Week 11
Conceptual photography is all about using the images to tell a story or convey an idea, rather than just capturing a scene or portrait. A visual metaphor, where the photographer uses elements in the photo to represent something more abstract.
I used the water as muse. The ever-changing nature of water made a rich source of inspiration. Ive always viewed the ocean in general as a powerful symbol in my life. I wanted to portray the absolute need I have to be near a big body of water. Using mostly natural lighting and filtered lighting to evoke humanity’s relationship with nature.
These photographs were taken with an idea in mind. I had originally took the photo of the water (obviously) on its own but keeping the view of a body as a landmass in mind as I took the photo.
I saw something that wasn’t there while taking the original photo and in the end came up with this. It definitely challenged my view of being a photographer and not being held down by the rules I made for myself.
The ocean and water itself give me peace and tranquility and being near it gives me sort of a recharge. This project has opened doors for what I want out of my own artistic vision. Conceptual photography encouraged me to look for symbolism and pushed my editing techniques. Allowing me to break free from traditional photographic styles.
This project required me to build a framework before capturing these images. Thus, strengthening my ability to think critically about what I want to create and how I wanted to achieve that. Living on an island and growing up in Hawaii I was taught how important the ocean is and how powerful it can be. It really is a part of me and I really wanted to show that. Regular photography excels at capturing the world as is, conceptual photography pushed me to explore deeper themes and emotions. To express the unseen through the seen.
Week 10
Story: Being a sister is a complex dance of shared history and unwavering connection. It’s a convergence of fierce loyalty and playful rivalry, where good natured arguments and scraped knees find solace in whispered stories.
Its having constant companion in childhood games, a built in cheerleader in moments doubt, and a shoulder to cry on during life’s heartbreaks. Sisters are mirrors reflecting each other’s growth, their bond a testament to the unconditional love that blossoms within a shared family.
PHOTO ANALYSIS:
It took me way too long to find a story I wanted to portray to the point where it made me late on this assignment. In the end I watched my littles play together and went with it. They are true siblings, with a seven year age difference, these sisters still live a beautiful life together and will continue to grow together.
Week 9
VARIATIONS LANDSCAPE:
HYPERREALISTIC:
ENRICHED:
DRAINED:
PHOTO ANALYSIS:
This week’s variations assignment kept things interesting. Instead of just looking for a good shot, I had to look for a bunch of different factors. A single photo would have only captured a limited amount of information but by taking multiple photos (with different kinds of lighting) Im able to create a more complete picture. I really gravitated towards the door of this building at first but as the days went on (and the lighting) I really enjoyed the way the whole building would change.
Week 8:
PHOTO STORY:
PORTRAIT PHOTO ANALYSIS:
The first thing I noticed about the subjects in this photo is their expressions. I was drawn in by the mask and the eyes of the little girl but the way their faces “talk” caught my attention immediately. I get a sense that they aren’t in the best situation and as children are trying to make the best of it.
They could possibly be siblings and are just taking one day at a time, together. The sitter could have taken this photo to communicate the daily life of road travelers, going off of what’s in the background.
If I could ask the photographer anything, I would ask
Why these two kids? What made them the main characters of this story?
PHOTO ANALYSIS:
My daughter always likes getting in front of the camera, she’s always a good sport about it too. I hope to have caught her fiery personality while the littles played in what is left of the snow and what little natural lighting we had.
Week 7:
PERSPECTIVE:
POSTCARD:
PHOTO ANALYSIS:
It has been such a pleasure to have a class like this. I am new to PNW and being able to see where I live now by getting out to take photos is great. This assignment in particular I was able to look for beauty but in a (literal) different perspective. Small things that I see everyday, changed in these photos into something that looks almost adventurous. Beauty in “mundane” things. I would have tried to go a little further then my usual spots for more diversity, but being able to capture these close by was enough.
Week 6:
MULTIPLE FOCUS POINTS:
CAMERA RAW:
PHOTO ANALYSIS:
Trying to create multiple focal points seemed to be an issue for me. Again, my photos portray my home life and it’s pretty fitting for what is important to me. I hope these pictures tell you the story of what I do through out any given day. Focusing on things I often carry with me, to focusing on things I care deeply about as well. Ive always loved natural lighting and I am constantly using it for my photos. I hope to build from this and gain more perspective on different ways to manipulate viewers attention when looking at my photos.
Week 5:
PHOTOGRAM PRESENTATION:
PHOTO ANALYSIS:
This weeks creative and unusual angles assignment had me thinking outside of my comfort zone. My daughter and I went into the backyard and just enjoyed the sun before it disappeared. Each picture is in a different part of our small backyard and I hope these photos capture how comfortable it is. A lot of the focus ended up being my daughter and her silly antics. It was a good photo shoot. If I were to reshoot my photographs I would probably add more variety to the angles I shot.
Week 4:
PHOTO ANALYSIS:
I enjoyed this weeks assignment. Due to my work schedule I wasnt able to set up a shoot with anyone so I had a photo shoot of myself. I wanted to capture me and all the things that is me. I really love my long hair and I kind of made that a focal point of the images. I used outdoor lighting for this assignment, no flash. I found trying to do the grayscale a little difficult but I think I was able to do get what I needed to portray. I hope to improve in that while learning about photography.
Week 3:
PHOTO ANALYSIS:
Im going to be honest I had a really difficult time with this assignment and catching the elements I wanted to catch. I wanted to communicate the essence of where my kids have been and I took a whole bunch of photos but found that they were too blurry or it just didn’t work out. Im grateful for the back ups that I did have to showcase the assignment. Though it doesn’t communicate what I originally wanted I feel as if it was a step in the right direction. I want to put more effort into my photos and I hope to do that and improve the next time.
Week 2
I constantly find myself gravitating towards Chris Burkard’s photography. An accomplished adventurer, I feel like he captures the beautiful life of a globe trotter perfectly. His website is full of photographs of the outdoors and people who embrace it. I chose this picture because it stood out to me the most. After reading “What Makes a Great Photograph” I wanted to see if this photo met the criteria and here is what I found.
At first glance my eyes immediately go to the person embracing the light and mist of the water, depending on how you look at it. It isn’t the only thing that holds your attention, the lighting on the water and the details of the rocks is what makes the structure of this photo work. It has the makings for being a great photo but it also doesn’t meet every criteria in the article.
For example, the story of this photo is what makes it but I think there are a lot of distractions. Though my eyes go to the person first, I can’t help but glance over them and get stuck on the sun on the horizon or the light shimmering on the falls.
The shot itself is beautiful and was taken at the right time. It almost seems like it was one of those “Shoot today. Shoot NOW. You can’t go back next week.” moment. One you can never blame a photographer for taking.
WHITE BALANCE:
VISUAL LITERACY:
PHOTO ANALYSIS:
I wanted to portray nature taking back what man has made. I wanted to communicate the feeling of redemption. The natural parts of the photos were the most important to me and I really wanted to capture that aspect. I used natural lighting for these photos, hoping to get a gloomy effect, a kind of harsh meaning. After taking time to sit and look at my photos I feel like they give off a sort of rushed feeling. I would probably slow down a bit more, really look for what I want to capture before taking it and leaving.
Week 1
Sabastiao Salgado
I chose this picture by Salgado because I found it kind of mysterious. I questioned what’s happening in this picture and wondered why would he take this photo. The visual elements caught my eye next. The natural lighting in the photo put the child in focus while also letting the shadows define the natural textures of the landscape behind them.
The angle of this picture is what made me stop to really look at this photo. The vantage point gives us nothing, the only clue we have about what this child may be doing is by looking at what’s in the bucket next to them and even then you can’t pinpoint anything. My eyes continuously get drawn to their hat, where it seems to have the brightest contrast. This picture by Salgado is filled with just enough shapes and textures to tell a small story but not enough to make want to know what was going on in this child’s life?
When I look at this photo I feel as if the child is waiting for a loved one. Like when my children wait for me to return from doing something. It doesn’t radiate loneliness but instead makes me feel like this child is content before moving on.
COLOR SERIES:
HUE SERIES:
