Here’s a photo that puts the imagination to work. Invoking, even provoking, the opinions of your audience is key to giving memorable and engaging presentations.
Susan says, “I don’t think you can just give this image a passing glance. There is too much activity in this glass ball to give it a cursory pass. Like it or not there is something compelling here. Could it be the calming tranquility of the blue and green colors offset by the disruptive splashes of red that seem to be floating up from the interior? Or maybe it’s the warped and shattered patterns, the interior shapes, the “what is that?” reflection. Perhaps it that peculiar combination of comfort and unease that lives so matter-of-factly in the ball. And maybe for you, it’s not so much picking it apart to see what is there, but rather trying to understand the artist’s intent. No matter what catches your eye, there is no denying that you are caught.
A Further Argument – was this on Purpose or an Accidental?
“I just had a strange idea that perhaps this object was just an accidental creation, possibly even a beginner’s first try at glass blowing. The thought came to me unexpectedly. Is there merit to it? This object could honestly be seen as a hot mess, couldn’t it? Random shapes, colors, and patterns? I am sure there some who would agree and others who reject this thought immediately.
“I wonder what would happen if you threw this image out for a group discussion during a presentation. Might get pretty heated, don’t you think?”
Another Layer to the Argument
Lucia says, “I agree this glass globe is a real eye-catcher. I was attracted to the swirls of greens and blues. So I thought about zooming in for an extreme close-up, but that didn’t really do it justice. Then I realized there was a reflection in the globe and you know how I like reflections. So I moved around until I could capture the reflection of people walking around Portland’s Saturday Market and a part of the clouds in the sky. This gave the photo more depth.
Beyond my initial attraction and desire to capture the reflection, I saw the beginning of a story. For me, it tells of a distant planet with an opening into the lives of its inhabitants going about their business under a blue sky with puffy clouds.
Do you see a story or do you look at this glass globe purely as an artistic expression. So now we have another layer to the argument Susan posed. It goes to show how much mileage you can get from a simple photo for your presentation.”
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