Advertisement

Self Portrait Write-up

Dear Young Me,
Right now, high school is all that matters to you. Who you are right now, determines who you become. Or so you thought. In reality, high school means nothing throughout college and your profession. Who you are now will only be a distant memory in who you are as me, older you. Your grades now do not mean as much as you think. You are putting your grades and future before your mind and your health and that will end up hurting you. Trust me, I know. I'm you. You are enough, no matter what anybody else tells you. You are important and who you are as you read this is not what's important. School is not the end goal I promise. You are happy. I am happy. You become so much more than the you you are that I am writing to.

Examples of Self Portraits

Examples of Professional Ads

Self portrait

Notes on Classmates Work

Throughout the different works that was shown, I learned different ways to adjust the light, refocus the subject to be more interesting, and new apps that could be useful in the future. My classmates showed good examples of how to reinvent standard subjects in order to make the audience more engaged in what was being shot in the photograph. The new ways of lighting brought out new highlights in regular subjects that would be overlooked if the lighting had been different.

Lynda #5

3D Printing with Ryan Kittleson explained how he had used photoshop to make models. The way that he described the process made it much simpler than one would think when wondering about what it is he does. He made a main point of saying that as long as you understand the tools, you can create anything. He demonstrated that the new technology has become so advanced that creating anything to look realistic has now become possible.

Lynda #4

The video that I watched was Illustrative Design, presented by Von Glotschka. The lesson explained that a photographer should not overthink that is being done with the photo- follow instinct and what feels right. The video mainly focuses the shots on the man's hands as he works while he talks the audience through his process. The planning that he had described would be beneficial to me in the future when I take photos.

Lynda #3

Ben Long, an educator, photographer, and writer, teaches how to work with and understand White Balance.He begins by explaining what white balance is and how it works in photographs- it helps the lighting for the subject of the picture. This would be useful in understand how to dress the subject for certain lighting and how to adjust my camera in order to make the subject the best lit.

Professional Tabletops

Professional Fashion

Lynda #6

The person who is teaching about how to Fix A Distracting Background is Chris Orwig. He uses Photoshop to make the main subject of the photo come out to the front more so that the background is less noticeable. The way that he does this is by cutting out the subject of the picture and then adding enough blue to ensure that the subject is all that is observed by the viewer. This would be useful in my own photos because often I take photos of random things quickly without making sure that everything is perfect. Afterwords, when I look back at the pictures that I have taken, there will be something that distracts from the what I was trying to focus on. Learning how to fix this problem, there is now one less thing to have to obsess over when taking a picture "in the moment."

Teenage Lifestyle

Fashion Shoot Setup

For the fashion shoot, I will use a few different friends and dress them up differently. First, I will use generic clothing that i\can be found in any closet, then I will go more artistic and use drastic clothing to show off the model. I will pose each picture differently so that I can find the most flattering way to pose for the model. Along with the pose, there will be changing light and angle to maximize the beauty of the model I am showcasing.

Setup for Tabletop Shoot

For this shoot, I will begin by finding interesting subjects for my photos. After I have found interesting subjects, then I will clear a table top in order to make the subject of my photos the focus. I will try different angles for each photo in order to get the best picture. While experimenting with the angles I will also test different lighting in the room as well as use something that can work as a reflector from home.

Professional Photographers

Richard Avedon:
Best known for portraits of celebrities, civil rights leaders, and politicians
Fashion photography

David Doubilet:
Underwater photography

Art Wolfe:
Nature photography

Marc Meunch:
Landscape and sports photography
Had work appear in many forms and places

Ansel Adams:
Black and white landscape photography
First official portrait of the president by photograph

Robert Frank:
Street photography
The Americans

Lynda.com Journal

The video that I watched was The Foundations of Branding by Sean Adams, a professor and author. I learned that a brand consists of visuals, customer service, product, actions, employees, reputation, expectations, and logo. I found the information to be presented in a very interesting way that kept me intrigued for the duration of the video. My goal now after watching the video is to somehow incorporate something into my photos that can distinguish myself from other people.

In-Class Photoshoot Journal

The photo shoot that we had in class taught me the different ways to use the sun and light. By shifting the subject and/or light source, the portrait can be enhanced to show the nature of the subject. Along with learning about the tricks of lighting, I also learned how to use reflectors to soften harsh lighting that may make the picture seem overexposed and ugly.