Semester Project :)

I was very pleased with my semester projects. I am glad that we had to do this, because I can tell within each of the semester projects I have improved ! With painting with light being the first and the Book Cover re-creation being the last, I can really see improvement. I hope to see even more improvement in the following semester. I am very excited to see when my "Ahaa !" moment occurs. Because I feel it coming !

This was my very first take home photo project. I shot this the very first night I learned painting with light. I decided to change the picture to black and white to add a little artistic flare to it. I am pleased with the outcome of the picture, I think it's different. My settings were ISO 100, 28mm, f 5/6, 30sec.

This picture and the following pictures are my shallow depth of field pictures. I decided to go with a theme , and my theme was school. I basically decide to go around the school and take different shots, such as the teachers desk, lockers etc. I had a little difficulty taking this picture at first, because my light in the class room was constantly changing due to the teacher turning the projector on and off. In the end with several tries I finally got my shot. My settings were ISO 1000, 50mm, f 1/8, 1/20 sec.

While walking around campus I went to a history class and thought I could find some cool models and such, and I found a model of the capitol ! I thought it was a cool thing to shoot, but at first I didn't know quite how to shoot it. Later, I noticed the flag and thought it would give a little different look by focusing on the flag and then allowing some of the building to become creamy. My settings were ISO 320, 50mm, f 1.8, 1/200 sec.

I took this picture in the same classroom as the model of the capitol.  This picture gave me little to no difficulty and was fairly easy. My settings were ISO 400, 50mm, f 1.8, 1/320 sec.

I had the same difficulty with this picture as I did with the first shallow depth pic due to my changing light source of the classroom, but I finally got it to work by adjusting correctly. My settings were ISO 1000, 50mm, f 1.8, 2/20 sec.

This is my favorite picture. This picture was fairly easy as well. I love the way the books in the background bends inside the apple. My settings were ISO 320, 50mm, f 1.8, 1/60 sec.

I was walking in the language hallways and saw a girl writing an essay in a Sign Language class . My settings were ISO 400, 50mm, f 1.8, 1/1250 sec.

I shot this picture after taking the pic from above . I purposely decided to focus on the girls hand and the pencil in order to convey the message that she was working, but i also like how you can see how focused she is with her expression in the background. I did not pose her. My settings were ISO 400, 50mm, f 1.8, 1/100 sec.

I am pleased with this picture and the following picture I decide to shoot this twice in order to gain different perspectives. This perspective is focusing on the girl and her stressed expression. I used 1 light stand with flash, and a large umbrella. And the black background in the back. My settings were ISO 100, 140mm, f 4.0, 1/250 sec.

Like stated before this picture isn't too much different from the one before, but  I couldn't decide which one conveyed the message better. My settings were the same ISO 100, 140mm, f 4.0, 1/250 sec.

I was playing around with the light set up after the girl i was  photographing and decided to take a picture of the books themselves. I really like the shadow cast in the bottom right corner of the picture because I think it gives the photo depth. I focused on the word dictionary allowing the back of the table to loose definition an become slightly creamy. ISO 100, 200mm, f 4.0, 1/250 sec.

The last picture of my semester project is by far my favorite. My book cover re-creation. If not my favorite, my best shot. I shot this in my living room, but due to my high ceilings and head on light source, I turned of the big overhead lights and left on the smaller overhead lights to allow a little lighting. I used one light stand with one light and umbrella. I moved the light stand several times before I got my desired lighting. I wanted to have the person in the background blurred and have the hands in great detail and to somewhat "pop" of the page. The title of the book was "How to talk to your teens". (this isnt the exact title of the book" I looked it up on google and failed to find the exact original cover. 

I shot this picture while out working on my shallow depth of field project. I decided to go with a school related theme. Here is one of the images i shot. This was the first time I had no complications with my settings and it turned out how i intended it to. This is not my favorite image, but I am pleased with my shallow depth of field. I shot with a 50mm lens.

Learning :)

Art is one of the most important things in my life. Above all, photography is my favorite form of art and I admire it deeply. I have always been extremely fascinated by the complexity of photography. I would always ask myself questions such as "How did they do that ?"' and, "What inspired them to take that picture?" I need to somehow tap into my inner most creative self and simply "shoot". I am waiting for that "ahaa !" moment when everything will just simply click. Until then I will shoot, learn, shoot, and learn until I get it right. I can not be afraid of failure. Below is a picture of my friend Breana, who I chose to use as my model in pictures that I would like to enter in a contest. NOW, the picture below IS NOT the picture I want to use in the competition, but I was just giving her and I a feel of what it will be like when we shoot the actual photo shoot. This mock "photo shoot" was a great learning experience with lighting. My subject was directly under the light source which was mistake number one. That of course explains the dark shadows under the nose and eyes. I used flash, but my photographic algebra was off, which explains while the settings may be a little unusual for shooting inside. My settings were ISO 640, 35 mm, and aperture 3.5.

My first decent football shot ! My settings were ISO 3200, aperture 4.0, and 200mm

My Guitar

I really like this picture, I used one of my dad's guitars and draped it with my pearl necklace and bow to add a little feminine flair. My settings were ISO 100, f/5.6, shutter speed 30.0 sec

More Painting with Light

This was just to give me more practice with painting with light. I thought it turned out pretty cool. It is definitely one of my favorite pictures. My settings were ISO 100, f/5.6, shutter speed 30.0 sec.

painting with light

This was my first outside project for photography class and it was over painting with light. I shot this in my game room with a black backdrop to help block any light hitting any other objects in the room. (My brother is the subject.) My settings were ISO 100, f/5.6, shutter speed 30.0 sec. For my first painting with light experience by myself, I was really pleased with the end result.