Period 2 - Semester Final

1. My favorite photo from the Lens slideshow is picture 6/9. This photo is my favorite because the dirt road provides a dull color so that the blue car really stands out and provides contrast. The simplicity of the photo is another reason why this photo is my favorite because it allows the audience to just enjoy the subject of the photo, which is a car driving in the open land. My last reason for this photo being my favorite is the use of the rule of thirds. The car is not centered. This helps to enhance the simplicity of the photo and emphasize the openness of the land.
2. The best photo from the Lens slideshow is picture 2/9. The subject, which is the mother and the children, are in focus, while the other people are out of focus. This helps to emphasize the subject and their facial expressions. The crying expressions of the children intensify the emotion of the picture that there is a state of confusion as the children and the mother are trying to flee militant attacks, as given by the caption. The 3rd reason why this photo is the best is because the man in the front that is out of focus and the arm with the walkie-talkie seem to create a frame around the mother and the children to spotlight the mother and the children to make sure the audience sees the subject's confusion.
3. My best project this semester is my Masters of Photography project.
http://hsuphotography.blogspot.com/2014/12/masters-of-photography.html
This project was my best because I was able to learn from my photographer, Andre Kertesz, and apply techniques I learned to my photos, such as taking pictures at different angles. Also, during this project, I was able to be inspired by another photographer's photo and try to emulate Kertesz's photos in my photos. This resulted in me realizing how to add my own individuality to my photos, while trying to recreate Kertesz's photos. Lastly, this project was my best because I was able to see how lighting affected my photos. I was able create my own artificial lighting by using a lamp to add different lengths of shadows to my photos. If I had more time for this project, I would have tried to increase my camera angle range to taking pictures from a higher elevation to see what kind of pictures would be produced compared to pictures taken at eye level. I also would have tried to emulate some of Kertesz's photos that were taken at night or in the rain in order to make my photos more interesting or entertaining as well as to see how I perform in different situations as a photographer.
4. My three rules of composition are simplicity, leading lines, and depth.
5. This photo is from my Masters of Photography project of Andre Kertesz. It is my fifth picture from the project and this is the black and white edited version.
Glass of Water
 
This photo represents two of my rules: Depth and Leading Lines. The subject is the glass of water and it is in focus, while the background is out of focus to add depth and create a sense of layers in the photo. The curved lines represent my composition rule of leading lines as the lines draw the audience's attention.
6. Mr. Farley's first rule of composition is to get closer.
7. Benefits to working in a group:
a. Allow yourself to better your communication skills (speak with individuals you do not know that well)
b. Make new friendships or relationships
c. Critique each other and their photos
d. Being able to cooperate and work together to finish a project
e. Keeping each other on task
8. Difficulties of working in a group
a. Some people do not want to work and do their part in a project
b. Some individuals may be too aggressive and command the group on what to do
c. Finding times that are suitable for the whole group to work together
d. Finding an open-minded, humble leader
e. Understanding each other's views and preferences to make the group effective and efficient
9. http://mvaidyaphotography.blogspot.com/2015/01/album-cover.html
My favorite photo produced by another person in this class is Mohini Vaidya's album cover.
10. My master of Photography is Andre Kertesz. His significant contribution to photography was his unconventional camera angles, which later led Kertesz to being known as a figure of photojournalism.
11. Dorothea Lange's most popular photo is "Migrant Mother". The photo was taken in Nipomo, California. It was taken during March 1936. The agency that employed Lange when she took this photo was the Resettlement Administration (RA), which later became the Farm Security Administration (FSA).
12. Life Magazine began publishing on November 23, 1936.
13. Elvis was born on January 8, 1935.
14. Robert Capa was a founding member for Magnum Photos. The organization was founded in 1947.

Album Cover Recreation

This is a recreation of Marvin Gaye's album cover of "What's Going On". It is #6 in Rolling Stones The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Here is the link to the original album cover.
http://assets.rollingstone.com/assets/images/list/89f4e4079e43af44a80043f496eebfc562e3c9ec.JPG

Masters of Photography Reflection

1. My Masters of Photography project of Andre Kertesz represents me as a student because it reveals that I am still learning. The photos I have taken for the Masters of Photography project show what I am learning from studying a photographer. From this project, I have learned about shapes, angles, and shadows, and how they are integral parts of photography. This project also reveals that I still have much to learn because if I gained a few new perspectives from one photographer, there are many more new perspectives I can gain from other renowned photographers, such as those from the International Photography Hall of Fame. The main idea that stems from this project is how I am trying to incorporate the theme I have gained from beginning of this school year, simplicity. My first rule of composition and blog post was about simplicity. If I am able to involve one of my first lessons in photography to a current project, I believe I am a willing student of the vast world of photography.
2. My understanding of photography has evolved significantly throughout the year. From the Masters of Photography project, I was able to study a specific photographer and his/her methods for obtaining a photo. From my photographer, Andre Kertesz, I realized how important camera angles are to the photo. Different angles of the same subject reveal entirely different pictures because of shadows. Shadows help enhance the photo while keeping the photo simple as well. Camera angles have allowed me to add a new technique and feature to my photography but keep the primary theme of my photography simple.
3. Working in a group has many advantages. Group work allows for better communication skills. If I want a member to be part of my photo, I must be able to speak with them in order to capture the photo that I want. Communication is also important because it has taught me to connect with others. Connection is paramount when taking photos of others. Group work allows me to learn lessons about photography who are amateurs, just like me. Certain aspects of photography that are not realized by me may be acquired by my fellow group members. This helps me build up my perspective of photography while helping others build up theirs as well.
4. Group work has disadvantages as well. People work at different paces. Therefore, there are certain occasions when members of group find their inspiration for a photo while others have not.
5. I would try to incorporate more of the photography lessons I have learned from this year, such as depth of field. I would also try to use a higher quality camera in order to produce higher quality pictures. To enhance my project, I would study more of Andre Kertesz's photos in order to find more inspiration and lessons that would increase my photography ability.
6. Photography is a life journey. There is still much to learn.