Contrast, Balance, and Harmony

When I think about balance and harmony, I immediately thought of yoga. In this picture, you see a contrast between the blue sky that give off a cold overtone and the small window of the sunlight brings a touch of warmness. When I do yoga, it teaches me to relax, balance within myself and reach beyond my flexibility. This picture represents asymmetrical balance because the subject is weighted to the right side of the frame which draws your eye and creates a negative space of the ocean, island and a boat in the distance.

the Gestalt principle, law of Pragnanz, is represented in this picture due to the reality of yoga in its simplest form. A woman, an ocean and the sunrise is a beautiful thing with no complex implications to disturb its peace.

Yoga creates harmony on a psychological level with meditation, peace and relaxation. To me, this is harmonious in the relationship between the person and the space. Although she is on a beach, to me it feels intimate because its just her and the ocean, which give a calming feeling.  This picture is a good representation of the culture of yoga because she is in her own state of mind and in control. The setting depicts a calm environment where she can let go of the world and focus on her, her mind, and body at peace.

My Visceral Response

Casting my line out into the water, sitting on a random rock, and waiting peacefully on the shore of a lake is stupefying to me. As a kid, I took for granted the beauty of fishing because I was so impatient with the process. If I didn’t catch a fish within an hour, I would give up and bug my parents to go back home. Now, a little older and a little wiser, I can’t wait for the peace and an escape from society. The quantity of fish caught has taken the back seat to nature, quality family bonding and complete relaxation.

This picture is of Lake George in Mammoth, California. The water creates a horizontal line in the distance creating the intimate space of the lake, the separation of land and water, and the steadiness of the water itself. The circular shape or form of the lake creates a border and if you are sitting a water level, you could only imagine the depth of land beneath you. The height of the trees and mountains help frame the lake as well. I think the most valuable part of the picture is the color that is very inviting with the sun brightening up the mountains and sky creating warmth, but also creating a dark shadow over the water which, to me, is mysterious.  The dirt, rocks, mountains, bushes and trees create a rough texture of the surroundings that brings out the simplicity and calmness of the water and sky.