“The balance of opposites”

Keri McConnell

Writing, Research, and Technology

Photo Essay

Professor Davison

INTRODUCTION

This collection consists of photos taken in my kitchen, backyard, and neighborhood. They

represent food choices and fitness through the depiction of a well-balanced diet with exercise.

Lately I’ve been on a fitness journey and discovered the 80/20 rule. Lizzie Fuhr author of, “This

Easy Formula Is the Key to Weight-Loss Success” explains, “The breakdown is simple: 80

percent of the time you focus on eating clean, good-for-you foods, and 20 percent of the time

you have the freedom to indulge as you please.” The 80/20 rule is what a healthy diet should

consist of meaning if 80 percent of one’s diet is healthy then the remaining 20 percent does not

have to be restrictive. The 80/20 rule allows healthy diets to be more realistic because they are

strict enough to show results but also leave room for indulgence.

Throughout the photo essay there are photos of healthy food choices and sugary foods that

feed cravings. The exercise aspect is shown through photos of running shoes. I wanted this

essay to depict that a person can have their cake and eat it too as long as it is done in

moderation. The food choices I included in the essay are easily identifiable when it comes to

healthy and sugary. This essay is relatable because more and more people are becoming health

conscious. Additionally most people can relate to trying and failing when it comes to dieting.

This essay helps people see that eating sugary foods does not have to result in a failed diet as

long as healthy eating and exercise continues. Overall the photo essay represents the balance

of opposites by staying goal orientated while rewarding oneself along the way.

Reflection-Analysis of Photo Essay

To start off I used the camera from my iPhone to take the pictures that compile my photo

essay. The pictures were taken in my kitchen, backyard, and neighborhood. The message I was

trying to convey in my photo essay was the balance of the opposites. I was careful when

choosing what to include and exclude in my photos. John Berger, author of “Understanding a

Photograph” states, “A photograph…always and by its nature refers to what is not seen. It

isolates, preserves and presents a moment taken from a continuum” (292). Therefore, what is

not captured in a photograph is just as important as what is captured. Objects and angles

within these photographs portray certain messages. The photographs I have collected work

together to represent living a healthy lifestyle. If a person eats healthy and exercises most of

the time then eating in ice cream, chocolate, and wine in moderation will not be an issue. The

pictures I chose represent healthy and sugary foods, and exercise. I incorporated more photos

of healthy foods and exercise than sugary photos to send the message that moderation is key.

For example, the pictures of salmon, salad, stir fry pineapple bowl, and kiwi represent healthy

food choices. Pictures of my running shoes and race bib represent exercise and lastly the ice

cream, wine, and chocolate represent the sugary indulgent foods. The way the photos were

taking also contributes to the overall message that I am trying to portray.

I took the photos from different angles to add variety. A close-up picture gives the appearance

of texture for example the photo of the kiwi, you are able to see the fuzzy texture on the

outside brown skin. Another technique I used was holding the camera above the object, taking

the photo from a higher distance. For example, the photo of the salad that shows my pink

running shoes. The angle of the photo allowed my shoes to fit in the picture unifying the

message of living a healthy life style.

Aside from using different angles for photos, I took the placement of objects into

consideration. For example, the photo of the Hershey candy bars on my kitchen counter top

were mostly arranged sporadically except for the first one. I placed a mr.goodbar chocolate bar

in the front because it says the word “good” which is a word that is used to describe sugary

foods. The stir fry pineapple bowl was taken in my backyard in the grass to change up the

scenery. I wanted to try something different rather than taking a picture of food on my kitchen

counter. The grass and pineapple connect with one another because they are both forms of

nature and plants. The setting of this photo was created for uniqueness. Once my photos were

compiled, I started the editing process.

The editing process allowed me to crop, adjust lighting, and add color to the photos. Most of

the pictures, I used the editing tool for a brightening effect. Overall, brighter colors are more

noticeable than dull colors. I wanted my pictures to be bright and bold and make a statement.

Statements that would enforce the healthy life style I exhibited within the photographs.

Reflection: Analysis of a Photo

I am going to analyze the photograph of the salad and running shoes. After reading, “10 Top

Photography Composition Rules” I discovered this photograph adheres to the following

composition rules: balancing, view point, and depth. Balancing is important in a photo

because it helps prevent one object taking away from another. For example, I placed the salad

on the bench and kept my shoes at ground level. This creates a balance for the objects because

they are not competing for the viewer’s attention in the foreground. When the photograph is

viewed, the central focus is on the salad however the bright pink shoes peeking out in the

bottom of the photograph create their own focus. The balancing element within this

photograph allows the salad and shoes to coexist without taking away from one another. The

viewpoint of the photograph helps make the balancing act possible.

The viewpoint is taken high above, viewing the top of the salad bowl and allowing the ground

to be visible. According to the, “10 Top Photography Composition Rules” article, “Our

viewpoint has a massive impact on the composition of our photo and as a result in can greatly

affect the message that the shot conveys”. The viewpoint of the photograph allows the salad

and running shoes to be visible therefore representing a healthy diet and exercise. The depth

of the photograph also helps achieve this message.

The depth of the photograph creates a foreground, middle ground, and background. The salad

is in the foreground, white bench in the middle ground, and running shoes in the background.

Objects that are in the foreground, middle ground, and background help create dimension

because the human eye separates them from one another. The salad in the foreground is seen

first then the depth of the photo forces the viewer’s eyes to look at the bottom to see the

running shoes. Overall, all of the composition rules within the photo help create the message I

am trying to convey throughout my entire essay.

Works Cited

10 Top Photography Composition Rules”. Photography Mad. Photography Mad. Web. Date

accessed May 4 2016.

Berger, John. “Understanding a Photograph”. Selected Essays and Articles: The Look of

Things, 1972. pp 292. Print.

Fuhr, Lizzie. “This Easy Formula Is the Key to Weight-Loss Success”. Popsugar. December 27

2015. Web. Date accessed May 4 2016.