Period 1 - Semester Final

1. I really like the ninth photo in the slideshow because 1) the silhouette is so clear and defined even through the mist, 2) it isn't so much the actual deer that you seem to immediately direct your eyes toward but the curved, almost intimidating antlers which seem so striking in the picture, and 3) that something so rare as a bird perching on an animal much larger than it with such a calmness could be captured by a photographer.
2.  I believe the sixth picture in the slideshow is the best because 1) the sky seems to open up until a gaping hole is left in the middle, which can represent the unseen lake that has since dried up, 2) the picture is taken in a way that stretches out the background, as if the car will keep driving on forever and to nowhere, and 3) the bright colors of the shirts of the men in the car seem to stand out in front of the plain and barren background, clearly displaying their excitement for Speedweek.
3. 3. My best work this semester is the Masters of Photography Project. This is because 1) in my earlier photos, I edited them all too much to the point that they look unnatural, 2) I was able to use inspiration from a master photographer (Irving Penn) as a guide, and 3) the pictures came out as simple (as was Penn's style) yet clear and defined, while some of my earlier work just seemed plain and lacked a certain creativity. If I were to have more time to work on this project, I would want to put even more creativity into my photos and show more of myself rather than Penn. For example, I would have liked to work around a bit with shadows and silhouettes to add a little mystery to the pictures.
4. My three rules of composition are framing, depth, and color.
5.  Framing and depth are two rules of composition that can be seen in this photo below. When I took this photo, I chose to have Ashley stand in between two rather tall posts. With Ashley standing in front of them, her whole physique seems to enlarge. The framing allows her to take on a more distinct presence. Depth can also be seen in the photo. While the sun is behind Ashley, its rays shine out in front of her and even gives her hair a light and warm aura. Meanwhile, the moon can also be seen much further back, as if to give room for the sun to shine.

   

   10/27/14 My friend Ashley at the bell tower.

6. Mr. Farley's first rule of composition is shallow depth of field.
7. The benefits of working in the group include 1) getting inspiration from others, 2) being able to immediately ask someone for help if previously absent, 3) being able to collaborate together on ideas, 4) automatically having several people at your side to pose for you, and 5) giving each other honest and critical input on photos.
8. The difficulties of working in a group are 1) having less time to be independent and work on one's own photos, 2) unconsciously copying another's work without realizing it instead of taking inspiration (less creativity), 3) not getting along with group  members due to unfriendliness or personal/opinionated differences, 4) goofing around with each other when one should be working, and 5) having some members of the group contributing much more work than others in that same group.
9. I really liked Aileen's picture of the boots behind a puddle. While only the boots are visible in the picture, the rest of the body is visible in the reflection, which I find an interesting concept. Also, the neutral colors in this photo capture the winter season.
10. For the Masters of Photography project, I reproduced the work of Irving Penn. He is largely known for his contributions to the covers of numerous Vogue magazines.
11. Dorothea Lange's most popular photo would be Migrant Mother. It was taken in 1936 at a campsite in Nipomo, California. When she took the photo, she was employed by the Farm Security Administration (FSA).
12. Life magazine began publishing on November 23, 1936.
13. Elvis was born on January 8, 1935.
14. Robert Capa was a founding member of Magnum Photos, which started in 1947.

Album Cover Recreation

This is a recreation of the album cover Highway to Hell. It is an album by band AC/DC.

Here is a link to the actual cover.

Masters of Photography Project Reflection

1. I do not think the project completely represents my work as a student. The pictures were supposed to be inspired by the photographer Irving Penn. Therefore, I felt that the pictures did not reflect as much of my own style as it could have been. For example, most of Penn's pictures were taken with a simple background. Were I able to take pictures freely, I would have liked to explore different areas and backgrounds.
2. My understanding of photography has definitely grown throughout the school year. In the beginning of the year, I was more worried about taking the "right" photos. Now, I know that there are no "right" photos. It is more about just capturing what you see in front of you. However, it does not necessarily take just one or two pictures to do just that, as I previously believed. Sometimes, it means taking numerous photos before you can finally pick the one that you feel speaks out the most. 
3. Working in a group definitely has some advantages. You are able to get input from peers, as well as inspiration. While the pictures I took in the project were mainly inspired by Irving Penn, I was able to collaborate ideas with my friends. For example, we had the idea to hold up a sheet of black paper to use as our simple backgrounds. 
4. Sometimes, working with a group can also disrupt your own creativity. While it is good to be inspired by peers, one might end up copying others' images rather than using them as inspiration. While working on the project, I remembered feeling anxious yet determined to make sure that my photos were not too similar from those of the rest of my group. I wanted my pictures to be my own.
5. Looking back at my project, I think I would have liked to make my photos more refreshing. While Penn's pictures are mostly black and white and portraits are taken in front of plain walls, I still feel there is a way to make the images stand out and pop. I want to explore that. Even though the pictures are supposed to be inspired by Penn, I would want to somehow show more creativity in my images. 

Masters of Photography - Irving Penn

One of Irving Penn's pictures was of a woman holding up a square piece 

of glass. Trying to copy the exact photo would have been inconvenient. 

Therefore, I had Aileen stand behind a glass door and put her hands on the

 glass so it would be more obvious.

I cropped this picture so that there was not as much space above her head.

 As almost all of Penn's photos are in black and white, I lowered the saturation down to zero 

to match his color scheme. I also increased the clarity, which revealed a little more reflection.

Irving Penn took a picture of a man where the most notable aspect was his fingers 

clutching his leather jacket. Here, I had Vedika do the same to her leather vest.

Again I cropped the picture so that it would be more focused on Vedika, and I also 

decreased the saturation to zero to produce a black and white photo. In addition,

 I increased the highlights to make the picture appear brighter.

Sometimes, Irving Penn took portraits of his subjects at tables, in which the photos 

seemed to be focused on the position of the hands. In this particular picture,

Lavanya's hands are clasped together, with her elbows pointed out in opposite directions.

I decreased the saturation down to zero so that the photo would be black and white.

 I also increased the contrast and lowered shadows to darken the photo and make 

Lavanya pop out more in front of the background.

Irving Penn loved to take portraits in front of corners. He noted that his subjects

 often felt most comfortable in front of corners, and that the small space 

strangely comforted them.

Again, I changed the saturation to create a black and white photo. I also increased

 highlights to make the background slightly brighter.

Irving Penn seemed to enjoy taking portraits from different angles. Many of them

 can be seen taken from the subjects' sides. I decided to do the same for Aileen, in

 front of a clear background as Penn did with his photos.

Once more, I lowered the saturation to zero to get a black and white picture,
 which darkened her hairs and accentuated her frame.

Irving Penn lived from June 16, 1917 to October 7, 2009. He was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, went to school in Philadelphia, and was found dead in his home in Manhattan, New York. While he did photograph still lifes, he was most famous for his fashion photography. When he was taking portraits, he would place his subjects in front of a plain backdrop for simplicity. This way, his subjects and their attire would really shine through as the main focus of the images. One of his most creative strategies was to place his subjects in front of a corner, where he noted that they actually felt comfortable in the small space. Irving Penn is considered a master due to this creativity that he displays. Because of it, he often shot photos for the cover of the famous Vogue magazine. My group chose this photographer because we were amazed by his fashion work. His photos seemed to have that simple yet deep and complex quality that inspired us to try and captivate. While working on the project, I believe that his photos taught me to be more creative. I focused on specific hand positioning and poses, something that would be a little different. Because of this lesson, I am most proud of my first photo, where I decided to capture both what stood behind the glass and what was reflected from it.

Second Portrait

Composition Review - 3 Rules

Before

After

http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/3372/18-composition-rules-for-photos-that-shine/

My three rules of composition are:

1. Color

2. Depth

3. Framing

Portrait

I took this picture behind E7, which is Ms. Waller's room. The area is near the tennis courts and the track. This picture is of Riddhima Mathur. I decreased the exposure to -0.45, decreased the shadows to -40, increased whites to +37, increased clarity to +32, and decreased saturation to -18.