When I took this picture of the sun setting behind the castle on the Great Lawn in Central Park, I was trying to show the severity of color contrast and how it can make a piece stunning. The sky is lit up in deep shades of orange and yellow and pink while what I chose to be the subject matter (the castle) is completely in the shadows, making it a totally black silhouette.
I tried to incorporate the rule of thirds when taking this photo. Approximately 2/3 of my picture is the radiant sky, and the remaining 1/3 of the photo is the black silhouette of the castle. This picture is such a break from typical New York, where there are bustling streets, horns honking, traffic jams, and buildings taking up every which street they can. This photo is relaxing and un-NewYorkCity–like. It captures not only a beautiful sky, but a beautiful shot of the trees surrounding the castle as well.
I tried to capture the bending branches, which can be seen on the left of the picture, to the side of the castle. These branches weren’t far away, like the castle was. They were right in front of me, partially blocking my view. I thought it would be interesting to show that what is right in front of me can appear to be the same size as something much further away from me. It is an optical illusion because the trees in the background are so large and the branches, which of course are much smaller, are right in front of me.
I never take photos. My camera roll has 30 some pictures in it. But having taken this photo and seeing how beautiful an image can turn out naturally (without Photoshop or other image editing software), makes me want to take more photographs.
Kyle – Blog B
