Sunday, November 19, 2017
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Photo1Q2.11: Sunprint
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Only when I branched out and looked at my life as a whole, did I begin to find a concept that was easier to grasp and easier to translate onto a sunprint. I took relatively meaningless objects/made some, such as cut up paper, cards, and a bunch of sewing materials. In practice arrangements, I wanted to appear chaotic but have order. They seem like polar opposites, but they can feel the same from a broad viewpoint (Ending of Avengers Age of Ultron made me think about this). The paper and string had great potential to express that, so I experimented with different arrangements as shown below. When arranging them, I was looking more for a satisfying composition to my eyes rather than putting an intention with them (which is kinda bad in a way but it turned out great in the end).
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| Practice Arrangement (phone) |
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| Practice Arrangement (camera) |
I must also add that the cards themselves were attractive, but were distracting me when arranging all the objects together, even though the ending sun print would only capture the "silhouette". It's why I faced it down.
The morning sun was pretty angled, which caused an unintentional shadow from the sewing bobbin. It ended up benefitting the final photo however.
The above image was taken after wiping off the light sensitive chemical away. Forgot to take a picture while in the actual act of wiping it.
After this photographic process, I thought it was an interesting way to teach the importance of composition in photography. One can surely shoot an image that's candid and require next to 0 preparation, but there's also so many opportunities when one actually plans the entire concept. It was also an interesting way to teach the fact that light is the root of all photographs, and manipulating it's effects to expose an object to create contrast is really all there is to it. A photograph without light is just a blank canvas.
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| Exposing decided arrangement to sun |
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| Washing off chemical |
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| Drying off sunprint on newspaper |
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| Final product |
After this photographic process, I thought it was an interesting way to teach the importance of composition in photography. One can surely shoot an image that's candid and require next to 0 preparation, but there's also so many opportunities when one actually plans the entire concept. It was also an interesting way to teach the fact that light is the root of all photographs, and manipulating it's effects to expose an object to create contrast is really all there is to it. A photograph without light is just a blank canvas.
With my sun print, I was personally satisfied with the result, despite playing it somewhat safe with the composition. Everything about the sunprint can be loosely compared to my lifestyle. I am always looking to ascend, not just a step ahead, but two steps ahead, which is why the third card in the "staircase" is staggered higher than from the 1st to the second card. The sewing bobbin string loops through all of the paper triangles. The bobbin represents my roots; a staple I'll always have throughout my life. To always recognize where I came from, and the people along my journey (represented by the triangular paper). I cut them in triangles because (and this is kind of a stretch) all moments in life consist of a beginning, middle, and an end. People enter, make their impact, and leave eventually. But their moments will forever be a part of one's "lifeline"; represented by the string.
If there were something I would want to change for this project, I'd just try a different arrangement. I enjoyed playing around with simple shapes and objects, and would be interested in trying something different. Experimenting with different objects that have translucency factors in them would also be interesting.
Saturday, November 11, 2017
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Monday, October 30, 2017
Photo1Q2.10: Creepy Capture
For this photoshoot, I worked with the typical group I gravitated toward, which included Noah, Eldon, Kris, and Rylen. I originally intended for my lens to be a tool in the photoshoot (with Eldon being the primary photographer), though, I found that simply taking it on my camera was enough and wouldn't make sense to switch lenses as it would take up time. In addition to being the primary photographer, I brought black paint and a couple brushes. Noah and Kris were the main subjects of the photos. Rylen and Eldon helped to get BTS photos and move the lights we had. Working with them was a breeze, as we are already used to each other's strengths and opinions. I personally need to work on decisiveness in what exactly I want as well as working efficiently with a group (as I am more accustomed to doing a lot of my work solo).
Also, Shoutout to Noah for total dedication to getting painted and providing the bedding props.
The photos below are organized from most significance to the rubric to "least". Basically, the first one is the final, while the succeeding two showcase variety of concepts, and finally BTS.
I wanted to note that in the first photograph, while I understand that post-editing isn't advised against nor is it recommended, I had to edit the eye area in Lightroom. Using the adjustment brushes, I brushed Noah's eyes and adjusted their exposure, contrast, histogram curves, and shadows to get that creepy dark effect that the eyes have while still retaining a bit of the reflection from the eyes.
Also, I did opt for a black and white photo for the primary one as it gives the image much less "vibrancy" (intentional) and cuts down the viewer's focus to just those the manipulation of light and shading. However, I did attempt something different, just for fun for the first image. I gave it an overblown red hue and boosted the saturation. It's an interesting effect. I honestly would use this one as my primary, though, seeing the immense amount of the color red in the past several creepy captures for this class over the years, I wanna stray away from it (even if it is a very advantageous color in this shoot). Less stagnation, more challenge for me.
This shoot was definitely insightful and eye-opening for the different effects that light manipulation has. I've always seen those videos/gifs where light is rotating around a face to show how it can change from emotions like anger, evil, and sinister, to complete opposites like lust, innocence, or ecstatic. However, to really learn something and keep it in my head, I always have to try it out first and practice it a couple times to understand its' capabilities. Lighting was one of my weakest components in photography since I rely so much on light that's already there, natural lighting, or editing in post (which I'm trying to stray away from).
The photos below are organized from most significance to the rubric to "least". Basically, the first one is the final, while the succeeding two showcase variety of concepts, and finally BTS.
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| Zealots of Stockholm |
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| After Hours |
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| Disobedience |
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| A basic overview of what the "bed" shot looked like. |
I wanted to note that in the first photograph, while I understand that post-editing isn't advised against nor is it recommended, I had to edit the eye area in Lightroom. Using the adjustment brushes, I brushed Noah's eyes and adjusted their exposure, contrast, histogram curves, and shadows to get that creepy dark effect that the eyes have while still retaining a bit of the reflection from the eyes.
Also, I did opt for a black and white photo for the primary one as it gives the image much less "vibrancy" (intentional) and cuts down the viewer's focus to just those the manipulation of light and shading. However, I did attempt something different, just for fun for the first image. I gave it an overblown red hue and boosted the saturation. It's an interesting effect. I honestly would use this one as my primary, though, seeing the immense amount of the color red in the past several creepy captures for this class over the years, I wanna stray away from it (even if it is a very advantageous color in this shoot). Less stagnation, more challenge for me.
This shoot was definitely insightful and eye-opening for the different effects that light manipulation has. I've always seen those videos/gifs where light is rotating around a face to show how it can change from emotions like anger, evil, and sinister, to complete opposites like lust, innocence, or ecstatic. However, to really learn something and keep it in my head, I always have to try it out first and practice it a couple times to understand its' capabilities. Lighting was one of my weakest components in photography since I rely so much on light that's already there, natural lighting, or editing in post (which I'm trying to stray away from).
I also learned, through the time limitations, that I need to improve my decisiveness. I definitely had a couple hiccups/"Umm"/"I don't know" moments and waited for someone else to express their opinion. I work off of ideas and find ways to make them better rather than creating the idea itself. This decisiveness will only grow with time, so I just have to keep growing with it.
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Thursday, October 19, 2017
Photo1Q2.9: Independant Forced Perspective PT 2
Upon viewing forced perspective photos from my peer students' blogs, I learned how difficult it is to get the "perfect" picture. The collaborative exam day slides assignment did assist me in what one could improve on as well as some decent examples that I'd be interested in recreating, but my success with the part 1 work was minimal. I have decent foundations in photography, and I do understand forced perspective photography and how it works. However, I just could not come up with original, sensical ideas.
I have the same dilemma in my film class; coming up with solid ideas. If I'm given an idea with all the specifications, I can definitely execute it. However, truly venturing and creating a concept that nobody else has done before was a struggle. It's not that I'm attempting to be a perfectionist, but I just wasn't satisfied with a majority of the concepts I was planning. So instead of restricting myself to those concepts, I just went out with my camera to different areas around my apartment complex (or just within my own apartment) and a bag of random objects. Even then, it was a struggle; I literally spent that time being stagnant, with the exception of the shoe collection shot. So I thought: maybe I need to think with a more open mind, and be humble with simpler topics. Thus, I went out with my camera to just look at things and see what they could serve as. That's how I came up with the second part of my set, with the basketball hoop and hanging from the fence.  |
| Architecture/Structure | Manual | f/7.1, 1/200, 400 | 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 | Flash |
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| BTS | This was my workflow for making this photo. I took two photos with one perfectly fitting the Stan Smith (white shoe) and one perfectly fitting the Vince Carter AF-1's (brown/red shoe). Keep in mind that I am not actually in the shoe, but the forced perspective makes it appear as if I am. Merge the two, and we get the final image. |
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| Movement/Action | Manual | f/6.3, 1/500, 100 | 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 |
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| Movement/Action | Manual | f/10, 1/250, 100 | 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 |
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| Free Choice | Manual | f/6.3, 1/500, 100 | 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 |
Overall, I am not a good forced perspective photographer even with the assistance of other photographers, mostly because any idea that I can think of (which isn't a lot) was probably done already before. Sure; one might say, "just do it better" but there's only so much one can do to manipulate one's environment to the point where it appears ridiculous, at least to my eyes.
I showed more growth in my process as well as growth in being humble rather than anything in the photos themselves, in my opinion. I already understood a lot of the settings of the camera and all the technical things involved with photography, but creating an idea and setting it up well is a process I'm not too familiar with since I enjoy naturally created photos with slight post-editing.
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Photo1Q2.8: Peer Blog Review
Period 3 Recommendation: Tayli Ikenaga
On the surface, one might see this as "just another blog" due to that same familiar template you get
when you create a blog, but the appeal to this blog was definitely in the content. The metadata labels are integrated for all the photos where they're needed, and the explanations well thought-out and structured, taking viewers through each photograph. Speaking of, I definitely appreciated the aesthetic to a lot of these photos (I believe they show that person's personality in an artistic sense). The most recent post (End Q1 Best Shot) was particularly eye-catching because of how close-up the subjects are to the camera. Great blog.
Period 4 Recommendation: Taylor Katahira
I appreciated the attention to having a functional blog first, and adding all the other extra stuff second. Taylor's blog is easy to navigate, and the text within all of these posts start with "Aloha"; definitely a great opener when viewing each blog post. The text in it are all genuine in voice as well. The photos on the blog definitely do show an increasing amount of potential; a promising sign for us first year students. Rule of thirds isn't necessarily an "aesthetic", but it's a great tool to use in photography and Taylor does seem to use it here and there. Her fundamentals are definitely there too. The blog is simple, but functional.
Mrs. Sheet's Class Recommendation: Austin Kirk
Many of the blogs I've looked through in each of the classes did tend to stick to the same layout that is provided when you make a blog, with the probable exception of this class being Blaze and Austin's ones. On the front, it's different through the use of a different background (a variation from the stagnation of seeing all the other blogs). The photography itself in the blog is fundamentally great, and I can tell that Austin understands how to compose a photo (not just pointing a camera at something and shoot). I would definitely try to add more textual background in the posts but I don't know the parameters that Mrs. Sheets provided for her students.
On the surface, one might see this as "just another blog" due to that same familiar template you get
when you create a blog, but the appeal to this blog was definitely in the content. The metadata labels are integrated for all the photos where they're needed, and the explanations well thought-out and structured, taking viewers through each photograph. Speaking of, I definitely appreciated the aesthetic to a lot of these photos (I believe they show that person's personality in an artistic sense). The most recent post (End Q1 Best Shot) was particularly eye-catching because of how close-up the subjects are to the camera. Great blog.
Period 4 Recommendation: Taylor Katahira
I appreciated the attention to having a functional blog first, and adding all the other extra stuff second. Taylor's blog is easy to navigate, and the text within all of these posts start with "Aloha"; definitely a great opener when viewing each blog post. The text in it are all genuine in voice as well. The photos on the blog definitely do show an increasing amount of potential; a promising sign for us first year students. Rule of thirds isn't necessarily an "aesthetic", but it's a great tool to use in photography and Taylor does seem to use it here and there. Her fundamentals are definitely there too. The blog is simple, but functional.
Many of the blogs I've looked through in each of the classes did tend to stick to the same layout that is provided when you make a blog, with the probable exception of this class being Blaze and Austin's ones. On the front, it's different through the use of a different background (a variation from the stagnation of seeing all the other blogs). The photography itself in the blog is fundamentally great, and I can tell that Austin understands how to compose a photo (not just pointing a camera at something and shoot). I would definitely try to add more textual background in the posts but I don't know the parameters that Mrs. Sheets provided for her students.
Monday, October 2, 2017
Photo1Q1.7: End Q1 Best Shot
When I came into this class at the beginning of the quarter, this class was exactly how I thought it would be. An immense emphasis on blog use, developing basic camera skills, etc. Compared to 8 weeks ago, I don't think my skills have improved drastically, but rather the skills I have are slightly refined and "straightened out".
This new best image was a spur of the moment image. Moanalua, I remember, either scored a touchdown or intercepted a touchdown pass against Radford. The score was something like 20-14 and there were already some not-so-dedicated fans leaving. But that interception helped Moanalua to a 20-21 victory in the end. This was one of those moments. In addition, this picture consists of almost entirely upperclassmen, with some familiar faces that I won't be seeing next year. The meaning behind it has a higher value than the objective quality of the image.
Below are two free choice images.
This image is from the song contest. It was pretty remarkable how this lined up. I liked the composition with the guy in the purple smack-dab in the middle, like a standout among standouts (looking at the shirt colors).
This is a photo of a Lonzo Ball jersey I recently got from Swap Meet. I'm a big Lakers fan, and although we haven't been doing so great during the preseason, I always gotta have faith in my favorite NBA team.
After this first quarter, I thoroughly enjoyed working on blog posts and doing the snaps. Although nobody outside of photography class actually views these photos, it definitely helps in preparing me for making any future photography portfolios (in fact, I have one right now in the form of a website). I also thought that the snaps was a great way to keep students interested and busy, despite the "rigor" it might cause. But hey; if I can do all four snaps, then you can too! The themes are pretty great as well. I've even looked ahead into quarter 2 for some ideas (or to start looking at photos I've already taken that match the theme).
This new best image was a spur of the moment image. Moanalua, I remember, either scored a touchdown or intercepted a touchdown pass against Radford. The score was something like 20-14 and there were already some not-so-dedicated fans leaving. But that interception helped Moanalua to a 20-21 victory in the end. This was one of those moments. In addition, this picture consists of almost entirely upperclassmen, with some familiar faces that I won't be seeing next year. The meaning behind it has a higher value than the objective quality of the image.
Below are two free choice images.
This image is from the song contest. It was pretty remarkable how this lined up. I liked the composition with the guy in the purple smack-dab in the middle, like a standout among standouts (looking at the shirt colors).
This is a photo of a Lonzo Ball jersey I recently got from Swap Meet. I'm a big Lakers fan, and although we haven't been doing so great during the preseason, I always gotta have faith in my favorite NBA team.
After this first quarter, I thoroughly enjoyed working on blog posts and doing the snaps. Although nobody outside of photography class actually views these photos, it definitely helps in preparing me for making any future photography portfolios (in fact, I have one right now in the form of a website). I also thought that the snaps was a great way to keep students interested and busy, despite the "rigor" it might cause. But hey; if I can do all four snaps, then you can too! The themes are pretty great as well. I've even looked ahead into quarter 2 for some ideas (or to start looking at photos I've already taken that match the theme).
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