Final Exam

Transformative Photo:


-This is my transformative photo because I took this photo and didn't really like it, but after cropping out parts of it and editing color, I made a whole new composition. This made me realize the potential of photography. Just some simple edits can make it look much more interesting.

The Difference Between Shape and Form:

Form
Shape

The difference between form and shape is quite broad and both concepts are variable. Form is like the surface area, texture, or the it's 3D appearance. For example, my photo of Form shows a rock that has defining shadow shapes that clearly defines the rock and texture.
 For Shape, I like to think of it like a silhouette. It can have big or small varying shapes that will dramatically affect a silhouette. It can also have negative space or the space surrounding the shape that will create a dynamic contrast between the shape and the space around it. My photo example clearly demonstrates this as the two trees and branches create are interesting shapes themselves, but they also enhance the space around it with it's negative shapes.

Difference Between Repetition and Pattern:

The difference between these two concepts might seem similar, but both have their unique traits. Repetition, I like to think of as like an element that is repeating. Such as maybe a photo that has multiple curving lines or a shape with some kind of rhythm like a rolling hill.
Pattern on the other hand is an element that is shown all over the photograph. You can see the element multiple times through the photo, for example, my photo shows the element of lines that act as the pattern.

Movement

Movement is a tricky word in the element of design. One might think it's the movement of an object, but it's much more than that. Movement is the director that leads you through points of interest through out a photo. It might be lines of smoke that travels through the whole photo or maybe a long river that winds around the photo. It my photo however, its the winding road that acts as a forceful line that guides your eye around it.

My best is from the commercial shoot:



I think this is my best because I thought of color contrasts. It is my best work because I learned to see differently and changed me as a photographer. It made me think of color contrast between my subject and the background. I also initially took this photo facing straight at him, but I thought it might be more interesting if I changed the angle to show some light.
This made me think of the surroundings more to enhance what would've been a much more boring photo. This changed how I saw differently because I was actively searching for a better composition while shooting this and also thought of elements that would make the photo better.

Student Website Review

Period 1: http://aileenhhsu.weebly.com/photography - I think the photo that is black and white with the drawn chalk stairs is the best because its creative and well taken photo. It also has good composition for what it is.

Period 3: http://gr8j8.weebly.com/ - The best photo on here is the one with the sunset in the field with the little house. This is the best photo because it looked like it required planning and timing to get the right shot along with it being a very nice composition resulting in a professional looking photo.

Period 4: http://haroonrasheedphotography.weebly.com/ - Best photo is the one is his best of work section which has someone standing in the hallway leaning on lockers because it looks nice with the lighting and the silhouetted figure is a nice contrast in it.

Presentation Project

http://tomlongphoto.weebly.com/

Commercial Shoot

By Hanson

By Hanson

(11x17)

By Tommy

By Briant

By Briant

Camera Raw Edit

Before Edit

After Edit

Did some cropping and lighting adjustments.

My Best Picture

Five Photographers I like:

1.) Henri Cartier-Bresson
2.) Annie Leibovitz
3.) Ansel Adams
4.) Steve Mccurry
5.) Brian Duffy

MSJ MC Week Story

It is Multicultural week here at MSJ and its a week of celebration of the many cultures. It involves a week of different foods served at lunch with a special assembly at the end of the week. The biggest advantage of this week is the very long lunch which is over one hour long. This also means shorter class periods overall and alot more time to enjoy ourselves during the long break. For me, I got to go out of campus to eat some food and come back with still time to spare without having to rush. The perfect time for me to take some pictures for the photography assignment. This have made my lunches more relaxed and enjoyable.

Unity

No edits. Shows unity because my subjects are all connected.

Shutter Speed and Everything After

Divine Brokaw

1. Fast. The Trucks in the photo seem completely still with no motion blur.
2. Depth
3. Element of Art: Lines. Lines that lead your eye around the picture. The highway and trucks act as the leading lines.
4. Principle of Design: Pattern. A repeating element in the picture. The trucks are placed in a pattern as well as the design of the railings and the white highway lines.

Tuesday With Farley's Kids

Fast shutter speed. 1/60 is my guess.

Len's Blog - Documenting the Blues Unity

Photo #6 was our choice for unity.  The way it shows unity is that many elements of design are incorporated in the photo. There is movement among the photo that creates emphasis on the subject which is the man on the stick. It also shows rhythm with the smoking pots. They act like leading lines , repetition, and pattern that curves around the photo. It also features a variety of subjects that lead your eye around the whole picture. The placement of the shapes also create balance and proportion among the many subject as well. With the inclusion of all these elements, it works to create unity and completeness to the overall picture.

Variety

Rhythm

Movie Monday Part 3 and 4

1. What is your definition of successful? - My definition of success is overcoming odds to meet your goals or ambitions. Whether the goal seems impossible, you still aim for it anyways. 
2. What have you given up to become successful? - In the past, I've given up many hours of my life and time in order to achieve some of my goals. 
3. What did Parks give up to become successful? - Parks gave up much of his time with his family. He was often away from his family when he was working. 
4. Who was Genevieve Young's father? - He father was one of the founding members of Vk Wellington Kok and also the UN. 
5. How much was Parks advanced to write his first book (and eventual best-selling autobiography)? - For his book he was given 10,000 Dollars in advance.
6. How much money did Elijah Muhammad offer Parks to do a story on The Nation of Islam? - Parks was offered a total of $500,000 dollars for the story. 
7. Why did Parks refuse the money? - He refused it out of disagreement of the Nation of Islam's support of violent protests and preferred his camera document more positive views on life and not violence or guns.
8. What was significant about the movie The Learning Tree? - First film made by an African American. 
9. What was significant about the character Shaft? - Inspired many African Americans to overcome racism.
10. What was Gordon Parks' choice of weapons? - His Camera and his writing.
11. What reason did Genevieve Young give for the divorce? - The relationship was holding her back and there was not enough stability in their life. 
12. In 1984, Parks directed Solomon Northrup's Odyssey. What recent feature film told the same story? - The most recent film was 12 Years a Slave. A very good movie, I watched it in theaters back in 2013. 
13. Who was Gordon Parks, jr? - Gordon Parks oldest son who was a Hollywood writer. He died in a plane crash in his forties. 
14. What is your favorite Gordon Parks photo? - This one. The shapes look incredible. 
15. What will you remember about Gordon Parks in ten years? - A man who has accomplished much and has preserved at a time with prevalent racism.  

Proportion

Repetition and Pattern

Movement

Roads and Trees lead your eyes around the photo

Emphasis

Hallway. Emphasis on my left hand.

Balance

Texture

Color - Red

Space

Form

Half Past Autumn - Gordon Parks pt 1

1. On the day Gordon Parks was born, how did the doctor save Gordon's life?

Gordon Parks was saved by being dumped into a bucket of ice water.

2. Where was Gordon born? (what state?)

Kansas.

3. What did Gordon's college adviser, Ms. McClintock tell him about college?

Ms. Mclintock said that college was not for African Americans

4. How old was Gordon when his mother died?

About 15

5. Where did Gordon move after his mother died?

St. Paul, Minnesota

6. Did Gordon graduate from college?

Yes, From Princeton.

7. How did Gordon begin his fashion photography career?

He asked models to take pictures of

8. What is a "double exposure?"

Double exposure is the repeated exposure of a photographic plate or film to light, often 

producing ghost images.

9. Who was boxer Joe Louis?

Joe Louis was one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time.  His wife encouraged Parks to move to Chicago and shoot there.

10. What instrument did Gordon play?

Piano

11. What was the purpose of the Farm Security Administration?

The purpose was to show America the conditions of the Great Depression.

12. When Roy Stryker hired Gordon for the FSA, what was Stryker's first assignment for 

Gordon in Washington, D.C.?

He had to go to a store to buy a suit, eat at a nearby restaurant, and go to a movie theater.

13. Who was Ella Watson?

Ella Watson was the woman standing in front of the American flag holding a broom and a 

mop.

14. What was the inspiration for Grant Wood's American Gothic?

The inspiration came from the feelings of racial segregation and discrimination he saw throughout his life. 

15. What did Gordon learn from Stryker about photography?

To combat injustices of race and the emotion it can capture.

Shape Assignment

SHAPES

Lines Assignment

LINES

Multimedia Rework

This was our first multimedia festival poster. We took a picture of a mural in the E Wing and used it as our background. The poster looks attractive because the man in the background playing the saxophone underlines the "multimedia-ness" of the event. Our mistake, however, was that the way we used the picture as a background made it look like we designed the mural when in fact we did not. The background also draws some attention away from the actual text of the poster.

Our second poster is better because it is more original. We designed the background with an original photo we took instead of using an already painted mural for it. We also made the information on the poster (such as the address) more accurate. I think the text also stands out a bit more and the poster in general is a lot more pleasing to look at. This poster is also better considering we faced more time pressure for this than for the first poster

top 5 group ranking

1. 24 - Pots

2. 3 - Water

3. 8 - Running

4. 6 - Lantern Lighting

5. 4 - Smoke

Movie Monday Notes 2/13/15

1. What was The Photo League's credo?
   The Photo League's credo was that the camera was more just recording reality, it actually changed the world.
2. What organization did The Photo League separate from?
   
   It was separated from Workers International Relief. The Photo League was originally known as the Worker's Camera League.
3. What was the workshop?
   "The Workshop" was a photography workshop in which Sid Grossman taught classes
4. Who taught "the workshop?"
   Sid Grossman
5. If you were to devote one year of your life to one project, what project is worth your time and energy?
   I would devote my time to the things that I am passionate about.
6. What was The Harlem Document?
   The Harlem Document was a collection of documentations of African Americans during the 1930s.
7. Who started The Harlem Document?
   Aaron Siskind.
8. A photographer discusses a photograph where "the children looked like they came out of a __________ painting. Who was the painter? 
   The painter was Caravaggio
9. Why did the photograph mentioned in #8 look like it was by the painter? 
   The photograph lights up the boys face on the right.
10. Who was Lewis Hine? (name two significant contributions)
    Lewis Hine was an American photographer who inspired urban life portraits. He was a photographer for the National Child Labor Committee and photographed the Depression
11. Who was Weegee?
    Weegee is a nickname for Arthur Felling, known for his blackand white street photography and his personality.
12. How did The League change when The Nazis took power?
    European immigrants (for example Laudi Jacobi, Erica Cocfer and Lizet Model) fleeing the Nazis immigrated to New York, where they joined the Photo League.
13. How did The League change during WWII?
    The Photo League took a more political stance by using their cameras in support of the war. Feature groups documented many different aspects of the war. Because many male Photo Leaguers joined the U.S. military forces fighting overseas, females took on the role of running the league.
14. How did Siskind change after WWII?
    Before, Siskind's style was realism and he swirched to a more expressive abstract style..
15. What was the Saturday Evening post?
    The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine that started publishing in 1897.
16. Who was Barbara Morgan? What did she photograph?
    Barbara Morgan was a photographer from Kansas who took many photos of modern dancers. She was also a co-founder of the photography magazineAperture.
17. What eventually undermined the Photo League?
    The Photo League was placed on a government list of communist and fascist organizations.
18. What was the "Growing Menace" mentioned in the film?
    Communism was the growing menace.
19. Who agreed to serve as President when The League was under investigation?
    W. Eugene Smith agreed to serve the President.
20. What happened to the league?
    The Photo League eventually disbanded in 1951 after it was declared as a front for communists..

Concert Poster - Lana Del Rey

- Tommy

Period 2 - Semester Final

1. My favorite photo from this slideshow is number 9. My reasons is that the silhouette of the dear and bird is very interesting, its nicely framed and there is a good contrast.

2. The best photo is number 1. My reasons are that it includes composition rules that I use which is leasing lines, depth, and rule of thirds.

3. My best work this semester is this photo. I really liked this one because of the sharpness of  the quality and colors. I also learned a new concept at the time of how to do shallow depth of field. I also think the lighting is nice, like the way the sun hits her hair in the photo. If I had more time, I'd do the same thing except have her do another pose.

4. My three rules of composition are leading lines, depth, and rule of thirds.

5. My photo from Masters of Photography. This had the rules leading lines and depth that I applied.

6. Your first rule is "Get closer."

7. Benefits of working with a group.

a.) You can depend on each other.
b.) You can work together to solve problems
c.) A chance to interact with other people.
d.) It more organized
e.) Teammates can help each other

8. Difficulties of working in a group

a.) You might have to pickup another student's slack.
b.) There will be dissagreements
c.) You have to work together
d.) Students might be distracted
e.) It might become loud

9.) Estelle's portrait work was great I think.

10,) My photographer was Carlton Watkins. A major contribution he made was that before him, no one took photos from Yosemite. Many from the east have not seen Yosemite until they saw his photography.

11.)  I think her most famous photo was "Migrant Mother." Photo was taken in California in February of 1936 for the Resettlement Administration.

12.) Life began publishing weekly in 1936 of November 23.

13.)  January 8, 1935.

14.) Capa founded "Magnum Photos" and it started in 1947.

Album Cover Recreation 1/15

Bob Marley Album Cover

Original Album Cover

Reflection 1-5-15

1. How do you think your project represents your work as a student?
I think overall, it represents what I learned from photography and the master photographer so far. As a student, it shows basic photos of nature and the photographer of which I am imitating. 

2. How has your understanding of photography changed during this school year?
I have a better understanding of composition in pictures and my ideas of lighting have changed. My ability to navigate Camera Raw to enhance a picture's focal points have also improved.

3. What are some of the benefits of working in a group?
The benefits are that we can rely on each other for help when we need it. 

4. What are some of the disadvantages of working in a group?
There might be some miscommunication and more to manage. 

5. Now that you have had more time to reflect, is there anything that you would have done differently with your recent project?
I would've taken more pictures and layed it out on my blog in a better way