Assignment... 5? .... Fashion Shoot

One thing I really like to photograph is people... wearing cool things. I love fashion ads... volcom jeans and hurley ads always get me excited. So I dressed my friend Jess up a few times and took a ton of pictures! Heres 5 that I really like:

Levels

So I decided to try using what we learned about levels in photoshop on some of my photos outside of class...  This one was probably my favorite... I remember being excited about it in the first place... but after this, I think it looks so much better!

Before:

 After:

Week 4 Writing Assignment

1. What motivates you to make photographs? When the motivation is internal, how do you benefit from your photography? If the motivation is external, what results do you hope for?

     I really love the feeling of looking through the lens and clicking the shutter button. It feels good and that's a big part of it. I've always liked looking through old pictures, and so I want to take a lot so when I'm older, my family, friends and I can have those to look back at. Seeing other photographers' work motivates me as well because I see something that I think is really awesome and I want to figure out how to do it on my own.
     With internal motivation, I am rewarded internally. Even if my photos aren't that great, I still get that great feeling of actually using the camera... for this reason I also love film cameras because I'm not distracted by what each picture looks like after I take it. External motivation gives me a goal... new things to try and learn from. I hope to come out with photographs similar to the ones that motivated me. I have a lot of music magazines and the photos from live concerts always inspire me... I have yet to successfully shoot like those photographers do, but it's something that I hope to achieve.

2. What interests and inspires you as an artist in your broader life? For you, what connections are there between what inspires you and your photography?

     Music is always the first thing that comes to mind when I think of things that inspire me as an artist. Connected to that is the idea of emotions; the complexity of our minds and everything that happens inside us is something I have consistently explored through my art... I think part of what inspires me so much about music is that I often hear songs that accurately convey a feeling that I have such a hard time expressing. Other things include nature, other peoples art, God, etc.
     Other people's art is the most obvious connection because it gives me new ideas and goals to work towards. I also really want to do concert photography, which ties in with music. Nature is all around us just waiting for us to take pictures of it, so thats clear too. God and my emotions and 'etc.' are much more apparent in other media I work with, but I'm sure there are ways, however subtle, that they work their way into my photography.

Composition Assignment

Close: I arranged them tightly as well as placed them right in front of my lens.

 Far: Placed the objects far apart and only let them take up a small part of the space to emphasize the distance.

 High: Stacked the objects to convey a tower

 Low: This on I struggled with... I placed the smaller objects on the table and took the picture from above the tallest object to try and show the difference.

 Balanced: Pretty self-explanatory...

 Disorderly: I placed everything about in a random pattern and leaning on each other and open and such and had it breaking to frame to make it seem more chaotic and uncontained.

Dark: Using black and white, underexposed this one, but not too extreme.

Bright: Still black and white, but overexposed it and used the flash... I really like the shape of the lens and how you can see into it.

Week 3 Writing Assignment

Andreu, 1997 

by David Hilliard

How does this photo fit into the 12 criteria we came up with for a good photograph?

1. Photo draws your eye, catches your interest: This definitely caught my interest and attracted my eye which is why I chose it. The three panels next to each other have intriguing relationships to one another because they are not lined up perfectly, and the depth created by the mirror and the window is particularly interesting especially because it is so limited.

2. Angle or point of view: The fact that these aren't perfectly lined up puts things in just the slightest awkward angle. It's a cool point of view because you're eye is right behind the subject and you're kind of bummed because all you see is his hand, but then you see his face in the mirror... it's almost like your looking at it from several different points of view.

3. Makes the viewer think or react emotionally: The mirror is significant in our emotional reaction because we see the subjects expression. He looks really exhausted and worn out. His opening the window too brings about an emotional response in me. It makes me feel as though he is taking a moment to breathe and reflect. 

4. Has a message, or pushes barriers: I can't really say that this photo pushes any barriers or depicts a certain message to it's audience. I don't know that it really makes the photo any weaker, but it is something that it lacks.

5. The subject matter is interesting: The subject matter is definitely interesting in my opinion. The panel all the way on the right I have yet to speak of. The other two greatly interest me, but the 3rd one is questionable. I definitely like it, but I don't know that it adds to the photo at all. It sort of solidifies the environment; he's clearly in a bathroom, but the other 2 contain the most interesting subject matter.

6. Tells a story: This guy probably just had a really rough weekend. He just moved into a new apartment in a new city and it's his first time being away from his family and friends and he's nervous about his new job. He got up early because he couldn't sleep. He showered and is now opening the window to let some light and fresh air in... He takes a deep breath and wipes his forehead... 

....This photograph totally tells a story... undeniable.

7. Catches the ‘critical moment’ when action is at it’s peak: Absolutely! maybe not action... but certainly a critical moment. This is a moment of realization that we are witnessing. 

8. Clear focus of photo (both the sharpness and primary subject matter): Subject matter is a clear focus. As with sharpness, David Hilliard does some cool things; since his panoramas consist of separate photographs, they often have an interesting variation in focus. This one isn't as obvious, because other than the view outside the window, most everything is in focus.

9.  Design elements: composition, framing, lines, movement: There is a nice vertical theme going on here: towels, tiles, door, buildings, arm, etc. Each one is carefully framed, keeping us guessing about what else is in the room and what is outside... and forcing us to look at every piece of the picture. 

10.  Lighting interesting: I actually just noticed how interesting the lighting is and how it makes the 3rd panel significant. The light from the window creates a shadow of his had on the wall beneath the towels. His arm and hand are present in all 3 photos. That was either a really cool accident, or very well thought out.

11. Technically proficient (exposure, focus, etc):  I can't find any reason to say that this panorama isn't technically proficient. Everything is well exposed and clear and sharp.

12. Good printing: frame, paper, size, all match content: Not applicable?

Hoover... [Week 3 Assigntment]

boots n gold

Flood.

The best camera is the one that's with you, right? ... taken with my envy 3 at the entrance to Neahwa Park across from Stewarts.

Writing Assignment - Week 2

1. I took the pictures first and posed second, so it was definitely a little less uncomfortable for me, but the awkwardness was still there. In both situations, I sort of felt limited... like I had to play it safe... which is the exact opposite mentality that we should have. Also for some reason, whenever I pose - especially for candids - I forget all the natural positions and movements of my body.

2. I think it probably helps to establish some sort of relationship with the person first. I've taken pictures of my friends and it's no problem at all. Also, showing them what you want and giving examples for movies and such can help them understand what you want to get out of the picture. Showing them your pictures as you go too... getting them excited about it. Silence is out of the question... you must converse with the model to maintain an appropriate comfort level.

Portrait Assignment