Self Portraiture

When capturing a self portrait, I think it is more important to envision who you actually are than who you wish to be. To envision who you are shows you're true side. Also, a photo of who you are is a lot harder to obtain because it can be tough to be honest with yourself. A photo of who you want to be is nice too, but it isn't who you are. I think this would be a different assignment. Additionally, a photo of who you want to be can be idealized and not really obtainable. I would rather look at a photo and be astonished at how well it represents me than how much I like that view of me. In the end, a final product that satisfies your true self is what I am going for.

Photoshop Articles

The article “Smile and Say ‘No Photoshop’” discussed the ethics of retouching photographs. In modern times, retouchers are able to make models look thinner, taller, and almost unreal. The article stated that it is truly impossible to achieve the physical appearance displayed in magazines. These images affect the public’s views of perfection and give them unattainable goals for their own physical appearance. In France, health officials are attempting to require magazines to show how much each photo has been retouched. This idea was proposed in America, but turned down by American Editors. There has been a recent backlash in retouched photos. It has become a boast for magazines to say that they displayed an untouched photo in their magazine. The article also talked about the history of retouching photographs, and how it started as a way to make photos look more real. The article concludes with a statement about the most gripping photographs are one’s that show something real.
The overall ideas of the article were fantastic. I completely agree that you can tell if a photo is retouched just by looking at it, and it needs to become standard for girls to look at these magazines as unrealistic instead of something to attain. I liked the idea of having a scale that magazines needed to follow and record on how retouched their photos are. Also, I agree that a photo that is untouched is almost ideal and reflects the skill of a photographer. Someone who can achieve great beauty in a natural photo has true skill.
Ultimately, I don’t think anyone can regulate when Photoshop should and shouldn’t be used on a photo. It is up to the discretion of the photographer. A person can tell when a photo is retouched and if a photographer doesn’t mind that look then it is part of their style. Personally, I like using Photoshop in some situations, but I don’t want to necessarily give an unrealistic view of my photographs.

Reflection On Assignments

Reflect on your understanding of these three assignments:
A) POV, B) Macro/Minutiae, C) Motion

What is your interpretation of the purpose of each of these three assignments?
The purpose of the point of view project was to enable us to understand how much a picture changes from one angle to another. The macro project was supposed to help us notice the smaller things in our photos, and become comfortable with taking pictures of small objects in focus. The purpose of the motion project was to understand how to take quality pictures of moving objects and be able to portray the motion in our photos.

What do you think the most important thing was you learned from each assignment?
The most important thing I learned from the point of view assignment was that I need to give myself time to capture what I want in my photos. While completing the macro project, I learned how to really take my time and keep my hands steady when focusing on small objects. The motion project taught me that I need to take time to capture motion in my photos and use as many options as possible, including using action mode, portrait mode, increasing shutter speed, etc.

Why do you suppose these three projects were assigned in this particular order?
I think these projects were assigned in this order because they build on each other. Point of view helped me to differentiate the angles in my macro project. My macro project helped me to be sure my subjects were well focused in my motion project. Now, my photos consider all three of these things.

How do you feel you did on each project? Be specific about areas in which you think you did well and not as well.
I think I did well on my macro project. It was all in focus, but I think I could have done a bit better with choosing items for my grids and getting the shiny object theme across. I did a semi-sufficient job on my point of view project. The angles of the shoe got different points across, but I think I could have taken more time and done better on the project. I liked my motion project. I had that idea from the start and was glad I accomplished it. I do wish the silhouette of the person was a little more distinct and wish I didn’t have to alter the photo so much in photo shop.

What was one thing you wish you would have done that you didn’t, and why didn’t it happen? (you may comment on any of the three projects or all three)
On my point of view project, I wish I had more ideas. I never really took the time to sit down and think about things. Also, I wish I would have done more with the shoe. I just used a white sheet for the background for all three and I think that was because we had just finished the lighting unit, so I decided that was how it was suppose to be. In my macro project, I wish I would’ve thought of my idea earlier. I know there were some better shots of shiny objects I could’ve taken. On my motion project I wish I would have done something more than just my one idea. This didn’t happen because I didn’t have the time. Overall, I need to spend more time on my projects.

Which was your favorite of the three projects and why?
My favorite project was the motion project. I had a good idea from the start and accomplished it. Also, I enjoyed shooting the scene I chose.

Has one or more of these topics had an impact on your photography? How?
All of these topics and projects have made me a better photographer. They all contribute to the things I think about when taking a photo. Now, I remember to focus the camera, and take as many angles as possible. Knowing these techniques also makes me feel better about my photos because by following these rules I can see a difference in the photos I take.

"God is in the details."

To me, the saying, "God is in the details," means that you can find God in the smallest aspect of things. Although he may not be present in huge parts of something you do, he is always present somehow. We can see God in the details everyday by appreciating the littler things that happen and the details that we may not pay attention to all the time, such as nature. We can use our cameras to document these little things to preserve them forever by taking photos and showing them to others. Also, by choosing carefully what we put in our photos, we can pay better attention to these smaller things.

"Photography is about finding out what can happen in the frame. When you put four edges around some facts, you change those facts." -- Gary Winogrand.

Gary Winogrand is saying that by selecting what is in your frame and what is out, a picture can have completely different meanings. For example, if you are at a park and taking a picture of a tree and there are people everywhere but you only take a photo of the tree alone, your photo will exemplify the feeling of loneliness. Instead, if you take a picture of people playing at the park around the tree, it becomes a photo that exemplifies happiness. When I took my last photos for the lighting unit, I really thought about what was in the frame. I went to a hill in the metroparks and there were people and dogs playing up there. I tried to avoid them and get shots of just simply what I wanted in my frames. If they would have been in the photo, then the pictures would have been so much different and not what I was going for. The facts of a photo truly do change when things are added or removed from the frame.

Lighting Unit Self Assesment

I think I did very well on the lighting assignment. I learned a lot about setting up a good photo and when to use what kind of light. Also, I really liked my photos and the way they turned out. The feedback I received is going to really help me in the future. I was told that a picture of just a tree can be a bit boring. I have to agree with this. I did not think my photo was boring before this comment, but after someone said that I changed my mind a little. I need to find more interesting subjects or find a way to make that tree interesting by adding to the photo. The positive feedback I received included someone liking the shine of light in the upper left hand corner of the photo. I really like this area of my photo too and was happy that someone else noticed and appreciated it. Additionally, someone pointed out a little tree behind my big tree that gave the photo more of a story. I did not even see this tree while taking the photo and completely agree with the person that said this. Without this little tree, the photo would have been a lot different and it would have been a lot more boring. Another positive comment was that I took a normally simplistic picture and made it more interesting. I have to agree because I do think a picture of just a tree can be boring, but the additional elements of the shining light and the littler tree give it somewhat of a story. Someone pointed out foot steps in the snow too. I did not notice this element either and do agree that it presents the idea that the photographer is walking towards the tree. I think the positive and negative feedback was very helpful and I enjoyed hearing other's ideas and thoughts. I appreciated the positive and negative feedback and saw where everyone was coming from too. The critique is really going to help me in my next project and it has made me determined to go back to this tree and make the picture more interesting.

Emotive vs. Technical quality of a photo

When I look at a photo and decide if its "great," it is usually because it makes me feel something. I am not worried about the technological aspects when I first look at it. I react to its emotive quality because I think a photo conveying a message or evoking a feeling is far superior to one that has all the correct technical qualities. When something conveys an emotion, I can relate to it and get inspired from it. Not that I can't do all these things with technical aspects of photos, but usually its the emotive quality that gets me hooked and wanting to know more.