Period 1 - Semester Final

1. My favorite photo from Pictures of the Day: Syria and Elsewhere Sep. 2014 was picture 9. The first reason why i like the photo was because it uses the Rule of Thirds. The object of the photo is off-centered. The second reason is because it is a silhouette. This make the viewer focus on the picture and try to guess the object. The final reason I like this picture is because there is more than one object. There is a smaller object, the bird, resting on the larger object, the moose.

2. The best photo is Picture 2. This photo must have been very difficult to capture because it was in the midst of all the action. The picture shows a mother and her child crossing a border in an intense situation. On the right side of the photo there is a pistol. And finally, the soldiers and other men in the background further prove how intense this moment was.

3. My best work this semester was my Master of Photography Assignment. I invested more time in this assignment, than I did in previous assignments. Another reason why this was one of my best works was because I took the time to talk to the people I was photographing. I allowed them to be at ease so the act of taking the picture didn't seem awkward. My final reason is because I took constructive criticism from my group members. I used the advice my group members had given me, to further improve my assignment. If i had more time to work on the assignment, I would have taken more shots and eliminated form there. This way I may have been able to mimic Smith's photo even better. But with the time I had, I feel that I did mimic the photos to my best ability.

4. My three rules of composition are: 1.Leading Lines 2.Filling the Frame 3.Depth of Field

5. This photo illustrates my ability to apply my rules of composition.

Leading lines rules is used in this photo, as the lines from the garage door are leading towards the subject, Micheal. Depth of Field is also used in this photo. In the top left of the photo, the glasses are out of focus. Furthermore, the iPhone is in focus and is the main focus of the picture.

6. Your first rule of composition was: Get Closer. I remember learning that it is important to get comfortable with the subject of the photo and essentially "get close."   By getting closer and comfortable with the subject, the photo taken will seem less awkward and will bring out the honest emotions. 

7.  Working in groups allows me to provide constructive criticism my group to improve as a whole. Group members also can help me by finding errors in my work that I may not have seen. Working in a group allows more productivity, by dividing and conquering tasks. Dividing tasks allows us to tackle more complex problems than I could have done on my own. Working in groups has also allowed me to have a variety of subjects in the photos I have taken. Finally, working in groups has developed my communication skills. I have learned how to talk among others, as well as creating a comfortable environment for the subjects i take photos of. 

8. While working in a group is beneficial, it can also be detrimental at times. Sometimes, we end up talking about topics that are not related to photography. This can result in less productivity at times. Working in groups also results in unequal participation. Often times. some members tend to slack off and others must do more work to compensate for their lack of participation. Working is groups sometimes takes longer than usual, therefore not creating the desired result. And finally, there is sometimes conflict in groups. Contrasting styles sometimes results in arguments or differences in opinion. 

9. This is my favorite work produced by my group member, Michael. This photo greatly integrates his rules of composition: Filling the Frame, Leading Lines, and Aspect Ratio. I really like how the dew on the plant is the main focus of the photo. The dying parts of the plant in the background also provide different colors in the photo. 

10. Our group studied and reproduced the work of the master photographer, Eugene W. Smith. Although Smith's most famous photo was of Harry Truman holding up a newspaper, he was known for war photography. Smith contributed to photography by taking daring photos that often challenged propaganda. He used these photos to inspire young Americans to fight for their country in the war. 

11. Dorothea Lange's most popular photo was called Migrant Mother. This photo was taken if February or  March of 1936 in Nipomo, California. The "migrant mother" in the photo was Florence Owens Thompson. The Farm Security Association (FSA) employed her when she took the photo. 

12. LIFE Magazine began publishing in 1936.

13. Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, was born on January 8, 1935.

14. Rober Capa was a founding member of Magnum Photos, which started in 1947. 

Album Cover Assignment

For this assignment, our objective was to recreate a Top 500 album cover. My group chose to recreate The Beatles' Abbey Road Album Cover.

Abbey Road Album Cover: http://d817ypd61vbww.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/tile/image/original_441.jpg

Masters of Photography Project Reflection

At the beginning of the year, I perceived Digital Photography as a class to edit photos. However, now I perceive it differently, with a deeper meaning. Part of Digital Photography is learning about the masters themselves, and how they pioneered and really created a strong foundation for photography.

After looking at other groups' Masters of Photography blog posts,  I learned that some groups worked harder than others. Some groups took the time to learn about their photographers, while others simply copied their pictures. There were various students that impressed me with their photos.

1. My project represents me as a student, because it is a work of art. It represents that amount of time I invested in learning about Eugene W. Smith. It also represents organization, an important skill which students must acquire.
2. After taking this class this school year, my understanding of photography has changed during this school year. Photography is more than just pressing a shutter. Its about learning about the subject and its environment. There are endless possibilities when editing photos. Using applications such as Adobe Bridge and Photoshop have allowed me to create works of art i never thought i could have made. 
3. There are various benefits of working in a group. Group members are capable of catching mistakes in my work that i may not have seen. Group members also give feedback and constructive criticism, which allows me to become a better photographer. 
4. While there are advantages of working in a group, there are also some disadvantages. Sometimes, group members tend to slack off, resulting in someone else working harder to compensate. Working in groups may also result in less productivity at times due to talking about non-related subjects. 
5. After reflecting on my project, one thing I would have done differently was taking more time to analyze my subject in relation to the background. Although I did take many shots at a time, I could have experimented more with the angle of lighting on the subject. 
6. I wanted to include that my photos in this project are my works of art. They represent my best ability to imitate photos of a master. Although some of my photos may not have looked exactly as those of Smith's they represent my best ability to imitate them.