Assignment #10: Gastown Scavenger Hunt

This scavenger hunt was incredibly fun; I rarely go outside so it was a whole new experience. We were given a bunch of words and we were supposed to interpret them in our photos.

Automobile

I used this picture for automobile because the type of vehicle it was stood out to me. It looked interesting and cute, and the red really caught my attention. I was waiting for Kristie at the park area so I didn't want to stray too far off, so the angle is quite low and it's hard to see the automobile.

Composition techniques used
Contrast: The red of the car is just incredibly easy to spot.
Angle of view: I took this picture from a low angle since I was far away and it was uphill.

Boots

 

As soon as we walked by here, everyone in my group went "boots!". I have a different picture of boots used as flower pots but that picture was lacking in composition so I couldn't use it. I regret not taking a better photo of it, but even so, here is my (not so original) boots pic.

Composition techniques used

Contrast: Even though the walls are red, the boots still pop out. The neon sign in the window is also attention catching.(red seems to be such a strong colour)

Angle of View: I was actually kneeling on the dirty floor of Gastown.. It doesn't really show in this picture, that the angle is low, so I'm kind of unhappy about that.

 
Feet

On the way back I was looking for last minute things for the scavenger hunt. I was looking for "feet". This was right infront of the Waterfront skytrain station; I saw the feet and I immediately pulled out a camera. I also really liked the wings, so the angle of the statue isn't that bad to me.

Composition techniques used
Rule of thirds: The statue is on the thirds line.
Depth of field: I think the cloth thing is a bit closer than the rest. I can't really remember how it was but when I look at the picture I get that vibe.

A Gaffer drinks here

A gaffer is an old man,(thanks, Google) and old men drink in pubs. This was by far the most pretty/fancy pub I've ever seen in my life, and the neatness of the area makes it a really nice place for photos.

Composition techniques used
Rule of thirds: The sign is pretty much on the downwards third line.
Angle of View: This picture is definitely taken from below, since the sign was high up and I'm not super tall.
Contrast: The bits of red in the flower pots add a bit of contrast, as do the green leaves of the tree.

Gaoler Mews

Apparently the first jail was here(Gaoler is pronounced jailer, or something). I was looking around but this was the only thing that actually said Gaoler, but maybe my eyes are just bad(they definitely are bad).

Composition techniques used
Simplicity: It's quite simple in my opinion. The main focus of the picture was the street sign, which was the simple part. I dislike the glare/reflection/signs in the window, though.
Rule of thirds: I tried to line it up to the thirds but it didn't quite make it. At least the G is on the thirds line.

Gassy ______ (Jack)

This statue stood out on the street. It was pretty big, and it was dedicated to the founder of Gastown if my memory serves me right. I did not stick by to read how he earned the title of Gassy, but I assume that it's a really interesting story.

Composition techniques used
Rule of thirds: I tried to position the statue on the left downwards third line, and I think it's pretty much on there.
Contrast: The lighting in the foreground vs the lighting in the background is drastically different.
Texture: The smooth sky and the smooth buildings really make the texture of the statue stand out.
Angle of View: This was also taken from below.

Grit

I kept googling around for the meaning of grit and I came across "perseverance", "courage" and "strength". The graffiti in this picture was being covered by cars in an old parking lot. I feel like this piece of art can provide perseverance, courage, strength, and a sense of hope to the people who are less privileged in Gastown.

Composition techniques used in this picture
Repetition: The bricks are a repetitive pattern, thought not 100% similar in shape.
Contrast: The artist was able to make the picture stand out with the use of white, black, and blue instead of realistic colours.
Texture: Again, the artist was able to convey differing textures in the hair, in the skin, and in the clothes. He/she was also able to make the bricks look less brick-like on the graffiti'd parts.
(Credit goes to the artist)

I'm hot & steamy

This clock kept tooting its whistle(or whatever) every once in a while and it constantly shot out steam to amuse the tourists. It was surrounded by people trying to take pictures of it so I had to hold my camera overtop my head and I had to hit the button without being able to see what I was taking a photo of. I would have liked to get a picture of the entire thing but people kept walking infront of it, so this was the next best thing.

Composition techniques used
Angle of view: Most my pictures were taken from below, and this is no exception. You can tell from the lamppost that it was from below.
Rule of thirds: I got part of the clock on the line, but it's not completely down the middle.

New vs Old

I really liked the designs of the building on the right. I took a few photos of it, but I really liked this one a lot. The building on the left/in the foreground is really old, and falling apart. It also has graffiti on its walls. The building farther back on the right is far away, but it seemed to peek out near the older building, so I decided to snap a photo of it.

Composition techniques used
Contrast: It's new vs old, light vs dark. The designs/shapes also contrast, as do the colours themselves.
Angle of View: Taken from below, yet again.
Repetition: The windows are repetitive, as are the building designs(right).

Stairs

These stairs were really cool. A lot of people in my group took pictures of it but I'm not sure if they went under it like me.

Composition techniques used
Leading Lines: the bars point up towards the next set of bars, and so on.
Depth: I'm not 100% sure about this, but it feels as if the picture has depth, and that it keeps forcing your view on and on.
Repetition: The bars repeat, the stairs repeat, and the swirl repeats.
Angle of View: This photo was taken from below and it looks pretty cool in my opinion.

Stereotypical Tourist Pose

There were so many Canadian themed things in Gastown. There was even a maple syrup store filled with nothing but "100% authentic maple syrup". But as I walked by this one store, I noticed a moose and a bear in mountie outfits, and I asked Kristie to pose next to one. I'm sure that anyone visiting Canada would take a picture like this.

Composition techniques used
Contrast: The red(it's always the red) stands out on the mountie outfit, as does Kristie's pink shirt. The lighting is also a bit different in the front vs in the back so it helps both Kristie and the moose mountie stand out.

 Trains

I took many photos of the trains up close, but as I was going back to the skytrain station, I noticed an alley with the train heads peeking out. I took the opportunity to snap a photo since it looked cool to me.

Composition techniques used
Framing: I used the alley to frame the train heads.
Depth: I'm not sure of this, but I believe the plants on the side, coupled with the alley, add a nice bit of depth to it.
Rule of thirds: The alley is kinda lined up on a vertical thirds line, and the train seems to be on the lower horizontal line.

Trounce Alley (Blood Alley)

This little creature was one of the cutest things I've seen all day. It was tucked in a corner and I noticed it right away. It was in Blood Alley, and it was a nice addition to the creepy posters on the wall(it was close to that area). There was also a single shoe in the little crawlspace, but I decided to not get it in the shot.

Composition techniques used
Rule of thirds: I tried my hardest to get the little creature on the intersecting thirds line, and I think I got his head on there.
Repetition: The bricks on the floor have the same pattern, and they go on and on.
Contrast: The crawlspace is darker, while the outside is lighter.

Vancouver

I got this shot while I was waiting for Kristie(I got quite a few, actually) and I realized that it said "Vancouver" on it. It's not that great of a picture since it was hard to get a nice photo of a moving vehicle, and the man became a merger on the picture, but it fit the "Vancouver" objective of the scavenger hunt so I'm going to go ahead and use it.

Composition Techniques used
Rule of thirds: I got the red vehicle on the bottom third line.
Depth of field: The post is closer to me, while the rest is farther back. I didn't notice it when I took the photo but now I realized that it got in the way. It's a bad addition, but it is a composition technique.

W

There were SO many things with the letter W on them, since we were in Waterfront, Gastown, but this W looked more visually appealing than the other ones. It seems to be a broadcasting station, or something.

Composition techniques used
Contrast: The red really pops out because of the cloudless blue sky.
Simplicity: It's one of the simpler photos I've taken on this trip. It was impossible to not get the buildings in the shot but I don't think they take away any of the focus.
Rule of thirds: I always try to get something on the rule of thirds, and I think I got it on this. It's on the intersecting top lines on the right, and the structure itself is along the vertical line on the right.

Working Hard

This building was really cute; it looked like it was being held up by people. One can not help but to think that it must be tiring for them to just hold stuff up all day and all night. Poor guys.

Composition techniques used
Repetition: The windows and the people are repetitive patterns that go on and on.
Angle of view: It was taken from below, obviously.

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It took a long time to type out, but all in all, it was a very nice experience. I learned that the camera type does make a difference. Most of my favourite photos were from this trip, and were taken with a nicer camera, as opposed to the really low quality yellow-bagged one.