(Architecture 101)
Student's Thoughts while on assignment:
Rick,
Lesson 6 done! Once again I had difficulty searching for something that generally comes naturally to me in the "framing" of my shots. I did step out a bit and tried to capture people in movement. Hope these are OK.
Sharon
Spring
Not too dissimilar from Mona's city shot of City Hall Philadelphia. The subject (or one of the subjects) is the big blue/glass building coming right down the direct center of the photograph. The left and right orangish building fall on the left and right 1/3rds. Color complements (like blue and orange) give graphic punch (often) to images. You've also very carefully enlisted the help of the craggy tree and red roses to "hold down" the upper horizontal 1/3rd and lower horizontal 1/3rd. You have a near perfect tic tac toe board (can I hand out gold stars for strict adherence to the lesson?) Here a quick TECH NOTE: holed up as you were in the shadows, it was hard to get any light or open exposure to see into the shadows and get some color in the tulips. One way to "cheat" some light into the scene it to select Force Flash (also called Fill Flash). Flip up your flash and burst a little light into the area and the scene just might look more fully balanced. Remember too that most cameras can pump up the flash output, or tune it down a bit. With close objects, you will very likely turn the flash power down in the negative direction so that you don't incinerate the poor flowers. Give it a try next chance!
SEPTA
Kind of a creepy, empty, prelude to a horror movie kind of feel to it. The really nice part of this image is the color story (lesson coming up!) A sickly sort of green cast (fluorescent light) with a nearly cool/cold outdoor light. I'd say if feels that this was either late day or possibly very overcast, or both. Did you experiment with White Balance settings? With two different light sources, you might have chosen (manually in white balance menu) FLUORESCENT, DAYLIGHT, CLOUDY. They all will alter the basic look of the color in your images. Check something you expect to be neutral gray or white (like the stainless steel of the cabin.) Here, the steel is really green, or green yellow. Once you pick a white balance that is "correct" for one kind of light, the other light will then get very unbalanced. But, this juggling trick can produce some great color stories. I like it as is and see the Rules of 1/3rds working away in this design as well.
Buzzz2
A nice photograph, and certainly improved by getting your subject buzzing at upper right in the photograph. A trained actor I take it? Anyway, a compelling little nature shot. Your use of the upper 1/3rd intersection point is enhanced by the choice of shallow-depth-of-field! We are sharp on the point-of-interest, and then fade to blurry at the left side of the image. Both the Rules of 1/3rds and DOF make the pollen collection extra momentous. Giving us a clear place to put our attention!