Writing Task by Student Natalia Pirkhodko, Germany
Sliema. Ca. 8 o’clock in the evening. I am standing on the seaside and enjoying the wonderful view of the bay and the opposite coast. What a beautiful sunset! “An excellent moment to take a photograph for the writing task on the photography”, comes to my mind. Fortunately, I have my camera with me. As Mr. Govis told us, such photographs have to be taken in the right moment since as soon as the sun goes behind the clouds, the lights lose their brightness, the moment is gone and the impression is lost. Of course, I do not want to lose this opportunity. I take out my camera while calling to mind all the rules Mr. Govis taught us during the lecture. One of the simplest rules which have stuck to my memory is “less is more”. Now I am beginning to understand the real meaning of this rule: there is nothing special in the view of the bay – just the sky, the clouds and the sea – but the way these components suit and supplement each other creating a picturesque visual appearance is a tremendous one. And I know if I take the photo immediately, it will look exactly the way it does now and fascinate the viewer. But I want more… I want to make the photo tell a story and embody a part of myself. I want the viewer to see exactly what I see in the photo. So I move my camera and choose the right angle so that the sunshine is now reflected in the water creating a kind of a visual pathway the viewer can follow watching the image. Of course, I am aware of the rule of thirds and place the horizon line not in the centre but a little bit lower as I want to focus the viewer’s attention on the clouds and the sun. A little ship on the left is a nice addition and makes the whole view livelier. So everything is perfect now… I choose a portrait format and press the button. My picture is taken now and I wish the viewers a nice journey into the fascinating world of photography.
