Transparency: Photo

For my first work addressing the effect of transparency, I took a series of photos using objects such as a coke bottle, candlestick, and lightbulb. To the right is my final image of a lightbulb and its shadow, lying on two pieces of paper. Firstly, this image was originally taken in color, but after analyzing it I decided that the color was less significant to the image than the values of lights and darks, and how they comprised the transparent object; black and white allowed the effect to be more directly adressed. This image stood out to me immediately for an obvious reason: the dramatic and somewhat bizarre shadow that the lightbulb casts. It in some ways resembles an insect, and differs greatly from the object, being much larger and rounder in shape. Also, this image was interesting because it created the optical illusion that the lightbulb was floating. Perhaps this is a result of there being no true point where it meets the paper; the transparency is consistent throughout the object. I think that the glare and streaks of light several places on the bulb give it an interesting dimension. There are many clear darks, such as on the base of the bulb, and many lights where the object nearly blends into the paper, such as on the left side of the bulb. Overall, I think that this image is not overly complex, while still presenting the idea of transparency  and the challenge of defining rigid lines only when appropriate. I will later consider what material will best enhance a sketch of this image.