final exam extra credit

1. The man in the photo, Ki Suk Han, was pushed into the subway rails after trying to calm down another man who was harassing someone in the station. He tried to get out, but failed due to lack of strength. As Han nears death photographer, R. Umar Abbasi, takes out his camera and starts taking photos, using the flash on the camera to stop the train from hitting him.

2. The photographer claims he took the photo to save Han. He says he tried to signal the diver to stop the train with his camera flash.

3. I think the photographer could have helped the man out instead of taking the photo. It would have been much faster than setting up the camera, and might have had a more positive outcome.

4. I think it was a good thing to do in this situation, but I don't think it was the greatest thing he could have done. This is because he could have helped the man out or gotten others to help, but he used a small light to try to signal the driver.

5. I think since the photo was supposedly a valiant effort to prevent his death, that its okay to use the photo on the front page of the New York Post. The photo is said to not be a blatant non effort to help the man, so the use of it is not completely wrong.

6. Capturing life as it happens (in photos) is the definition of photojournalism. I think its more important because capturing life, rather than helping or saving one, is the job of a photojournalist.

7. I think if the situation calls for it, (maybe this one) where a life could be saved, the photographer would be able to do that, but any other situation is unacceptable.

8. I do think photojournalists should avoid influencing the effects they photograph. I think this because its unethical to give the public a "done-up" representation of something rather than the real thing.

9. I think in this situation, the most appropriate response would be to help in a way that is more influential than taking photos.

magazine cover images

portraits and self-portraits

fashion

1. The model's face was moved upward, the neck lengthened. The eyes were made bigger, the mouth and nose smaller, and the eyes moved down.

2. Using the computer, the model's body was thinned out along the arms and torso, the legs and arms and neck were all lengthened. Her skin tone was also altered and made lighter and more concentrated.

3. The changes made to the model on the computer include a significant scrunching up and thinning out of her entire body. Her legs were shaped, her rear end was made round and shapely. Her arms were thinned, and she was given hair.

4. I think it is ethically wrong to change the way something looks using photoshop (or reasonable facsimiles there of). This is because what is being advertised shouldn't be altered to persuade a customer's purchase further. I strongly disagree with severe alteration of things, especially people, in advertising and anything else for that matter.

5. I think that there are times when it would be more wrong to do it than others, like a weight loss program using photoshop on their ads would be completely unacceptable.

6. I think any changes to how something would make something else look is wrong. Like makeup making eyes more intense, photoshop would be wrong to use on that. I think that changing something small like the background or small details in something not affected by advertised product would be fine.

7. Fashion photography utilizes models and is capturing something that is conforming to the opposite. Photojournalism is the opposite. Photojournalism captures real people doing things in the moment. It captures memory and conforms to what it's looking at.

8. Photojournalism is very closely related to reality in that it captures what is really going on without any adjustments. Because of this, the ethics involved are simple, don't change the picture. And fashion photography is not very closely related to reality (if changed to advertise product) in that it modifies photos to make the subject more desirable. It's tricky because some modification is necessary, but a lot of what happens is unethical.

9. I think the reason that I am being shown these photos is because its a practice and a trial of photographical morals. It shows me what is going on behind magazine covers, and influencing me to do the right thing.

10. The standards of a woman's image is very different from a man. The way the different genders are perceived varies quite a bit. A woman has to be the perfect shape to be on a magazine cover. I guess so does a man, but there is a lot more to change about a women. The face, the bust, the stomach, waist, legs. While a man might only be given larger muscles or more hair. Therefore, the videos we saw were all about major changes made to women using photoshop.

magazines part II

A characteristic of the early magazine cover is that it is very similar to newspaper back then. They didn't always have a photo on the front, often looking like a book. It wasn't until later in magazine design that photos began being put on the covers. As time went on and photos began being used more, the poster cover was created. The poster cover utilizes bright colors, fun pictures, and minimal or small text. A common distinction among these types covers is simplicity. As the cover photos began getting more complex, designers started using text and in a more interesting way. Designers use cover lines and big titles to tell what the magazine is about as well as create depth and dynamics in the cover work. This type of magazine is called the pictures married to type. The utilization of text really grew when the modern in the forest of words type of magazine cover came along. It uses text and titling and cover lines prominently, lessening the importance of the model, turning them into kind of a billboard.

prompt shoot: cold, electric, purple

my favorite cover

"Just before her intimate photos were hacked--and splashed across the Web--Jennifer Lawrence posed topless for Patrick Demarchelier for the cover of Vanity Fair's November issue. As part of the accompanying cover story, she decided to break her silence about one of the biggest scandals in Hollywood this year. The Guardian called her salvo "the end of the 'shamed starlet.'" So strong was the outpouring of social-media support for Lawrence's stance that The New York Times reported on the fact "fans took to Twitter to applaud her." Demarchelier's striking photos of the Hunger Games actress also helped spark a thoughtful debate about a woman's right to reveal her body. Lawrence (and the V.F. cover) made her message loud and clear: "It's my body, and it should be my choice." 

I think the cover is great because the first thing I notice is nudity with a subtle touch of decency because of the necklace. It adds a certain classiness to the photo which goes along perfectly with who Jennifer Lawrence really is. I also like how the foreground pops from the background. I think that there could have been more of a contrast, but I think it pops enough. I also think that the reflection of the water could have been either more of a background thing instead of it just being there, or it could have been more reflective. I think the quote included in the photo correctly illustrates what the quote (included) by Lawrence means. She fights for women's rights and being able to express herself without being considered a sexual object. I think the photo is doing justice to what she is trying to say. 

best magazine covers 2015

1. formal

2. environmental

3. environmental

4. environmental

5. environmental

6. formal

7. informal

8. formal

9. informal

10. environmental

11. formal

12. formal

13. formal

14. formal

15. informal

16. informal

17. formal

18. formal

magazine tips

things to be thinking about when designing a magazine cover...

1. Color. Using a bright coral, for example, instead of gray or brown might increase the costumer's interest in the magazine.

2. Pattern. If there are a lot of crazy shapes and fade and overlapping on the cover, it has better chances of catching someone's eye.

3. Subject. Who is the magazine targeting? Put things on the cover that would appeal to who its being sold to.

4. Dominant Foreground. If what ever is on the cover pops out from the background, it will catch someone's eye rather than there being no difference between foreground and background. 

5. Text. Try not to distract from the photo with a lot of typing. Make the font modest and easy to read at the same time as stylish and attractive to the eye. 

self portrait and portrait part I

Tips of Photography

You can also use yourself as a test subject for experimenting with lighting or other creative techniques.

Break the Rules of Composition

Get Closer

Portrait Examples

               Environmental Portraits

I really liked this photo because it leaves you with a feeling of mystery. I don't really know what's going on in the photo, and I love that. I chose it because it's a great example of a fitting environment for an environmental portrait.

I liked this photo because I like how much he looking like he had a history where he was. The photo holds a lot of character, I love that aspect of everything. I chose this photo because it is a really good example of a background to use for an informational photo. It really clues as to what his life was like.

               Self Portraits

I liked this photo because when I looked at it, I was very intrigued. First of all, she's not wearing clothes, she looks like she's been crying, and there looks like a bit of smoke is coming from her mouth. Ultimately, I love mystery and I want to know what was going on in the photo. I chose this because the selfness of the self portrait is very evident. She did a wonderful job of interpreting herself.

I like this photo because the man looks very much like he is just not having it that day. I also like it because he's holding himself in a way that makes himself look almost aloof. I chose this photo because its a great example of a unique method of shooting the photo. He most likely did it in a mirror or reflective surface.

               Casual Portraits

I like this photo because the woman looks like she's having fun. It's a cute photo and the little message on the bench is adorable. I chose the photo because it looks like she's doing something casual, and she's is being welcoming, perfect for something casual.

I like this photo because the scenery is beautiful, as well as that the rules of photography in the photo create dynamics that are pleasing to the eye. I chose this photo because she's wearing something very casual and that she looks comfortable.

Portrait Assignment Plan

For the portrait that I will do for the assignments, I am going to either shoot my band mates, Mia Shippey and Bella Lufschanowski, or my father. I would shoot them in the grass, maybe around some plants. I might also shoot photos of them in our garage at practice. The way I will make the photo's good is that I will use natural light, I will focus the camera in on one of their features or actions, and I will get close to them. I will also but them in a dynamic area of the frame, and try to utilize lines. 

love and loss warm-up

1. Immediately after reading she had cancer, I went into a state of anticipation, waiting for a multitude of results. I thought it was going to end up very happily, and I was also willing to accept a sad ending. I did feel very sad and surprised at the end.

2. I feel that maybe the photographer was referring to the fact that they do not have definitions, and that the photos represented who they were as individuals.

3. I think I could, I would be physically able to. I just might not have the emotional strength to document that.

4. If I could write a letter to the photographer, I would tell him how much I admire what he did. I think it's really awesome to be able to share personal emotion with the world.

american soldier

a.) I think the most moving photo from the set is the one of him and someone who is older than him pretending to hit him on the head with a big piece of wood. They are all laughing and smiling. This was the most moving for me because it was kind of the small ray of sunshine on a rainy day. This photo showed joy amongst photos of war and unhappiness.

b.) set 1 - at home - image #1-image #3
set 2 - basic training - image #4-image #13
set 3 - in iraq - image #14-image #27

c.) I think the third set of photos is the most powerful. This is because it represented how hard things finally were, and how his life was really affecting other peoples'. I think the fact that real conflict was going on in the photos makes it more meaningful and sacred almost.

d.) The images all tell a very dynamic tale. The photographer designed it to show Ian in the decision making process, the start of the life he chose, the harder aspect of it all, and then the last photo ties it all back up with a happy ending.

e.) Present tense for the most part, second portions of the captions are past tense.

f.) Some of the details in the photos aren't obvious by sight. Like how the tears were welling in his eyes, and how the girl kissing him was his girlfriend and how her name was Ashley.

g.) Ian Fisher was a troubled kid who got into fights. He wanted to go into the army. He started training and left his party life behind. It was rough, he got little sleep, was constantly doing work, always being injured, and he was starting to think he wasn't cut out for it. Thoughts of quitting infected his mind, but he remains diligent. He moves up in ranks, facing challenges along the way, flying through girlfriends, working hard. Fisher gets into a little bit of trouble when he did not return to camp on time, but he moved up ranks even still. He returned to his home town of Denver, Colorado and proposes marriage to girlfriend at the time Devin, only to be married an hour later.

rules of photography part II - more composition ideas

RULE OF THIRDS 

BALANCING ELEMENTS

LEADING LINES

SYMMETRY AND PATTERNS

VIEWPOINT

BACKGROUND

CREATE DEPTH

FRAMING

CROPPING

MERGER

abandoned theme parks

My favorite park was the Takakanonuma Greenland, Hobara, Japan. It was beautiful as well as eerie, which is a combination of two of anything that I love. The oldness of it all was very charming to me. The flowers everywhere makes it even more lovely. Then the other factors take part in my interest; the tragedy, the alleged hauntings, the overgrown foliage, the rust. I also like the mountains that surround, it is very satisfying. As if being protected from the outside, but not from whats inside.

Some places that I think would be interesting for photographers to visit are:

underground civilizations

mental hospitals

abandoned water parks

abandoned prisons

abandoned mansions

I like these photos and these types of places for the same reason I chose the above amusement park. I really love the image that comes into your head of the way you think it used to look. The beauty of the way you think it was is so mysterious. I like mystery. I also really enjoy the creepiness of the whole water park aspect as well. When you think about it, people had to have drowned there. And now that the water is gone, it feels like their ghosts are kind of left with nothing, so they stay there and haunt the onlookers. 

I think to go to this place, I would have to be aware of the trespassing laws in the area. I would also get there by car, I like the experience. I would take enough money to stay for a good week. I would also have some friends with me. My camera and a tripod would accompany me, along with a few lenses. 

africa

Brandt captured the animals from very close, so he could "see their souls." I think that is really cool, especially because he appreciates the animals. The pictures reminded me of the film noir black and white sort of grainy style. I really liked the photos and the meaning behind them.

This is a photo of a wrinkly elephant. I really like how simple the background and I think it adds a certain element of dynamics. The elephant also looks like it is walking, its kind of cute also. I like how long the trunk is. I didn't know elephants' trunks reach down to the ground until now.

The rules that are evident here are simplicity and a little bit of rule of thirds. The simplicity is in the plain background that accentuates the foreground. The rule of thirds is the horizon of the ground. Its not in the middle of the frame. 

Brandt refuses to use the telephoto lenses. This is because he wants to get close enough to the animals to see their personalities and their souls. He wants to capture the fullness of their spirit. 

The reason for taking the photos of the animals is that he wants to take photos of them in the state of Being. Brandt feels that every animal, whether it be human or non human, has an equal right to live. He wants to capture the fullness of their existence. He realizes that there is an existence problem among the animals, all caused by us. 

I think his hope in taking these photos is that people will get it. Maybe by capturing these animals in such a real way, such a real setting, we as a race would stop applying tragedy to ourselves. 

"There is something profoundly iconic, mythological even, about the animals East and southern Africa. There is also something deeply, emotionally stirring and affecting about the plains of Africa-those vast, green rolling plains punctuated by graphically acacia trees under the huge skies." 

academic shoot reflection and critique

SELF CRITIQUE

Some troubles that I had trying to follow the rules were that I kept going right back to 'lines.' I wanted to create dimension with the lines, but it ended up looking repetitive. I also found that all of my photos were boring.

I found that I did the rule of thirds really well. I think that that is the most important rule. It makes the photo dynamic. It is a rule that I have always been very conscious of. I didn't ever capture something in the direct middle. I don't think any of my pictures were boring looking. (the photo, not the content... the content was boring.)

A few things that I would have done differently are I would do a better job focusing the camera and looking for more simple backgrounds.

I would continue to have dynamics and depth in my photos using lines.

When doing my next prompt shoot, I think the rule of thirds will be easiest. I think this because that rule is an aspect of a photo that is essential and relatively effortless to achieve. All thats required to get a shot using rule of thirds is to change your perspective.

I think the rule that will be hardest to capture is balance. Sometimes my photos are rather heavy on either side. I like rule of thirds so it gets a little confusing.

I am pretty clear on all of the rules, but balance is a little hard for me. I don't really understand if it means to go against rule of thirds, or to have symmetry or radial balance or what. It's a little hard to wrap my head around.

PEER CRITIQUE 

http://harrisonlphotoj.blogspot.com/

I thought Harrison's photos were very well composed. They weren't repetitive and they were interesting. Each one was different and he followed the prompt well.

One thing I think he can improve on is making the subject more obvious. A lot of times in his photos I found myself not knowing who the subject was and the photos seemed to look a bit cluttered because of it.

academic shoot

1. The rule of composition that I followed was rule of thirds. I put the person in the upper third of the photo to make the photo more dramatic.

2. The subject of the photo is the girl.

3. I think it is semi-clear the the girl is the subject. 

4. To make the subject more obvious, I could focus the camera better. 

 

academic shoot

1. In this photo, I used framing and lines to frame the subject and create dynamics. 

2. The subject is the girl in the center doing art. 

3. The subject is very clear. There are no other objects like her in the photo. 

academic shoot

1. In this photo, I used the composition rule of lines. In the photo, the lines on the desks, computers, and in the background create dynamics. I also used the rule of thirds. 

2. The subject of the photo is actually the girl in the front of the photo. 

3. The subject of the photo is not actually very clear because I did a horrible job of focusing the camera in on her face. I accidentally focused in on her arm. 

4. I would have gotten better eyesight or worn my glasses and focused the camera better. 

academic shoot

1. In this photo, the rules of composition that I followed were framing and lines. 

2. The subject is the girl drawing. She is supposed to be showing the people down the line from her as well, as if to create dynamics. 

3. I would say it it clear to others what the subject of the photo is. 

old people funny captioned photos

In the comfort of her own home in Scranton, 84 year old Pamela Beesly focuses intensely on a Wii tennis match. Her family and friends gathered round, watching as she hit the PRO level Wii sports tennis. 

I'm sure many teenagers can identify with Mary Shepard's awesome shirt that she is seen wearing at local grocery market in Georgia. The smile she wore goes along perfectly with the shirt, but the cause of the grin was that it was the first day of peach season and she had some good ones.

91 year old Helena Murphy plays her medley of 'Hey God' by Vince Gill and 'Will You Remember Me' by Ed Helms. She passed shortly after performing a rather hardcore solo featured in Led Zeppelin's own 'Strairway to Heaven.'

followup to part II: senses

I see imperfection and humanness. I see crooked teeth, chapped lips and skin tone. I see the dark room that this was taken. I see tile floors, a dirty kitchen. I see remnants off fast food. The people's eyes and bodies are tired. I see longing to leave. 

I smell smoke and cigar breath. Morning breath and expensive perfume. I smell cheap metal and tropical music. I smell the old couch that is in the room. I smell body odor and evidence that they have not showered. 

I hear slow breathing, slow music. I hear an old phone ringing in the background. I hear cars and people outside. I hear the ringing of an old lamp. I hear other people talking about the subject. I hear people coming in and out of the room. 

I taste sweat, ashes, and soda. I taste cherry cough drops. I taste the city streets. I taste the sewers and fake leather. I taste mint toothpaste in my own mouth. 

I feel stubble, skin, and the smoothness of make up. Big pores and bumpy skin.  I feel empathy and craziness. They look like they want to say something, but are too tired. They look like they are waiting for something big. I feel similar. 

great black and white photographers part III

The first thing that caught my eye when looking at John Gutmann's photos was the mystery factor that he had. A lot of his photos were of people that were doing things or were just very interesting. The other thing I noticed was that the photos were black and white.

I think a way that I would want to show everyone about John Gutmann would be to put his photography up in the school on huge posters. I think it would be really cool to see people taking an interest in it, and not knowing where it came from. 

mural project

1. I think one theme that we could place around the school is different patterns of just the color blue. All I ever see here is brick and our school colors, a little piece of the sky or maybe a wave would be really nice.

2. I think that limiting someone to participate is silly. It should be cameras and camera phones.

3. I think it would be really cool if it was on one of the exterior walls of the school, like a little hidden piece of art.

aperture, shutter speed, and iso

aperture

f-stop 2.8

f-stop 16

1. Aperture is very similar to the human eye. The pupil size increases and decreases, depending on the light of it's environment, letting an adequate amount of light in and out. 

2. The smaller the Aperture diaphragm, the higher the Aperture f-stop number. 

3. The depth of field can be affected by aperture in that the more light that is let in, the more secluded the foreground will be. Meaning, with more light, the less background is focused. 

shutter speed

fast shutter speed

slow shutter speed

fast vs. slow shutter speeds

1. At the beginning while the sun was still up and courtyard had reasonably good light. 

a.) medium

b.) fast

c.) very fast

d.) very fast

e.) fast

f.) very fast

2. Toward the end when there is no sun and has gotten dark enough that you can't see from one end of the courtyard to the other. 

a.) slow

b.) medium

c.) fast

d.) fast

e.) medium

f.) fast

three shutter speed settings

auto: camera sets shutter speed and aperture automatically

aperture priority: aperture is manually selected, while shutter speed is automatically set

shutter priority: shutter is manually selected, while aperture is automatically set

manual: aperture and shutter speed set manually

 iso

iso 3200

iso 200

1. The shutter speed has to be high to freeze the motion of the athletes, so the iso can be high, to let in light at a dark event.

2. The author said to always use a low iso when there is plenty of light, or else there will be ugly grain.

3. The author suggested using high iso when attempting to freeze motion without a flash or light.

settings on the play canon camera site

aperture: 2.8 - 22

shutter speed: 1 sec - 1/4000 of a sec

iso: 100 - 25600

unusual and interesting photos - part 3

The three photos that I thought were the most important for photographers to remember when out shooting included:

number 3 - The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer

number 16 - The Great Wave at Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai

number 24 - Bathing at La Grenouilliere by Claude Monet

The Girl with the Pearl Earring

Simple Portrait

I think the photographer followed the suggestions and composed the photo really well. They shot a proper amount of light and used a dark background to make the photo more appealing to the eye.

The photo that would influence me the most is the Monet painting of the boats on the water. He displayed light and framing, which is very important to me. I think that those things make the photo look a bit more clean and sharp.

unusual and interesting photos - part 2

unusual and interesting photos - part 1

I really liked his work. I like how sharp and appealing the image is to the eye. I really enjoyed how antique and retro everything looked.

I think the way that he made the photos is that he lengthened the exposure and captured all three angles of the landmarks.

A great building for a picture like this would be the frost building in downtown Austin. This would be  very easy for me to access, for I happen to live in Austin.