Author: 431098

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Pro Level

I have thoroughly enjoyed this semester of photography class.  We have done so many different projects and each of them has shown me something new about photography.  Many of them were collaborative projects, like Light Graffiti for instance. I didn’t even know that it was possible to draw with light using a camera before this class.  I have had fun with all the project I’ve completed and they drove me to take pictures outside of school. This class completely changed my outlook photography. It is so much more than simply taking a picture, a real photographer has so many different techniques and angles at their disposal.  I had never really thought about what it takes to be a photographer and to take good photos. It is much harder than I would have originally imagined, but also more entertaining. I think that it is really fun to use these techniques to improve my photography. I now use what I have learned when I’m taking any photo and it has definitely improved my quality of work.  I think out of all the projects, Up Close was by far my favorite. During this projects my brother had a baseball game right next to the woods, so I ventured into the wilderness in search of a few good pictures. I know I embarrassed him when I was lying on the ground in front of his team, trying to get just the right angle. That was a good laugh. I had a lot of fun with that project and I think I got some really awesome photos in the end.

Photography interests me as more of a hobbie than a career.  From what I gather it is very hard to become a successful photographer.   While this is not something I aspire to be professionally, I would still like to look into photography.  It is definitely an enjoyable pass time for me and it’s a great excuse to get out in nature. In high school I plan on taking at least one photography class.  It feels like this class has only scratched the surface of all the things there is to know about photography and I would like to further my knowledge on the subject.  If there is one thing this class has been successful in doing, it is intriguing me about the art of photography.

Click on this link to see 10 different comparisons of what my work would have been before and after this class.   https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/16GhhKTQzlns0yzO4O4a_XWfJn85R-RMKcEOmhcWqD3I/edit?usp=sharing

 

Below is my favorite picture from this last project.  I would also like to thank Mr.Fitz for teaching me this semester.  I have had a lot of fun and I think he is a great teacher.  I will miss him and his class next year!

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7 Days

In this project I took 7 pictures of things that I am thankful for.  It is a compilation of important people and hobbies that make up who I am.  There are so many things that I am thankful for, it was hard to narrow it down to just 7.  The core pieces of my life comes from these 7 things and I will never stop being grateful for them.

 

 

 

 

 

If you asked anyone who knows me what my favorite thing is, they would say reading.  Hands down it is my biggest hobby besides music. I stick my nose within the pages of a book every chance that I get.  I am so thankful for reading and what it has given me in life. I have gained so much knowledge about the world and worlds that could never physically exist.  I have been able to find out more about who I am as a person by experiencing things from another persons perspective.  Reading is such a big part of my life and who I am as a person.  Without it I wouldn’t be the same.

Music is one of my biggest hobbies and is a humongous part of my life.  Heck, I’m listening to it as I’m writing this paragraph.  I am currently in a band and listen to music basically 24/7.  I am so thankful for the fact that I am able to listen to what I want, when I want.  With smart phones and YouTube, thousands of songs are at my disposal.  I think that I and everyone else with this astounding technology should be grateful.  Not everyone is lucky enough to have these kinds of opportunity.  It may sound trivial today, but it wasn’t until recently that you didn’t need a radio, a record, or a CD to listen to recorded music.  I think that is something every music lover should be thankful for.  I sure am.

My dog Stella is probably the cutest dog in existence.  Mr. Fitz, I’m sure you get that a lot during this project, but this time it’s true.  Just look a her wrinkly face! In all honesty, my family is really lucky to have her.  It was a total fluke.  Me and my mom were trying to think of a present for my brother birthday 4 years ago. We already had two, but I wanted another dog. I told my mother we needed to get my brother “something special” for his birthday.  One thing lead to another and we ended up looking at dogs online.  My mother had many requirements:  it had to be a french bulldog, house training, an adult, and at a fair price.  French bulldogs are very expensive and I didn’t think we were actually going to get another dog.  The my mom found a male bulldog for a very low price and called the seller.  The male was already gone, but she had a female she was willing to give us for FREE.  We left within the hour to go and pick her up. It is probably the most spontaneous thing I have ever done.  Stella is so sweet and soft, you can hold her like a baby and she wont fight back. I am really lucky that I have Stella as a pet.  She is one of a kind and I love her to death.

This one is pretty generic, but it’s true.  I am really thankful for the fact that I was able to come to Lakelands Park Middle School.  My home middle school is Hallie Wells and is known for having poorly behaved students. Lakelands was a much better school and was the #1 middle school when I was leaving elementary school.  I had to submit a cosa and have it approved by the Office of Student Services to be able to attend Lakelands. It took some time, but it was approved. I believe that going to this school has allowed me the chance of a better education and allowed me to make some really great friends.  

I am so grateful for all of my friends.  We are a small, tight knit group of quirky individuals.  We always have so much fun together and I know that they would be there for me in a pinch.  I am a hard judge of character and do not make friends lightly. They must earn my respect and trust.  I can say that all of my friends have done this. I know I don’t always say it, but I’m really glad I found a few great friends among my peers.  I know that I will be leaving them for high school and won’t be seeing any of them everyday anymore. But I will be sure to keep in touch and always treasure the memories we made these past few years.

My Uncle Drew came into my life during my time of need.  He popped up out of nowhere and showed me a good time when I least expected it.  We would go on outings to a baseball game or hiking. Once he even took me hot air ballooning!  But most of all he gave me a support system and a role model. I know I could say anything to him and it would stay just between the two of us.  There is no judgement, just a conversation were I don’t have to worry about being looked down upon because I’m a child. He gives me sound advice and an outlet to express feelings that would have otherwise stayed buried.  I really appreciate the fact that he cares in the first place, because he is under no obligation to spend time with me. I love him and am truly thankful he is in my life.

My Mom is the thing I am most thankful for in life.  She has helped me through so much and been there for me when I needed it.  She always put me first and I know that isn’t an easy thing to do. It takes true self sacrifice and love.  She is the most incredible woman I have ever met and my respect for her has no bounds. Not only is she supportive but she is also honest, almost brutally so.  I know I am always getting the truth from her, whether I want to hear it or not. I definitely can’t say that about everyone. I am truly grateful that I have a mom like her and I love her very much.  Thank you Mom!

 

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Catch the Action

In this project the objective was to take successful shots of people or objects in motion.  In this project I took all my pictures outside of school.  I tried during class but I didn’t like how bland and generic the pictures I was taking looked.  So I went for a different angle.  I went hiking this past weekend and got a bunch of great shots of running water.  During this project I always had to have my camera out.  It only takes a moment for an action be over, it is very easy to miss the opportunity window.  Therefore I didn’t really set up most of my shots.  While I did set up my pictures of musical instruments by telling them to play, I did not set up most shots.  This may sound unprofessional,  but I just took a bunch of pictures and hoped of the best.   Cut me some slack, I’m only a middle school student after all.  My biggest tip is to always be ready and alert, because action is always happening around you.  Take a lot of pictures, as many as you can.  A few are bound to turn out.  If I could do this project and photograph any sport, I would defiantly choose sumo wrestling.  I feel like that would be hilarious to shoot!  There is a lot of action and jiggling fat, a giant showdown of beast pinned against beast.  Who wouldn’t want to take a photo of that?

If you want to see my photo’s click on this link!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/wSckzK3cso8fUJJh1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Up Close

This project required students to take very up close and personal shots of objects.  The entirety of the picture, or at least most of it, was filled up with a small object making it look larger.  To get this kind of photograph students needed to use the macro settings on their cameras.  This allows them to take clear, up close pictures.  This project was a bit challenging for me because of the camera I was using.  Getting super up close to an object, even on Macro, can make it hard for the camera to focus.  I ended up having to spend a very long time just getting the camera to focus on the right thing.  But once I got it to focus the pictures came out really well and I’m proud of the results.  One thing I didn’t have trouble with was finding subjects.  I went into the woods because I thought there might be some cool things to take pictures of.  I ended up seeing a rabbit, a herd of deer, a deer skull, as well as a doe that let me take photos of it for about 30 mins!  At school I also found 2 turtles.  Overall, I found a lot of wildlife during this project.  Even thought some of these pictures couldn’t be used for this project, I had a lot of fun taking them.  If I could take pictures for this project anywhere in the world, with high quality equipment and lots of time, I would go to the rain forest.  There are thousands of exotic and breathtakingly beautiful flowers, plants, and animals in rain forests!  And I know it would be EXTREMELY dangerous, but I would love to take a close up of a jaguar’s face. It would be a dream come true.  Though I will admit the bugs would be a bit vexing.

If you want to see all the pictures I took, go to this link!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8oHnr8ALiRGD23RY9

 

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Then I Asked Them to Smile

This project asked students to take pictures of 15 people, 2 photo’s each.  In the first photo the subject might smile, as we often do in pictures.  But for the second photo a picture was taken of a person not smiling.  The comparison was astounding.  It is truly amazing how a simple smile can totally transform a persons face.  If you only looked a person without a smile on their face, your impression of them would be completely different.  Depending on how a person looks it can make them seem dejected or even dangerous.  But with a  smile on their face the same exact person who made you weary only moments before can seem like a warm and welcoming person.  This project was fairly easy and very enjoyable.  It was funny to watch as middle aged women primped themselves for a few quick photos.  Or to receive questioning looks because of my odd requests.  Some of the students and teachers were reluctant to have the photos taken, but only a handful of people turned me down in the end.  This project opened my eyes about the effects of implicit bias and how it effects photographers.  As a photographer, the way something looks is very important.  If someone looks shady or abnormal a photographer might not snap a shot.  I think getting to know someone before taking certain photos can be very important. This is important because who they are as a person should be portrayed the picture.  Looks can be very misleading so deciding about someone before getting to know them can lead to false portrails.

If you want to check out all my Smile photos, click on this link!  https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/16xaWoQcAnLND3jKIgxASt0ifIio9cElxV242LuYzCyE/edit?usp=sharing

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Light Graffiti

This time our project was to draw with light!  Sounds crazy, I know.  But with the right camera it’s actually possible.  The first thing you have to do is go into manual settings and change your camera into Bulb Mode.  This allows you to keep the shutter open for a long period of time and capture a bunch of light.  You also have to change the ISO’s in your camera to 100.  After you have completed these steps take a few friends with you and to go to a dark place, as dark as you can possibly find.  You should bring a flashlight or some Christmas lights if you want to spice it up.  Then set up your tripod and camera and start to draw!  The way you do this is by pointing the flashlight as the camera to create a streak of light.  If you want to “paint” some light into the photo you point the light away from the camera and at whatever you are trying to paint with light.  While this is happening have one person push down on the picture button to make sure that the shutter is still open.  Also have the subject of the photo stand still as any other people draw around them.  This can create some really cool shots!  Before taking a picture thought, you want to have a clear idea about what you are looking for.  Especially if multiple people are drawing at the same time.  When my own group tried to take a picture without being totally clear, one person did something completely different then the other and they had to re-take the shot many times.  It was hard to draw without being able to see what you are leaving behind, so don’t get discouraged if you have to re-take shots.  It is a part of the process.  You can do many things using this technique!  Take lots and lots of shots and try to think out of the box.  Whether you are drawing a light mermaid or a simple heart take your time and have fun!

Here are a few of my favorite pics I took with my group!  If you want to see more click the link. https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZOlyrPMqhMOdmiwJ3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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App Reveiw

Many people today use their phones to edit and prefect their photos and I am no exception.  One of my favorite editing apps on my phone is Pic Collage.  Using this app I am able to create awesome collages with the use of helpful grids and colorful, fun backgrounds.  But the best thing about this app, in my opinion, is the stickers.  They add a little bit of extra flare that helps put your personality into the photo.  Overall, I think the app is user friendly and great for editing photos by adding stickers and putting them into collages.  Another place that I use to edit my photos is an online site known as Fotor.  This site allows you to do more than simply add stickers.  You can add filters and effects like oil painting which changes the look of a photo and the coloration.  If you have a picture of a person you can virtually add makeup or clean it up.  I really like the filters on this site, they are aesthetically pleasing.

This is the link to Fotor if you want to use it!  https://www.fotor.com/

As well as the photos I edited on Fotor and Pic Collage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Newseum

There have been many Pulitzer Prize photos over the years, and almost all of them capture the sorrow of people all over the world.  Even though I did not go to the Newseum myself a few of the photos really caught my eye.  For instance, a picture taken by Toshio Sakai in 1968 called “Dreams of Better Times.”  It captures an american soldier from the Vietnam war sleeping on a pile of sacks.  He is sleeping after a battle in the poring rain, and as Sakai describes it, dreaming of a better time.  What drew me to this photo was the seeming peace of the solider in the mist of so much chaos.  He was in a living hell but he still was able to rest his head and dream under the shelter of a poncho.  Despite this soldiers seeming peace this photo still fills me with immense sadness.  What was this man and his comrades fighting for?  Why was he sleeping outside after a battle as it rained sheets upon unfamiliar ground?  Why was he away from home where he needed to dream of a better place?  It doesn’t feel fair and I wish that all those men had not had to experience so much death and discomfort.

Another photo that really struck a cord with me was “Illinois Sate Schools for the Retarded’  by Jack Dykinga.  This was another photo that created a feeling of sadness and disgust I almost can’t describe.  It depicts a man who was a patient at this “School for the Retarded”.  He was naked and without a blanket, curled into a tight ball on the middle of a cot.  It’s plain to see how desperate this man was, hanging on by a thread.  This poor man, and these poor patients.  These people who obviously couldn’t care for themselves were left unclothed and uncared for.   This picture made me lose a little more of my faith in humanity and our ability to care for those who can not care for themselves.  We are selfish creatures, leaving others of our kind who are helpless to suffer and rot in a pile of their own waste.

I have the upmost respect for the photographers that took these photos.  Having this job could not have been easy and being able to capture the pain of others on a film is a true skill.  I wonder if I would be able to stomach such a task.  To watch the horrors of our world and capture it with the snap of a lens.  I wonder which part of me would rule; the human part of me that wants to help others, or the photographer in me trying to capture the world with a glance.  Maybe I would sacrifice the perfect shot to help someone.  Or maybe I would shut myself away in the job to protect my mind and my heart from breaking in any terrible situation I might subject myself to.   Maybe I would act selfishly and save myself in a dangerous environment instead of someone else.  I’ll probably never know, but both are totally plausible scenarios.  I would like to think that I would help those in need, but when push comes to shove you can’t predict your actions in a situation like that.  It must be a hard decision to make and a hard life to lead.  I bet that many photographers go into this profession hoping to change the world with their pictures.  Only to come out tormented and damaged with a new understanding of the way things work.  I think it would take a special person to be able to take these eye opening photos and still come out trying their hardest to change the world.  It would take an amazing and incredibly strong person not to come out of these experiences broken and limp and lose their resolve in the process.

Here are the pictures mentioned above.  Sorry for the long post!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds is a basic technique used in photography using a three by three grid system.  They use this to align and position the photo to make it flow and have your eye travel in a certain direction.  In this project we had to use this technique to take photos inside and outside, some with people and some without.  The hardest place by far to take photos was inside because there aren’t as many places to take interesting shots and the lighting isn’t the best.  But me and my partner were able to work it out.  The place I liked taking pictures the best was outside my house in Clarksburg. There are some really great sunrises and sunsets outside my house, and I love to capture them on film.  This project helped me take photos in a different way and changed my mindset from the overall look of the photo to the flow of the image.

 

Check out the rest of my photos! https://photos.app.goo.gl/JsWSaSLh3URjyTUL2

 

                 

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Portraits

In this portrait, the picture had to look like it had an infinitely white background. If done correctly, the photo should look as if someone was Photoshopped into the image.  To achieve this we had to go through a few steps.  First, we had to change to manual settings.  This was to change the ISO’s up and have a slower shutter speed to allow more light into the camera.  This process is completely different from the black background photos.  For those pictures we had to change the ISO’s down and hasten the shutter speed to let in less light.  Once this was done, we needed three people to take the photo.  One person to be in the photo, another to light the white background behind the subject, and a photographer.  The subject had to be close to the camera so it would focus on them instead of the background behind them, blurring any imperfections on the white background.  It was challenging to get the position quite right and focus the camera, but when we did the pictures looked really cool.  One thing that worked well for my group was having the subject show 3/4 of their face, looking of into the distance.  We all really liked that pose.  All in all, I think the white background was harder to do than the black background.  The settings were more delicate and it was much more difficult to keep shadows out of the shot.

Here’s a link to all our photos!https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ti7HWF1b0hHdryEv2