On Thursday, Oct. 31. 2019, I went to Yonge-Dundas Square with the intent of taking 100 photos in an hour. I took photos from 3:00 p.m. to 3:40 p.m. I felt that Yonge-Dundas would be a good location for this task, as there are so many attractions in that one area, that it is always swarming with people. Additionally, I went on the day that it was Halloween, which made for some interesting photos! However, when taking my photos, there were certain obstacles that I encountered. The very obvious one was the weather. It was raining at the time I was at Yonge-Dundas. When the weather is bad, people will always try to rush from one place to another to escape the weather conditions. Yonge-Dundas is usually crowded enough as it as, and this only added to that problem. However, despite these two things, it was still relatively easy to get 100 photos within an hour.
Google Drive Folder that contains all the photos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1BL9GCsRUcntWQeoP5EZVOhrtYe8cb-wj?usp=sharing
Below are three examples of the photos that were taken. Each one represents a different composition principle of photograph and were taken in a different part of Yonge-Dundas.
The composition principle shown by this photo is Rule of thirds. The main subject of this photo is the woman dressed up as Minnie Mouse. However, she is not in the center of the photo. The picture was taken with the subject being more towards the right side. This was done intentionally, so that the focus of the viewer would be less on the center and more on the overall photograph. One thing that makes this a good photograph is that, despite the number of people in it, it is very clear who the subject is. Another thing that makes this photo stand out is the subject’s choice of attire. She is the only one in costume which makes the photo interesting and helps in drawing attention towards her.
The composition principle shown by this photo is Frame in a frame. The use of a natural frame was implemented by the windows. The focus of the picture in this case, are the large billboards on top of the buildings. The window provides two frames, splitting the picture in two. The larger frame puts more focus on the blue billboard and the pedestrians. The smaller frame puts more focus on the black billboards and the construction. In doing so, this photo sets two different moods, which is the good thing about this photo. On the left side, the colours are brighter and there is more activity. There is even more space on that side. On the right side, the colours are duller and there does not seem to be much going on. There is less space on that side. The two moods to the photo is something that could only be noticed by using the frames. Without them, it would just look like a regular day on Yonge-Dundas.
The composition principle shown by this photo is Leading lines. There are multiple lines created by the crosswalks on the road. In this case, there is no one subject in the photo. There are a total of five lines and each line leads to a different area. Three of the five lines lead towards the small group of pedestrians, while two of the five lines lead towards the larger group. The viewer is not naturally drawn to the subjects, but to the lines, which easily lead up to the subjects of the photo. This photo has both a simple and a complicated element, which is the good thing about it. On one hand, the roads are very clear and free of cars and pedestrians – something that is unusual, especially for the chosen location. On the other hand, there is a large crowd of people and a line of cars. This gives off the impression that the road is busy, in contrast to its emptiness.
To conclude, I learned about various photography techniques and how to apply them by doing this challenge. I learned that taking a photo one way will not always result in the best photo. Sometimes you will have to change your own position or take the photo from a different angle. I learned soon enough that a small change in where you are standing results in a very different photo than what you originally would have had. For my first time, I am happy with the photos that came out. However, if I were to do this again, there are some things I would do differently. One thing that I would keep in mind for the next time is to go on a day when the weather is not so bad. Another thing to keep in mind would be to get more than one picture of something. I kept feeling that because I was short on time, I had to take photos as fast as I could. However, after I was done I realized that 100 photos went by faster than I thought and I had time to spare.