Ad for Project 1

Ad of... myself

    When I first worked on this image, the original shot felt too dark, which muted the natural beauty of the scene. To bring it to life, I deliberately increased the highlights and lowered the shadows. This choice made the sunlight reflecting off the water stand out more vividly, giving the entire image a bright, airy feel while still preserving enough detail in the shaded areas. By doing this, I wanted to emphasize the contrast between the cool shadows along the shoreline and the warm glow of the sunlit water, making the scene “pop” with depth and vibrancy.

    For the text, I wanted it to complement the photo without overpowering it, so I pulled colors directly from the image itself. The yellow in “Behold Photographic Perfection” echoes the warmth of the sun and subtly contrasts with the cooler blues of the sky and water, helping it stand out without feeling artificial. Meanwhile, the blue used for “By Joel Velez” blends harmoniously with the tones of the lake and sky, keeping the credit line present but not distracting. I also placed each piece of text in areas where they would remain readable—yellow at the top where the background is darker, and blue at the bottom where the sand and rocks give it enough contrast.

    Overall, my design choices aimed to enhance the natural beauty of the scene and guide the viewer’s eye without breaking the immersion. The lighting adjustments invite the viewer to linger on the serene details—the boy on the rock, the shimmering water, and the clear blue sky—while the color-coordinated text acts as an integrated part of the composition rather than an afterthought. The result is a photograph that feels both polished and true to the moment I wanted to capture.