Contrast, Harmony, & Balance

The composition I've chosen for this particular post is this:

It is a perfectly-timed shot of a sunset under a pier. Very cool. As far as the contrast goes, I think the dim color of the pier helps highlight the brightness of the sun, despite it almost setting. Also the contrast between the blues and oranges really makes this something special. It is almost perfectly symmetrical, which means of course it is balanced. The colors, the balance, and the overall feel of this photo make this a very harmonious work.

I scoured the internet looking for a work that I could use and this was the first one I saw that I didn't hate. I think subconsciously symmetry just soothes me.

My Visceral Response: Hot Air Balloons

This is a hard thing to post about. Finding one thing that moves me time and time again is hard, because a lot of things move me. Early mornings in the fall and spring when the sun is almost blinding due to its brightness, something magical happens. The sky becomes dotted with elaborately colorful hot air balloons. Since I was a little girl I was always completely enamored with them. I have been awestruck at the sight of them as long as I can remember.

It's hard to quantify why something moves me. How do the lines or shapes or colors of something speak to me more than something else? Why? The colors and patterns on the hot air balloons were initially what got me as a child. It turned into something more as I got to be older. Now it's something that I can't even describe, but I still have to stop and stare anytime I see them.