Photo Essay
Narrative
These pictures were taken in the campground of the historical gingerbread cottages in Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Originally tents in the 1800's, the structures were one by one converted into summer cottages by replacing tents with wooden walls. Due to the fact that the cottages are not insulated, they make for beautiful summer homes where families gather each year. The campground is known for its intricate woodwork, including windows, door frames, porches, and icicle decorations on the roofs. Each cottage has its own unique bright color scheme that adds life to the campground. The cottages, landscape and location work together to create a fun and inviting atmosphere. I chose the area for my photo essay because I own one of these cottages (the sixth and seventh photos are of my family's) and it has always been like my second home. I wanted to portray the different views of some of the cottages. I chose to take some shots from a distance and some up close. This helps to create a sense of movement because it allows the viewer to first have a larger point of view, and then get closer to the same area to see the detail. I also considered the concept of movement when choosing the order of my photos. The first photo has many leading lines that lead the viewer's eye from left to right. This symbolizes the beginning of the journey as the photos lead the viewer. The last photo has leading lines that travel back into space to the left. This represents the end of the journey because the lines drag the viewer's eye in the opposite direction. I used different angles to keep the pictures visually interesting. For example, the second photo was composed straight on while the fifth was shot at an upwards angle. The seventh photo demonstrates the rule of thirds. Even though the sixth and seventh photos are of the same subject, they appear to be different because they were shot from different angles. This keeps the series visually interesting. The series is unified by subject matter as well as color. As mentioned above, the colors of the campground are some of the most striking features, so it was essential to capture them. Another unifying factor is time of day. Since all pictures were taken outside, I used natural lighting and let my camera auto-adjust. All the photos were taken around noon, but it was a cloudy weekend so unfortunately the sky is gray. If I could change anything about my photo series, I would change the weather to a sunny, bright day with a clear blue sky. This would have created a lighter mood throughout the photos. Overall, I am pleased with how the series came out. The campground will always be a special place were my family and I spend time together and I am glad that this assignment gave me the opportunity to showcase something so important to me.
These pictures were taken in the campground of the historical gingerbread cottages in Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Originally tents in the 1800's, the structures were one by one converted into summer cottages by replacing tents with wooden walls. Due to the fact that the cottages are not insulated, they make for beautiful summer homes where families gather each year. The campground is known for its intricate woodwork, including windows, door frames, porches, and icicle decorations on the roofs. Each cottage has its own unique bright color scheme that adds life to the campground. The cottages, landscape and location work together to create a fun and inviting atmosphere. I chose the area for my photo essay because I own one of these cottages (the sixth and seventh photos are of my family's) and it has always been like my second home. I wanted to portray the different views of some of the cottages. I chose to take some shots from a distance and some up close. This helps to create a sense of movement because it allows the viewer to first have a larger point of view, and then get closer to the same area to see the detail. I also considered the concept of movement when choosing the order of my photos. The first photo has many leading lines that lead the viewer's eye from left to right. This symbolizes the beginning of the journey as the photos lead the viewer. The last photo has leading lines that travel back into space to the left. This represents the end of the journey because the lines drag the viewer's eye in the opposite direction. I used different angles to keep the pictures visually interesting. For example, the second photo was composed straight on while the fifth was shot at an upwards angle. The seventh photo demonstrates the rule of thirds. Even though the sixth and seventh photos are of the same subject, they appear to be different because they were shot from different angles. This keeps the series visually interesting. The series is unified by subject matter as well as color. As mentioned above, the colors of the campground are some of the most striking features, so it was essential to capture them. Another unifying factor is time of day. Since all pictures were taken outside, I used natural lighting and let my camera auto-adjust. All the photos were taken around noon, but it was a cloudy weekend so unfortunately the sky is gray. If I could change anything about my photo series, I would change the weather to a sunny, bright day with a clear blue sky. This would have created a lighter mood throughout the photos. Overall, I am pleased with how the series came out. The campground will always be a special place were my family and I spend time together and I am glad that this assignment gave me the opportunity to showcase something so important to me.