Contrast, Balance, Harmony

This image was taken outside at night at the Saint George LDS Temple. The picture shows a girl standing outside of the Temple grounds looking at the Temple through the bars of the gate. Some background to this picture is we were actually walking to the Temple and we were talking about the temple. At one point she wsa talking about how she is exacted but a little nervous to go to the temple for the first time. For those who don't know anyone can go to the temple but there are certain things you have to do to prepare. I took this picture mainly because I liked the lighting and the different aspects but realized later the interesting story it tells. How she is excited to go to the temple someday and how she is showing that in this picture. This picture depicting a foreshadowing of something she wants to do at some point in her life.

Also something I realized as I was looking through my different images and as I was taking these pictures was the contrast that is unseen. For those who don't know the temple is a happy place. In our religion we are taught that it is a place where we can go to find peace and feel joy. The contrast that arises is that in this picture the building almost looks ominous. It has, because of the lighting, somewhat of a scarier look to it. Which adds to the contrast when thinking about the desire of this girl to go to the temple and how it is suppose to be something that is inviting.

I think the biggest thing that is shown in this image is contrast and not just with lighting. Although the contrast in lighting is probably the most obvious. You have the contrast of the light but also you have the contrast of the darker foreground in relation to the lighter background. As mentioned above the contrast in the way the temple is portrayed in comparison to how it usually makes me feel.

In terms of balance I feel that the size of the temple is balanced out nicely because of the position of the girl in relation to the temple. The proximity of the girl balances out the temple even thought the temple is much greater in size. I think the small space in-between the girl and the temple also create this feeling and help to have a better feel to the photo, and create less of a smashed feeling and more of an open feeling.

What is interesting about the harmony of this image is that I see the gate as something that pulls the image together. Why this is interesting is because the gate is what is separating the two subjects in the image. In the process of separating them it is also telling a story as I described above and in tern pulling the two subjects together. Creating separation and at the same time harmony within the image.