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Photograph #1 - Composition/Angles

The need for more transport

Kawana Shoppingworld, 5 September, 2019

The main bus stop outside the popular Kawana Shoppingworld is totally empty as traffic consisting of many single-occupancy motor vehicles roll through. Council members want to reduce this type of traffic by helping people find their way around the Sunshine Coast using public transport on a more regular basis.

 Rationale:

This photo addresses the story brief as it supports the councils call for more investment to be put into public transport services. The visual story telling technique of composition and angles is demonstrated in this photograph by the positioning of the photo. The image abides by the rule of thirds with key subjects of the photo landing on a separate thirds to create a more visually pleasing outcome. The vacant bus stop is at the forefront of the image to highlight and emphasise the lack of people using public transport which is the news angle taken in relation to the story brief. This can also be seen as simplification as the amount of clutter is reduced, with only the important aspects of the story, the traffic and the bus stop, standing out in the photo. All the visual elements of composition are featured, with prominent shapes and lines that equally draw our eyes both to the bus stop and the nearby traffic.

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Photograph #2 - Lighting

A Climate Concern

Maroochydore, 13 September, 2019

Maroochydore resident David Sheldon, 43, is concerned about the long-term effects of climate change on the Sunshine Coast. He worries that his home on the canal, may one day be underwater due to rising sea levels and erosion, if action is not taken now to reduce the effects of climate change.

Rationale:

The photo addresses the story brief as it contains the views of an environmentalist who is a strong supporter of taking action against climate change sooner rather than later. The lighting technique was used in this photograph to draw the viewers attention to the key parts of the story. This was done by successfully using shadows and highlights to enhance the image. The natural sunset in the background draws light to the person who is the subject, the river and the front grass of the home, which are the things that can be impacted by climate change in the long-term. The sun can also be seen as symbolic of climate change impacting rising temperatures. The time of day when this photo was taken was also planned in advance to ensure that the sunset would feature in the photo.

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Photograph #3 - Portraiture (Environmental portrait)

A Dog’s Hero

Currimundi, 19 September, 2019

Unsung hero Marilyn Dempster, 65, volunteers for 4 Paws Animal Rescue, a not-for-profit organisation that is run entirely by volunteers who seek to find foster carers for animals until they are able to be re-homed to a forever family.  Marilyn is devoted to the organisation, volunteering her time to find foster carers, as well as being a foster carer herself. She loves volunteering and takes pride in being able to give these animals a second chance at life.

 Rationale:

This photo addresses the story brief of identifying an individual who is an unsung hero, as Marilyn is someone who has made a positive change to the life of animals, inspires others to become volunteers and would not normally get the public recognition for the work that she does. The photo also demonstrates the many elements of visual story telling particularly in the aspect of portraiture. Marilyn who is the subject along with her dog are placed in the foreground of the photo as they are the two most important things that tell the story. The photo was also taken with her being centralised so that the eyes of the viewer were naturally drawn to the subject. The photo was taken in the backyard of her home with her garden and scenery in the background. The vibrant colours and greenery of the background represents the safe and healthy environment that the dog is in when being in the hands of a foster carer.

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Photograph #4 - News Photography

Proud in defeat

USC Stadium, 16 September, 2019

Sunshine Coast Lightning fans gather at USC Stadium to meet and show their support for their heroes despite their team going down to the NSW Swifts in the Suncorp Super Netball Grand Final on the weekend. Lightning players, coaches and staff thanked their fans for their loyal support throughout the season and allowed young netball fans to meet their favourite players in a community get together.

 Rationale:

Firstly, the photo successfully addresses the story brief as the community event at USC Stadium is recent and contains values that make the event newsworthy. The main visual story telling technique that I decided to use in this photograph was the deliberate use of different camera angles. As the focus of the image and the news story was based on the fans and the community, a high angle shot was taken to ensure that the viewer could see an overall view of what was going on. If this photo had been taken from eye height, it would not have the same effect and impact as the viewer would only see a small portion of who was in attendance and what the event looked like from an overall perspective. The high angle also made it easier to emphasise and highlight the connection between the Sunshine Coast Lightning and their fan base, as you can clearly see the close interaction between the players and coaches and their fans, which was the major news angle associated with the photograph.