while shooting, you create the rather chaotic excitement of straight lines converging in the center of your sometimes-rather-abstract photo.

I imagine this can be done in post, but where's the fun in that?  Also, I'll acknowledge that these pictures may create a short-lived "wow" factor.  Still, it's something to try when you have a colorful subject that just isn't working out.

Patch Zoom
Fishers, Indiana

Pick Pic

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

Horizontal Lines

Assignment #16:  Find a shot strengthened by horizontal lines.

"They" say horizontal lines add calmness and stability to a photo.

The Winter
Fishers, Indiana

Milk Cans
Colorado Railroad Museum, Golden, Colorado

Frame Within a Frame

Assignment #15:  Take a shot through a window, door, or other foreground frame.

I know there are more of these out there than what I'm seeing.

Through the Cube
Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, Indiana

Sugar Creek Suspension Bridge
Turkey Run State Park, Parke County, Indiana