The Brighter Picture

This photo was taken on a summer trip to the Santa Cruz Mountains. What I like about this photo is that it progressively gets brighter as your eye goes upwards from the bottom. In a way, it shows that there is always light at the end of the tunnel! Around the Bend  by Bhargavi Gulia Composition: The first thing to note in this photo is that the tree is to the right, and not in the center. It is following the Rule of Thirds. A second thing to notice is the contrast in colors. The left side is bright while the right side is darker.

This photo was also taken in my home in late 2020, similar to the photo from the previous post. I like this photo because it really focuses on the details of the pinecone. I wish aromas could be transferred digitally because boy did these pinecones smell good! Pinecones  by Bhargavi Gulia Composition: The focus of this photo is on the first pinecone to the left; the background is very slightly blurred. To take photos focusing on one subject with the background blurred, adjust the aperture of the camera. Usually, the aperture is represented either by an "A" or an "AV". Aperture is measured using f-stops. Use the lowest f-stop to get the most focus on your subject. Additional to this, check the distance between the lens of the camera and the subject. For best results in blurred backgrounds, keep the lens of the camera closer to the subject. Getting too close to the subject could make it distorted.

This photo was taken in my home in late 2020. It appears as if it was taken on the beach, but it was in my backyard. I used props like sand and real shells and pebbles to make it look realistic. Shells  by Bhargavi Gulia Composition: The first thing one sees when looking at this photograph is the enlarged shells to the right. The way to make something appear enlarged without editing the photo relies on perspective and camera angle. When taking this photo, I put the camera down low on the ground to be equivalent with the props. I also tilted my camera to the shell look closer to the camera, which makes it look bigger. To add depth to the photo, I created lines with the props directing the eye to the upper left. The shells' edge on the right form a line to the upper left. On the lower left, there is a triangle forming. The tip of this triangle connecting the pebble and the shell also aids the eye to the upper left.

This is another photo I took from my 2019 trip to India. I like this photo because it feels soothing and calming. Like every photograph, this too has a story. This photo was taken while my uncle, brother, cousins and I were paddling a swan boat in the river. We went a little beyond the limit and got the boat stuck. So we remained there for a good ten minutes waiting for the operators to come 'rescue' us. During those ten minutes, I thought to myself "Why not take some photos", and I took my phone out to take a couple clicks of the beautiful environment. Mystic Mountain  by Bhargavi Gulia Composition: When taking this photo, I wanted to focus on the lower part of the furthest mountain. To make that part stick out most, I used some visual lines to bring the eye there. The first was the river. The first was the river. The river narrows to the bottom of the mountain, bringing the eye to that part. The second thing were the leaves of the palm trees. The leaves, from both s

This photo was taken on a trip in India back in 2019. I am especially amazed with this photo because it was a purely lucky shot. I was in a moving car with my family in a very sleek and narrow road on the mountain when I was trying to take some photos. I guess I pressed the button at just the right second! The Waterfall  by Bhargavi Gulia Composition: Being completely honest, I did not focus on a single composition rule. I was just trying to get a few photos to share with my friends and accidentally took this one. But, hey, that just goes on to show that not all accidents are bad!

This photo was taken on a summer trip to the Santa Cruz Mountains. We were going on a hike when we came upon these almost perfectly symmetrical trees. The Trail of Trees  by Bhargavi Gulia Composition: Perspective was the key thing I focused on while taking this photo. Holding the camera at a lower angle allows the trees to look even longer and taller than they actually are, which adds dramatic effect. The other key of this photo is the importance of the line of sight. The barks of the trees on both sides create a trail.

This photo was taken in April in the same flower garden from the previous post, Yellow Roses . The subjects of this photo are the pink roses. I like this photo because it shows that there is beauty in diversity since each flower has a slightly different color scheme. Beauty in a Bunch   by Bhargavi Gulia Composition: The Rule of Thirds was used while taking this photo, but not to it's fullest extent. The flowers are just a tad lower than the center square of the 3 x 3 cube. The flowers create a diagonal line that cuts the border of the image. To create this border, and make it visually appealing, the flowers are touching both sides of the frame.

This photo was taken in April in a flower garden. The subjects of this photo are the yellow roses. My favorite color is yellow, so when I was walking through the garden, I knew I had to take a couple clicks! Yellow Roses   by Bhargavi Gulia Composition: This photo was taken using the Rule of Thirds. The flowers are not in the center, but to the side. While taking this photo, focusing on the details was very important in order to bring the roses to life. Each petal is crisp as well as the leaves, and the morning dew is visible on the bottom rose.

This photo was taken on 9/11 in 2020 as a memorial for those who lost their lives in the Twin Tower bombing. This photograph shows a dark, stormy, rainy day in black and white where it seems nothing is in your favor. But at the end of a rainy day, there is a beautiful rainbow. Rainy Days by Bhargavi Gulia Composition: The first I focused on when taking this photo were the water drops. The raindrops are in focus, but the background is not blurred. The second thing I focused on was perspective. The camera was closer to the road so that the road lights and the wires appear higher than they actually are. This added more depth to the photo, as well as instigate emotion. The next thing I kept in mind while taking this photo was the line of vision. By this, I mean any lines that lead the eye. If you notice, the road light is parallel to the wires, and both direct to the center of the photograph. The two parallel lines they create are appealing to the eye.

This photo was taken in mid-September, 2020. This photo is not edited. I like how the flower turned out nice and crisp, while the background has some details like shapes, but still remains dark. Dark Light  by Bhargavi Gulia Composition: While taking this photo, I'm not sure I was actually focusing on many rules of composition. For example, I broke the Rule of Thirds while taking this photograph. But it turned out pretty nice. Sometimes, rules have to be broken for taking the perfect shot!

This photo was taken during Fall of 2020. Like every image, this too has a story. So one day, I go outside and I noticed that my front yard was covered in leaves. The night before, there were heavy winds, so I was getting ready to rake the leaves. As I was about to grab the rake, I saw the rocks in front of my house also dazzled with leaves. I quickly grabbed my phone and started taking photos. I tried different angles and perspectives, and finally landed on the perfect one. Fallen Leaves  by Bhargavi Gulia Composition: By a first glance at the photo, the viewer feels warmth. The tone of the photo is right in between dark and light, creating contrast. There is light at the tips of the rocks and further up the photo. But as you get closer to the camera, the rocks get slightly darker, but not dark enough so it's still light. Another key component of this photograph is the angle with which it directs the viewer to see. The rocks, as well as most of the leaves, close to the camera are

  In the September of 2019, my family went to the beach along with some family friends. I've always loved the beach. I feel like the beach presents a great location to bring natural beauty to life and provide great opportunities to take photos, similar to the one below. I took this photo from the perspective of one flower overlooking the other flowers as well as the blue sky-immerging beach over the toe-warming sand. Composition: The focus of this photo is on the flowers in the center. This focus allows the beach in the background and the flowers right in front of the camera to be blurred. During the process of taking this photo, I used the Rule of Thirds. The flowers are framed to the right and bottom instead of the center, which adds depth to the photo. Additionally, the line of flowers in comparison to the shoreline is diagonal. This adds a "border" to the image. In order to make this border look appealing, the flowers are touching both sides of the frame. If the flowe