Final Portfolio

In my portfolio there are many photographs that express my progress throughout my senior year. I have learned much dealing with the usage of a camera and the composition of photographs. The first photographs seen in my portfolio are the most recent photos that I have taken and perhaps altered in some way.

A digital portfolio fits for a digital photography class. I think that having my portfolio online is very accessible and better for me. I like my portfolio because it expresses my creative ability that usual high school does not persuade. It also expresses emotion within the things I enjoy and those who I call my friends. I am proud of my portfolio and I will continue to maintain it even after May 22, 2008.

Over the course of the semester I have learned a lot to deal with the composition of a photograph and the usage of a digital camera. I learned how to use ISO, metering, and shutter speed on a camera in order to create better lighting or to create a certain effect using lighting. I learned how to set up a photograph in order for it t o be more pleasing to the eye. The concept that I feel I was most successful with is my ability to create a new idea that and pursue the idea. I also think I was very successful at using the light to my advantage.

I think that there was some aspect of my creations that I could work on. I did not know what to do for one picture and so I created an average looking photograph. I should have not given in to such an average looking photo. I need to have even more creativity and not to have brain freeze.

Some of my major influence for my work includes the people close to me. My main aspiration comes from my best friends and my parents. They have helped me to improve by helping out with ideas on how to handle. .

Adjustment Layers

Self Portraits

Creativity.
In these black and white photographs I wanted to capture some sort of emotion or expression in each. I had certain ideas for each concerning where and how I wanted to take the pictures. I wanted the pictures to be all in different angles and in different areas. I also wanted the photos to be different than others I had previously taken. I took many pictures and decided on these four out of all of them. I think my most creative picture was the one concerning light because it expressed the feeling of ying-yang or having two different sides to a whole. The difficult part was capturing the light in the right form for the composition. Each of my pictures are different which makes them all more interesting to look at.
Composition.
I believe that all of my photographs have good contrast, value, and emphasis. I used off setting the subject in order to create an emphasis. For the light photograph I wanted the picture to be cut by the light and also decided that I wanted myself to be cut in half also. So I centered myself with the light. On my lines photo I had the lines lead to me as well as the difference in color between me and the surroundings. In my prop photo I had my prop bigger than me but myself darker than my prop in order for the viewer to first look at me then from my look on my face look at the prop. My rule of thirds picture was set up for most of the picture to be darker because I wanted the focus to be on my face and my lower body. The expressions on mine and my friend’s face was unexpected but made the picture all the better. I think compositionally my light picture in the best because of it being simple. I would not change the composition of any of my photos because I think I placed them in all the right conditions according to my preferences.
Craftsmanship.
My photos did not turn out the way I pictured them I took them. However, once I altered the levels the pictures turned out the way I preferred. I love there to be lots of light in my photographs because it looks more unreal and more interesting to me. None of my pictures were altered by a great deal because I made sure there was enough light and darkness in all the pictures. None of my pictures were very blurry or pixilated. I did not use any of the camera techniques except for ISO in my wall picture. I think I did a great job overall craftsmanship wise. I think my strength overall was visualizing the end effect. My overall weakness was using too much darks.
Conclusion.
I think that I did an overall great job in creating my photos. They have good contrast and emphasis. If I could have this assignment again I would take more poses to choose from. Perhaps my emotions in the pictures were not strong enough. My favorite overall shot was the one with my prop because it has a lot of emotion that is real and the black look great. My least favorite picture of them all was my rule-of-thirds picture because I felt it restricted me. I enjoyed this project because it involved visionary.

Shutter Speed

This was the shutter speed trial. We were to focus on part of our partner and then have the rest of the picture be blury

ISO

In order to explore ISO, I took some photos. The first photo is using the auto flash that occurs when there is not sufficient light to view the object

being photographed. However, the flash takes

away the other natural lightings effects. The second photo is using an ISO of 50. This photo did not open the sutter for a long amount of time in order to allow light in. The light that was allowed in let only the lights to be seen. The third picture is of ISO 5000. This picture allowed more light in and allowed there to be more colors visible. The ISO can be used to take pictures of objects that are in less light or to take pistures of lights.

Light Metering

For the metering pictures I changed what the focus was on. I used the shutter speed mode and decided what the focus would be on. I focused the camera on the computer screen for the first one and then on her skin for the second one. In order to present the focus on an object, the camera was only pushed halfway down when the object to be photographed was being looked at. Then the camera's button was completely pushed down when everything wanted in the picture was in sight.

Personal Metaphor

The metaphor I chose was that I feel like “A Fish In A Pool With No Where To Go.” I chose this metaphor because I feel trapped within the world’s chaos and other life aspects. I feel as though I cannot picture the direction or path that I should go in. I wanted to express my feelings of being alone and needed to be doing something. I wanted a calm yet active mood of going somewhere yet going no where.

I think the composition of my metaphor is organized. I have three lines in my picture. The lines are of the pools tile, my form, and the text. I put these three lines to create boundaries of some sort. I feel trapped so it was important to make boundaries. The center is the greatest focus because that is where the action is taking place. My original body has darker colors so that attracts more attention. My tail makes me look odd/different and attracts attention because of it. I think my picture is unified because it makes sense; A fish belongs in water and if in a container it is trapped. The color ranges go great with each other because they differ but emphasize each other.

I think I did many things well and that I could have done better on other parts. I think I did a good job at creating the fish person because I started from scratch with a small fish to work with. There was difficulty in determining how to use effects to alter the tail to make it look more realistic. I could have mad e the tail more realistic, though I could not figure out how to make the tail like covered in liquid. I wouldn’t change a thing because I love the colors ad the composition that compliments each other.

Aesthetic Experience

In the first photograph I took, the red and blue dye were present. They began to mix at the top but went two seperate ways on the way down. However, it was as if the blue was calm, like water slowly flowing downward in twists and curves. The red, it seemed to have a darkness to it. The red seemed to be powerful. Powerful in the way that it wanted to fill the cup and attack the blue. At the top of the cup, red and blue had been in a struggle where no one won and all was lost in black. The conflict between the two seems to reveal the idea that continues fight may bring distruction. Even though the red tries to take over the whole cup, the blue continues to be peaceful and flow downward. The reflection of the glass reveals the possible but unlikely harmony of the two colors. The reflection seems to represent what the United States could be, but will most likely never be.

Hybrid Bird-Dog

An exercise borrowed from “I’ve Got a Human in My Throat” by Chris Johnson.In preparation for our PERSONAL METAPHOR project we brushed up our skills combining objects together. Using layer masks and the clone stamp we blended this dog and bird together.

Movie Still

Inspired by Cindy Sherman, a contemporary photographer who took photos' of herseld starring in movies that never existed.
Movie: 10 Things I Hate About You
Gerne: Comdey/Romance
This young girl had everything handed to her finally they stop handing things to her. So now she has to follow this one rule that her dad came up with. She don't want to have a rule to follow but long has it makes her dad happy she will do it. But there is a catch the only way she could date is if her older sister dates or chaperone.

This still is from the scene where Kat is waiting for her date to show up to a party. Kat is drinking alcohol and feels out of place around popular kids.

Chaco-Frog

For Valentines Day we turned frogs into chocolate. I thought this project was odd yet interseting because perhaps I will want to turn something else into chocolate one day. I learned how to make something look as if it is dripping.

Shadows

In these exercises we learned how to create shadows to help us make more realistic artwork. A new tool we learned was layer masks. The things we learned here can help me in the future by being able to add pictures to a photo and making those things realistic in the photo. I will be able to create shadows.

Reflections

In these exercises we learned how to create reflections to help us make more realistic artwork. A new tool we learned was layer masks. The things we learned here can help me in the future by being able copy photos and making those things reflect in the photo. I will be able to create reflections for various objects.

Handbook & Graduation Program

This is what I have created for the Chavez handbook cover.

This is what I have created for the class of 2008 graduation program. I think this program is more well done than the handbook.

Aged Photo

In this project we used one of our frame photographs to practice using Photoshop to create specific effects.

Balance with Frames

In this project, we were given a frame to use in our composition. In the composition, we had to be present but not in the center. The photo had to be in black and white and needed to show a sense of balance.

In my first composition, I used myself and my shadow in order to create balance. The focus is on the bright white frame; then, my body leads the

eye in order for the focus to be on my shadow.

In my second composition, I used my body again to create balance. Because I have a very dark frame on the right side I used my lateral body to give some attention to the left side of the photo.

Random Object

We were each assigned a random object to photograph. We could choose to have it in color or black-and-white. We were to focus on "The Three C's."

According to my peers, one thing I did well was the composition and emphasis on color. One thing they suggested I work on was the lighting. I agree with the composition and color because that was my original goal to emphasize. I also agree with the lighting because my picture came out a bit blury.

Egg Challenge

In this project each student was given an egg to photograph. We were to take a photograph in both color and black-and-white. We were supposed to exemplify one or more of the following: Creativity, Craftsmanship, or Composition.

I believe my color photograph was the most successful because it brought three sides of the picture to the center by using color. The color draws the onlooker's attention and also matches that of the egg's drawn on face. The three bars also break the photograph into three pieces, giving the picture more shape.

I think that I could have done a better job at the black and white photograph but there are some good qualities of it. I have seep contrast within the photo. The egg is bright white and parts of the key board are dark black. There are lots of greys in between, too.

My Favorite Project

This was the cover page to my portfolio of last semester of 2007. I liked this project the most because there were no rules on how the picture was to be composed. I also enjoy this photo because of the contrast in color from red to black to white. The composition of the photo is what I believe is the best. Though everything is balanced and centered, the photo is still somewhat off-beat. It is not the normal everyday photo.

Last Semester