The tips in the eBook 20 WAYS TO MAKE BETTER PHOTOGRAPHS by David duChemin made me think about how to create better photos. I had fun trying out several of the suggestions, but my favorite photo (shown above) followed the tip to “Change My Perspective By Changing Yours.” Using this tip, I took pictures from different angles, from above and below. The photo above shows an insect’s view of an allium under a river birch tree. You can really get a feel for how the light filters through the plants. I love how the stem of the allium and the trunk of the tree are perfectly parallel. With the way I took this photo, it looks as though the allium is almost as tall as the tree behind it.

On another note, I watched a video called “What is Visual Literacy?” I found it was a bit hard to follow because it really focuses on how a person looks at images and how they perceive it. At the same time, I understand the importance of visual literacy in a world increasingly growing further into the digital age, and how the ability to read images, text, and pictures is a necessity. On the one hand, the author indicates that young people have greatly increased how many images they view, while on the other hand the author indicates how the young people need to be taught how to view and perceive images.

Another site I read through was The Story Behind. . . Migrant Mother. The time period that the Migrant Mother photo was taken was not a happy time in the slightest. It took place right in the middle of the Great Depression, and because of that context I understand how impactful it must have been for the people at the time. I couldn’t imagine living in a period of such strife and famine. It is amazing how well the photograph depicts the tragedy of the displaced farmers.