Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Contrast, Balance, Harmony


This is a picture my brother took last winter on an old train bridge near Snoqualmie Pass in Washington state. It was taken on a sunny day after some light snowfall while my family was all hiking in the mountains to look for a Christmas tree. The bridge seems to disappear into the line of black and white trees, which is part of the reason this picture looks awesome to me. Besides the story behind the photo, the contrast, balance, and harmony of the image makes it especially beautiful to me. 

There is stark contrast within this image. Without the corner of sky in the corner, one may think the photo is in black and white. The pure white of the snow is contrasted with the black of the shadows under each of the tree branches and the bridge. The uniformity of color and tone of the trees and bridge is contrasted with the bright rays of light coming from the sky in the upper right corner of the picture. The smooth snow on the bridge is also contrasted by the sharper looking texture of the trees. The striking black and white trees brings almost a cold, ominous feeling to the image, which is contrasted by the warm, blurred sunlight. 

There is also a lot of balance within this photo. The largest part of the bridge is following the rule of thirds, so the continuity leads your eye into the center of the image as it grows smaller. Finally, there is a lot of harmony within this image. Everything in the photo fits together. It seems like the trees and the bridge were placed in the image to match. The bridge literally becomes a part of the trees as it disappears into the forest and it almost seems like the trussels are growing out of the trees. It makes the bridge look like it could be growing out of the forest, creating harmony between the industrialization of bridges built for trains and the nature around it. Everything fits together in this photo and is completely harmonic. 

This image of this high train bridge in the forest follows all the principles of Gestalt to make it seem like it is all one form. It is what makes this image so fun for me to look at. 










Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Visceral Response


This is a photo that invokes a powerful Visceral Response for me that is absolutely stupefying. It was taken during on my last weekend home during the latest winter break. I was on an early morning run next to the Snoqualmie River near Mt. Si in Snoqualmie, Washington, just before sunrise when I snapped the picture. Exploring the forest and the rivers around by home is Washington state is something I grew up doing, which is why each time I see an image of the Washington wilderness like this one. I have many memories splashing through the river and climbing the mountain, so when I look at this photo, I feel anxious like I need to start running and exploring what is beyond the line of trees in the photo. I also have the urge to take of my shoes and start wading through the cold, refreshing water.

There are many reasons from a design standpoint that this image can create a Visceral Response. There are so many different lines in the image going in all different locations. The strongest lines are the hard, horizontal line of the riverbank and the straight, diagonal line of the mountain side. There are also a bunch of lines in the lower third of the image among the fallen trees. Some of the focal points of the image are the strong horizontal lines of the trees, especially the one front and center. 

The colors of this image also draw me into the image. There are the different shades of muted greens and browns in the trees, mountainside, and river. But it's the sharp blue and amber colors of the sky that is the focus of color in the photo. The golds in the emerging sunrise behind the trees contrasts with the blue in the top of the sky. The subtle gold draws my eyes to the corner of the photo and makes me want to find out what is beyond the mountain in the distance.

Although the images in the photo are not up close, there is a palpable texture throughout the picture. There is the almost soft, carpet-like texture of the trees on the mountain. There is the slightly smooth and rippling texture of the river. And there is the shiny rough texture of the trees in the river. The overall texture of this photo is contrasting soft and stark, which draws me in.

This picture of the moment standing by the river almost makes me breath in the cool mountain air and hear the bubbling of the water. This Visceral Response really makes me want to dive into the photo and be part of that moment again.  


Hello all!

My name is Spencer Ricks and I am creating this blog for my Communication classes at Dixie State University. I am a sophomore from Snoqualmie, Washington— a small town 30 miles from Seattle. I am News Editor for the Dixie Sun News, and I hope to take what I learn about design to apply it to my job there. I'm not a fan of talking about myself, so that;s a wrap!

Stay tuned for more content to come soon!