Conveying a Message

This picture draws my attention because it's not something you would normally see and it confuses the person looking at it.

This picture draws me in because it is slightly disturbing and the subject looks desperate.

I liie this picture because it's so funny and the subject looks pleased with himself.

I love this picture because it conveys love!

When I look at this photo I see despair and desparation.

From the DVD 3

3.  In your journal, find at least four Jim Brandenburg photographs online and add them to this journal entry.

From the DVD 2

2. Why do you think Jim Brandenburg decided to take on a project where he allowed himself only one photograph every day for 90 days?

      Jim Brandenburg probably had multiple reasons for chosing to limit himself to one photo a day. First of all I though it might be because he said he had an "addiction" to photography. Maybe he wanted to break his addiction and realize how much we take photography for advantage. Then I began to think how much film and digital photography differ. You don't think nearly as much before you take digital images because it doesn't cost you anything and you can take them and see them immediately. In film photography you have to be incredibly cautious what pictures you take because first of all you can't see it so you're relying on yourself that the picture and lighting is correct. I think Brandenburg wanted to make himself not only save money, but also have to think a lot more before he actually had to take the picture and gain a better appreciation for his work.

From the DVD 1

Describe your favorite photograph that Jim Brandenburg took on his 90 day journey and why you were drawn to the image.  What elements of composition did he use?

      My favortie photo of Jim Brandenburg's is the color photo of the wolf hiding behind the tree, He has really good framing, rule of thirds, depth of field and a strong line formed by the tree. I was drawn to this aimage becasue of the wolf's eye. I love the color scheme of the whole photo- the grays, browns and greens are really nice.

Critique of Depth of Field Assignment

I really liked the picture I printed for shallow depth of field. I focused in on the sign and the woods in the background are blurry. You could really see the definition of the rusty chain wrapped around the top and it was just an overall neat picture. I love vintage or old, creepy looking pictures and this was definitely in that category. I would love to get a picture sometime in a flower field and just focus on one flower and have the rest all blurry. The picture of the view all the way down my road is very interesting. You could see all the way back and it had a good leading line. I would love to do this photo in the fall sometime with a color camera since the road is surrounded by trees.

Line Photos

I like how this photo has a line that draws your eye all the way down the road even though it's not straight.

I like this photo because you eye is also drawn to the middle and then you want to follow the line all the way up even though it's not straight but you want to see where it goes.

This photo has a really creepy feeling and I love how the line goes all the say back and disappears into the fog.

I like how this photo just has an overwhelming number of line in the power lines going in every direction. It also has a line of cars and buildings.

 This photo has a disturbing effect on me. It immediately reminds me of New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina. It has the intersecting lines (power lines) and rule of thirds. The coloring also makes for an unsettling mood.

This photo makes me think of New Mexico or Arizona. It has the rule of thirds and the lines in the sand are incredible. Especially to think that they are natural.

Find a picture from the book...

Look through the textbook and find an image you like.  Scan it into your journal and then write out how you might use this idea and why does it appeal to you. What could you do that would be similar?

I would love to take a picture like this of either my dog or my cat. I always try to get close ups but they don't stay still for long so you would have to try this one multiple times. I like how the eye is the first element of the photo that catches your attention. this photo has really good texture and rule of thirds. I want to take a picture like this of my orange cat outside with the blue sky the only thing in the background and his bright green eye the focus point.

Scan a photo and write a paragraph.

Scan one of the photos I have at my desk. In your journal write the first words that come to mind when viewing the image. Explain in a paragraph how that word is visually connected to the image. Describe the composition talking about the basic shapes that make up the image and how they are placed to make up the composition.

The word that first comes to mind when I see this photo is reckless. I see these three boys immediately jumping right after one another with no idea of what is beneath them and the fact that they will probably land right on top of each other. This photo has very unteresting depth of field. You can see what is in the background but it seems as if it is foggy and that's the reason it is unclear. Also, the photographer most likely zoomed in on the three boys jumping in the water. Also the photo came from a book of photos entitled  "Street Games." This makes these boys seem even that much more reckless.    

Critique of Lines Assignment

I loved this assignment! I went to the downtown mall and all around downtown Charlottesville and I came out with some great photos. I absolutely loved my line picture of the escape staircase. It was my first time using a filter and I burned for the first time. I loved how this one turned out. If I could re-do it, I might have not burned in for as much time or I might have used a different tool to cover up the staircase because you can vaguely see an oval that was covered up. I really liked the Paramount picture too; however I feel like that's something common that people take pictures of and I don't want anyone else to have photos like mine. I though I had good contrast and focus in this picture. You could see the bricks really well and the angle was interesting. If paper was not an issue I would re-do this and burn in the bricks a little more.

3 Short Depth of Field and 3 Long Depth of Field

 Very Shallow Depth of Field, high aperture, the photographer was very close to this image

 Short Depth of field, photographer was close to photo, high aperture

 Also a closeup with high aperture to show shallow depth of field

 Great depth of field, also has rule of thirds and possibly lines. The photographer was very far away from the furthest point back

 Great Depth of field, has a really good curve and center of attention. low aperture

low aperture, high depth of field, also shows great lines

Critique on Shutter Speed Pictures

Give an honest critique of your personal stop action/motion blur images.  Are you happy with them?  If so, what do you like?  If not, what would you change?  Is there anything you could improve upon?

I was actually not quite clear with this assignment. I really loved the picture I took of my cat when he was in the air to give the allusion that he was flying. This was a great fast shutter speed picture and I really captured the moment; however if I could do it again I would have followed the cat in the air while looking through my camera. I also took a picture of the house which I loved because it had the shadows and great contrast and it was a very sharp image. This was also a fast shutter speed picture though. If I could re-shoot this roll, I would like to lay on the ground in a crowded hall way and use a really slow shutter speed to capture everyone's feet walking. 

3 Frozen and 3 Movement Pictures

 Fast Shutter Speed. Probably 1/2000

 Fast Shutter Speed. Definitely at least 1/2000th

Fast Shutter SPeed. Maybe 1/1000 or 1/2000

 Slow Shutter Speed. At least a second exposure

Street: Slow Shutter speed. Maybe even 30 seconds? This picture had to have been on a tripod maybe set up on an overlooking bridge. 

Biker: Also slow shutter speed. I think the photographer followed the biker through his camera while taking the picture with at least a one second exposure.

My Neighborhood

Interesting Places to Take Pictures:

-My garden

-My neighbors pool and quarry

-The Old Blue Ridge Hospital (Perfect place to take old creep pictures but no on is allowed back there so I'll have to sneak back there sometime)

-The old stone house (my neighbor's house)

-Michie Tavern

-The trees on my road during fall when the leaves change color)

-I would love to take a picture from the top of my road looking down it in the fall because it's surrounded by trees on either side and the trees all change color. This would be a great depth of field picture.

Pictures I Would Like to Take

1. A close up of a flower with the rest of the flowers in the back blurred.

• low aperture and middle shutter speed

2. Shot of someones face that looks like a spiral

• turn camera upside down while taking photo

3. Someone running and freezing them in time

• HIGH shutter speed

4. Someone running blurred

• Low shutter speed. one second

5. Shot of feet of people walking through hall.

• low shutter speed

6. Old Dirt Road

• great depth of field. (shutter speed depepnding on time of day

7. Railroad tracks

• same as old dirt road. 9great depth of field) shutter speed and aperture depening on light and time of day. focused all the way back.

8.  Successful picture of a sunset

• not sure. would have to experiment with the light meter

9. House or building with light hitting it an interesting way

• later on in day around 4 or 5 high shutter speed

10. An intense action shot of a sport

• high shutter speed and aperture would depend on light meter

Parts of the Enlarger

Parts of the Camera

Learning to think like an artist means:

• Looking at things more closely than most people do
• Finding beauty in everyday things and situations
• Making new connections between different things and ideas
• Going beyond ordinary ways of thinking and doing things
• Looking at objects in different ways in order to generate new perspectives
• Taking risks and exposing yourself to possible failure
• Arranging items in new and imaginative ways
• Working hard and at the edge of your potential
• Persisting where others may give up
• Concentrating your effort and attention for long periods of time
• Dreaming and fantasizing
• Using old ideas to create new ones
• Doing something simply because it’s interesting and personally challenging to do