Project 67: Rain

I consider that one of my weaknesses is imagination, and I often need to "research" a theme because I'm stumped for ideas. My more imaginative shots are often found by accident. This project is such an example. However, it also illustrates the classic problem where the purpose of the image is to leave a reader in no doubt about the subject, in this case rain. The least imaginative subjects (a street shot in the rain) will also be the most suitable for leaving the reader in no doubt about the subject of rain. Conversely the more imaginative shots will likely convey other meanings. For example, a shot of a child looking out a window at the rain would be a more imaginative shot. However it could also convey the meaning of sadness, depression, youth. An abstract shot of rain patterns on a surface, or a macro of a raindrop, could also confuse a reader who may not be able to see what it is. My first assignment contained a macro shot of a honeycomb to illustrate the concept of "sweet", which I thought was obvious, however several people commented that they didn't know what it was. It reminds me of those pictures made of dots, which appear abstract until you "see" and then it's obvious. The honeycomb was obvious to me, because I had taken it, but wasn't obvious to a fresh pair of eyes.

There is then the additional "problem" of choosing something that is attractive - clearly a magazine cover has to be aesthetically beautiful.

One of the nicer aspects of rain (apart from the obvious fact that it is needed for life) is the clean sparkly freshness of a wet garden. This has been capitalised by Arran Aromatics in their fragrance "After the Rain" (it rains a lot on Arran!). So I decided on a shot of a flower after the rain. Although this will also convey the message "flower", I think a white flower is a neutral enough subject to carry a greater meaning that would be suitable for this brief. The brief doesn't state whether a landscape, portrait, or square format is required. This particular flower suited a landscape format, so I have assumed that this would be suitable for a magazine front cover.