<Theme> Journey

  • I first was enlightened by my winter break plans. Before jumping into the picking of starting points, I had already summoned an idea of shooting snow themed photographs at my ski trip during the winter break. Wiggling through the list of starting points, I finally landed my choice on journey because it was the best fit for demonstrating the beauty of nature as well as documenting my trip.
  • “I intend to demonstrate the commence of a journey through portraying the beauty of nature and landscapes coated with dusk and dawn lights to bring a fateful feeling to my audience.”

<Artist 1> Daido Moryiama (Main Artist)

  • Daido, born 1938 Oct 10th, is a Japanese photographer who began his career as a freelance photographer. 3 years after his career in 1967, Daido won his award being the “New Artist Award from the Japan Photo Critics Association”. Daido’s journey as a photographer spiraled uphills afterwards, joining over 70 exhibitions, hosting over 30 publications, and winning 8 monumental awards. Daido is currently 86 years old as of 2024.
  • Daido’s style evolves around black & white toned photography that focuses on urban and human related entities as subjects. Daido likes to frame his subjects to a side of the frame, somewhat like using the rule of thirds. He also almost always tilt the camera to a certain degree which brings a feeling of randomness and “sketchy” which is enhanced by the framing technique and color tone he uses throughout his shoots. His style inspires me because of the freedom and truthfulness (creating what he truly wants) he imposes within his photographs. I aim to express and communicate similar emotions and messages in my works under the theme of journey.

<1>

  • This is a black & white photo of a lady riding a bike in the streets of Japan. The theme of journey is showcased through the vehicle and road that companies the subject. An interesting technique that Daido uses here is depth of field. He frames the picture and subject through camera height and surrounding objects to make the lady taller than other people in the frame to dictate the lady as the main focus and calls attention to her. This technique act extremely effective in this photo in particular because the black & white tone alongside with the sunlight actually makes it really hard to spot and focus on subjects, making the use of this technique crucial in identifying the subject.

<2>

  • This is a black & white photo of a teenager posing (most likely dancing) on an empty street in Japan. The theme of journey is showcased through the dancing subjects and a depth of field contrast of him to the perspective buildings in the back. Depth of field is used here creating a comparison between the subject and the building/structure at the very back. This achieves an illusion that the subject has moved from the back all the way to the front, creating a motion within the image. Another technique that Daido uses in this photo is a tilted camera frame/angle. This creates a distorted image and adds to the depth of field, also syncing the image to the subject’s pose.

<Artist 2> Richard Long

<1>

  • This is a presentational photo taken of an art piece Richard Long created. The image used a high to low angle and symmetry. The high to low angle allows the audience to have a general view over the piece, allowing them to fully appreciate the work. The symmetry though existing within the art work itself, has been also moved into the image to present an organized look. The art piece itself uses symmetry and texture to convey the meaning of journey. The symmetrical cross represents the crossing of paths during life and the multiple directions one could face. This is also enhanced by the cobblestone texture and structure representing the hardships one will face in those paths given and that all choice will have challenges.

<2>

  • This is a photo of a thin path made by white stones extending far into the distance in a plain. The theme of journey is conveyed both through the artwork and the photo. The artwork is the path of stones. Quite literally, it creates a path, but at the same time it also stands for the infinite possibilities one could have down their own path by stretching far into the distance, out of sight. At the same time, the contrast of colors enhances this illustration and further defines the journey element within this work. The photo helped strengthen the meaning by creating depth of field and a perspective. These techniques help enhance the distance created in this image which improves the presentation of journey.

<Mind Map>

  • This mind map presents the 8 aspects that I plan to merge into my final piece.

<Mood Board>

Precise Vision:

  • This is a version of the mood board consisting of 9 images that reference precisely and accurately what I intend to create for my final piece/project under the theme of Journey.

Broad Version:

  • This is a version of the mood board consisting of multiple images scattered across the internet. These images are a broad and general reference on what I have imagined in my mind.

<Citation>

https://www.moriyamadaido.com/en/

http://www.richardlong.org/

https://www.lissongallery.com/artists/richard-long