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.