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03/21/2005 12:33:44 AM · #1 |
She's got it in her name: let's see if Moodville can create mood! SPOILER: She can!
Moodville seems to have a natural talent for building mood. Mood is an extremely important element in creating not only an artistic photo, but a photo that is very clear in its communication.
Moodville uses several techniques to build mood, and though one element is often a major player, it can get complex very quickly when it comes to being clear and shaping that mood into a communicative tool. It is often easy for us to think, 'If I make this dark, it will be a really great mood!' But Moodville shows us that building mood effectively for a clear communication is anything but simple.
In this photo, she uses the specifics of light to create mood:
The isolation of the jug from its background makes it special. Many of us use dark backgrounds once in a while, but Moodville uses it not only to set off the subject, but to help shape it as well. Notice how the various lights hitting the sbuject at various angles gives dimension to it. The texture, played up by the lights, gives it an old, familiar feel. Overall, the mood is also intimate; her close up point of view helps that, too. There is a bit of magic involved as well as the backlit grain glows. There are more than one mood here, and the complex interweaving of elements makes this a nice photo with a clear and complex mood.
Light: intensity, quality and direction helped to shape the communication of the previous photo, but color is the big player in this one for building mood:
The colors are indeed soothing and calm, and she takes advantage of one of photography's secret tips: most fantastic landscape photos are taken within 20 minutes of sunrise or sunset. She uses texture here as a mood-building tool, too. The smooth, serene water is made even more smooth by its contrast to the more jagged and rough rocks in the foreground, whose texture she has carefully preserved. Angles usually add exxcitement and drama to a photo, and they do that here, but they are soft and gentle here manifest in the clouds and water, and so avoid any clashing of emotions or moods. So colors, mixed with texture and line make this photo interesting and unique and crystal clear.
In this photo, Moodville uses negative space as a way to build mood. But as we've perhaps noticed, this is anything but a simple endeavor:
Negative space can be a very effective mood-builder. Where negative space exists, the mind is given license to wander and wonder about what the subject is all about. We can think about the subject in its context and not just about the subject itself. In this case, the cherries are give more significance had they been centered. Note also that they are not found on a 'third' but on a 'fifth' or perhaps even a 'seventh', so the negative space becomes even more important. Once again, texture comes into play as the surface on which the cherries rest is quite smooth, so there's nothing to distract us from thinking great thoughts about the little fruits, so the negative space is doing its job very nicely. She has also created a nice light around the cherries, and its direction and quality gently fade away, almost as if to invite us to deep rumination about these very intriquing fruits. Some fun in the photo is a subtle joke: for what profound things can there possibly be about cherries? 'Oooh! Cherries! Profound!' her picture seems to say, and we love it!
Moodville has many, many excellent photos in which mood plays a big role, but she knows how to build it, so her name is safe. Lighting, color, texture, and subtle interplay of other elements show us that creating mood may not be so simple as we think.
It would be great to see your favorite Moodville photos!
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03/21/2005 12:46:45 AM · #2 |
She's on my favs list, and I've seen her photography grow from her point and shoot to her D100 and seen her explore and build a portfolio of work that anyone could be proud to hang their hat on.
She takes great care in making the shot count. Lighting, composition, and focus are all very important in her work and it shows.
Here is one of my favorites of hers:
It looks almost rendered. She has too many great shots to pick just one... go see for yourself.
-danny |
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03/21/2005 12:50:51 AM · #3 |
| i agree completely...moody is a wonderful photographer! |
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03/21/2005 12:56:23 AM · #4 |
I finally paid my $25 and join to give out a "10" after I saw:
then this appeared months later:
incredible capture of emotions.
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03/21/2005 01:12:28 AM · #5 |
I'am always impressed with moodville's ability to surpass herself...... She is an amazing artist, I am grateful for her vision and presence on this site, she contributes in many ways. She deserves a lot of credit and this tribute is fitting.
moodville is an expert in many genre - animals, flora, landscape. I like her pier series a lot.
I will make no pretense about her influence on me.
this June Free Study submission 
is directly influenced from this...... 
Message edited by author 2005-03-21 13:02:11. |
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03/21/2005 02:26:22 AM · #6 |
Well it's probably the easy choice seeing as 73 others have marked it as a favourite (and I hate being so predictable), but this is one of the images that drew me to this site in the first place.
So moodville is at least partly to blame for my current dpc-addiction! |
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03/21/2005 06:25:23 AM · #7 |
| She's one of my favourite photographers here at DPC, I'm particularly impressed with all her animal photos. |
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03/21/2005 10:18:44 AM · #8 |
Originally posted by samtrundle:
Well it's probably the easy choice seeing as 73 others have marked it as a favourite (and I hate being so predictable), but this is one of the images that drew me to this site in the first place.
So moodville is at least partly to blame for my current dpc-addiction! |
This photo has been very influential to me, too. I love the tones!
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03/21/2005 11:33:29 AM · #9 |
Moody does one thing better than anyone I've seen: animal portraits. Hers are not just good wildlife shots. They are, as David rightly attributes, intimate moments, caught with great care and sensitivity. Many wildlife photographers look for the spectacular, the raw, the iconic and the splendour of animals. Moody studies them and finds little difference between them and us.
Despite that inclusive, humane vision of animals her images communicate, there's nothing cute or sentimental about them. Her vision is dignified, strong and entirely credible. Her work, and that's what impresses me most about it, is most certainly not an exploitation of a subject. It is a lesson in care, interest and love.
If I had to choose three images exemplary of her style, manner, vision and treatment, I'd select these:
  
Message edited by author 2005-03-21 11:37:35.
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03/21/2005 11:35:10 AM · #10 |
She is very badass.
One of my favorites:
Message edited by author 2005-03-21 11:36:53.
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03/21/2005 02:14:06 PM · #11 |
This is one of my favorites of hers. She rocks at animal shots and still life.
And another favorite I didn't realize she had on this site. LOVE IT!!!
Message edited by author 2005-03-21 14:15:42. |
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03/21/2005 03:14:16 PM · #12 |
I have a few moodville faves... ;o)
     
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03/21/2005 03:20:04 PM · #13 |
Does anyone know if moodville takes photographs full-time professionally?
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03/21/2005 03:45:38 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by thatcloudthere:
Does anyone know if moodville takes photographs full-time professionally? |
Her bio has no web page, so I'd doubt it. But she's definitely one of the best and most original in here.
Robt.
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03/21/2005 03:47:32 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by thatcloudthere:
Does anyone know if moodville takes photographs full-time professionally? |
Nope, I dont.
And thank you everyone for this thread, especially David for starting it. I'm humbled, shocked, and certainly enjoyed my little ego stroke. This actually came at a very fortunate time as I've recently been feeling disappointed with my photography to the point of never wanting to pick up my camera again. I did manage to pick it up twice this week and even entered stock photography *gasp*
If I've learnt anything in my two years doing photography is that one should never try too hard. Some of my best images have just happened and the images I've tried hard for have become some of my biggest disappointments. |
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03/21/2005 03:53:14 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by thatcloudthere:
Does anyone know if moodville takes photographs full-time professionally? |
Why don't you ask her...she's currently online!! |
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03/21/2005 03:53:16 PM · #17 |
I love this one so much.
PS I just read your comment on the image:
"I know it's a nother chimp shot, but I really do take a lot of these. It's not an artistic 'pretty' shot, but I think it has some good context and hopefully wont be seen as a snapshot. "
I think you have no ideea how artistic this one is. It is such a wonderful story in this image, the child and the ape staring eachother in the eye, such a wonderful metaphore if you think of it. I'm sure Darwin would hang one of this on his wall. And then there is a wonderful mood in it not only due to the toning but both child and ape have this bored look. Like they are comunicating about something but only thru theyr eyes. And it's not the normal zoo encounter, that would be the child happy and much less passive... I don't know I could stare forever at it, is just wonderful.
Message edited by author 2005-03-21 16:06:50. |
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03/21/2005 03:57:41 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by moodville:
Originally posted by thatcloudthere:
Does anyone know if moodville takes photographs full-time professionally? |
Nope, I dont.
And thank you everyone for this thread, especially David for starting it. I'm humbled, shocked, and certainly enjoyed my little ego stroke. This actually came at a very fortunate time as I've recently been feeling disappointed with my photography to the point of never wanting to pick up my camera again. I did manage to pick it up twice this week and even entered stock photography *gasp*
If I've learnt anything in my two years doing photography is that one should never try too hard. Some of my best images have just happened and the images I've tried hard for have become some of my biggest disappointments. |
Dissapointed in your photography?? Whoa...why ?? |
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03/21/2005 03:58:43 PM · #19 |
| I like her profile photo too! |
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03/21/2005 05:13:46 PM · #20 |
I'm so glad to see this post because Moodville is one of that breed of extremely talented people who are genuinely convinced they don't have that much talent.
I really don't think she appreciates quite how utterly incredible some of her images are.
WOO HOO Mood!
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