Tuesday, 2 June 2015
Tuesday, 19 May 2015
Idea
I chose trash (litter, to be more precise) as my topic. Basically, I'm going to walk around and take pictures of litter. I've already started a bit, visiting local parks, schools, and forests.
Examples
Examples
Monday, 4 May 2015
Monday, 27 April 2015
Historical Photographer Project Reflection
1. What did you
learn about your photographer and about yourself from this assignment?
I learned that Paul Strand is a humanist, like me. I learned that I have great interest in the many shades of one color, like him.
2. How did you re-interpret your photographer’s style?
Like Paul Strand, I took a picture that showed many different shades of a color. It has repetition and pattern, and an abstract angle.
3. Describe your most successful image, explain how is it your best, why are you happy with it?
I think this image is the best one, because it had a lot of Paul Strand's styles in it. It had pattern and repetition, it had the shape and form of the colors, and it had many shades of white (and blue) and black. I'm happy with it because unlike many other pictures that I took, this one was exposed more. It was bright, but also had a great intensity of the shades.
4. Describe your an image that you were not happy with, why were you unhappy with it?
It looked a bit gloomy, which wasn't Paul Strand's style. I think the white balance might have been the problem.
5. What were you happy with? What excited you? What frustrated you? What would you do differently if you could do it all over?
I was happy with my photos' results. It excited me how some of them looked similar to Paul Strand's. I was frustrated with which pictures I should choose, out of the 6-7 pictures of the same scene with different exposures. Another frustration was that some pictures were too dark, but if I exposed the picture more, then the shadows' intensity would disappear. If I could do it all over, I might try taking pictures with different white balance settings. I might try turning some of my pictures into black and white.
6. Think of a name for your image for the hallway frame.
"Shades of Color"
I learned that Paul Strand is a humanist, like me. I learned that I have great interest in the many shades of one color, like him.
2. How did you re-interpret your photographer’s style?
Like Paul Strand, I took a picture that showed many different shades of a color. It has repetition and pattern, and an abstract angle.
3. Describe your most successful image, explain how is it your best, why are you happy with it?
I think this image is the best one, because it had a lot of Paul Strand's styles in it. It had pattern and repetition, it had the shape and form of the colors, and it had many shades of white (and blue) and black. I'm happy with it because unlike many other pictures that I took, this one was exposed more. It was bright, but also had a great intensity of the shades.
4. Describe your an image that you were not happy with, why were you unhappy with it?
It looked a bit gloomy, which wasn't Paul Strand's style. I think the white balance might have been the problem.
5. What were you happy with? What excited you? What frustrated you? What would you do differently if you could do it all over?
I was happy with my photos' results. It excited me how some of them looked similar to Paul Strand's. I was frustrated with which pictures I should choose, out of the 6-7 pictures of the same scene with different exposures. Another frustration was that some pictures were too dark, but if I exposed the picture more, then the shadows' intensity would disappear. If I could do it all over, I might try taking pictures with different white balance settings. I might try turning some of my pictures into black and white.
6. Think of a name for your image for the hallway frame.
"Shades of Color"
Friday, 20 March 2015
Lana Slezic Documentary Response
Lana Slezic went to the University of Western Ontario, but wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her life. She went traveling for 6 months, with a camera she received from her father before leaving. Her photography is special because she captures images that no one has ever seen before, such as women in Afghanistan. She takes pictures that are intimate, and moments that are private. She approaches her work with a certain eye for the emotional aspect to the image or the situation. She's able to not only record what's in front of her, but record some of the emotion and the feeling and the nuance that surrounds the situation.
She has traveled to Nepal, India, and Afghanistan.
Lana is most interested in taking pictures of people because she feels connected. She says that you have to take pictures of people, then a conversation will start. She says that you have to knock on doors, in order to find out the story behind it.
There are three issues that Lana has documented. One is about the gas leak in Bhopal, and how the city never recovered and the water is still contaminated. She says we need to send medical help. The second is that children in Afghanistan are being married off at early as the age of 4. Lana says this is very wrong, in morals. The third is that in Afghanistan, women are being assassinated just because they have power. She says it is not right to kill someone who is helping the society.
I like the framing of the stairs in this photo. It looks like it divides happiness and sadness. I like the unique lighting of this picture. I like the idea of this picture.
This photo expresses the person's thoughts and feelings. It shows that she is worried about something, and is thinking hard about it. This picture reminds me of the photo "Migrant Mother" taken by Dorothea Lange, maybe Lana was inspired and trying to make something similar to it.
.jpg)
The subject of this photo is a woman, holding a bag filled with the same plants in the picture. I really like the contrast of this picture. The grass is a nice shade of green. It seems like the person is hurrying, possibly because the weather is turning bad as seen in the background. I like that she actually put the camera in the grass.
She has traveled to Nepal, India, and Afghanistan.
Lana is most interested in taking pictures of people because she feels connected. She says that you have to take pictures of people, then a conversation will start. She says that you have to knock on doors, in order to find out the story behind it.
There are three issues that Lana has documented. One is about the gas leak in Bhopal, and how the city never recovered and the water is still contaminated. She says we need to send medical help. The second is that children in Afghanistan are being married off at early as the age of 4. Lana says this is very wrong, in morals. The third is that in Afghanistan, women are being assassinated just because they have power. She says it is not right to kill someone who is helping the society.
I like the framing of the stairs in this photo. It looks like it divides happiness and sadness. I like the unique lighting of this picture. I like the idea of this picture.
This photo expresses the person's thoughts and feelings. It shows that she is worried about something, and is thinking hard about it. This picture reminds me of the photo "Migrant Mother" taken by Dorothea Lange, maybe Lana was inspired and trying to make something similar to it.
.jpg)
The subject of this photo is a woman, holding a bag filled with the same plants in the picture. I really like the contrast of this picture. The grass is a nice shade of green. It seems like the person is hurrying, possibly because the weather is turning bad as seen in the background. I like that she actually put the camera in the grass.
Thursday, 12 March 2015
Project Part Two: Article
The Life of Paul
Strand
By Paul Chung
Paul Strand was born on Oct. 16, 1890 in New York. He was an only child, born to
parents of Bohemian-Jewish descent. At the age of 17, Strand developed an
interest in photography and enrolled in the Ethical Culture School. There, he
was taught by Lewis W. Hine, a pioneer of photojournalism. Urged by Hine,
Strand began to visit “291,” a gallery started by Alfred Stieglitz. This gallery became an inspiration to Strand.
There, Strand met Stieglitz
and was shown paintings of Pablo
Picasso, Paul Cezanne, and Georges Braque that were on display. These works
inspired him to emphasize abstract form and pattern in his photographs. After graduation and a
brief trip to Europe, Strand became a self-employed commercial photographer.
Strand photographed a variety of subject
matter, including landscapes, portraits, architecture, and abstraction. His work was exhibited at both the New York
Camera Club and the London Salon. Strand brought his portfolio to Stieglitz in
1915 and was offered a show at the 291 gallery. Strand served in the Army Medical Corps during World
War I.
There, he was introduced to x-rays.
A turning point in his career came in 1915 when he
discovered capabilities of a large-format camera, also known as “straight photography.” His
photographs moved from soft-focus scenes of New York and its inhabitants to
sharply focused expressions of objective reality. He viewed photography as a means for life, nature, and
scenery.
In
1917,
Paul Strand said that if one were to use photography honestly he must have
"respect for the thing in front of him."
In 1920, Paul shifted his concentration to politics. He explored
the relationship between politics and art and devoted his career to various
causes. This made him turn to cinematography for ten years between 1920 and
1930.
Strand traveled to Mexico, where he
photographed the landscape, architecture, folk art, and people. In
1934 he
produced a film about
fishermen for the Mexican government.
In 1934 Strand helped start Frontier Films, a documentary film company
dedicated to pro-labor causes. Strand remained an active photographer while
working in film, but his subject matter changed. He concentrated on images of
farmers and villagers in New England and Mexico, showing nostalgia and admiration for a simpler
life.
Strand was a humanist with wide-ranged
sympathies. He and other filmmakers organized a non-profit company to produce a
series of pro-labor and anti-Fascist movies.
In the 1950s, because of the conservative
political nature in the United States, Strand moved to Europe. He documented the impoverished communities as he went along
Europe.
Strand travelled to photograph people in West and North Africa in
the 1960s. His works became renowned and showed him as a pioneer of photography
in the 20th century. He was seen as someone who was able to show the world the
importance of art in the promotion of social change.
I like his style, which consists of many different shades of black
and white. I wish that he considered more about the framing of the picture, and
the position of the camera. I wish some parts of this peculiar picture weren’t
shown, and I wish more of the scenery was shown. I think he was inspired by the
X-ray scans he'd seen, and then became highly intrigued in the abstractedness
of the shapes and forms of shadows.
At the age of 85, Paul Strand died on March 31, 1976, in France.
Thursday, 26 February 2015
Project Part 1
1. Paul Strand
- Paul Strand was a photographer who respected what was in front of him.
- He traveled a lot to Mexico, taking photos of landscape, architecture, folk art, and people. He later made a film about fisherman for the Mexican government.
- Strand had developed an interest for photography and enrolled in the Ethical Culture School at the age of 17.
- He visited galleries frequently, and in Europe, he saw paintings of Picasso, and many other artists.
- Strand served in the Army during World War One, and was introduced to X-ray photos.
- Strand was a humanist with wide-ranged sympathies. He and other filmmakers organized a non-profit company, to produce a series of pro-labor and anti-Fascist movies.
I think he was inspired by the X-ray scans he'd seen, then became highly intrigued in all shapes and forms of shadows.
2. Lewis Hine
- Lewis Hine was Paul Strand's teacher at the Ethical Culture School in New York. He received a camera from the school there.
- Hine was a sociologist and used his camera for social reform.
- Hine portrayed immigrants on Ellis Island (New York), and the tenements and sweatshops where the immigrants were forced to live and work.
- Hine was enlisted by the National Child Labot Committee to get their message out.
- Late in World War One, Lewis Hine served as a photographer for the Red Cross. Even when the war had stopped, he remained with the Red Cross.
- When Hine returned to America, he was asked to take pictures of the Empire State Building being built.
I think Lewis Hine is somebody important to learn about, as he was the teacher of Paul Strand, whom I found interesting.
3. Henry Fox Talbot
- (William) Henry Fox Talbot was an inventor, chemist, linguist, archaeologist, and photography pioneer.
- Talbot was educated at Harrow and at Trinity College (in Cambridge), and published articles in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and physics.
- Talbot was also briefly a member of Parliament.
- Talbot invented the Calotype (also known as Talbotype) process, a technique in which paper coated with Silver Chloride was exposed to light.
- Talbot was reluctant to share his knowledge with others, which lost him friends and thus, information.
- Talbot received a medal from the British Royal Society for his experiments with the calotype.
I think this man is a brilliant and well-recognized person in the photography society, as he is the person who invented the way of making negatives, allowing the possibility to create copies of a photo.
4. Henri Cartier-Bresson
- Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer, who was considered to be the father of photo journalism.
- Cartier-Bresson preferred taking shots rather than making prints and showing his work.
- Cartier-Bresson was the oldest of five children. His family was wealthy, though later on he joked about feeling his family seeming poor, due to his parents' frugal ways.
- Cartier-Bresson befriended another photographer, Paul Strand, in New York. He became inspired by his experiments with film, so he abandoned photography and became an assistant with a French filmmaker.
- When France was invaded during World War Two, Cartier-Bresson was captured by German forces and became a Prisoner of War. He later escaped and immediately went back to photography and film work.
- Cartier-Bresson created a photo department for the resistance, and when the war ended the U.S. commissioned him to direct a documnetary about the return of French prisoners.
I can relate to him saying that "in photography, the smallest thing can be a great subject." It is so true, because there is a huge difference between something that is not focused, and something that is extremely focused and pops out.
5. Ansel Adams
- Adams was an environmentalist and mostly took pictures of landscape; he sometimes took detailed close-ups of nature (plants, etc).
- Adams played the piano at a young age, and was thinking about going into music as a profession. He suddenly became interested in photography when he and his family first visited Yosemite National Park. His father gifted him a camera, and Adams visited the Yosemite National Park frequently later on.
- Adams had a warm relationship with his father, but had an uncomfortable bonding with his mother as she disapproved of his interest in photography.
- The father of Adams' wife was the proprietor of a studio, which Adams took charge over when the father-in-law died.
- Adams spent time in New Mexico expanding his repertoire. He met other artists such as Alfred Stieglitz, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Paul Strand. Later on, Adams joined Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans in their commitment to affecting social and political change through art. Adams' first cause was the protection of wilderness areas, including Yosemite.
- After the internment of Japanese people during World War Two, Adams photographed life in the camps for a photo essay on wartime injustice.
Adams had a strong love for nature. He loved to take landscape shots and was well-known for them. He joined causes in order to preserve wilderness.
- He traveled a lot to Mexico, taking photos of landscape, architecture, folk art, and people. He later made a film about fisherman for the Mexican government.
- Strand had developed an interest for photography and enrolled in the Ethical Culture School at the age of 17.
- He visited galleries frequently, and in Europe, he saw paintings of Picasso, and many other artists.
- Strand served in the Army during World War One, and was introduced to X-ray photos.
- Strand was a humanist with wide-ranged sympathies. He and other filmmakers organized a non-profit company, to produce a series of pro-labor and anti-Fascist movies.
I think he was inspired by the X-ray scans he'd seen, then became highly intrigued in all shapes and forms of shadows.
2. Lewis Hine
- Hine was a sociologist and used his camera for social reform.
- Hine portrayed immigrants on Ellis Island (New York), and the tenements and sweatshops where the immigrants were forced to live and work.
- Hine was enlisted by the National Child Labot Committee to get their message out.
- Late in World War One, Lewis Hine served as a photographer for the Red Cross. Even when the war had stopped, he remained with the Red Cross.
- When Hine returned to America, he was asked to take pictures of the Empire State Building being built.
I think Lewis Hine is somebody important to learn about, as he was the teacher of Paul Strand, whom I found interesting.
3. Henry Fox Talbot
 |
| A positive from what may be the oldest negative in existence. |
- Talbot was educated at Harrow and at Trinity College (in Cambridge), and published articles in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and physics.
- Talbot was also briefly a member of Parliament.
- Talbot invented the Calotype (also known as Talbotype) process, a technique in which paper coated with Silver Chloride was exposed to light.
- Talbot was reluctant to share his knowledge with others, which lost him friends and thus, information.
- Talbot received a medal from the British Royal Society for his experiments with the calotype.
I think this man is a brilliant and well-recognized person in the photography society, as he is the person who invented the way of making negatives, allowing the possibility to create copies of a photo.
4. Henri Cartier-Bresson
- Cartier-Bresson preferred taking shots rather than making prints and showing his work.
- Cartier-Bresson was the oldest of five children. His family was wealthy, though later on he joked about feeling his family seeming poor, due to his parents' frugal ways.
- Cartier-Bresson befriended another photographer, Paul Strand, in New York. He became inspired by his experiments with film, so he abandoned photography and became an assistant with a French filmmaker.
- When France was invaded during World War Two, Cartier-Bresson was captured by German forces and became a Prisoner of War. He later escaped and immediately went back to photography and film work.
- Cartier-Bresson created a photo department for the resistance, and when the war ended the U.S. commissioned him to direct a documnetary about the return of French prisoners.
I can relate to him saying that "in photography, the smallest thing can be a great subject." It is so true, because there is a huge difference between something that is not focused, and something that is extremely focused and pops out.
5. Ansel Adams
- Adams played the piano at a young age, and was thinking about going into music as a profession. He suddenly became interested in photography when he and his family first visited Yosemite National Park. His father gifted him a camera, and Adams visited the Yosemite National Park frequently later on.
- Adams had a warm relationship with his father, but had an uncomfortable bonding with his mother as she disapproved of his interest in photography.
- The father of Adams' wife was the proprietor of a studio, which Adams took charge over when the father-in-law died.
- Adams spent time in New Mexico expanding his repertoire. He met other artists such as Alfred Stieglitz, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Paul Strand. Later on, Adams joined Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans in their commitment to affecting social and political change through art. Adams' first cause was the protection of wilderness areas, including Yosemite.
- After the internment of Japanese people during World War Two, Adams photographed life in the camps for a photo essay on wartime injustice.
Adams had a strong love for nature. He loved to take landscape shots and was well-known for them. He joined causes in order to preserve wilderness.
Thursday, 19 February 2015
Monday, 16 February 2015
Tuesday, 10 February 2015
HDR using Photoshop and Photomatix
%2B1.jpg) |
| Photomatix HDR |
%2B3.jpg) |
| Photoshop |
%2B2.jpg) |
| Photoshop/Choice |
I think Photoshop was better for HDRs in my experience.
Monday, 26 January 2015
Monday, 19 January 2015
Levitation
Tuesday, 6 January 2015
2014 In Pictures
 |
2. This image is about a boat dock not floating on water and instead, lying down on dried-up land. Dock owner Mitzi Richards carries her grand-daughter and walks down the dock.
3. The main subject of this photo is the boat dock owner, Mitzi (and her grand-daughter).
4. In the background, there's a line of trees, the beach, and the little sections where boats would dock.
5. The emphasis in this picture is leading lines, and little bit of repetition.
1. On October 8, a picture of the moon has been taken after a total lunar eclipse (also known as a blood moon), in Santa Monica.
2. This image is about the moon after a total lunar eclipse, hovering above a ferris wheel.
3. The main subject is the ferris wheel (but the moon seems to stand out more).
4. In the background is the dark, black night, and the yellow-gold moon.
5. There's a lot of emphasis in this picture, such as contrast, shape, line, and possibly some shutter speed (? <-- because ferris wheels aren't that fast).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)