Yul

"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious" - Albert Einstein

skills testing Top 3

December 2, 2025 / / 0 Comments

– Where are my eyes immediately drawn? Where do you want the eyes to go?

First of all, it attracts the viewer’s eyes to the person in the center, who is fully captured from head to toe. It seems that the intention here is to lead the eyes upward from the legs toward the ball and then toward the face.

-Any distracting elements?

The color of the clothes blends with the background (both are dark).

-Is exposure correct?

Probably, the sky is a bit bright.

-Would another focal length help?

No. The transe shot draws the viewer’s attention to the person rather than the background. It increases subject’s presence.

-What is the background doing?

Open field and bright sky create a fresh and sporty mood.

Composition & Balance

Strong leading lines from the legs guide the viewer upward(also the subject is placed center). The low angle gives a dynamic feeling.

– Color accuracy

The blue sky (background) looks natural and pleasing. However, it would have been better if there were more colors in the photo because, overall, it is a bit too bluish.

-Depth of field

Medium depth of field keeps the foreground crisp and softly separates the background.

– Where are my eyes immediately drawn? Where do you want the eyes to go?

The eyes go first to the subject’s face, where the bright light across her cheeks is. I wanted the viewer’s eyes to focus on her facial expression by highlighting with the warm sunlight on her face.

– Any distracting elements?

 Probably the light can be considered to be kind of overexposed.

– Is the exposure correct?

Slightly overexposed. A bit of detail is lost to the light.

-Would it look better with a different focal length?

A wider focal length would have probably added more environmental elements such as sky or trees. The mood of the photo would become warmer. But her emotion would be less emphasized.

-What is the background doing?

Ground covered with leaves creates a seasonal texture, framing the subject and supporting her.

-Composition & Balance

The high-angle point of view with a centered composition creates a symmetrical feel. It feels balanced.

– Color accuracy

Overall Colors lean warm, which enhances the autumn mood.

-Depth of field

 The shallow depth of field keeps the viewer’s focus on the subject.

-> Actually, this photo has a clear intention. The gun is not shown directly as a real thing. It suggests that the man is not facing a real gun but is experiencing inner pain, which is shown through the shadow. Even though his face looks expressionless, he is likely feeling deep emotional suffering inside.

-Where are my eyes immediately drawn? Where do you want the eyes to go?

Attention is drawn to the man’s face first. The brightly lit area on his cheek makes a contrast to the other parts of him, so it pulls focus there first. Ideally, the viewer should shift focus from the man to the threatening shadow of the toy gun behind him. This creates tension and storytelling in the photo.

-Are there any distraction elements?

If I edit the irregular shadow spread in the background, the picture might appear more organized.

-Is the exposure correct?

I think light and dark contrast is good.

-Would it look better through a different focal light?

I can use softer side lighting to create a mood without blowing out highlights. Then a dimmer light on the face would balance the shadows better.

-What is the background doing?

Because the background is plain, it allows the man and the gun’s shadow to be the main elements, which enhances the dramatic effect.

-How is the composition and balance?

It is balanced because the man is placed right and the shadow gun is placed left.

-Is the color accurate?

I feel that the black and white color gives better contrast overall.

 

 

Set 2

December 1, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Set 1

December 1, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Taking a portrait photo by using various colors of light.

Mindmap

December 1, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Artist study

November 20, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Dorothea Lange

Dorothea Lange was an American photographer who became famous for taking powerful portraits of the people of the Great Depression in the 1930s. She focused on capturing real emotions, especially the misfortunes and adversities of regular families. Probably her most recognizable photo is Migrant Mother, where a mother cares about her children with a troubled expression. Lange often used natural light and simple backgrounds to allow the reader to center their attention on the person’s face and feelings. Her work is important because it shows honest human stories and helps people understand the difficulties others were facing.

I will utilize artificial and natural light in an effort to add depth and dimension to portraits while maintaining an emotional focus on emotion, inspired by Dorothea Lange. Like Lange, I strive to portray images of authentic facial expression and subtle physical motions depicting an inner emotion. Through the combination of these varied lighting skills, I can emphasize those emotions far better, just as Lange herself focused upon real emotion and storytelling in her photographs. This has led me to the point of wanting to create portraits where light, composition, and emotion come together to tell a meaningful story, following the example of Lange’s emotional and truthful approach.

Statement of intent

November 19, 2025 / / 0 Comments

The title of this project is Faces of Emotion.

The societal/cultural issue I want to explore with my photographs is people’s tendency to mask actual feelings in everyday life. I want to show the people’s emotional experience, such as joy, sadness, stress, and confidence, through their facial expressions.

I want my audience to feel a strong emotional connection to the people in my portraits. I want them to be in a position to notice those small details in each expression and understand the story behind a person’s face.

I will get inspiration and develop my ideas by researching photographic works that highlight honest expressions, clear emotional moods, and strong storytelling. I will use my research to study the use of varying angles of view, including high angle, low angle, and close up shots, which can affect the viewer’s emotional response. These angles will be the most important aspect of my work as I try to capture natural and powerful emotions.

Introduction to Portraiture

November 19, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Portrait photography is a kind of photography that aims to capture the personality of an individual or group of individuals through effective lighting, backdrops, and poses.

A picture becomes a portrait when it reveals something about a person’s identity, emotion, or story, not just their appearance.

Can selfies be portraits? Sometimes, yes. When they are expressing personality or emotion, selfies can be portraits. Rembrandt is a great example of a photographer who takes portrait selfies. As he painted himself to explore his identity, selfies can reflect self-expression. But most casual selfies lack the depth that makes a true portrait.

What should or shouldn’t be included within a portrait?

A good portrait includes only what reinforces the subject’s identity and emotion. For instance, Richard Avedon’s portraits from In the American West, 1985, were pictures of people taken in front of plain white backgrounds. Without sceneries, props, and colors, it forced the viewer to fix their gaze on the subject’s facial expression, the wrinkles, and the texture of the clothes-all the visual clues about who they are. The elements that should be included are those that support the subject’s story, which includes any information on the gesture, clothing, or context. What shouldn’t be included are distracting backgrounds, unrelated objects, or too much editing, all of which shift attention away from the person’s essence.

What makes a “good portrait?”

A “good portrait” does not just display a picture of someone but shows their true nature and emotions. It should reflect the person’s inner self, which it will help the viewer understand. This can be expressed through technical elements involving composition, lighting, and focus.

Can a portrait consist of a small detail only, such as a close-up of a hand?

A portrait can also be expressed through only one part of the body. For example, a close-up of the eyes or hands can strongly show a person’s identity and experiences, just like a full face. The color of the eyes or the wrinkles of the hands can represent who they are.

When does a more abstracted representation cease to become a portrait – for example a blurred figure, or a photograph of a person that has been torn, ripped or faded?

Normally, it is hard to call an abstract photo a portrait if it does not show a person’s identity or emotions. However, the picture can be considered a portrait if some of the visual clues in the image depict something about the person’s physical features or identity.

Is it possible to represent a person photographically without them being present in the image – for example, through a Still-life, an arrangement of inanimate of objects? And if so, can this continue to be called a portrait?

A portrait doesn’t necessarily have to be made with the person in it. There are photos of objects like a desk, shoes, or personal items can reveal a person’s character and tell their story.

Does a portrait have to be a single photograph? How about a sequence of images?

Finally, a portrait is not just one picture. It is an series of images which may be used to catch a number of emotional moments of the same person, whose expressions change over time.

Critique of my favorite photo

November 8, 2025 / / 0 Comments

The photograph demonstrates a refined use of camera technique in elevating an ordinary asphalt surface to a reflective visual field. Shot from a low, downward angle, the image captures the puddle like a mirror that shows a man, the trees, and the sky above. The photographer probably crouched very close to the ground to control the reflection precisely, using a small aperture to retain sharp focus between both the texture of the asphalt and the reflected details. The framing follows the rule of thirds, with the puddle dominating the composition without losing spatial balance. A standard or slightly wide-angle lens enhances the sense of depth, while soft, natural lighting brings out the subtle tonal contrast between the grey pavement and the blue sky. The result is a clean, balanced image that highlights how composition and technical precision can elevate an everyday scene into something poetic.

The photograph gives the impression of quiet contemplation. The key feature is in the puddle’s reflection as an intentional focus through which the photographer transforms a simple asphalt surface into a poetic mirror of reality. Through this, there is a sense of depth induced in the viewer to see beyond the ordinary. The immediate effect this image has on me is the realization that perspective defines beauty, that sometimes, all it takes is what we choose to focus on to completely change what we see. It reminds me of how everyday life can become extraordinary when seen from a new point of view. I would call this photograph “A reversed perspective on the world” because it captures not just a mirrored image, but another view.

In the photograph, a man is moving boxes from a motorcycle. The photograph is in color, with bright primary tones that make every element in the photo stand out. The light reveals the man and what is around him, while the area behind him is in shadow. This shows a great contrast between light and dark. Due to the positioning of the subject at the center, the composition appears organized. The photo is taken straight on using a telephoto lens with a tight crop so that the frame is full of the subject. Additionally, the focus lies on the central figure, and the aperture is adjusted one stop brighter than the metered value to make the colors more vivid. Thus, more attention is drawn to the subject.

The photograph gives the impression of a realistic yet hopeful moment in capturing the beauty within everyday labor. The attitude and focus of the photograph lie in its use of various vivid colors,  the most important feature that makes each element stand out. Besides, the strong contrast between light and shadow emphasizes such colors and draws a viewer’s attention to the man moving boxes from the motorcycle, which is the main subject of the image. The photographer gives a sense of balance and stillness through the symmetrical central composition and tightly cropped frame. There is a suggestion of the man’s diligence and persistence. I would call this photograph “The Color of Labor” because I wanted to express the hardship of work through a hopeful mood.

The picture shows a middle-aged woman going down a stair leading underground. Although the photograph is in color, it is mainly grayish in muted tones, with strongly contrasting light and shadow parts on either side. The woman is standing in an area where light and shadow are divided, which makes the contrast even more striking. The composition is shot from a high angle, where the stairs have been leveled in to appear more balanced. By capturing the scene from above, the photographer effectively conveys the woman’s downward movement. Aside from the stairs and the figure, there are no identifiable background elements that can be seen in the photograph, which draws even better emphasis on the subject.

In the photograph, a feeling of calmness and serenity reaches the viewer. It is an extreme play of light and dark that captures the quiet instance of a woman walking down the stairs. The photographer portrays stillness and loneliness by using a high-angle composition that functions to place distance between the viewer and the subject. There is evidence of balance between movement and rest, as the woman appears unhurried, moving gently through the divided light. I would title this photo “What is needed in modern life”, as it catches one of those rare, peaceful pauses in a world that is ever moving.

10 best photos

October 28, 2025 / / 0 Comments

The concept I want to convey with my photographs was everyday life and the emotions of people living in a hutong. I mainly focused on the technique of reflection.

 

 

  • Central Composition

  • Color uniformity – Maintain consistent tones to make the image look cohesive and professional.

  • Storytelling – the shadowed area in front of the man reflects his weariness.

  • reflection of water (we can see under the water)
  • lights
  • color contrast (man(black jacket) and nature( tree, reflected sky…))
  • Negative Space

  • window reflection (shoot through glass)
  • layering
  • Rule of Thirds

  • Central Composition (emphasize)
  • variety of colors – Every element in the photo stands out. (very visible)

  • Central Composition
  • layering

  • cropped (closeup)
  • emotion

  • high angle
  • shadow and light

  • leading line – Guide the viewer’s eye toward the subject using natural or man-made lines. (It gives the feeling of a cop guiding the way)
  • Eye contact – Capture direct gaze to create intimacy or emotional engagement.
  • Rule of Thirds

  • water reflection (shoot through puddle)
  • Inversion (upside down) – Present the scene reversed to surprise the viewer and change perception.
  • Rule of Thirds
  • small aperture

  • layering (depth composition)
  • over the shoulder perspective
  • color contrast

statement of intent

October 16, 2025 / / 0 Comments

statement of intent:

The title of this project is “Emotions on the street.”

The concept I want to convey with my photographs is everyday life and the emotions of people living in a hutong.

I want my audience can see the authenticity of the people who have spent their lives in the Hutongs, where tradition and modernity coexist. I want them to pause and reflect on how beauty exists even in ordinary and aging spaces. I hope the unposed actions and emotions captured in everyday life to spark curiosity about their daily experiences. My goal is to take photographs that make viewers want to look closer and analyze the hidden stories within each frame.

I will get inspiration and develop my ideas by looking for photographs that use dynamic angles and unconventional perspectives to capture everyday life from new viewpoints. Rather than taking simple and ordinary photos, I want to experiment with unique perspectives that make viewers feel as if they are part of the scene. I plan to photograph from low angles, reflections, and diagonal viewpoints to capture the movement in the Hutongs.

Fortunately, because the place I took photos is outdoors, I will also make active use of natural light, shadows, and reflections to add depth and atmosphere to my images. The contrast between light and shadow will help emphasize the emotions of the people and the textures of the old walls and streets.

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