Portraits and Self Portraits I

3 Best Rules:

1. Take Unfocused Shots

2. Introduce Motion

3. Experiment with Subject Expressions

Environmental Portraits



I think this picture because the frame is filled to the frame, but the focus is still on the subject, the man. You also don't know exactly where he is, so you have to take a moment to look a the picture before you can figure out where and what he is doing.



The picture really drew me in because it made me think about my grandparents. The table is covered in photographs, there's pictures on the walls, the busy wallpaper draws your eye, and it made me think about how all this man and many people want is to be surrounded by family and memories.

Self Portraits














This picture drew my eye because the man is holding his camera to his head like a gun. For the man, this represents the risk and passion the man feels for photography, and the vulnerability it takes to put your heart out there with your work.



I like this picture because of the two tones and layers it has. It gives movement to the picture, but without any blurriness, and there's still a stillness. In one of the overlays, the women is holding herself, showing the message that there's always someone holding on and standing with you, even if it's you.

Casual Portraits



I love this picture because of the lighting, the fact she's in mid laugh, and the picture isn't so perfect and stiff. The subject looks like she's having fun, laughing and letting go, and isn't worried about anything.



This picture makes me laugh because the picture isn't serious. Having the cat adds so much playfulness and makes the picture lighthearted and silly. I think this picture plays with the rule Experiment with Subject's Expression because she looks like she's having so much fun, and the raised eyebrows and smile with teeth adds something new.

When I shoot my Portrait pictures I want to take pictures of people in my life such as my friends and family, when they're doing their normal routines, and things they feel passionate about. I can take pictures of my friends at dance, of my mom and my brother, pictures playing with my dog. I think it would be really interesting and exciting to see people experiencing their everyday life with all the school stress, fun, joy, and emotions that come with life, and try to capture that through the picture. I'll take pictures in a variety of places, but I'm really interested in the photography rules of movement, expression changes, and simple backgrounds so I would make an effort to incorporate those.

Funny Captions

Fran Sweethill being contained in a restricted area after causing an uproar over the last pair of loafers at Dillards this Sunday morning, October 23rd. She felt the passion to make sure she got them because "They were my size, and were the perfect white!"



Members of Stepping Stone Rehabilitation and Nursing Home, Nancy O'Neill, Hank Dickerson, and Linda Taylor, gather outside the front lobby protesting. Staff say the events that sparked this protest is the lack of bingo chips at this past Senior Mixer, only the protesters can't quite remember what they're protesting!



Earl Smith hits the dance floor enthusiastically at a flash mob with 'Never to Old to Dance,' an organization that helps keep elderly active and having fun through dance, and show choir! This event on October 5th drew a big crowd, and Earl was the center of attention.

Rules of Photography II

Dogs!!

Rule of Thirds:



Balancing Elements:



Leading Lines:



Symmetry and Patterns:



Viewpoint:



Background:



Depth:



Framing:



Cropping:



Avoiding Mergers:

COLD, PURPLE & ELECTRIC

PURPLE



COLD (Water)



COLD (Metal)



ELECTRIC

Great Black and White Photographers 3

1. What attracted me and stood out to me about Klein's photography is the action and story telling behind the pictures. The raw faces and expressions tell a story. The way Klein plays with movement makes you feel like you are in the scenery and part of the photograph. The have an aura of elegance and poise that transports you back to a time surrounded by movement.










2.
I see the stories of many different people. Some people walking slow with their shoulders hunched, others gliding across the sidewalk, bringing movement and speed to the picture. I see people leaning against grimy walls and shop signs flashing, as the sun sets over the silhouette of towering buildings.

I smell wafts of perfume washed out with the powerful smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke that overwhelms the busy streets at night. Smells of food leak from behind every restaurant door and fill the air with the smell of warm bread, fresh chicken, and warm desserts.

I hear the snips of conversation and the bustle of taxis honking. Over the occasional paper boy yelling, you can hear coffee sloshing in cups and purses jingling with keys and coins. The click of high heels over cement and metal grates rings through the streets and underneath everything there is a silence.

I taste the coffee that is sold from corner to corner, and the smoke in the air. I taste the pastries from the bakery down the street that are arranged delicately on my plate. The savory and rich flavors describe Klein's photography, savory, and bursting with flavor.

I feel the passion Klein had for his photography, and it's apparent through his pictures. The elegance and passion gives the picture an idyllic and romantic feel. Although the picture is cool toned with black and white, the pictures exudes warmth.

3. I'd like to do a poster about William Klein so I can really use hands on effort and create it the way I envision it, using his photography in a creative way to show it off.

Africa and Abandoned Theme Parks

Africa

1. The photos of the animals in the pictures are so grand and big that they fill the frame to the brim, and is so sharp and focused that you feel like you could extend your arm into the picture and touch the elephant's trunk. The black and white editing done to the image is so seamless and fitting that it looks like the picture was taken in a black and white world. The stillness of the animals, such as a lion, that are sometimes feared, gives the picture a timelessness and poise of the such magnificent animals.

2.
 

3. This photo is my favorite of Nick's photography because in my perspective, it's a personification. With thousands of poachers killing elephants, slaughtering them for their ivory tusks to make jewelry or decor, it shows a man kneeling with the tusks in front of him, almost as if they are part of his body. Poachers are taking parts of these beautiful animals and it ends up becoming part of them, destroying a beautiful creature so that they can take it's power and grace, which is represented by its tusks.

4. In this picture, a rule that is evident to me is simplicity and lines. The sky is quiet, the picture is black and white, and the man's face isn't even visible, so the focus is on the mass and power of the trunks, which is a representation of simplicity. The lines is apparent in the curve of the trunks which directs your eye to the man's body, as well as the open sky.

5. Brandt uses a Pentax 67||, which is an older camera, and is not updated with recent settings like auto focus, but Nick loves the camera because of the imperfections it can produce. The act of looking through the glass and the film aspect of it is something that makes his work different from other modern black and white photographers, Brandt takes pride in being different and having his work be manual, so that's important to his integrity as a photographer.

6. Nick photographs the raw truth of the land and animals in Africa because he wants to share the story of all the harm these animals endure and the impact that has on the culture, community, and physical earth in Africa. But through his photos, Nick also brings an essence or veil of mystery and romance into his pictures so the receiver can feel the animal's spirit and story through the picture.

7. Nick wants to spread awareness of the poaching and slow demise of the wild elephant population in Africa. Brandt has a foundation called the Big Life Foundation. The Big Life Foundation's goal is to raise money to hire hundreds of rangers to patrol and protect millions of Africa's wild, lush, and vibrant land, roaming with healthy and harmless elephants, and through his photograph, he can bring the reality across the world, and spread awareness.

8. "My images are unashamedly idyllic and romantic, a kind of enchanted Africa. They're my elegy to a world that is steadily, tragically vanishing." - Nick Brandt

Abandoned Theme Parks

1. The amusement park I would most like to visit and photograph is the Six Flags New Orleans. The rotting and decayed parts of the park juxtaposed with the sparkling and elegant pieces gives a empty and eery feeling that would be interesting to photograph. The glistening carousal with the sunlight pouring through behind it is a gorgeous picture full of light and color, while the picture of the black and rotting inside that was ripped apart by flood water and relentless rains during hurricane Katrina gives an opposite effect that would be cool to photograph. It's interesting that the idea of an amusement park is to have fun and relax with your family, while it was torn apart by something that ruined so many businesses, houses, and took many lives. Not only does the photograph oppose, so does the effect and meaning.

2.
 

3.
- abandoned waterparks
- doctor's waiting room
- hotel lobby
- department stores during Christmas
- diner at night

4.
 

5. I think it'd be interesting to photograph an abandoned water marks because the rust and buildup water would be interesting to see over time. Many animals have probably made a new home in the pools and water slides, so seeing and comparing the filth to the usually shiny and clean surfaces would be a contrast that is comparable to the amusement parks. Afte rlearing why the waterpark was shut down you could photograph the effects the cause had on the park and it's surrounding areas.

6. I would most likely need water proof equipment, and something to secure my camera to me while I climbed ladders or steps to get a view as if I was about to go down a waterslide in full swing. Expenses wouldn't be to unmanagable because these abandoned parks are all over the world, and don't have to be in exotic locations. While photographing theses, I would have to be mindful of water, animals and reptiles that have been living in the water, and rusted ladders and stands that could be harmful if not carefully avoided, but in the end all the damage would pose for an alarming and quick transformation from the park in and out of use.

Photoshop Academic Shoot

Original



-Resolution Issues





Increased warmth, Retouching






Cropped, increased Saturation and Exposure





cropped, increased coloration in red and yellow





cropped, black and white with blue hues





increased saturation in red tones