Concentration Jump Start

1. Describe your concentration in 1 to 2 sentences, I will explore contrast through portraiture using texture, shadows and black and white. I will utilize patterns to reflect the inner emotions of the subject.
2. Describe what visual/design problems or questions you will solve in your work. I will work to utilize contrast effectively so that I can emphasize not only the texture of the pattern but the the features of the model as well. There are a variety of problems that I will likely run in to throughout the course of my concentration. If I decide to use a projector to create some of my shadows, finding away to get rid of the pixelization of the texture will certainly be one of issues that I will run into. Also I will run into the issue of finding enough models to shoot with.
3. Post links to at least four examples of work similar to what you are proposing.

This photo is similar to what I am doing becuase a very similar approach was taken to taking this shot to how I will take my photos. It is a natural light shot with what looks like a wicker material to make the shadows, I shot that I hope to capture with a wicker chair I have.

I want to pursue a picture where I use a patterned doily to create a patterned shadow on someone. I will liely bump up the contrast a little like they look like they did in this photo.

I want to take one textured shadow portrait where the hand is used as the shadow. It is simple, yet can easily be done wrong to look too childish so I beleive this photo will be one of my hardest to master.

I want to take a shot where there is a simple burst of light on top of an all black face. In order to have a uniform backgrond like the shot above, I might have to make an artificial light in the studio.

5. List any resources you might need to help with your concentration work. 

I will likely need use of the studio at some point in time during the semester. I don’t think there is any special equipment that I will need, likely just creative approches to controling the shape of the light in the studio. There are some tutorials that I will watch before individuval shoots especially from the photoshop point of view.

Final Breadth

 

“The Rock”

I took this photo because I have always been attracted to the naturally smooth and strong lines of skull mounts. This picture demonstrates my ability to manipulate light and use shadows to emphasize certain components of my photo. This photo features strong figure/ground relationship, emphasis, and balance. 10″ x 4.167″ Photography

 

“The Isle”

I selected this picture for evaluation because it demonstrates my ability as a landscape photographer. This picture features strong figure/ground and balance. The gazebo has a strong contrasting relationship with the background. There is a balance between the sky and the ground that is level and soothing. 10″ x 5.696″ Photography

 

“Atlantic”

I used this photo for my breadth portfolio because, in addition to demonstrating my strength of taking landscapes, it also features my ability to use colors well. This picture features strong figure/ground and balance. This picture features rhythm and balance. There is a rhythm amongst the clouds and balance between the water, orange sky, and blue sky/clouds. 10″x 6.017″ Photography

 

“Sunset Ripple”

I took this photo because it demonstrates my abilities in non-traditional editing that can’t be seen in other photos. I edited this photo my editing all the pictures in Lightroom using the exact same method and then took a sliver of all 20 pictures in photoshop and added them all to one picture. This photo features strong unity/variety, balance, and repetition. 10″ x 6.667″ Photography

 

“Summer Refreshment”

I took this picture because I wanted to create a photo that listed a physical response from viewers. When I see this picture, I immediately become thirsty. I selected this photo for evaluation because I think that demonstrates my ability to frame natural still lifes and use color to my advantage. This photo features strong unity/variety, rhythm, and repetition. 10″ x 6.722″ Photography

 

“Slumber”

I selected this image for evaluation because I think it captures my ability to naturally frame photos and effectively take a black and white photography. This photo features strong balance and figure/ground relationship. The women are balanced with the shape of the tree, and she has a clear place in the photo relative to the background. 7.572″ x 10″ Photography

 

“Duality”

I picked this picture for evaluation because it portrays my ability to use studio lighting effectively as well as take a picture that has a clear message behind it. This photo features strong balance, contrast and unity/variety. The balance of the two figures allows the contrasting attributes to be noticed as well as the unity to be seen as well. 10x 5.156 Photography

 

“Joshua Tree”

I chose this photo for evaluation because I think it demonstrates my ability edit the color of a portrait to change the mood as well as my talent for utilizing the natural light to my best advantage. This photo features strong proportion/scale as the size of the model is accurately compared to the size of the tree. 10″ x 5.156″ Photography.

 

“Morning Thunder”

I took this photo because I wanted to find away to bring a small model plane to life and make it seem that the picture could have been snapped of an actual World War One aircraft. I choose this picture because I want to utilize shadows to emphasize the shapes of the plane. This photo features strong proportion/scale and emphasis. 10″ x 4.167″ Photography

“Slinky”

I chose this photo for evaluation because it represents a different part of my photography skill set. This is the only photo in which I take advantage of light to create the subject of the photo myself. This picture features strong rhythm and emphasis. As I emphasized the slinky shape, there is a rhythm amongst the coils. 10″ x 6.2″ Photography  

 

“Antique Novel”

I picked the picture for evaluation because it demonstrates my ability to focus on the details of an image and give a photo some character through editing. This picture features strong rhythm and emphasis. There is a rhythm among the lines of text and an obvious emphasis on a certain component of the book. 10″ x 7.271″ Photography

 

“Trust the Process”

I took this photo because I wanted to create an image that had crisp lines and featured balance that was visually soothing. This picture features strong balance, unity/variety, repetition, and rhythm. The repeating element of the cup creates a sense of rhythm yet there is still that variation of the image to keep the photo interesting. 10″ x 4.742″ Photography

 

2 People in a Room

 

 

For my two people in a room project, I want to take a unique approach. I want to capture someone that is in a tightly confined area or the “room” next to a person standing outside of the room. I plan on taking this picture in black and white in the studio sometime next week. I want the models to wear all white so that the black, ominous background provide a stark contrast.

 

How can you build a creative concept in a photo using space and multiple subjects?

There are only 3 objects that are in this photo so that it is important to accentuate each object. The negative space is important to accentuate the subjects in pictures.

Landscape

I am going the Isle of Palms in South Carolina right outside of Charleston, South Carolina. I hope to take a picture of the pier that features the sun in the background. The Isle of Palms waves is not as strong as the waves in San Diego or other places on the Pacific coast, so as a result there are a lot of awesome long stretching calm waves on the beach.

I also want to take another picture at the beach that places more of an emphasis on the waves.  The picture above has a nice balance between the sky and the foreground water, so I hope to achieve that same balance.

How can you show depth and the expansiveness of nature in a 2D photograph?

When taking a landscape is important to have elements in the photo in the foreground, midground, and background. It is also important to intentionally frame the picture so that the emphasis is one what I want it to be on.

Long Exposure

I want to take a long exposure photo that is centered around a portrait. Moving quickly between three positions provides an interesting effect that seen above. I hope to take this picture sometime next week when I can use the class studio. Also, I hope to use the desaturated look that is featured in the photo above.

I also want to take a long exposure picture of vehicle movement in downtown Phoenix. The continuous motion of the light rail with the motionless landscape behind provides a cool effect that I hope to get in my photos (I’ll have to use a tripod). I hope to take this photo this weekend.

I want to take a long exposure cloud picture that features the Arizona landscape. I want to have the vibrant colors that are unique that the Phoenix, so ill have to find a day that has the correct number of clouds. I also want to something in the foreground to provide some depth to the photo. I can’t plan when to take this picture because it is dependent on the weather so I will take this picture when I can.

 

How can you depict motion in a still photograph?

Simply taking a long exposure picture does not necessarily mean that the picture has motion. It is important to frame the motion so that the movement is emphasized to really highlight the motion.

How can long exposures change how you depict light in a still photograph?

Light plays an important role in every photograph, but with long exposure pictures, it is especially important that the light is utilized to emphasize the detail of the photograph. Long exposures are unique that the light is more often than in regular pictures are the subject of pictures.

Texture

I plan to take this shot this weekend if a combination of photos either on my bookshelf or elsewhere. The pages of old books tend to have a texture that really appeals to me. I might use a white poster board as a backdrop to highlight the texture.

The texture of seashells is also very appealing to see. I hope to take a picture of a seashell in the morning light that highlights the crevasses and detail of the shell. As I do not have the ability to take such an up-close, High def pictures as the one that is above, I will probably have to highlight the entire shell on a creative backdrop a morning next week.

I am really interested in creating a plastic bag landscape picture. The texture and color that is featured in a picture that is made up of such a mundane item are really appealing to me.  I hope to take this in the studio sometime next week when I can use the studio lights to feature the crevasses.

How can you emphasize texture and give a viewer of a sense of how an object feels in a still photograph?

The use of controlled light source and direction are extremely important in giving the viewer a sense of how an object feels in a still photograph. Using specific colors and different effects provide unique prospectives that can highlight certain features of the texture.

 

 

 

Assignment 9 Repetition

I am attracted to this picture because the macro shot in BW allows for there to be a lot a great value. I will use a pendulum. I will use I will look to replicate a shot like this with a similarly low f-value. Sometime next week.

 

The repetition and order in this photo are soothing and relaxing. I will try to take this picture sometime next week at a local grocery store, and hopefully, the poor lighting doesn’t mess me up too much.

The simplicity and emphasis on simple shapes stood out to me in this photo. Using multiple empty bowls and having one bowl filled with a light color, showing just a little bit of contrast results in a calming presense. I plan on taking this next week.

With this photo i can again focus on my love for shadows. The patterned shadows with a high contrast black and white edit really makes the photo pop. I will take this picture next week.

 

How can you emphasize natural or created repetition of objects in a photo?

Changing apature and exposing the photo correctly.

How can multiple items create visual patterns?

if two or more items are next to each other than humans automatically compare and contrast them. Their relationship creates visual patterns.

Street Photography

 

All of these pictures attract me because they all have a serious tone. I plan on taking my pictures with the class field trip, and I hope that that brief time will offer me enough opportunity to get the shots that I want.

 

How can you document something happening around you in a visually appealing way? A follow-up question for social commentary, if you go that route, is: How can you express opinions on an issue through documentary photography?

The most important way to document something in a visually appealing way is to have a strong mood in the photo. Every photo has a perspective so if a shot of a homeless is taken in a way that gives a sense of gloom, then the picture is automatically arguing that people need to be aware of the horrors of homelessness.

Midterm

I was inspired by this image by David Brown from last years photo class. I almost feel as if the intrigue of many starscapes and city-light blur photos are now lost on me because I have seen so many of them before. This approach of using 20 different frames to demonstrate a transition from light to dark really stood out to me. I plan on using 20 different frames as well and taking this picture during a sunset so that there is an obvious change in lighting. I will use a tripod and a clicker so that there is no shaking.  I like the idea of having an obvious item in the foreground as well as a sunset in the background so I will try to utilize a bush or cactus or something of the like for that purpose.

Assignment 7 Diptychs

I want to take a Diptych of two different people with the same facial expression so that they can be compared and contrasted. I plan on taking this picture sometime next week with two that provide an interesting comparison.

 

I want to take this picture with a cactus or other plant that extends down into a leg or a set of legs. I  like the desaturated approach of this image so I will try to replicate that effect. I plan to take this picture this weekend.

 

I want to create a picture that shows the evolution of something and a rich cup of a coffee that features the adding of cream is a perfect way to capture this evolution. I plan to take this picture some morning next week. Also, I want to use a black background with a white cup to emphasize that contrast.

 

How do you make two different but related photos work as one concept?

Two pictures interact and form one concept in a variety of ways. They can contrast or together they can tell a story. Having the ability to use two pictures allow for the artist to demonstrate a transition and emphasis a change.