For my architectural blend, I wanted to take my favorite elements of the UNCC Botanical Gardens and combine them. This garden has always been a safe space for me and I wanted to create an image that would amplify that feeling of serenity. I decided to make the front entrance into a waterfall, and integrate it with one of the ponds. Waterfalls are symbols of prosperity and good fortune so I wanted that to be the center focus of the image.
ReplyDeleteThe final image created is a very beautiful place, it is almost upsetting that it is not a real place on campus. The image is a mixture of the front stone-round gate that you see when entering the botanical gardens, mixed with a pond and waterfall. There is a very serene emotion to the image created and it looks as if the photographer was actually in a Japanese garden. This picture is overwhelmed with greenery and nature that is mixed with a man-made structure that fits so well into the surroundings.
I see the botanical gardens as the prettiest spot on UNC Charlotte’s campus, it is very private and hidden which makes it almost a special spot. The Botanical Gardens seem to be emulating Japanese Gardens, so it is a very serene and unique place to go while on campus or in North Carolina in general. This image seems to be multiplying this feeling of peacefulness and serenity, it is taking an already uniquely beautiful place and taking it further, causing it to seem almost magical. Shayna seems to be emphasizing the point of the garden, it is a place for students to go relax and be in nature.
When it comes to craft I think this piece is very well done. If I was shown this photo and told it was an actual place on campus, I would believe it. Lights and shadows are manipulated very well making the waterfall believable to the viewer. It seems that photographic angles were highly thought out and planned in order for everything to fit so nicely together in Photoshop. I think Shayna did a very good job and the added sunlight at the end was a beautiful finishing touch.
To me this image is a reminder to a society that is extremely technologically distracted to look up and enjoy the beautiful things around us. Some people feel they need to travel to different places to be in a serene and relaxing setting when it could be just a walk away. Our generation is almost never in a state of solitude, when we have a moment to think and create original thoughts, many of us actually will go on social media. This image can be a reminder to allow yourself to be in a state of solitude every once in a while.
I believe this is a very well done piece that has the power to make the viewer think about what it means to them. The craft was really thought out when it comes to photographic angles and then actually compositing it in Photoshop. I think Shayna was emphasizing the beauty of the Botanical Gardens and what they are actually there for. This can help remind someone to notice the beauty around you and take a beat from a routine and stressful life.