Matt Hawthorne

Matt Hawthorne is the sports photographer I aspire to be. From bring in this class I have more of an eye for light exposure now since we are predominately  shooting in black and white. In order to make a black and white picture capture the eye in a world that we see in color, there are a lot of things aspects that are needed to be kept in mind when shooting. For what I am discovering personally, a strategic way in taking a captivating black and white picture is a smart use of negative space, and a good use of lighting along with a good use of shadows. Though there is a lot I still need to learn in the art of black and white photography, I pulled these two pictures from Matt Hawthorne’s website since I feel like each picture exemplifies the two aspects that make a good black and white picture. The first picture I pulled from his website I feel like is a great example of negative space of the volleyball player since your eye goes immediately towards her in a dramatic effect. The second picture I pulled from Matt Hawthorne’s website would be a great example of being smart with your light source and shadows. It creates interest to the picture, the figure of the piece follows the golden rule of photography beautifully, and the shadows bring a dynamic feel to the picture with them running diagonal alongside with the person.

As I have stated before, I still have a lot to learn before I ever hope to be on the same level as Matt Hawthorne, but breaking down to the basics of what creates an aesthetically pleasing picture without relying on colored images as a clutch. Being strategic about your light source, and deciding how you want your figure to be placed within the image will create an aesthetically pleasing image in black and white photography.