defining contrast

Dictionary definition: the state of being strikingly different from something else in juxtaposition or close association.

striking, different, opposite, drastic

In this photograph it is the colours in the frame that are contrasting, which might be the first thing to come to mind when thinking of contrast. The one green apple contrasts against the red ones which makes us focus on this one first.

This photo contrasts in two ways which is what I like about it. The light and dark tones contrast against each other, and there is also the contrast against the to body types and gender. 

The contrast in this photo is between the size of the tomatoes, as well as the colour of them against the white background. This makes the tomatoes look very bold which emphasises their size

This photo also contrasts in two ways, the light and dark tones, and the emotion of the dog.

My own definition of contrast: A large difference or opposite between aspects of two things

Defining Portraiture

Dictionary definition: 

Portraiture: the art of painting or taking portraits.
Portrait: a painting, drawing, photograph, or engraving of a person, especially one depicting only the face or head and shoulders.

In this photo, a black and white effect is used so that the tones in the face are more visible. Because of these different tones being showed, the for of the face is more obvious which makes that facial features clearer. The background is also blurred and plain so that the focus is on the face. 

This photo is in colour however the tones in the face can still be seen due to the highlights and shadows which emphasises the form. the background is plain black to that the focus is on the face. 

Portraits can be taken from different angles and this one is a side view of the face. It is in colour so however the facial features are sill visible due to lighting. The background is plain and blurred while the face is very focussed to that the man is the focus of the image. 

Instead of a black and white effect, other colours can be used because we can still clearly see the different tones in this colour. This is not black and white but navy which makes it more unique. The picture is also taken very close up so that the features can be clearly seen. 

My own definition of portraiture: The art of painting, drawing, or taking a picture of the face of a person. 

Defining Texture

Dictionary Definition: The feel, appearance, or consistency of a surface or a substance.

rough, soft, smooth, silky, scratchy, bumpy, uneven

A lot of texture photography is edited to be black and white, like this image. This is because the tones and contrast can be seen more clearly, and these things are needed in a picture for the texture to be visible.

On the other hand, this picture is in colour, however the texture can still be seen because of the highlights and shadows which create tone and contrast in the image. As well as this, the picture has also been taken very close up so it is the texture of the flower that we focus on.

It is less common to see photos of texture that are shown as a landscape like this. Most are taken close up so that the texture can be seen clearly and is what we focus on. Despite this, this image still clearly shows texture because the white sand contrasts a lot against the blue background, and it also takes up a lot of the frame so it is what we look at first.

this photo has been edited to have a higher contrast so that we can clearly see the different tones in the wood, making the texture of is more emphasised. Contrast and tone are always needed to make the texture of something in a picture more apparent. 

My Definition of texture: The feel and appearance of an object.

Defining Shape

Dictionary definition: the external form, contours, or outline of someone or something.


Circular, square, triangular, abstract, straight, curved, bent, concave, convex, oval, pointed

In this photo the shape is shown as a silhouette which clearly contrasts against the plain bright sky. This contrast is what makes the shape of the object really clear. 

This photo is contrasted in a different way. The different bright colours contrast against the dull, grey background, making the outline of the night object very clear. 

In this picture it is due to highlight and shadows that the shape of the object is shown. The different tones contrast against each other to reveal the outline of the chains.  

This photo shows the outline of an object because it physically has no inside to it, and is just an outline. This white outline contrasts against the slightly darker background, however it is the shadows around the cookie cutter that make it show up against the background. 


My definition of shape: The outline of an object. 

Defining movement

Dictionary Definition: An act of moving

Blurred, fast, slow, sudden, horizontal, vertical, circular

This shows very clearly the different stages of the movement. The main point of movement in this photo is the jump in the middle, which is shown very clear, and the other points of movement around this get more and more faded.

In this photo, the camera is focussed on the people on the ride, who can be seen clearly. It is the background which the movement is show in, as it is very blurred horizontally, which is the war the ride is moving. 

In this photo, movement is shown in more or less the whole content of the frame. This creates a unique and abstract look, however we can still tell what is in the picture. 

This is my favourite picture out of the four. It shows the movement of light. The light it the only movement shown in the photo but it is the main focus and attraction of it. 

My own definition of movement: Changing the position of something.

Defining Reflection

Dictionary Definition: The throwing back by a body or surface of light, heat, or sound without absorbing it.

Mirrored, Repeated, Mirror image

This photo shows a simple reflection. We can see the actual source of the reflection. The reflection is made very clear in it, so that it is the main focus of the picture. The frame is also completely taken up. 

This photo shows a different kind of reflection. We cannot see the actual object of reflection, but just the reflection itself. The camera is focused on the mans sunglasses so that we can see the reflection very clearly, even though it is very small.

This photo is very unique and abstract. It shows an infinitive reflection using two mirrors facing each other. The colours of the photo are dull, and the girls face is covered so that the main focus of the photo is the reflection.

This reflection only shows light. We cannot see exactly what the light is coming from because the reflection is very blurry as it on water, however it still counts as a reflection. 

My definition of reflection: When an object or person is mirrored or repeated due to the light bouncing off a surface.

Defining Tone

Dictionary definition: harmonise with (something) in terms of colour.


Light, dark, contrasting, 

In this photo there is a clear contrast between the light and dark areas. The focus of this photo is the light area near the centre, and the further away from that point, the darker the tones get. This image is a good representation of tone in photography because it shows a gradual change in tone from light to dark. 

This photo is quite contrasting. The main focus of the image is the hands in the middle, which have quite bright highlights. The background and especially the corners of the frame contrast a lot against the hands as they are very dark tones. The tones also create the form of the hands. 

This photo has been edited around the outside to create more varied tones in the picture. Again, the light at the centre is the main focal point, and the further away from this point, the darker the tones get. What I like about this image is that one boy is it dark tones clothes, while the other is in light tone clothes.  

This photo, unlike the others, is in colour. In this case it works however, because all the rocks are the same colour so we can still easily tell where the light and dark tones are. 

My definition of tone: How light and dark different shades are.

Definition Post - Form

Dictionary definition: the visible shape or configuration of something.

Curved, concave, square, round, 

The form of the object is made clear here by the use of lighting and shadowing. The black and white effect really emphasises the shape of the barrel. The shadow made by the barrel also shows that this object is not just flat. 

Unlike the one above, this photo is in colour. The form is still visible as there is clear shadowing and contrast between the light and dark areas. 

There is a lot of shadowing and contrast in this photo. The form of the hands are visible due to the contrast between the light and dark areas. 

This photo uses highlights to show the form of the object. Without this the object will just look 2D. As well as this, the shadow behind it allows the eye to realise this object is not flat. 


My own definition: The physical shape of something which can be visible due to light and shadow.

Definition Of Depth

Dictionary definition: the distance from the top or surface to the bottom of something.

Bottomless, continuous, long, ongoing

In this photo, depth is shown by focussing on the part that's nearest to us, and blurring what's furthest away to show how far away it is. I like this picture because it almost seems 3D because of the depth of the photograph.

In this picture, it is not the nearest object that is being focussed on, however in this case it still work because we can see from the wire that the clear, green bulb is behind the blurred blue one at the front. If the wire wasnt there the green bulb would look like it was in front of the blue one. 

 No part of this photo is blurred like the others, however we can see the depth due to the size of the fence getting smaller and smaller. From this we can see it continues into the distance. 

The forground in this photo is shown clearly while the background is blurred, to show that the trees are far away, but the leaves on the ground are right in front of the lens.


My definition of depth: The distance between two different objects or areas

Pattern Definition

Dictionary Definition: a repeated decorative design.

Repeated, creative, artistic, continuous, Reflected

This is an example of a man-made pattern. It is a creative idea because the photographer would have to be in the right position to see this as a pattern.it is continuous and repeated, and stands out among the dull road and trees, so that the focus is on the pattern.

This is a natural pattern, which takes up the whole frame. Unlike the one about, it is an obvious pattern and is very contrasting. The lines on the zebra are a reflected pattern because they seem to be the same on each side. 

This is another natural pattern. I like this shot because it is not something you pay much attention to in real life, or consider as a pattern, however looking at the leaf this close up you can see it is continuous and repeated, like a pattern should be.

This is another man-made pattern. The pattern fills up the whole frame and is repeated, continuous an reflected. The chairs also contrast against the floor which make them stand 
out more and able us to recognise them as a pattern.

My definition of a pattern: A repeated and continuous design, which varies in structure

Definition Of Colour

Dictionary Definition: the property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way it reflects or emits light.

Bright, vivid, bold, deep, rich, vibrant

This photo is edited so that the background is black and white while the colourful object is made even more vivid. This really contrasts the umbrella against the rest of the photo, so even though it is small, it really stands out. 

Unlike the one above, this photo does not have a background, and the colourful objects make up the whole image. The colours all contrast with each other, which make all of the, individually stand out.

This picture shows lots of individual, bold colours contrasting against each other as well as the plain black background. This causes each colour to stand out.

This is my favourite picture out of the 4. It shows 4 different contrasting, bright colours. The colours also contrast against the plain, dull black and white colours on the cat.

My definition of colour: Bright and bold shades that we can see due to the way the object reflects or emits light.

Defining A Line

Dictionary definition: a long, narrow mark or band.

 continuous, solid, straight, repeated, bold

The lines in the sand or wavy and lack structure, but they still count as lines. They are repeated in a continuous row however they vary in shape. As well as the lines in the sand, the tall rocks in the background also resemble less obvious lines, which makes this image very relevant to the theme. 

In this photo the lines are not tangible, and are due to the light which is why I like it. They are not at all structured or straight, they are very colourful, abstract, yet obvious lines. 

The lines in this photo overlap to create a pattern effect. They are very straight and bold, but vary in length and size. They are also each leading a different way.





















This photo contains many lines, which are all straight and bold, but vary in length. Some of the lines in this photo are less obvious like the fence on the left and the lines in the buildings on the right. Most of the lines are leading to the centre of the image.



My definition of a line: A thin mark which can vary in length and structure.