Art Show/Final Photos

Del Mar Fair

Mya Angelou Photoshoot

"I believe that every person is born with talent" - Mya Angelou. When we did this assignment I was very excited because it was one of the first times we were given the opportunity to shoot whatever we wanted. I love shooting action shots so I decided that skating would be a fun idea. However, I knew that I needed to find a quote that would fit the photo. That's when I found the quote above. This quote spoke to me because it is something I strongly agree with. I think that I was able to prove the quote through this photo and many other photos I took.

Seasons Photo-Winter

For this assignment we had to take a photo portraying one of the four seasons. We were required to take the photo in front of the white back drop and then add in a background. For my photo I chose winter, it being my favorite season it only seemed obvious. I had my model John wear "winter wear," a turtle neck long sleeved shirt and a scarf. I wanted him to have a cheerful expression so that people would understand that although winter is the harshest season you can still be cheerful.
On photoshop I began by lightening the photo and touching up his face. Then for the background I started with creating a snowflake border, but eventually settled on just doing the sides. Then I decided to create the snow effect to give the photo a whimsical wintry feel. Last, I added more blue snowflakes to give it more color.
Overall I enjoyed this assignment. It gave me more time to explore photoshop and learn new techniques.

Color Effect

Photoshop Background

For this assignment we had to shoot a digital photo and then change the background. For my background I used the air brushing to give it a graffiti backdrop look. Then I added the continuous line that shows more of the joy and carefree style that collaborates with the emotion that my model John is portraying.

Photoshop Skin Portrait

Before:After:
For this assignment we had to take a portrait shot with a digital camera, using the strobe light. I used this photo out of several good ones because it was the only picture that showed off the most imperfections in his face. That may sound weird, but for the assignment it was needed. After the picture I had to pull it up on photoshop and learn how make his skin look flawless, like a celebrity. :) This wasn't the hardest task I've done with photoshop before, it was just time consuming. Lots of steps were involved and I wanted to make sure his skin looked soft, smooth, and as close to perfect as possible. In the end I think it came out really well. John already has that model essence so touching up his face was just the icing on a beautiful photo. :)

Elements of Design

Camera: Nikon Digital

For this assignment we were asked to shoot either photos resembling the principles of design or the elements of design. I chose the elements of design. The six elements of design are shape & form, color, space, texture, and line. I shot the photos above on two separate occasions. The first was a photo shoot I did on an old ship. I was able to find the elements texture, shape, form, and line while shooting. For my next photo shoot I went to Coronado beach. Here I shot pictures of the beach at sunset. The sunset created a beautiful collaboration of colors that reflected off the water. The beach naturally is wide and spread out, giving the element of space.

I found this assignment very helpful in learning about the elements of design. I feel like I have gained more knowledge about each element. I've learned how each element can add to creating the perfect picture.

Map Photoshoot Assignment

Taken: 1/6/09

For this photo assignment we had to take a black and white photo and then incorporate a map(s) into the photo using photoshop. For the photo I used the strobe light for the first time (yay!) and I must say I loved using it. I feel like it gives the picture much more depth and life.
John was my model and I chose this photo of him because it shows joy. I wanted the emotion of joy so that it would connect to my map.
For the map I decided to incorporate the Disneyland map since there was no specific map we had to use. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the map pieces very big so it's difficult to see that it is the Disneyland map cut into many pieces.
Overall I enjoyed this photo assignment because it was my first time being introduced to strobe lighting. I will definitely use strobe for my future photoshoots.

Photoshop Assignment

This assignment was given so that we could learn and familiarize ourselves with Photoshop. Ms. Miles gave us a list of specific things we had to include in the photo; a picture of ourself, our name, a number, 2 filters, layers, and the watercolor effect. There is a picture of me obviously, as well as my name. In the corner I wrote "est. 2009" for the number(s). The 2 filters I used were the dry brush and sharpening. The layers would be the background that was originally gray, the picture of me, my name, and the numbers. Finally, I looked up the watercolor effect online and followed the steps making the final look of the photo what you see above.
I really enjoyed this assignment because I still don't know all of the tricks of photoshop and it definitely taught me some new techniques to use in the future.

Proposition Photoshoot Assignment

Taken: 11/23/08

I took this picture with a digital camera. I converted it to black and white using photoshop, as well as brightening it to give it a lighter look and feel. I chose to do my photo shoot focusing on the environment. I wanted to show the beauty of nature and why it is important to preserve what is given to us.

Barack Obama

Photo History Assignment

Title: Wrecked Car
Taken: 1939

The photographer of this photo is Edward Weston. Weston began photographing at the age of sixteen after receiving a Bull's Eye #2 camera from his father. He became a well known photographer in his hometown of Chicago. Weston eventually opened his own portrait studio in Tropico, California.

When first looking at this photo I noticed that Weston decided to show off the destruction of the automobile. He used an outdoor setting that worked well to accent the impact of the wreckage. The heavy fog creates a mystery about the photo and the darker lighting helps the observer get the full effect of the depression taken in by the wreckage. This shows the observer that the over all emotional tone of the photo is sad and a little haunting in my opinion.

I think the artist is trying to communicate how a destruction such as a car wreck leaves an impact on everything surrounding it. He also could be showing how everything over time gets run down and dies out.

I think the work was definitely a success. It caught my attention as soon as I saw it and interested me to learn more about it's purpose. The haunting feel I got when first looking at it intrigued me. It is a style I would hopefully like to focus on creating in my own work.

CD Cover Photoshoot Assignment

Taken: 10/8/08
Printed: 10/13/08

For our second assignment we had to shoot photos for an album cover using either a 35mm camera or a digital camera.

Well, this was definitely my least favorite assignment that we had to do so far. First off, when we heard about the assignment I had a difficult time figuring out what to do. I couldn't find any inspiration to draw from. The due date was getting closer so I decided to do a traditional cover of a girl with a guitar. Not very original, but it was the best I could come up with at the time. Second of all, nothing seemed to be working during the photo shoot. First, the battery of the camera I was planning to use died, so I had to use a camera I wasn't familiar with. Then the hot light stopped working as soon as I was ready to shoot so I had to get a new light that I had never worked with before. Finally, once I was ready to shoot I was having trouble figuring out the meter for the camera. I tried to ask Ms. Miles, but because she has other students to help I couldn't find her to ask for assistance.
So the photo shoot didn't go too well. Then when it came to printing I found that my first two photos came out fine, but the third picture came out off center. I don't understand why this is. I never once touched anything when changing to the third photo. Therefore, I don't know why this happened. I think it would help if during the next assignment when we print that Ms. Miles goes over how to make sure the photo is centered. I also noticed my photos came out scratched. I don't know why this is either. Hopefully that can be explained as well so my photos turn out clean next time.
Over all, I found this assignment to be much more challenging than the last. I hope to figure out how to fix the problems I had before the next assignment.

Portrait Photoshoot Assignment

Taken: 9/22/08
Printed: 9/24/08

The assignment was to take a 8x10 black and white portrait using a hot light.
This was my first time ever taking a photo with 35mm camera and I must say I loved it! Developing and printing was also a completely new experience for me, but it was definitely something I look forward to doing again and getting better at.
In the future I want to work on different poses and expressions. I also want to work on finding the perfect lighting and angles for my photo.

The whole experience overall of trying to create a picture that would express and inspire others is something I will never forget.