MINITURE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

FINAL CHOICE:

• It turns everyday paper towels into a magical snowy mountain scene, showing clever, creative storytelling.
• The cool blue lighting gives it a crisp, wintry feel that makes the tiny skiers look like they’re really on a slope.
• I love the contrast with the bright and dark light
• with the extra light, it is showing the texture of the paper towel to make the scene more realistice and interesting.

Initial Thoughts

What Immediately Comes to Mind

1. Everyday reflective surfaces are free, easy tools.
2. Clarity vs. distortion: sharp mirror reflections vs. warped water/glass ones create cool contrast.

Style, Gear, Concepts I Like

• Style: Mix of street photos and weird, abstract shots; simple layered pictures through windows or mirrors.
• Gear: Phone or basic camera. Try car mirrors, puddles, and lit store windows at night.
• Ideas: Take new pictures of cities (like a building in a puddle instead of straight-on); use cracked mirrors to show how we see ourselves; tell quiet stories

Techniques:

• Shallow depth of field: Makes the toy stand out clearly
• Low-angle close-up: Elevates the toy, adds whimsy
• Soft natural lighting: Enhances warmth, keeps mood gentle

Mood:

• Playful, cozy, silly, happy

Techniques:

• Top-down (bird’s-eye) view: Looks straight down at the figure, unique perspective
• Strong, direct light: Creates a dark, sharp shadow
• Contrast: Color contrast between the yellow light and the figure in the middle
• Silhouette effect: The shadow hides details, letting your imagination fill in what it is

Mood:

• Playful, mysterious, silly, curious

Techniques:

• Blurry background: The colorful, out-of-focus lights make the toy stand out sharply.
• Low close-up shot: Makes the small toy look bigger and more relaxed.
• Warm, soft lighting: Creates a cozy, glowing feel.
• Contrast between dark red surface and bright background
• Higher aperture: I turned the aperture higher to let less light in, to create more of a contrast with the color in the background.

Mood:

• Relaxed, cozy, dreamy, playful, contrast

Techniques:

• Shallow depth of field: The blurred background keeps the focus entirely on the Tom figure.
• Low-angle perspective: Makes the small toy appear more prominent and dynamic, as if we’re at its level.
• Soft, low lighting: Creates a calm, slightly moody atmosphere with gentle shadows.
• Higher aperture: I turned the aperture higher to let less light in to create a depressed mood.

• Dark, sneaky, depressed, calm

Techniques:

• Top-down shot (symmetrical, centered focus)
• Swirl-patterned background (draws eye to toy)
• Red vs. dark contrast (makes toy stand out)
• centered structure (eye-catching)

Mood:

• Dramatic, focused, playful

Technique:

• centered structure
• strong color contrast
• Corner framing (uses wall/ floor lines to draw focus to the figure)
• High contrast (red vs. black makes the subject pop)
• Eye-level angle

Mood:

• Secretive, dramatic, playful

Techniques:

• Leading lines (staircase guides eye to the subject)
• Low angle (makes the small figure feel important and dramatic)
• High contrast (red stands out against gray stairs)
• Shallow depth of field (blurred background isolates subject)

Mood:

• Epic, dramatic, adventurous, heroic, powerful

Techniques:

• Lower aperture: Let more lights in to creat a lighter color
• Shallow depth of field (blurs foreground/background to focus on the toy)
• Natural framing (leaves and branches frame the figure)
• Eye-level close-up (gives an intimate, curious feel)

Mood:

• Curious, relaxed, whimsical, peaceful, nature

all pictures:

green：

yellow:

red-final:

This portrait, titled “mirror²,” is a creative and thought-provoking image that uses reflection and to explore themes of identity and self-perception. The subject is captured through a big mirror, holding up a smaller window that adds a second layer of reflection. The raindrops on the glass and the dark, moody lighting create a sense of mystery and introspection. The composition encourages viewers to think about the different ways we see ourselves—both directly and through the lens of technology. The photo stands out for its emotional depth and artistic use of everyday elements. To make it even stronger, softer lighting or a clearer reflection could help emphasize the subject more, but overall, the image successfully conveys a feeling of contemplation and layered identity.

Portrait identity photography is a type of photography that shows who a person really is. It captures their personality, feelings, and unique traits—not just what they look like. Photographers use poses, lighting, and backgrounds to tell the story of the person’s identity. The goal is to create a photo that reveals the subject’s true self.

What is a Portrait in Photography?

A portrait is a photo that shows who a person is, their feelings, or their personality. Usually, it shows the person’s face, but it can also include other parts of their body or the place they are in to tell more about them.

Selfies can be portraits because they show the person’s face and mood, but portraits are often planned with good lighting and background.

A portrait can be a close-up of something small, like a hand, if it tells us something about the person. Sometimes, pictures that are blurry or torn might not feel like portraits anymore, but some artists use these effects to show feelings or ideas.

You can also show a person without them being in the photo by using things that belong to them, like their clothes or objects that tell their story.

A portrait doesn’t have to be just one photo. A group of pictures can show more about a person’s life and feelings.

Famous photographers like Richard Avedon and Annie Leibovitz take different kinds of portraits that help us understand people better.