Daniel Beltra
Description:
Daniel Beltra can be considered an environmental artist who uses the beauty and complexity of nature in his work. He captures the fragility of our ecosystems as a continuous thread throughout his work. His photographs show the vast scale of transformation our world is under from human-made stresses. He often works from the air above which allows the juxtaposition of nature with the destruction caused by sustainable development. The unique perspective of aerial photography helps emphasize that the Earth and its resources are finite. By bringing images from remote locations where human and business interests and nature are at odds, he hopes to instill a deeper appreciation for nature and an understanding of the precarious balance our lifestyle has placed on the planet.
Questions:
Description- The main subject of the photo is the ship, but the true subject is the oil spill around the ship. The ship is the ocean surrounded by a reddish-orange oil substance. The point of this piece, along with much of Beltra's work, is to raise awareness towards environmental issues we are causing.
Technical Aspects of Photograph- The lighting is from the sun, but it is not too bright or sunny in the picture. There is the perfect amount of light to show the subject and bring out the colors of the water, oil, and boat.
Contrast-The light seems to shine right onto the boat, and the outskirts of the photo fade to a darker shadow. The photo has highlights (the white boat and the lightest orange spills) and shadows (the dark navy blue waters).
Composition- The camera angle was from in the air above the subject matter. This makes the point of view an aerial or birds eye view. The photo is balanced, with the boat placed almost in the middle of the picture. This photo does not meet the Rule of Thirds. The clear focal point is the boat and the oil spill. There isn't any distracting backgrounds as the only background is the blue water. The subject of the picture is clearly the boat floating in the spill. The photo has no sense of depth because the subject matter is basically flat, and it is shot from above.
Interpretation- When I look at this photo I feel involved. I feel a realization that humans have carelessly hurt the environment and things like this oil spill actually are an imminent threat to our planet. The mood is quiet, as the photo evokes many internal thoughts and guilts in the viewers about their own hurtful actions towards the environment. This photo tells the story of the destruction of Earth. The purpose of this piece is to bring awareness to our harmful effects on the environment.
Description- The main subject of the photo is the ship, but the true subject is the oil spill around the ship. The ship is the ocean surrounded by a reddish-orange oil substance. The point of this piece, along with much of Beltra's work, is to raise awareness towards environmental issues we are causing.
Technical Aspects of Photograph- The lighting is from the sun, but it is not too bright or sunny in the picture. There is the perfect amount of light to show the subject and bring out the colors of the water, oil, and boat.
Contrast-The light seems to shine right onto the boat, and the outskirts of the photo fade to a darker shadow. The photo has highlights (the white boat and the lightest orange spills) and shadows (the dark navy blue waters).
Composition- The camera angle was from in the air above the subject matter. This makes the point of view an aerial or birds eye view. The photo is balanced, with the boat placed almost in the middle of the picture. This photo does not meet the Rule of Thirds. The clear focal point is the boat and the oil spill. There isn't any distracting backgrounds as the only background is the blue water. The subject of the picture is clearly the boat floating in the spill. The photo has no sense of depth because the subject matter is basically flat, and it is shot from above.
Interpretation- When I look at this photo I feel involved. I feel a realization that humans have carelessly hurt the environment and things like this oil spill actually are an imminent threat to our planet. The mood is quiet, as the photo evokes many internal thoughts and guilts in the viewers about their own hurtful actions towards the environment. This photo tells the story of the destruction of Earth. The purpose of this piece is to bring awareness to our harmful effects on the environment.