100 Words

       I see the world as a picture.  Every time I look around and see a scenery or spot that looks beautiful within my eyes, I want to photograph it.  Photos are more than just pictures to me; they usually bring different types of emotions depending on what the photograph is about.  Sometimes they bring me joy, sadness, excitement or even tiredness.  But what is the greatest part of a picture to me is that they are all memories that could be relived by just looking at it.  My photographs convey stories that transmit different types of emotions or feelings.  Depending on the audience, emotions could vary as not everybody is with me when the photographs are taken.

12 Last Images

Berenice Abbott 8 Pictures

Presentation: Berenice Abbott Photographs

I chose the book of Berenice Abbott: Photographs.  This book was published by the Smithsonian Press in Washington D.C. in 1990.   I found this book in the TR section, on the lower level of the library.  Before i chose this book nothing seemed to grab my attention as much as this book did.  What pulled me and grabbed my attention to this book was the cover of it.  There was a picture of what seemed to look like NYC to me.  I like taking pictures of the buildings of NYC so I thought "well, maybe this it the book I was looking for".  I opened it and there was this picture that caught my attention first.  The name of the photograph is Edna St. Vincent Milley, poet.  This picture I was not expecting to see in the book since I thought it was only about pictures of architectures of buildings and such.  This picture caught my attention because I, myself, like doing photo shoots with black backgrounds.  I think that black backdrops give pictures a sort of drama and more detail to the subject.  I say this because the light source hits and illuminates only the subject which only focuses on the person and nothing else.  I have shot pictures like these myself and I think they look pretty nice.  The second picture and third on the slideshow I do not know the name of but are portraits as well.  As i explained before, this relates and inspires me because i shoot portraits with staged photography and people get to express themselves sometimes in the shoot as well as a photographer makes the subject model for them.  The fourth picture in the slideshow is of a bridge.  I have shot pictures similar to the ones she has of the bridge but more specifically like this one that is on the slideshow.  The 5th picture is also like a similar picture i shot and showed for critique in class.  In this picture, the photographer is looking up on this building.  We could all relate to this picture because when we stand in front of the bottom of the building, we feel like such small people compared to these huge architectures.  Pictures like these inspire me to shoot more like this as it is how we view the world as and it shows in this picture in particular.  The last three pictures i just thought were nice.  They look very well framed. I really like picture #7, where you could see shadows on the architecture because it makes you appreciate things that we see every day of our lives.  Picture #8 I chose because i have shot something like this as well but under a bridge.  I love images that look like this and have some structure and different beauty to it.  Photography overall makes me see the world as a picture with a thousand words.  Although her pictures are black and white, they are strong and appealing to the naked eye.  Overall, what inspired me from this photographer was that even though she has a variety of what she shoots, her pictures still seem professional and nice for someone that doesn't focus only on shooting a certain subject.  I also like shooting different ways and things which makes me want to become a good photographer like she was.

Assignment #!2

1. How would you describe the look of Bryan Graf’s images? 

I think his images have a lot of texture and details to them.Also, they have his own touch to them.

2. How does he draw inspiration from the landscape.

He draws inspiration from the landscape by taking or shooting landscapes in black and white and also in "Raw color".  Then during the printing process, he layers random color shots over the black and white shots making them look different than just a landscape shot.  

Quiz 12

1. How do you change the order of the images in your slideshow?

You could change the order of the images in your slideshow by simply clicking and dragging 

2. What is Ryan McGinley inspired by? 

He is inspired by his siblings and his friends. Also by David Bowie.

3. Why is he drawn to his subject matter?

He is drawn to his subject matter because unlike other times, he wants to capture emotions rather than just some beautiful landscapes.

Assignment #12

Before

                                                                         

 After

Assignment #11

1. What is a watermark and why would you use one?

A watermark is a label that you use to secure your own photograph usually it is your name. You would use a watermark to limit someone from taking your image and if a person wants to use it they have to ask you to use it.

2. Why would you use the Publish Services panel in LR?

You would use the publish services panel in Lightroom to upload to other social networking services such as Facebook much easier.

3. How are Loretta Lux and Beate Gutschow using digital techniques to construct reality in their work? Answer for each artist.

Gutschow uses digital techniques to construct reality by taking a bunch of pictures of various locations.Then creates her one image by using all the pieces of the images she takes. Gutschow created the sky by using more than 30 different images.  Lux takes photographs she takes of children and edits them into backgrounds and creates a fantasy yet real image.

Watermark

Assignment #10

1.  That they function on 3 levels; autobiography, geography and metaphor.  For autobiography he means that for the photographer this is where he/she put their view and this is how the photographer wants to view the place or whatever he is shooting meaning that this is where their experience shows of that place.  For geography he means this is where the place is at that is being recorded.  It is just a record of a certain place that already exists.  for metaphor he means this is where the viewer chooses what they want to view the picture as.  Their own interpretation of the picture that is already taken.

2.  It is important because they would not cause fires.  It could "umbrella" the lights meaning the light could be stopped from giving too much light or it could reflect the light so it bounces off it back to the subject.  This let's the photographer have more control of the lighting situations.

3.  It is so you get the lighting that you as the photographer wants.  Not diffusing the lights or flash could become a problem as it could over expose your pictures or simply not give you want you wanted.

Before and After

Before    

After

Assignment #9

1. How can you create a collaged look of overlapping images using LR? 
Yoou create a collection with the pictures you want in the collage then You go to the Print tab then you set up your page how you want to, with or without a border.  Then you make sure no image is selected at the bottom, after you just pick the pictures from the bottom and drag them in the page how you want to.  To overlap you just change the size in them and could overlap it by playing around with the image's sizes.2. How can you change which images are in front or behind?
You right click and put "sent to back" or "send to front"

3. How does memory figure in Pedro Meyer’s process?

He has a poor memory and this is why he is into photography.  He uses his photography shooting as some type of way to remember things better.

4. How does he view his work in relation to straight photography?

He thinks the pictures could show and see more than we see in real life.  As a camera could capture more than we could.

Collage

Panorama

Assignment #8

1. What does it mean to check the “stack with original” box in LR Preferences: External editing? Why is this helpful?
What it means in the external editing is that the copy which is an edited image of your original will be located or place next to the image you started off with. It is helpful because then in Lightroom it will be easier to find the image.  

2. How can scanners create compelling photographs “that require neither film nor camera”?
 Scanners could give people awesome photos that require neither film nor camera because the images the scanner produces are sharp and clear.

3. In what way is the role Gregory Crewdson plays in creating his photographs different than what we typically assume of a photographer?
Gregory Crewdson is different than what we typically assume of what a photographer should be like because most of us just think photographers shoot pictures of what is typically in front of us.  Like for example nothing out of the ordinary like Times Square or NYC skyline. But, Crewdson actually gets a group of people to help him through different aspects of the image so he could manipulate it the way he wants to.

Assignment 6

1. What are ICC profiles and how do you use them when printing? 

ICC Profiles are color profiles that you could choose so that you could get the best printing job depending on the type of paper and also printer u are using.  You are able to use it by going to the web site of the one who makes the paper(manufacturer) you are utilizing and then looking for and finding the ICC color profiles.  then you could and will be able to download to install as one of your printer's color profiles. 

2. What is monitor calibration? Why is it important? 

Monitor calibration is done to calibrate the monitor in order for it to show you the true colors you are going to print out rather than ones that appear on your screen but give you a different result when you print it.  . It is important because as i said before it could show you what you really are going to print out rather than what you think you are going to printout. 

3. Adams writes that landscape pictures function on 3 levels- geography, autobiography, metaphor. Describe what he means by each. 

For geography, he just means that the picture is some evidence of the place at the exact time the picture was taken.
For autobiography, he says that this is when the one photographing is putting his/her input. Also that it is what the photographer, although the place is already there, puts his experience through the image.
For metaphor, Adam means that the one seeing the picture is the one deciding how to look at the picture.For example if they want to see it another way rather than the way the photographer photographed it, they could or they could see it through the eyes and experience of the photographer.

Altered Image

Retouched Self Portrait

Week #5 Assignment

1. How do you apply masks in LR and how can you use those masks to adjust your image?

you could apply masks in LR with the brush and you could use those masks to adjust your images by adjusting clarity, brightness, contrast, vibrancy and so on. 

 

2. Describe the difference between the adjustment brush and the gradient filter and how you might use each one.

 The adjustment brush let's you or allows you to adjust which ever special part of your image you want to adjust like for example if you didn't want to change the exposure on the whole image, you could select the certain part that you do want adjusted and adjust only that.  The gradient filter edits your whole picture naturally and you could adjust tint and stuff like that.  Gradient filter could be used for landscapes and adjustment for self portraits. 

 

3. What is Pascal Dangin’s job? In what ways is it creative?

Pascal Dangin's job is pretty awesome. It's retouching digital images.  It is creative because he retouches images that makes them appear almost perfect and they seem so nice. 

 

4. What is his attitude about the ethics of the job he does?

 I think he's honest because he knows that the images he retouches are obviously not real life.  He doesn't try to hide the fact that they are retouched.

Week 4 Reading

1. What does the phrase “The man who said ‘I saw it! I saw it!’ and passed it by” mean in terms of photography?

The phrase "The man who said 'I saw it! I saw it!' and passed it by"  in terms of photography means that photographers do not miss what passes by them and are seeing things differently or the same way either at the same instant on later on.  The way they see is different than a person who is just literally passing by something.

 

2. Drawing on the Daido Moriyama essay and our class discussions explain in your own words how photographs can “contain the living pulse of the human being behind the camera”.

 

Photographs can "contain the living pulse of the human being behind the camera" because it is just the way they see. Their way of seeing the world is 

 

different. Photographers like to capture emotions or feelings or instants that fit to what they view the world as.  Morivama says that he viewed his world or 

 

people as cold and thats why he only saw that on his or for his photography.

BEFORE










AFTER

Week 3

-Reading Quiz

1. Describe IN YOUR OWN WORDS what is meant by the idea that “the link (with the human eye and its usual optical radius) is not really needed” in terms of photography and film. (Ossip Brik reading)............ 

-----I think it means that we need to start seeing the things around us in a different way, in a way that not everyone sees it so that our pictures come out better than what reality is set to be but what reality is, is more than just what the eye sees everyday, which is the norm.  

2. What is a DNG file? Why would you convert your files to DNG when you are importing them to LR? 

----A DNG file is a digital negative and it was created by adobe so that anyone could use this format. You would convert your files into a digital negative when importing to LR because is a smaller type of file size and it will be quicker to upload or import to light room 

3. How do you enter Lights Out mode in LR? How can you use this mode?  

-----You enter lights out mode in light room by double clicking the letter L and you could use this mode when wanting to display pictures with nothing else showing on the screen but the picture and black around the pictures.

-Looking at Photographs

---The picture that most captured my attention was the first one of the broken window.  Before reading what it was i couldn't really tell what it exactly was but then i started to see it as a shadow and then saw the broken glass type thing.  I found it interesting because it seems as that space in the middle could take you into a different time zone like a time machine sort of thing.  It seems as if you step into it you wouldn't know what to exactly expect to find yourself with because its dark there and the broken texture gives it a mysterious way to it since it makes you wonder why is it broken and such. I like how the middle of that picture is pitch black and how you cannot tell everything that went on at that moment but it does give you like a mysterious feel to it.

Week 2

-Reading Quiz
1. On pages 1-3 Szarkowski describes many ways that photography offered a new kind of picture making process with a very different group of practitioners. Describe one of the ways that photography was a very different art form.

On page 2 it says that photography had become easier.  It says photographs were like never before.  that the new pictures were something to remember  which meant that they would survive to multiple and get even better. 

2. What does John Szarkowski mean by the characteristic “The Thing Itself”?
 Szarkowski means that the picture itself should be given more credit than to the naked eye itself because that is what we are capturing and remembering for a while, not what your eye sees.

3. Szarkowski writes that the time that photographs describe is always the present. What does he mean?
 Well, what he means is that a picture will only tell a story that happens right at that instance.  For example, if it was taken on July 21st 2008 then it will only describe that day in present not the next or the day before that day.  


 Camera 


1. What is the maximum image size your camera is capable of shooting in terms of pixel width and height?
 5184x3456

2. What options do you have for controlling exposure with your camera? 
aperture, ISO, shutter, white balance, 
 
3. Describe some hypothetical situations in which you would want to use different exposure modes/settings.  
 One situation would be when i want to shoot pictures at night, if i want to shoot at night i have to change the iso to higher and if the aperture is at f/22, the shutter has to be the opposite which would be at 1/50 of a second..  Another situation will be when you want to shoot water you could shoot soft moving water or water in action which looks different. 
 
4. What ASA/ISO range is your camera capable of? Why would you choose one over the other?
  its capable of 3200 and you would choose one over the other in lighting situations for example if its too bright you put it its lowest and if its dark on its highest.

5. What is white balance and what options do you have for adjusting it on your camera?
white balance is for us to get the best accurate colors in our images.  my camera since its a canon t3i has really good options to play around with it.  
 
6. What is the histogram and how do you use it? 
 Histogram lets us know in a graph all of the brightness levels from the brightest to the darkest.  

Week 1

Answer the following questions about this week’s reading and post the responses to your blog:
1. Describe one way in which “Every image embodies a way of seeing”. (John Berger reading)
   One way that every image embodies a way of seeing is through a photo.  For example the photographer chooses one location out of infinity and that describes the way of seeing that is reflected in the choice of subject. 
 
2. What kind of camera does Wendy Richmond use for her Public Privacy project? 
  Wendy Richmond uses her camera phone for her Public Privacy Project.

3. Why does she choose to use that type of camera? How does it relate to her project?
    She uses that type of camera because she says that when she is actually recording, she seems like an average person texting or doing other things on her phone rather than taking little videos of other people's everyday lives.  It relates to her project because she is using a 21st century gadget to record 21st century "city dwellers". 

First Assignment