Digital Photography Journal Entry: Great Otway National Park Project

This journal entry details a student's exploration of digital photography as a visual art form. The student reflects on their passion for photography, influenced by their brother and early experiences with cameras. The entry outlines the development of a photography project centered on nature, specifically in the Great Otway National Park in Australia. It describes the research process, including the selection of the location, equipment considerations, and potential challenges. The student also details the shooting plan, focusing on capturing quality and creative shots with various perspectives, including aerial and forced perspective views. The journal further discusses the presentation strategy, including digital methods and visual aids. The student analyzes two photographs, comparing them to their project goals. The assignment is contributed by a student to be published on the website Desklib, a platform providing AI-based study tools for students.

Running Head: DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY 1
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Name
University
Tutor
Date

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Journal Entry
Photography is my best type of visual art as I find it simple, realistic, illustrative and easy to
relate to regarding interpreting. I, therefore, consider my artistic position as a photographer to be
contemporary as many people want to document their memories for future references. I have
been handling cameras since I was 10years as my elder brother is also passionate about
photography. I promised myself to deal with nature, but after a year in the field, I also decided to
capture people’s special occasions like weddings, birthdays, graduations, baby showers and
much more. It is the ability to keep a good memory for myself and others to make me a happy
photographer. I plan on investing in this field until I can be able to open a photography school
and organize events meant to inspire young and beginning photographers. Photography is not
just about holding a camera and taking a picture, but a drive inside an individual that gives them
the ability to decide on the best position and timing to take a good shot (Van Dijck 2008.). I,
therefore, dedicated my time to do this project using the knowledge from class and my prior
experience in the field.
Development of the project
Coming up with a topic
The first and most important step of a photography project is finding an appropriate topic for
consideration of the project requirements, time limits and financial restraints as well. The best
way in the selection is to look at your interests outside the field of photography (Bush, 2014). I
love adventure, and that was actually what motivated me to start taking pictures of a young child
as I could not resist all that beauty around me. Adventure to me means going to new places with
unique features and maybe even achieve a touching activity like a hike. I, therefore, had to

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choose nature as the subject matter in my project as I also wanted the pleasant experience during
my project.
Doing the research
Research is usually necessary before the real project as it gives one the insight to make good
decisions before, during and after the project. I now specifically did my research on nature
photography in Australia by looking at other people who have done it before and their
experiences. Digital photography usually involves expensive equipment like cameras with
quality lenses. I, therefore, had to consider the means of traveling and equip myself with proper
travel bags and brought along a friend to help me move the items. According to, (Tucker 2013.),
I also found out the challenges that could come along with the activity like adverse weather
conditions, terrain, and other issues. There was also the issue of the location of the event, and
from the research I did, it was clear that there were some areas in Australia that gave me an
advantage as they have many details. Great Otway National Park was my selection due to the
high waterfall view and the thick forest that could get me busy the whole time (Cronin 2011. ). I
asked around about the entrance and permits before the day of the shoot, and I was ready to do
the biggest part of the project.
Shooting
Great Otway National Park has many features including the rocky terrains, river, waterfall and
the beautiful forest. I, therefore, decided to set the project in such a way that it would cover the
whole area. The main goal of the shoot is to ensure that my pictures are quality and creative that
they can attract an audience (Meyer, 2014). I would consider using all types of shots like close
ups and long shots to give a more detailed and extensive view. I would also invest more on the

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aerial views which are usually wonderful to see a larger area while still maintaining the details
(Petschnigg 2004. ). I like the forced perception photos which manage to lie on the occurrence of
items. Anyone can take a nature picture, but there are planned perspectives that a professional
can try to ensure that the shot is extra creative. I would work on the worm’s eye views when it
comes to waterfalls and huge trees to give a more detailed picture. I also plan on giving views in
between trees, leaves, and rocks to give beautiful views that can be later edited for exhibitions.
The shooting process is the most challenging, but once it is over, then a mission is achieved at
the end.
Presenting
The presentation is an essential aspect when it comes briefing the ideas and information collected
to the audience. I plan on utilizing a creative idea of presenting, mainly digital ways that help the
audience comprehend better. Using well-designed slides in a way that would ensure for an
excellent presentation is the main plan (Lam 2005). I would also use a video presentation with
theme music on the background as it is a way of ensuring that the audience can enjoy. Presenting
also needs some additional details obtained from the research to complement the visual
information provided.

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Pictures from other photographers
Figure1.Beach-goer in Anna Maria Island by Trevor Saylor, 2012,
http://japancamerahunter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/dscf1320.jpg
The Beach-goer (Figure 1) is derived from the album of Trevor Saylor who decided to do a
beach cover including the people and landscape involved. The image mostly focuses on the
human made items like the car, house and the structures on the foreground. The background
contains the vast blue waters of the ocean which is my main point of focus. In as much as it is a
beautiful picture, I don’t think the primary focus is relevant (Meehan 2008.). In such like an
environment, I would go for the natural view of the ocean and the relaxed people seated at the
beach. I would use the building as a view point to generate a beautiful aerial view of the sea. The
photography has however to get a clear shot which shows all the details in the scene (Tripsas
2009. ). If a similar project were to be repeated, I would recommend a wider shot to capture the
beautiful ocean landscape.

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Figure2. Start Of A New Era Ray Masters GND4 H Ray Masters GND8 Rev Sunrise at by
Emanuel Ribeiro, https://www.dphotographer.co.uk/
The Start of a New Era (Figure2) is a beautiful view of an evening scene taken from the shore,
with a rocky foreground. I would agree that the picture is well focused and has managed to cover
a larger area in a clear view as well. The farthest end with the sunset is the most exciting part of
this picture as it is realistic and well timed. Capturing a sunset is not always easy, and the
photographer even manages to bring a connection to the dark sky as well. I would, therefore,
recommend more details of the foreground as it looks empty and dull. The camera can be set at
such an angle to produce the sharp details of the stones and the sand to compliment the
background.
Conclusion
Digital photography requires special considerations like the setting of angles and positioning to
capture the best views. In the project I conducted, I had to make sure that all the sections of the

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area are captured to form a story. As a photographer, the art is always about the story behind it as
that makes the audience more interested in the pictures.

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References
Saylor T. (Photographer). (2012). Beach goer (Digital image) Retrieved from
http://japancamerahunter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/dscf1320.jpg
Ribeiro E. (Photographer). Start of a New Era (Digital image) Retrieved from
https://www.dphotographer.co.uk/
Meyer .J, (2014)6 Types of Photos Every Photographer Should Know How to Make Retrieved
from https://petapixel.com/2014/12/01/6-types-photos-know-make/
Cronin, JK, 2011. , Manufacturing national park nature: Photography, ecology, and the
wilderness industry of Jasper., UBC Press.
Lam, EY 2005, 'Combining gray world and retinex theory for automatic white balance in digital
photography. In Consumer Electronics, 2005.(ISCE 2005).', Proceedings of the Ninth
International Symposium on, pp. (pp. 134-139). IEEE.
Meehan, SR, 2008., Mediating American Autobiography: Photography in Emerson, Thoreau,
Douglass, and Whitman., University of Missouri Press.
Petschnigg, G,SR,AM,CM,HHATK, 2004. , ' Digital photography with flash and no-flash image
pairs. ACM transactions on graphics (TOG),', pp. 23(3), pp.664-672.
Tripsas, M, 2009. , 'Technology, identity, and inertia through the lens of “The Digital
Photography Company”. ', Organization Science, , pp. 20(2), pp.441-460.
Tucker, J, 2013., Nature exposed: photography as eyewitness in Victorian science. , JHU Press.

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Van Dijck, J, 2008., 'Digital photography: communication, identity, memory. ', Visual
Communication, , pp. 7(1), pp.57-76.