Photo2Q1.1: Best Photos

1a

1b

I enjoy taking street photography the most. I feel that people are most natural when they aren't posing in front of the camera--they are at their most genuine selves. This can usually only be achieved when they're in a particular setting. The street is the most opportune place, as there is ample lighting most of the time to achieve whatever effects I want to achieve. (1a)

In addition,  I'm not sure how to categorize this, as it is more of an aesthetic, but I enjoy taking photos that have either a very focused in and particular subject matter, or an extremely minimal setting (as shown in 1b). Minimalism is perhaps the most sought after aesthetic that I want to achieve despite the difficulty in getting it spot on. (1b)

2a

This is still my best photo from earlier this year when I was in Photo 2. I still feel that this is my best photo because everything was just captured right. I like the way I edited the graduated filter in the top right, the depth of field is spot on; everything just "works". (2a)

2b

As an effort to provide a different best photo alternative, I also feel that this recent photo for my friends' homecoming queen campaign (in which she won yay) can be considered one of my best photos for very similar reasons to 2a. Only thing I'd change is that I'd remove the black bag in the background that's there for some reason. (and yes, I know, all my best photos usually have the same model in it) (2b)

3a

3b

This year, I'd like to expand my abilities in taking photos that involves very controlled lighting. I feel that I rely heavily on natural light and using Lightroom to drastically improve my photos from their raw state. Although it is definitely advantageous to use the tools you have, the point of having such remarkable technology is to use them when you can't achieve them in real life with ease. I'd like to be able to become a more flexible photographer, and I feel that challenging myself with controlled lighting would be a great start. (3a, 3b)