Journal 4 - The impact of visuals on my life

The impact of visuals on my life –

Visuals have a huge impact on our lives. The things we see and the images we choose to fill our heads with can change what we believe as well as what we do. I wanted to explore how visuals communicate information to us and impact our lives by persuading us to think and act differently.

I want to take a look at how media portrayal can impact our perception of a certain subject. One of my all-time favorite things in life is getting to know and spend time with the junior high girls in my church youth group. Junior highers get a pretty bad rap in general, though, and I think media portrayal can influence this.

When we think of junior high girls, we probably picture everything awkward – a little too much glitter, pink, purple, braces, pigtail braids, etc.

I think of the Jimmy Fallon show where he and a guest pretend to be junior high girls like in the pictures above. They look weird and they say “ew” to basically everything including things they love. (PS – I’m not dissing this show, I don’t watch it but I do have lots of friends who think it is funny.)

The images created of junior high girls that we are shown often influence what we think about them a lot – and most of us don’t actually interact with the real people all that much to get a different opinion. When I started volunteering with the youth group, I did not want to work with the junior high girls because I had such a bad impression (and personal experience when I was in middle school). However, that’s where they needed me. And now, they are one of my all-time passions in life!

The images on Jimmy Fallon give a huge sense of awkward (a lot because grown men are trying to be young girls), immature, out of place. However, what I have learned is that junior highers (though there is plenty of awkwardness) are actually at this interesting crossroads in life. They are young enough to have hopes, dreams, and whimsical desires, they are young enough to have fun and dare to think big, yet old enough that the world is starting to crush them. They are starting to be presented with more lies, deception, and pressure than ever before. They are beginning to think critically and desperately need someone to believe in them. I wonder if our image of junior highers changed a little, maybe we would actually impact them and help them see their potential instead of just being scared of them.

Time/Motion/Movement

Time, motion and movement all have to do with each other. In an ArtPrize sort of piece, an actual element of time might be involved - something that changes over time, for example. In a more static image like a photograph, time is seen by the composition and context of the image - the viewer understands that something has been happening, and we understand the larger context of time. Motion and movement can add to this - when we see that there is some physical action taking place, it places us in the context of time. Motion in an image can add a lot of interest to the piece. It gives an energy and a sense of story to the image.

This first image physically shows motion - the viewer understands that the girl is blowing the pieces of confetti, and that they are being scattered everywhere. The motion makes the image feel dynamic and exciting, and since the girl is blowing right at the camera, that adds a lot of interest too! The viewer feels close and if the confetti is flying out toward you. This motion caught in a moment implies a broader context of time - a story of what this girl is doing starts being told, and the viewer can imagine what happens before and after this moment.

This image clearly involves actual events and is one snapshot of time. The man is tearing up, supposedly because this is the first time he sees his bride on their wedding day. His hand being up toward his face - not at his side or perfectly posed - shows that more is going on; there is a sense of dynamism and action. It pulls the viewer into the story. We know what is happening because of the hand captured in motion.

Here is another example, one that I took. Again, this image conveys the idea of time, movement, and motion. The ripples around the duck and on the lake in general really give the feeling of motion and add interest to the piece. The duck is going away from the image, as well, which is interesting. It has a different feel than if the duck was coming toward us - that would probably pull the viewer in more and make them feel welcome. However, the duck is moving toward the large reflection which points down, so the image still seems to work. The duck is swimming toward the center of the frame and has space in the image to move still, which helps the viewer out and makes it feel more natural.

Proximity

Proximity refers to how close one thing is to another in an image, or a group of things. This is used to establish a relationship between different objects, or to make a statement about the relationship (or lack thereof.)

In this logo, proximity is key. The relationship of each piece to the other makes a statement about the cafe - that it is a cozy place to be. The bird is snuggled in close to the coffee cup, and the word "cafe" is actually overlapped with the words "Bird's nest." The whole logo feels close and does not leave a lot of space between the different parts of itself. This makes the cafe seem like a cozy, comfortable, tight-knit home - not an informal, not personal business corporation or some organization like that.

The second image is beautiful and has the feeling of anticipation and motion to it - this is because of the proximity of the humming bird. If the humming bird was landed on the flower, or even farther away from the flower, the viewer would not get excited. We realize how fleeting this moment is because of the distance between the hummingbird and the flower.

The third picture is one I took, and it shows proximity in a different way. I was thinking about the proximity of the viewer to the scene. The astroturf is right up-close and personal. The depth of field only allows us to see a piece of the picture, making us feel like we are right in the picture. This use of proximity heightens the feeling of the image, of attention to detail.

Space

Space refers to how the image looks three-dimensional. For a 2-D image, different techniques can be used to make everything look real - for example, shadows. This is space in an image - the illusion of three-dimensionality. Space can also refer to how the "canvas" is used in an image. The main focus of the image can take up all of the canvas, or just a little part, or just the corners, or another pattern or way.

This first image has a beautiful use of space. The selective focus, causing a blurred-out background, really makes the image look like there is a lot of space behind what we are looking at. The shadows give a sense of depth, and the texture and lines add to the space as well.

The second image is 2D, but focuses on an interesting aspect of a lot of art. It is some people's favorite thing to work with - negative space. Sometimes, the most important thing in an image is what you leave out.

I took the third picture. I feel like it illustrates the principle of space in design. This is seen especially in how there are slightly blurry leaves in the foreground of the image, pushing us back to view a leaf farther behind. This offers a sense of depth, allowing the viewer to feel the space of the distance between branches. The space of the composition is also framed by the leaves, which adds interest.

Unity

Unity refers to cohesiveness within the whole image - within the form, content, and subject. The use of repetition, color, space, proportion, should all flow together to have one main goal and point and purpose.

I like this first piece as an example of unity because at first thought, someone might feel that the red really sticks out and maybe doesn't blend with the rest of the piece. However, the image is really unified and feels beautiful. I think the red offers a beautiful, rich tone in the midst of an otherwise pretty monochromatic scene. The redness also reminds us of Christmastime and warmth, all which can flow with the idea of winter. This context is not something crazy that we could not imagine stumbling across in the snow. The richness of the red fits with the idea of the beauty of winter and the wonderful things that await and the warmth that can be found. The image has a unified purpose.

The next image is probably a more straightforward, easier to see example of unity. The image all blends and fits together in many ways - the colors are similar, all very bright and vivid. Blue, yellow and white are repeated through her dress and the balloons. Even the scenery repeats the yellowish tone. The colors, the lighting, her posture and facial expression - and the connotation that balloons give of fun and youthfulness - all fit together. This shows unity.

Although the third image - the one I created - has so many different pieces to it, it has a unified feel as an image. This is because the mood matches the subject of the image - it is not very pleasant to look at. The image seems dark, and the vending machine seems packed with lots of options arranged functionally instead of visually. The framing is a little off-kilter, and cuts a lot of the vending machine off to show the tunnel vision the person seems to have. It is kind of uncomfortable but this fits the feeling of a vending machine sometimes. All the different pieces of the image contribute to one unified image.

Composition

Composition refers to how the image is strategically arranged to accomplish the purpose it was designed for. It involves placement of the different parts of the image, color choice, etc.

You can see the composition in this first picture is very strategic. The leading lines of the railroad track - especially the part in the lower lefthand corner that is in focus and extremely close so that it catches your eye - lead right to the subject, the senior guy. The light is golden and warm which makes the photo look energized and inviting for the viewer to look at. The student is off-center, not in the middle, following the rule of thirds for a more pleasant image.

This second image is one that I took at a restaurant I was eating at. What makes this image interesting is the composition. Specifically, the three most obvious parts of the image - the light, the plant, and the jars form a triangle together. Triangles are very compelling to look at. The eye is able to flow throughout the image and does not get stuck at a certain point.

This last image is a logo that employs composition very well. The "L" and "O" from the word "CLOCK" are moved and placed so that they visually are a clock. This is very interesting and intriguing, and is quite pleasing to the viewer. The composition of the letters adds to the meaning - we visually see what it looks like, creating a stronger and more compelling image.

Proportion

Proportion refers to the size of objects in relation to each other. Sometimes, that can mean an artist makes something way bigger than it actually is in real life for a dramatic effect to capture attention, or to make a point in some regard. Or it could be way tinier. Or also pieces of the image can be changed to have different proportions among themselves, for example.

I think this first image is super interesting. It causes the Eiffel Tower to seem way smaller than it actually is in the water-filled wine glass. This causes the viewer to think differently about the Eiffel Tower, and offers a fresh and interesting perspective on such a beautiful and well-loved image. The tininess of the massive tower's reflection is really what catches the viewer's eye.

The second image is a piece from ArtPrize. The sunglasses are blown up to be way larger than they ever would be in real life. This not only catches the attention of passers-by, but provides space for the artist to talk about what they want to with their art (the back side has images of Detroit. The size of the art helps add to the meaning.)

I took the final image, and I felt it was an example of proportion. Even though nothing is actually changed in size, the grass blades SEEM proportionally way larger than we normally see them in everyday life. Normally, we cannot see these grass blades at all and do not stop to notice them. However, they are enlarged for this image, providing a unique and interesting perspective on the world. The attention to detail is inviting, unique and beautiful.