Self Portrait

A Few Of My Favorite Tips

1. Play with Eye Contact

It is amazing how much the direction of your subject’s eyes can impact an image. Most portraits have the subject looking down the sense – something that can create a real sense of connection between a subject and those viewing the image. But there are a couple of other things to try:

A. Looking off camera – have your subject focus their attention on something unseen and outside the field of view of your camera. This can create a feeling of candidness and also create a little intrigue and interest as the viewer of the shot wonders what they are looking at. This intrigue is particularly drawn about when the subject is showing some kind of emotion (ie ‘what’s making them laugh?’ or ‘what is making them look surprised?’). Just be aware that when you have a subject looking out of frame that you can also draw the eye of the viewer of the shot to the edge of the image also – taking them away from the point of interest in your shot – the subject

B. Looking within the frame – alternatively you could have your subject looking at something (or someone) within the frame. A child looking at a ball, a woman looking at her new baby, a man looking hungrily at a big plate of pasta…. When you give your subject something to look at that is inside the frame you create a second point of interest and a relationship between it and your primary subject. It also helps create ‘story’ within the image.

2. Experiment with Lighting

Another element of randomness that you can introduce to your portraits is the way that you light them. There are almost unlimited possibilities when it comes to using light in portraits.

Side-lighting can create mood, backlighting and silhouetting your subject to hide their features can be powerful.

Using techniques like slow synch flash can create an impressive wow factor.

Environmental Portraits

I really like how you can see her emotion in this photo. Like by looking at this photo I think she is about to do an audition or a performance and she is nervous. I picked this photo because I love her pose and emotion in the picture.

I like this photo because the picture is overall very clear and bright. Also, her pose makes you curious about what is going on in that moment. I chose this picture because I like how bright and clear it is.

Self Portraits

I really like the emotion that is shown in this photo, it is very mysterious and suspenseful. I picked this photo because i think the fact that it is half underwater makes this photo very appealing.

I like this photo because, while most self portraits are just smiling or happiness, we don't see as many pictures about other emotions. It really opens my eyes and shows that my photos don't have to revolve around happiness. I think a lot of people think their photo has to be happy or colorful when they think of self portraits, but sadness and anger in a photo can also be very appealing and makes you want to know more about the picture. I chose this picture because I like the black and white approach on it, it really adds to the emotion shown in the photo.

Casual Photos

I like this photo because it is a very simple picture, but is still appealing and eye catching. It shows natural beauty where she doesn't really have to pose or dress up for a picture. I chose this photo because I like the setting and the lighting in this picture.

I like this photo because it looks very casual. Unlike a lot of the photos that came up when i searched for casual pictures, this girl is in a normal everyday area. She isn't dressed up or posing in a sophisticated area, she is just normal, I think this is very realistic. I chose this photo because the setting gives a very comfortable feeling.

My Portrait Assignment

Im not sure what I will do for my portrait assignment yet, but I want to play with lighting in my photos. i will take pictures of my friends and myself. I will shoot in my house, and in the forest I live next to. To make my picture successful I will use different angles / viewpoints.

American Soldier

A. What is the most powerful image from the pictures printed in the Denver Post over the three weeks they published images from the year of coverage? Why?

I think the most powerful image was the one taken when he gets put in his place for the first time because it shows him realizing just how serious and challenging the army really is due to this event. I feel like this is where he really understands the army and starts thinking about if he really wants to do this for the rest of his life.

B. How do the images work together to tell a story?

These images work together to tell a story by showing how the people feel depending on what is happening in this moment. While the caption explains what is going on in the photo and somewhat explains how they feel, the pictures what really shows their emotions.

C. How do the captions enhance the photographs?

Captions give the photo more meaning by explaining exactly what is going on in the photo giving us a better understanding of the image and what is going on in it.

D. Summarize the story of Ian Fisher, based just on the captions.

Ian Fisher is a 17 year old man who wants join the army, but first he has to get his high school diploma. Once he gets his diploma he can finally begin his training. With not much time before he has to leave, he gets advice from somebody who has already been through training. Soon Ian starts to says goodbyes to his friends and family having multiple goodbye parties. Before leaving for 14weeks of training, Ian says his last goodbyes and goes on his way. Within the first week of training, Ian realizes how serious the army is, he sees how hardcore the trainers are. As time goes on training, Ian learns many new things, from how to use a gun to how to salute properly. As the 14 weeks of basic training comes to an end, Ian prepares to get his first award in the army. Soon, Ian gets stationed closer to his friends and family, which might take his attention. Later, Ian plans to propose to his girlfriend, which eventually falls through. His father becomes concerned as Ian begins to take pain medication as drugs, they are intended for his injuries but he still takes them even if he doesn't need them. He does a lot more training and his rank gets higher in the army, until he decides ti turn himself in for using drugs, which brings his rank down. Then,Ian goes to Iraq for a year. He soon comes back to his new girlfriend, but has to leave again back to Iraq off and on. After another year in Iraq, he is back for good. He soon marries his girlfriend.

E. For the photos in which Ian is the main subject of the photos, in what tense are the verbs usually written?

 Past tense

F. Break down the captions:

1. How many sentences are they on average?
Three
2. Read the first sentence of a couple of them, what information do they provide?
What is happening in the photo
3. Read the second sentences of a couple of them, what information do they provide?
What you can't see from looking at the picture
4. If there is a third sentence, what information does it provide?
Quotes
5. Do any captions include a quote?
Yes
6. Are there any that have four sentences?
Yes

G. Why do you think it is possible to tell a complete story with just photos and captions?
 
I think it is possible because picture say most of what is going on and the captions just describe the picture and give a little bit of background information which altogether makes a complete story.

H. If you can create a story with just photos and captions, why bother writing a story at all?

Sometimes it is important to give as much background information as possible, and sometimes you don't have all of the photos to tell a story.

Composition 2

Theme: Bright Colors


1. Rule of thirds



2. Balancing Elements



3. Leading Lines


4. Symmetry and Patterns (repetition)



5. Viewpoint



6. Background


7. Create depth


8. Framing



9. Cropping



10. Mergers and avoiding them - here I want you to find me a COOL merger photo.

Funny Capions

Great grandma Martha turns 100!
 Grandma Martha lives in Houston, Texas, her birthday is on October 24th, 1917, she is lighting her cigarette using her candles. It has become a tradition for her to light a cigarette on her candles ever since she was in her 20's, it started as a joke with the family and quickly turned into a ritual, and it never gets old for the family.




On September 30th, 2017, Valerie Pullington was enjoying a nice ride around the neighborhood on her electric wheelchair, when she realized she really wanted some Wendy's fries, luckily, there was one right down the street. The cashier at wendy's said that he really wasn't expecting someone to go through the drive through without a car, but he wasn't going to refuse her service, so trying to be as serious as possible, he gave her her food.




On October 15th, 2017, Jamie Sullivan (far right) is using a white board to inform her brother what day it is, and a friendly reminder of who he is (or isn't). Jamie went with her sister Susan Sullivan to the nursing home to see her brother, Darrel Sulivan (far left),  like she does every Monday afternoon, but this afternoon was a little different. Darrel has Alzheimers Disease, and thinks he is a lot of things he isn't, such as a new father and a 20 year old man, but today he thought he was a pirate. Jamie and her sister found this hilarious, even though he was completely serious about being a pirate. Darrel kept saying "shiver me timbers," and was a little frustrated because he couldn't find his "booty".

mural project

1. Think of at least three ideas you have about what your team could take photos of, that are in the same theme?

Nature
Colors
Shapes

2. You will be using the school cameras or your own similar camera. You will need to shoot in Manual. What are three things you will have to think about when you are out shooting?

Is the ISO set correctly?
Does my lighting look good? 
Is the picture clear?

3. Although we have always done this assignment as a paper/printed product. I am interested in being able to show off these images/creations/murals online. What are some ideas you have on how to get these pieces onto the internet? List three ideas and how you would suggest to your team this second product gets created.

We could make a collage using an online collage making website, setting up the pictures i the order/shape we would do on paper.
You could simply take a picture of the collage and put it online, even though the quality won't be as good.
You could post just the pictures with no specific order but then you wouldn't be able to tell who's picture is who's .

Prompt Shoot #2

Cold:


















Purple:

Electric:

Amusement Park

1. Tell me which amusement park featured in the two articles that you would like to visit and take your camera along and what about that park made you want to go there. Write at least a paragraph.


I want to go to the nara dreamland in japan because it looks really creepy and i like scary things. I want to go to that park because seeing all of the scary things there look so cool in picture, it will only be better in person. I could go through the amusement park as if it was still running and be the only one there.


2. Post one photo from that park. You may use the photos from the link, or you can google an entirely new photo. I would prefer to see a photo of the park in disrepair and not a photo of it when it was still operating.


3. Think of at least FIVE other unusual places you think would be of interest to photographers. List them.

4. Use google or another search engine to research ONE of your five places and see if anyone has already started documenting that place. If you find that someone has already started - post at least one photo of their work.

5. Write a paragraph about why you think that it would be fun to document that location. Tell me what interests you about that place and what kind of photos you could expect to take there.

6. Tell me what it would take for you to go and take photos at your location. What would you need as far as equipment goes, travel plans, expenses you might encounter and what laws you would have to take into consideration to take photos at your spot.