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In the chapter Shore talks about the ways a photographer can control the mental level of an image.  This is done by adjusting the vantage point, frame, focus, and time.  These all are aspects of the depictive level but they can be combined to direct the mind of the viewer to specific objects or to give the scene a certain mood.  Therefore, a good photographer can extend their image past the depictive level, making the viewer think or feel something that is not explicitly in the picture.  This is what is meant by the mental level may correspond to the depictive level but it does not mirror it.  The first page of the chapter also reminds me of an ongoing debate I have going with one of my friends about whether colors actually exist.    I am of the opinion that colors do not actually exist in an absolute sense.  What we see as colors is just the way we have learned to construct a mental image of the world.  Just as a person with their eyesight restored must learn to assign “colors” to the different wavelengths of light.  It would be interesting to know if they came to the same conclusions as the people who had vision from birth.

In forest / Winter / Fallen trees / Sunken fence / Barbed wire / Geometric shape 

2/29/16

In this chapter Shore really shows how complex a picture really is with not only the considerations of the previous chapters but also adding four way that order is imposed on the picture. The first of these is flatness, which would seem obvious because a picture is inherently flat but it goes deeper than that.  Flatness refers to the fact that everything in the photograph is in juxtaposition with everything else due to the monocular aspect of the camera itself. Therefore vantage point is very important because it changes the relationship between objects in this seemingly flat world by reorienting them with each other.  This allows the photographer to create relationships between things that can be very far from each other and have seemingly no connection to the everyday looker. This in itself can make a picture interesting even if it is of something ordinary. The next tool a photographer as is the frame. With the frame things can be taken out of the scene that are not wanted.  Also, the frame can be used to create a border that makes it seem like its own world or hint that there is a larger world out there. The moment of exposure is also very important because life is not static. One moment could be a great picture ant the next could just be a mess.  Sometimes this comes down to luck because it is hard to know in advance what will make a good picture.  However, the fluidity of time can be used in several ways, either a fast shutter can be used to freeze the event or a slightly longer can imply motion with blur.  Last but not least is focus.  Focus can be used to put emphasis on a particular aspect of the image and obscure the rest. This clearly defines the subject matter and can add some mystery depending how out of focus the rest is.  The other option is to have everything in focus so the viewer can look all around the picture and mentally explore it.  All of these techniques are what separates good pictures from bad ones or at least can help make every subject matter interesting assuming the photographer gives the composure of the image a little thought.

The physical aspects of the picture can be as important as the subject matter and it is a powerful tool in creating a good picture.  Firstly using the edges of the frame as borders to create mystery or hide things can make the picture more interesting.  Also use of color makes the picture become less flat and depending on the contrast can give the picture a different feel.  A photograph is also an object and can be used to preserve a memory or an event so sometimes it will have more meaning for people who know the context although it can still be cool to look at old photos or ones you are not in because we are all human and can relate to the picture and experience another perspective through it.  I am still trying to find a visual style I like but I a fond of taking very close or very wide view photos.