Portraits Part 2

Theme: Gossip Girl characters


Background:

 Balancing Elements:

 Cropping:

Depth:

 Framing:

 Leading Lines:

 Cool Merging:

Viewpoint:

 Rule of Thirds:

 Symmetry:

 Another Viewpoint:

Portraits Part 1

PART ONE 

Learn a few simple phrases in the local language so you can at least say hello to people and ask if you can make photographs of them. - http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-tips/portrait-photography-tips/#page=2

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. - http://digital-photography-school.com/10-ways-to-take-stunning-portraits

If you're going to be shooting in one situation, set the aperture and shutter speed in advance so you don't have to fiddle with them while you're shooting. - http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-tips/portrait-photography-tips/#page=2

 

I like this environmental portrait because it tells an emotional story and has a romantic couple and a photogenic dog. I chose this photo because the environment (the sunset and snow) is beautiful and contributes to the story the people tell. 

 I like this environmental portrait because the setting in the ocean an the pretty, blue sky are beautiful nature aspects that caught my eye. I chose this photo because the man's distant look and stance creates a loneliness in the photo and the fish around his neck can give a lot of information about the setting, and why the man is on a boat in the ocean.

 I love this self portrait photo because the model/subject portrays her intent expression really well, clearly showing emotions in her and for viewers. I chose this photo because I like the uniqueness of the image, and the black and white effect. 

 I love this photo because it is black and white, then shows a paint brush sweeping color across the photo which is a unique and creative aspect to engage viewers. I chose this photo because it is eye-catching and beautiful, like a man who is just showing others his true self.

 I like this casual portrait because it shows a happy woman dressed nicely and dolled up, and she looks pretty. I chose the photo because it uses the framing rule and rule of thirds, both rules that shape the photo to make it taken so well.

I like this photo because it is bright and sunny and has many colors, creating a joyful mood. I chose this casual portrait because it shows a happy woman laughing and having a good time, with a radiating smile.

MY PORTRAIT PLAN:
For my portrait assignment, I plan to photograph different kinds of body language people portray in different situations. I will be shooting anyone from children to seniors because there will be a larger variety of emotions. My photos will be taken in common areas that are part of daily routines, such as the kitchen, the sidewalk, the car.. etc. To make this shoot successful, I will engage myself in the photo rules to make variety and and uniqueness in my photos. However, I think the majority of the photo rules I will use will be rule of thirds, balance and I will avoid merging by photographing the subject's whole body. I plan to make my theme clear and relatable.



 

Aperture, Shutter Speed & ISO

Aperture setting f2.8:

F16:

  1) The aperture is closely related to the human eye of our bodies, mainly our cornea.2) The smaller the aperture the larger the f-stop, the larger the aperture, the smaller the f-stop.3) Aperture impacts Depth of Field because it decides how blurry or clear the background is, so the subject can be sharp and focused. 

High Shutter Speed example










Slow Shutter Speed example  

a) During the day, a booth near the tree would look best shot with a high shutter speed to capture the movement that would be taking place in the tree and the people.b) A food booth under a red awning would also look best with a high shutter speed so the movement of hands reaching for food won't blur out the type of food or hands. c) The Silver Star's performance in the gym should be photographed with a high shutter speed so the highlights of the dance moves can be shot quick, clean and sharp. d) Students dancing near the courtyard should be captured with a high shutter speed as well, because the high shutter speed works best in the daytime with light and won't make the fun dance moves blurry. e) I would photograph students streaming in using a low shutter speed because the blur of their moving bodies would emphasize the number of people. f) I would photograph students at the basketball booth shooting hoops using a high shutter speed to capture the ball in mid air and the stance and position of the shooter.    a) I would take photos of the booth near the big tree using a slow shutter speed to emphasize the night time and make the people in the background and moving leaves blurred in movement. b) A food booth under one of the red awnings at night would look best using a high shutter speed, because there isn't much to blur out that would make the photo look better.   c) The Silver Star's performance in the gym should be photographed with a high shutter speed so the highlights of the dance moves can be shot quick, clean and sharp whether it's day or night time.  d) At night, students dancing near the courtyard would look best if photographed with a slow shutter speed, to emphasize the movement of the students all at once e) I would capture students streaming in with a low shutter speed, because day or night the students blurred and busily moving in line would entice viewers.  f) I would capture students at the basketball booth using a low shutter speed, to create a moving effect of the ball towards the hoop.  
2) The three steps on the camera regarding shutter speed are setting the camera on aperture, shutter priority and the auto setting. The aperture setting is what the light passes through in the camera, the shutter priority determines if the speed of the shutter will be high (stopped action) or slow (blurred action), and the auto setting which automatically sets the aperture and shutter speed. ISO 200:  ISO 200:

ISO 3200: 

   1) If shooting at a sporting event, it is at your advantage to use a higher ISO because it will be in better quality, and the players/ball/subject will most likely be far away, so good quality is necessary.  2) The author said that a low ISO should be used as frequent as possible, if there is good lighting.3) The author said to use a high ISO when trying the freeze a motion or capture images in low lighting. DSLR: 1. Aperture settings: 2.8-222. Shutter Speed: 1 sec-1/4000 of a second3. ISO setting: 100, 200, 400, 800, 1200, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800, 25600 
        

Cancer Story Photos :(

1) While looking at these photos, I felt pain and sadness for the family involved and shocked at the pain they must have gone through and still deal with today.
2) I think this comment means that each photo means more than meets the eye, and they each have a story that became part of the husband/photographer.
3) If I were in this situation, I don't think I would have enough courage to shoot photos like this because I would know deep down that it won't end well, and I would want to live in the moment when the person is alive instead of focusing on the stages of he/she becoming more and more ill.
4) If I were to write Angelo a letter, I would let him know that I think he is very brave and creative for taking these photos and coming up with this idea, and I'd ask him if it was a difficult process for him to take the photos for him emotionally, and physically for his wife.

Africa // Abandoned Theme Parks

1) The interview of Nick Brandt was very eye-opening and interesting. While reading, I felt sad for the misfortunes that the weather in Africa brings to the people, leading to their need to kill the animals striving in their environment. I like how Brandt photographs animals that are also experiencing harsh conditions or being preserved, to educate viewers and create sympathy. The black and white photos on the slideshow were all seemed to tell me a story and were very well taken, using photography rules such as balance in "Elephant Drinking" and the rule of thirds in "Giraffes in Evening Light."
2)

3) The photo by Nick Brandt is my favorite because of how simple, yet sad and emotional it is. The photo shows through Brandt's eyes the importance of preserving elephants and how they are being abused, in an effort to make the world realize terrible things happening that we don't even recognize. This photo is pleasing to the eye because it uses a few photo rules and was taken at a time of day with a cloudy sky, really shaping the photo.

4) The first rule I noticed in this photo was the rule of Leading Lines. The tusks serve as a curved line, leading towards the man on the left, and the line that splits the dry, flat and cracked ground from the cloudy sky creates a vast and lonely/empty landscape. Another rule I see is the Rule of Thirds, separating the man into the first third of the photo and the tusks in the other two. Also, this photo shows simple Balance because of the single three objects in the photo: the man and the two tusks. The flatness of the ground and the clouds in the sky also create a balance of space between the main aspect of the photo.

5) Nick Brandt uses a medium format film camera and a regular lens. He doesn't use a special type of lens because he feels that it is more realistic to capture the animals in the way that you would be able to see them if you were there. This is important because it contributes to his style of photography and capturing real situations.

6) Nick Brandt takes these types of photos because the animals themselves move him and interest him. Brandt shows animals in their natural setting, captures specific moments and learns about the threats they may be experiencing.

7) By taking these types of photos, Nick Brandt hopes to educate viewers of the conditions the animals are living in and the natural beauty of these animals and how they need to be preserved.

8) "There is something profoundly iconic, mythological even, about the animals of 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 perfect acacia trees under the huge skies." -Nick Brandt, Awaiting Animals: Casting East African Wildlife "in a State of Being", http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nick-brandt-a-shadow-falls-african-wildlife-photography/

ABANDONED THEME PARKS


1) If I could visit one of these unique theme parks and capture photos there, I would go to Koka Family Land, Shiga, Japan. I chose this theme park because I saw the most photo opportunities for capturing photos using the photo rules. This is because the park is in a big, green forest with many trees and aspects of nature to make the photos more beautiful yet mysterious. The forest creates an eery feeling that the theme park has been abandoned so long that a forest has grown around it. 


2)

3) Five places I think would be of great interest for photographers to photograph are abandoned beaches, treetops, underwater life, firsts (first school, first walmart built...), and unique modes of transportation.

4) By Elena Kalis: 

5) I think it would be very fun and interesting to take photos underwater because I would be able to interact with lots of the marine life and get first hand experience. I am most interested in photographing the daily lives of the marine animals to help others understand life underwater better, through a photo that would capture this. Lastly, I would expect to take very unique photos of of things certain animals rarely do or always do, so that the viewers become inspired and wanting to learn more.

6) If I were to actually take photos underwater, I would want to be very experienced and working with a very smart and knowledgeable team. Also, I would want to photograph at pretty and unique locations. The equipment I would need to take high quality and top photos underwater would be very expensive, sophisticated and bulky, and because I don't live near (a nice) beach to photograph, I would want to go somewhere such as the Dominican Republic, where the water is crystal clear. Lastly, I would have to be sure I am familiar with all the laws and restrictions of interacting with wildlife in that area, and I would have to be knowledgeable on how to act and treat underwater animals.

Funny Captions

(I was absent when we finished this in class)

Today is Loraine's 100th Birthday. She has been smoking for decades now, and no number of years will stop her!

Grandma Patty plays with her grand children's Wii, their current day entertainment. The closest Patty ever got to this when she was a kid was milking a cow!

Today, Deanne is wearing her "bad mood" T-shirt. Believe it or not, she's always had a smile on her face no matter what mood she's in!

Great Black & White Photographers Part 3

1) Minor White's photography caught my eye because of how simple his photos were and how pure they look. His photos make viewers feel thoughtful and more connected to the subject. I chose these photos because they create a sense of peace and cleanliness. 
                                                         
                                                          
(Left photo)  I see four ripe tomatoes, shiny and round, on top of a flat wooden surface. The tomatoes are fresh and free of dirt or bruises. The wooden surface looks aged and sturdy.

I smell the freshly picked fruit, like the aroma of salad. I smell the earthy soil where the tomatoes used to lay, covered with a layer of harsh lemon scented soap.

 I hear the rolling of the tomatoes on top of the wood, and the small,  muffled bump when they run into each other. I hear the beats of a knife banging onto the the would when it silently slices through the fruit.

 I taste the sour liquid inside the tomato and the burst of its skin breaking. I taste the small round seeds inside tomato.

I feel the smooth, tight skin of the tomato and the creased ridges coming from the stem. I feel the rough bump of the skin at the top of the tomato.

(Right photo) I see a waterfall smashing into the leafy forest floor. I see the water particles and mist floating in all directions, bouncing off of the forest floor.

I smell the fresh soil and pine scent of the forest and the clean smell of water. I smell the thick moist air, like it has just rained.

I hear the crashing of hundreds of gallons of fresh water hitting the soild, and I hear the relaxing, steady flow of water in mid air, before it hits the ground. I hear the chirping and squeaking of birds in the forest canopy.

I taste numerous water droplets on my tongue of fresh, cool water with a hint of earthy soil. Also, my parched mouth tastes a clean liquid sliding down my throat.

I feel harsh splashes of water hit me on my shoulders, pushing my down on my knees to the moist, fluffy soil beneath the waterfall.

Mural Theme

1) Around the school, an ongoing theme I would create a 'trends' them and photograph the many people following bandwagon trends, or creating their own.

2) I think we should be able to use the professional cameras because they make the shot more clear and make viewers feel that they are in the shot.

3) I would put this mural in the hallway, so students can observe them while passing by.

Critiquing Hannah's Blog

http://hannahsphototjournalismblog.blogspot.com/

Hannah's photos all show student working with academic purposes, which is exactly what we were supposed to do. Also, the way she angled her balance photo from a bird's eye view came out really great.

One thing Hannah could improve on is getting closer to her subjects to capture a shot so the viewers can get a better understanding of who or what the subject actually is.

I commented on Hannah Porter's photo, she's in 2nd period.

Academic Shoot Reflection & Critique

1) While trying to capture the photo rules, challenges I faced were finding perfectly balanced photos and making simplicity photos look interesting.
2) Focusing the camera was the hardest technical aspect of taking these photos because if my shot didn't focus for example, I just had to crouch in front of students at their desks until I correctly focused the lens, then held the position that captured the best shot.
3) If I could do this assignment over again, I would focus more on actually capturing academic things happening in action, instead of trying to get a good shot.
4) If I did this assignment over again, I would do some of the same things as last time, like getting good angles and always making sure I focus and blur out the things that I want.
5) I think the easiest rule to achieve next time will be leading lines, because the school and academics provides lots of lines and photos to capture with that theme.
6) I think the hardest rule to capture in next photo shoot will be balance, because it is very difficult to center a subject and have a geometrical background.
7)  A rule I am still not clear on is simplicity, and how I can make simple photos still cool to look at for viewers. To learn more about this rule, I can look at other students' examples to get a better idea.

Academic Shoot Photo Rules

 Lines
1) I followed this rule well because of the way that the words on the page and lines on wood on the desk lead to the student writing.
2) The subject of this photo is the student in the right corner working, and the lines lead to her.
3) It is not clear to others that the subject is the student, because I blurred her out instead of the book.
4) I think i should've focused the camera on the girl writing and blurred the book, because the lines would still be visible.

 Balance
1) I think I followed the rule very well, because of how the girl (subject) is centered between the two poles and the hallway.
2) The subject of this photo is the girl in the middle sitting at a table working on a project, while listening to music.
3) The subject of this photo is clear to others because she is centered and focused.
4) in this photo, I could have angled the camera to make the subject perfectly in between the poles.
 

 Rule of Thirds
1) This rule I followed well because the subject takes up one third of the photo.
2) The subject of this photo is the hand holding the blue pencil, preparing to write on the paper.
3) I think the subject o this photo is a little unclear because although it is focused, people may think it's the dark blue circle in the background drawing in attention.
4)  Differently in this photo, I could've shot more of a bird's eye view to crop out the blue circle in the back. 

Simplicity
1) Although I did follow this rule well because of how simple the photo is, I think it;s a little boring.
2) The subject of this photo is the girl with headphones on intently looking at the computer.
3) The subject of this photo is clear because she takes up the most space.
4) Differently, I could have not cut out the subject's arm.
 

Framing
1) This photo I did not follow the rule well because although the window serves as a frame, the other windows in the picture block out that purpose.
2) The subject of this photo is the boy sitting on the floor, his back against a window.
3) The subject of the photo is clear because he is centered and isolated.
4) For this photo, I could have caught a moment when the boy wasn't on his phone, and not cut off the tip of his head.