Lake Metroparks Farmpark
At Lake Farmpark, the students received the amazing opportunity to capture images portraying the lives of the various farm animals and the machinery responsible for the operation of the farm. In order to gather a large amount of very diverse images and draw additional attention to the subjects, Natalie typically shot images with her macro lens utilizing a shallow depth of field, such as in the picture titled "Eye of the Pig". Using a shallow depth of field for the image of the pig resulted in a distinct separation between the foreground, the background, and the main subject. Natalie specifically enjoys the texture of the pig and the soft, geometric lines of the background in the image. In addition, Natalie enjoyed manipulating the color of an image based on the expression conveyed by the farm animal. For example, in the image titled "Curiosity", the more uplifting and inquisitive attitude of the sheep fit well with the lighter, cooler tones of the background, while the sorrow conveyed by the cow in the image "Melancholy" matched the harsher, warmer tones of the background. Furthermore, Natalie consistently employs the use of shapes, lines, and space in her images, such as "A Different Perspective" and "The Inner Workings of a Tractor". In both photographs, Natalie loves how the lines lead the viewer's eye back through the picture after the subject draws them into the image. In conclusion, Natalie thoroughly enjoyed employing the use of different techniques at shooting styles at the Farmpark.