Magazines Part 2

1. Early magazine covers looked a lot like book covers because early magazines were very similar to books in many ways. They might have had a small picture but nothing else much.
2. The poster cover is defined by a big picture that most of the time is in color but it can also be in black and white. It takes up the whole magazine cover except for a title. There are very few words on these magazines.
3. Picture married to type covers typically have a picture taking up most if not all of the cover. There are words for what will be inside the magazine and they are put on the cover so that they blend in and look put in place with the image in front or behind it.
4. In the forest of words covers are defined by a picture with a bunch of bright words in front of so as to catch a viewer's attention. These covers are typically very loud looking and the images can be almost completely obscured but the type on the cover. Many find these covers obnoxious.

My Favorite Cover

Favorite

ESPN The Magazine, July 21, 2014, Venus Williams 

"No matter how much an athlete takes care of his or her body, it's clear that a spot on the cover of The Body Issue is for only the most confident of subjects. Venus Williams, one-half of the tennis-playing Williams sisters, accepted a request from ESPN The Magazine after having declined in the past. The pose shows Williams sans clothes, of course, but with a majesty that could be cause for her to participate again. Though sister Serena sometimes overshadows Venus, a former world No. 1 player in her own right, Venus is center state for this cover in front of the lenses of Williams + 

Hirakawa, a husband-and-wife photography team. They capture Venus' beauty and strength in presenting an alluring portrait from a shoot that took place amid a Miami rock quarry. The mounds of fine sand serve as a perfect backdrop for the tennis star's powerful yet graceful physique and make her appear larger than life."

I like how the photo's background is very simple bringing attention to Venus Williams instead of something else behind her. I also think that it is interesting that she is not looking directly looking at the photo keeping this from being an over sexualized piece of fashion photography. I think it is kind of weird that Venus does not have any clothes on but I also think it is nice because you can see things like cellulite which you typically do not see on models on magazine covers. The portrait communicates a sense of being a real person and courage by showing her without anything on and staring off in the distance. In all, I really like this magazine cover.

Best Magazine Covers 2015

1. Formal
2. Formal environmental
3. Informal
4. Informal
5. Informal
6. Informal
7. Informal 
8. Informal
9. Formal
10. Enviromental
11. Informal
12. Informal
13. Informal
14. Informal
15. Informal
16. Formal
17. Informal
18. Informal

Magazine Tips

When designing a magazine cover, you need to think of:

• Make the title the same every time
• Make the words invoke curiosity
• Have an interesting picture that is basically the same type on every issue
• Make it neat
• Don't make it messy

Magazine Covers

Fashion Photography

• 1. The changes to the models face were: thinner chin, smaller nose, slimmer look
• 2. the changes to the models body were slimmer everything and longer legs and neck
• 3. the changes to the models body were slimmer everything and longer hair
• 4. If everyone involved consents it is ethical to alter a models photo
• 5. Its ethically wrong to alter a photo without consent
• 6. Changes that are not made note of and aren't consented to are unethical
• 7. Fashion photography is digitally altered photography but photojournalism is straight up
• 8.  Fashion photography is unrealistic but photojournalism is
• 9. I was shown these photos so I would not do what was done here
• 10. Guys are less photographed for fashion photography

Portraits and Self portraits Final Images

Self Portrait and Portraits Part 1

Two tips I found were:

>Alter your perspective

>Use a tripod or something to steady your camera

Enviromental portraits:

I like this photo because the man does not look like he changed anything for the photo and that's why I picked this.

I like this photo because you can tell what the guy does because the guitar is not just beside him but also in his hand and that's why I picked it.

Photography Self Portraits:

I like this photo because it is unique and creative so I picked it.

I like this photo, by the same photographer as the one above, because it is also creative and sort of humorous, which is why I picked.

Casual Portraits:

I liked this photo because it is with nice color tones which is why I picked it.

This photo was less stock-photo type which is why it was chosen.

You can find the photographer who does headstands here.

Electric

purple

Cold

Love and Loss

I felt progressively more sad as I looked through the photos on the website.

The comment from the photographer on their photos reads,"These photographs do not define us, but they are us."I understand this comment to be stating that although being a cancer patient doesn't say anything about a person personally, it is what they are, unfortunately.

I do not think I could shoot photos well if I were in this situation.

If I could write Angelo a letter, I would tell him that his photos are excellent. I would also tell him that I am sorry for his loss.

American Soldier: Photos Make the Story

This is the most powerful image in the slideshow. This is because it shows a transformation in Ian's life. It gives a view of his feelings towards army life.

Set 1- Images 1-3

Set 2- Images 4-6

Set  3- Images 7-27

I believe that Set 3 was the most powerful set of images because it has the most amount of images of all of the set. It shows how Ian gets through his life in Iraq.

The photos work together to tell the story of Ian's journey. It tells the story of how he transformed from young person into a soldier.

For the photos in which Ian is the main subject, the captions are typically written in present tense.

The captions enhance the photographs by describing exactly what was going on at that very moment.

Ian Fisher started out graduating from his high school. He then was given basic training for the army before he went off to Iraq. He later came home to his family.

Ian Joined the army because he had always wanted to fight and because it would help him bond with his father.

Mergers and Avoiding Them

Cropping

Framing

Depth

Background

Viewpoint

Symmetry and Patterns

Leading Lines

Balancing Elements

Rule of Thirds

Abandoned Theme Parks

I would most want to take my camera to the abandoned Six Flags in New Orleans, Louisiana.  To me it has an eerie sense to it. I like that. I also enjoy the fact that it was recently abandoned. Also I like the fact that there are replica shops of the real New Orleans there.

Here is  a photo of the abandoned theme park:

Five other unusual place I think would be of interest to photographers would be Chernobyl, ghost towns, plane wreckage, boat wreckage and abandoned school buildings.

Here is a photo of Chernobyl taken in 2006:

I do not necessarily think it would be fun to take pictures of chernobyl but I do think it would be interesting to document it. I think it is interesting to see the chilling photos of disaster and I expect to see sad signs of what was once there. 

I may need a vehicle, special equipment, and a lot of money in order to take pictures in Chernobyl. It is still fairly radioactive. Also plane tickets to Russia are kind of expensive. I don't believe the trip would be cheap. However, I could easily pay to get to whatever spot I want to.

Africa

I really enjoyed the photos by Nick Brandt. They were quite moving and they made me feel like I needed to do something. The animals were portrayed well.

Here is my favorite photo of his:

This is a photo of an elephant walking through dust. This is my favorite photo because the elephant looks really  powerful.

The rule of framing is evident in this photo because the dust, the grass and the background all frame the elephant.

Nick Brandt does not use a telephoto lens because he feels it is unfair and not treating the animals at equals.

He takes these photos because he want to capture the animals' beauty before they are gone in the wild.

He hopes that by taking these photos, people will begin to treat these animals as equals.

A quote by him on Africa is:

"There is also something deeply, emotionally stirring and affecting about the plains of Africa--those vast, green rolling plains punctuated by graphically perfect acacia trees under the huge skies."

Funny Old People

This is Jim and his dog Randy looking at each other. We were at his 50th anniversary party and he saw his dog on the table so he decided to play dog.

Mary (left) and Gordon (right) are Racing in the Mobility Chair Quarter Finals. They had their mobility chairs decked out earlier. The funny thing is, they drive these things faster than they drive their cars.

Annie (left) and Christine (right) are getting a photo together at the nursing home. These two have been best friends for over 50 years but they have always been kids.

(disclaimer: the stories behind these photos are completely untrue)

Source: http://www.you-can-be-funny.com/Funny-Old-People.html

Great Black And White Photographers Part 3

Roy DeCarava's photos caught my eye because he used light in his photos in a creative way to make his photos more dramatic. I really liked his tones in his pieces.

Here's a refresher on the photos I had chosen:

I chose this photo because I liked the way it was obvious what the subject was. I see how the eyes of the child are looking right at me. I see her alone in the world just starting out. At peace. The photo makes a sort of silent peaceful noise. I hear nothing but the muffled white noise of people talking in the background. The child says nothing to me. I smell a bit of a building's stone walls and floors. The child has been cleaned as best as possible. I feel the floor beneath me. I feel calm and at peace. Hope runs through me. I taste the air of the area. It has been well taken care of. It's rich.

I chose this photo because I liked the use of the darker grays.

I chose this photo because i liked how Roy was able to catch the people in this position.

I chose this photo because I like how it captured emotion. I see the woman hiding. She seems scared. She is looking outward at something the camera did not capture. I hear a few cars in the background. I hear her unlocking her door. I hear the sound of footsteps. I feel the building beside me. I am scared for her. Its not making me happy. I taste city grime. The city is like all others. It is sticky. I smell the woman's perfume. The smell of a city street mixes with it to create a sense of being there. The smell of the street keeps it real.

Lastly, I chose this photo because I liked the contrast of the grays.

Mural of Photos

 1. Around school, doing a series of panels on the theme of perhaps school happiness (IDK) would be cool.

2. I believe the project should be limited to just phones so people have to get creative. Most people have smartphones anyway but if they didn't they could use their friend's phone.

3. Random places in the hallways and pillars in the buildings would be good places to put a mural.

Academic Shoot Reflection & Critique

(for the photos I took, see previous post)

1. I had a lot of trouble finding people to shoot when doing this photo shoot.

2. I thought most about the way I was holding this photo in the shoot. I corrected my issues by sometimes setting my camera down on things.

3. I think I did a good job following the rules of photography but I might have used more balance.

4. I liked what I did with the rules.

5. The rule of thirds is the easiest rule to achieve.

6. No mergers is the hardest rule to capture.

7. I understand all of the rules of photography.

Academic Shoot

A few days ago I was told to shoot some students involved in an academic activity. Here are the photos from the shoot:

1. I used lines in order to compose this photo. The lines the students make with their bodies and the lines of the building are the lines I used.

2. The subject is the students working on their project.

3. I believe it is clear what the subject is.

1. I mainly used the rule of thirds in this photo.

2. The subject is the same students working on the same subject.

3. Again, I believe it is clear what the subject is in the photo.

1. I used lines in this photo to lead to the subject.

2.. The subject in this photo is the students walking away.

3. It is clear what the subject is in this photo.

DSLR Camera Settings

1. The aperture settings available on the camera are 2.8 to 22.

2. The shutter speed settings available on the camera are 1 second to 1/4000 seconds.

3. The ISO settings available on the camera are 100 to 25600.

You can find the camera here.

ISO - What Is It?

Here is an example of a photo taken at an ISO of 200:

Here is an example of a photo taken at an ISO of  3200:

1. The advantages to using a higher ISO at a sporting event is to reduce motion blur.

2. The author suggested that when using a low ISO there should not very much movement.

3.  The author suggested that when using a high ISO to make sure it is okay to introduce noise into the photo.

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Sources:

200 ISO Picture- http://thedigitaltrekker.com/2013/09/life-worship-and-sitting-around-bhaktapur-nepal/

3200 ISO Picture (National Geographic Photographer)- http://www.firstlightworkshop.com/uncategorized/national-geographic-around-the-world-by-private-jet-2103-samoa-great-barrier-reef/

Other- https://photographylife.com/what-is-iso-in-photography

Shutter Speed - What Is It?

Example of a photo taken at a high shutter speed:

Example of a photo taken at a low shutter speed:

1.  a) low

b) low

c) high

d) high

e) low

f) high

a) low

b)low

c) high

d) low

e) low

f) low

2. Auto mode (where the camera sets up everything for the user), Shutter priority mode (where the user sets up the shutter speed but not the aperture), and manual mode (where both the shutter speed and the aperture are set by the user) are the three setting for shutter speed on a camera.

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Sources:

Pictures- National Geographic

Other- https://photographylife.com/what-is-shutter-speed-in-photography

Aperture - What Is It?

Here is an example of a photo taken at an aperture setting of F2.8:

Here is an example of a photo taken at an aperture setting of F16:

1. We should closely relate the pupil of the eye with aperture.

2. The smaller the aperture, the less amount of light enters the camera. The larger the aperture, the more light enters the camera.

3. Aperture causes the image's focus to change. That affects the depth of field by making the part of the image that should be the most in focus do just that.

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Sources:

F2.8 Picture- http://digital-photography-school.com/tamron-sp-15-30mm-f2-8-di-vc-usd-lens-review/

F16 picture- http://www.jensfabulousstuff.com/blog/aperture-by-will-paro

Other- https://photographylife.com/what-is-aperture-in-photography

Interesting and Unusual Photos Part 3

I think the 3 most important suggestions for a photographer to remember from the paintings I viewed here are to look for lines in nature, make your picture tell a story, and to use good lighting. 

Here is my favorite painting of all of the ones I viewed:

I wanted to find a picture that mimicked the photo above. I found one and here it is:

I do feel like the photographer followed the suggestion of depth fully and that is the main reason I enjoy looking at the photograph.

Photograph source: The Daily mail - here

I feel like photos of simple things in nature, like flowers on a tree, or photos with depth are the most interesting styles that I want to do.

Note: I had to post Part 3 before I posted Part 2 because one of the websites I was using was under routine maintenance.

Unusual and Interesting Photos Part 1

1. I think Christian Ruhm's work is interesting in the way he made them. It is appealing to the eye and it is not super conventional. I like some of it. The Eiffel Tower (above) is my favorite.

2. I think that Christian took the photos with multiple exposures while leaving the camera in the same spot them merged the photos together.

3. I don't know of any buildings in the surrounding area that I could take interesting photographs similar to Ruhm's. However, I think that the Seattle Space Needle in Seattle, Washington would be a good pick. Also, the Washington Monument in Washington D.C. is would make a good photo. 

You can find more of Christian Ruhm's work here.

Academics & Community Service

My favorite photo from the Academics & Community Service section was titled Junior Year and it can be found on page 15. I picked this photo because it was visually appealing and I liked the use of dark and light in this photo. The rule of thirds, simplicity and lines are used in this photo. You can find more photos here.

I could probably take photos like the ones I looked at today in a science classroom. I might visit my science teacher's classroom to take pictures. As a photographer, I will get a nice angle and catch the action in order to make the photos like the ones I saw today.

Filling the Frame

This photo fills the frame with the most amount of interesting things. There are the excited student, the bubbles flying everywhere and one of the student's arm reaching forward. That is why this photograph fills the frame the best. You can find this photo and more here.

Action & Emotion

This photo is the most emotional. The students have their heads down and are holding hands which shows a bonding. They are circled around the pole in a serious manner. That is why this photo is the most emotional. You can find this photo and more here.