David Hilliard

Two of my favorite photos from Hilliards book titled Photographs...

Eleanor's Dress, 2003:

 Blue Heaven, 2001:

1. David Hilliard

           Photographs

2005

2. Pg. 44 and Pg. 75
3. Eleanor’s Dress, 2003:

-I like the darkness of it… not in the exposure, but in the atmosphere.

-I like the content… How the girl looks wet or dirty and the dogs and the field, chair, etc.

-I like how parts of the picture seem in focus, while others are blurry. It seems almost random… could be due to the fact that it’s actually two photos as one piece.

      4. Blue Heaven, 2001:

                        -I really enjoy the effect that the smoke from the fire has.

                        -I like the feeling of a fall afternoon that I get from looking at it.

-I like the loneliness of it. The man sitting alone at a table set for many, the    birthday party decorations, the emptiness of the clearing.

5. I chose this book because it had the most photographs that caught my eyes when flipping through it.

6. Hilliard’s photos all have great composition; he uses wide angles and depths to include just the right amount of information from his surroundings, and places his subjects in interesting locations within the frame. He also is very good at taking intriguing photographs without any obvious or overwhelming effects. As mentioned before, his use of focus - or perhaps the use of several pictures to create a sense of varied focus – is really interesting.

7. A lot of things can make a good photo. Not all elements need to be used at once of course. Most obvious is the right camera settings for the environment to ensure that the picture is properly focused and exposed: aperture, shutter speed, etc. Movement makes for a great photo... so could stillness. Captivating subject matter. The right angle or distance. Good or interesting lighting. Etc, etc, etc.