Professional vs. Me

Introduction
I’ve always been one that admires photographers. I think that’s because I’m not a very good one. I’m also not good of capturing the moment with my camera. It always seems like an inconvenience but something that I wish I did more of. Here are 3 elements of photography with professional pictures, along with 3 of my own pictures attempting to depict the same elements of professional photography.

Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds essentially means that you should dissect the picture with 2 horizontal and 2 vertical lines.  The important elements of the picture should be placed where those lines intersect. In the above photograph, you can see that all the elements of the picture fall within those 4 points. That is one reason your eye is drawn to those 3 items as opposed to the plate.

This photo was taken by Dave Meeler and can be found at https://picography.co/picography-restaurant-sconejam-cream-plate/

My Attempt at the Rule of Thirds

2 out of the 3 of my kids fall within intersecting lines (sorry Haidyn!). Your eyes are drawn to them as well as the exterior of the castle.

Leading Lines

Analysis

The above picture has volleyball nets that are set up and draw your eyes across the line. The fence line also creates this element and draws your eyes along the fence. I found myself searching for the entrance within the fence, thinking it would lead to the volleyball nets.

My Attempt at Leading Lines

Look at the robot and his legs. They immediately draw your eyes down to see if he will step on someone or grab something. Another line that caught my eye was the roof line at the top and it.

Depth of Field

The above photograph is by Lisa Fotios and can be found at https://negativespace.co/farm-sunriseagriculture-clouds-country/

Analysis

This is a good example of depth of field because you can clearly see the wild flowers that appear close to you. However, your eyes also get drawn to the grassy fields in the background that look peaceful and well taken care of by the land owners. It almost appears as 2 pictures that were put together.

My Attempt at Depth Field

The photo is of some of the men in my family enjoying a mariner game. You can clearly see that them at the forefront of the photograph. However, your eyes also get drawn Safeco Field sign behind them that appears far away.
Conclusion

As I said in the beginning, I am not a great photographer. However, with a little research and some practice I was able to understand and develop some key elements to make my pictures more professional. If I can do it, Continue reading “Professional vs. Me”

Seattle Means Starbucks!

Introduction

Image result for starbucks logo 2018

https://www.google.com/search?q=starbucks+logo+2018&sa=X&biw=1904&bih=906&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=-D77BH-0-SCErM%253A%252CLY0TgIpsX1bqNM%252C_&usg=__AGhcfXFYXAS1ZUZyDL5WCneTOQs%3D&ved=0ahUKEwiYyeqM2-XaAhVS-2MKHfq2BH4Q9QEIKzAA#imgrc=CrHD9QMquGZzCM:
The logo was first designed by the founders of Starbucks. The logo was meant to be of a siren from Greek
mythology. Sirens would lure away sailors so shipwreck off the coast of an island. The thought was that the
logo would lure coffee lovers from all over to come and enjoy the coffee.

CONTRAST

starbucks-logo-drawover-constrast

The designer used contrast by making sure that the text and design were easy to ready and see against the
green backdrop. Using completely different colors allows the viewers to see view the text and design without too
much effort.

ALIGNMENT

starbucks-logo-drawover-alignment

The designer aligned the stars in the logo to give balance to design. The stars being aligned creates order within the logo that wouldn’t be there without them. If you were to imagine the Starbucks logo without the stars, it would appear to be misaligned. This is due to the length of each word being dramatically different. The alignment of the stars helps bring balance to the logo and therefore makes it more appealing.

REPETITION

starbucks-logo-drawover-repetition

The designer repeats the use of stars within the logo. This is to enhance and keep your eyes engaged to the logo. It is also used to eliminate white space. The repetition also helps to show the importance of the heritage of the logo. They represent an old nautical story from Greek mythology about sailors being lured away.

PROXIMITY

starbucks-logo-drawover-proximity

The text is a good example of proximity used by the designer. The designer made sure that text was the larger than everything else on the logo so that you could clearly seen the name of the company. Even though it is the only text on the page, the proximity of the words to each other ensures that the viewer can identify the name of the company easily.

COLOR

starbucks-logo-drawover-color

The use of color was great in the logo. The tones within the logo are very different. That in turns makes the logo easy to read and pleasing to the eye. When the colors are too dark, it is hard to read the text but the designer knew what they were doing when designing this logo. It was also a good idea to pick the color white to go with the dark green. White is easy to see and looks much more professional than if this was a different color.

CONCLUSION

The 5 principles outlined contribute to the overall design of the Starbucks logo by actually making it known around the world. The logo is recognizable anywhere in the world. The simplicity and keen eye for the small details in each of the categories outlined strategically draws the attention of its viewers.