Changing of Seasons

By: Gianna Cammarota December 18, 2014

Introduction: A photo is such a visual and useful tool of

technology. It is so easy for us to pull out our phones

and capture a moment in just seconds. The reason a

photo could have such a variety of categories is because

of the images that are depicted to us. No one person

interprets a photo the same. That is the beauty in

photography. Photography has indeed come far

throughout the decades. Not only have the tools and

technology used for taking pictures changed but the

quality of the photos themselves.

For my photo essay, I pondered on many

different topics. As this final assignment reminds us

that the semester is quickly coming to an end; I began

to think about the changes happening all around us.

One of my favorite changes is in the seasons. Therefore,

I decided to make my photo essay about the ever so

changing weather and seasons. For example, the

transition from the crisp, fall air and sunshine to the

bitterness of the stabbing cold and grey skies. Some of

my photos have a gray color scale to them and the main

focus is rain or a dark sky. The emotion you get as soon

as you look at these pictures is almost the same as if you

step outside and see a similar scene for yourself. On the

contrast, I also have bright pictures that have colorful

leaves and sunshine beaming in them. These photos

instantly uplift you. That is the fun part, not only can

you create a mood but an entire story based on the

scenes and images in your photos.

There are hundreds of qualities and

characteristics that make up a picture. In my photos for

example, the use of color, texture and time of day play a

huge role. Because of the changes from day to day as

each season transforms before our very eyes, my photos

are unique and relatable. In my photo essay, I transition

from rain to sleet to sunshine. I not only focus on

texture but also on literal things that remind us of the

seasons such as, Christmas trees and falling leaves. All

of these things symbolize something for us. There is no

question that our mood also changes because of the

weather and seasons. Just as no photo is ever the same,

neither is any day. They may look or feel similar, but

they are never identical by any means. This is the

message I hope to give in my photo essay.

A Look Into the Photos:

In my photo essay, I used both rhetorical and

aesthetic reasoning to capture the significance behind

the season changes throughout each day. From looking

at my photos, you can see the patterns and rules vary. I

have used the rule of thirds, patterns, texture, framing,

distance, lighting and more in each one of my photos.

In capturing each photo, I used a variety of different

devices and editing tools. Certain images required a

zoom lens and a more in depth focus. I used a Canon

3D lens digital camera, IPhone 5s and a Samsung

Galaxy S5. The apps I used to edit my photos are, VSCO

Cam and After light. I adjusted the saturation,

brightness and contrast in most of my photos. This

enhanced the images and brought forth the main focus

points.

The reasoning behind the images I chose to use

in my essay is due to the actual message being

represented. In season changes, the weather shifts and

has specific elements that make up its being. For

example, in the fall, there are colorful leaves on the

ground. In each photo, I chose to capture the daily

season changes in full effect as they took place. One of

the main features in my photo essay is simply that no

one photo can be the same. The leaves changing, the

rain falling and the sun shining all look different in

each photo. That is the most complex but interesting

part of it all. It’s almost as if the images do not require

any text or words. They speak for themselves. Just in

looking at one of the photos, you can feel a certain

emotion almost instantly in an aesthetic sense.

The rhetorical messages are portrayed strongly

throughout the elements that make up each photo.

Color also plays a vital role in each photo. I use a

rhetorical visual aspect by choosing either a bright and

happy color or a dark and morbid color. A photo that

has a grey scale and a photo that has bright colors both

portray complete opposite meanings. This is very easy

to recognize for the human eye. In Looking at

Photographs, Victor Burgin states, “Even a photograph

that has no actual writing around it can translate by

language once it is read. For example, an image that is

dark in tone plays carries significance of darkness.” (p.

131) This is done in each of my photos. Although you

cannot literally “read” the photos, you can still

understand the meaning behind them in just looking at

them.

This brings me to the aesthetic value in my

photos. As mentioned previously, the images

represented all have a very diverse environment to

them. Therefore, each one provides a different

sentiment. The Rhetoric of an Image states, “The

composition of an image evoking the memory of

innumerable alimentary paintings, sends us to an

aesthetic.” (Barthes, p.154) This is the soul purpose of

my photo essay. That is, to enhance and spark a

remembrance in my audience through just looking at

each photo.

“Sleet and Leaves” Photo:

I am choosing to evaluate the fifth photo in my

photo essay. I have titled it, Sleet and Leaves. The

reason I chose this photo is because of it’s dynamic.

Despite the technical aspects of the photo, I think it is

visually pleasing. Although, it is not the most uplifting

or colorful photo, it does indeed tell a short story. Just

looking at it gives you a glimpse into a memory you

have of a cold day. The photo took place on my outdoor

patio one early morning. The main focus point in the

photo is the leaves and the sleet falling on the ground.

Immediately upon taking this picture, I realized it

represented my exact mood in the moment I took it –

confusion. Is it Fall or is it winter? This photo

represents that exact question most of us have during

this time of year when the rain turns into freezing sleet

and the leaves still seem to creep into the soles of our

shoes. It isn’t quit a blizzard but it is surely a season in

mid-change. Although this process of nature is a

beautiful one, it can spark many moods. For me, this

picture did just that.

The photo itself did not require much editing or

color enhancement. In fact, I aimed to decrease some of

the saturation so that the picture had no distracting

coloring to it. It is almost as if you can feel my hands as

they began to freeze just taking the picture.

There are many different rules of composition

being represented in this picture. For example, patterns

and symmetry are represented in the cracks of the

wood and also the nails that are placed on top of one

another. The viewpoint is also important in this picture

because I got onto the ground to take it. I did this so

that you could see the sleet more dimensional as it fell

onto the leaves. I also used cropping to remove any

distractions on the outside of the patio. For example,

the trees and rocks that stood close by. They seemed to

disrupt the overall photo and I felt that removing them

enhanced the quality of the picture.

As you can see, the tone and emotion in this

photo relies on the rules of composition. In

Understanding Photography, Burger states, “The

retention of the image, its development and

multiplication form an ordered succession of steps

which composed the photographic act.” (p.290) These

rules and steps play a vital role in any photo and its

overall quality. Throughout this photo essay, I have the

ability to learn and experience first hand the complexity

of photography and its true meaning.

Works Cited:

Barthes, R. (1977). Rhetoric of the Image. In Image –

Music – Text. New York: Hill and Wang, pp. 32-51.

[pdf]

Berger, J. (1974). Understanding a photograph. In A.

Trachetenberg (Ed.), Classic Essays on Photography

(pp. 291 – 294). Leete’s Island Books: New Haven, CT.

[pdf]

Burgin, V. (1977, 2003). Looking at photographs. In A.

Wells (Ed.), The photography reader (pp. 130 – 137).

New York, NY: Routledge. [PDF]