Thank you for submitting this assignment. This assignment asked you to show your understanding of two of the most important technical components of your camera: Aperture control and shutter speed control. You’ve done a great job of showcasing your knowledge of controlling these two components.
Your first photograph showcasing shallow depth of field is fantastic. You’ve captured a picture with soft lighting, highly textured flowers and you’ve captured a beautiful and dramatic color palette of greens and pinks with orange highlights.
The photograph also contains many strong compositional ideas that will be discussed in upcoming lessons. You’ve used the grass in the background to act as “negative space”, but not “dead space”. The use of grass allows you to simplify and organize your background while still allowing for some texture and small details. The small diagonal horizon line in the upper-left corner also helps break up the composition and provides another secondary element to explore. This allowed you to place focus on the flower, while still providing an interesting background landscape.
Your second image is equally as strong. You’ve used a slightly slower shutter speed to capture the illusion of movement within the composition. Again, line plays a big role in this composition. You have the line that the pole creates as well as the lines that the horizon line and road line create. Notice how these two lines together create the shape of a triangle in the grass?
The only thing I would recommend you do is experiment with perspective. It’s the easiest things to change, yet one of the most overlooked compositional changes that photographers make. What about getting closer to the ground and using the walkway as a foreground element?
Again, great work! I look forward to seeing your next assignment.