Period 2 - Semester Final

1. My favorite photo from the lens slideshow is photo 6 of 9, which is of a 1960 Mercedes Benz crossing the Hakskeen Pan. This is my favorite photo because:

•    The picture is relatively simple. I enjoy looking at simple pictures because it brings my attention to the subject of the photo. I like how your eyes can be automatically drawn to the car racing in the middle of the desert and how nothing else in the picture disturbs that attraction.  
• The composition of the sky and the land. I believe that this picture shows the perfect composition of about 2/3 sky and 1/3 land. I think this is the composition that makes the landscape look most natural and pleasing to the eye, which further supports my first reason of the simplicity of the picture. 
• The rule of thirds. If we divide the picture into 9 equal segments by 2 vertical and 2 horizontal lines, we can see that the car is lying along one of the points of intersection. This again makes the picture more natural and easy to the eyes. Overall, the natural and simple tone of this picture is what attracted me to this picture the most.

2. The best photo from the lens slideshow is photo 9 of 9, a red deer seen through the morning mist in  Richmond Park, London. I believe that this is the best photo because:

• The rule of thirds. The elk is not centered in the picture but rather set on one of the two vertical lines that separates the picture into three equal parts. This helps the picture to be more balanced and attracts the viewers attention. 
• The framing. The framing of this picture is done through the tree branches in the picture. The framing not only helps the elk stand out more as the subject, but also fills in the possible empty spaces that could have been if the branches were not there. It also gives the picture a mysterious tone because it seems as though the viewer is now entering "into the woods".
• The silhouette effect. I think by making the subject of the photo into a silhouette instead of keeping it fully detailed and colorful helps the picture set an overall tone and a statement. It creates a eerily mysterious tone that reflects the fog of the Richmond Park and makes the picture more unique and outstanding.

3. My best work this semester is my Second Portrait. This is my best work this semester because:

• I was able to find good lighting for the picture. In the past, when I took pictures, it was hard to set the right exposure and shutter speed of my camera. But for this picture, I was able to find the right lighting that would bring out the subject and balance the picture.
• I was able to complete the task of taking a "portrait" picture. I tried to make sure that for this assignment, all the focus would be on the person that I was taking a picture of.  I think I completed this task well because the focus first goes to her face and the expression that she wears, which is the point of a portrait. Although I added in the leaves and played with her hair to make the picture a bit more interesting, it was all done on purpose to match the background with the bright and happy expression that she wore.
• I was able to explore and get creative. I wanted to take not only a good portrait picture, but a unique one that stands out from other portraits. I tried to do this by asking the subject to try on different expressions and even different positions (such as lying down) and experimenting with the leaves and the hair of the subject to create a more interesting background.

If I had more time I would improve this project by experimenting more with the exposure and the contrast in camera raw. I would also try to find a better preset that can help bring out the best qualities of the picture.

4. My three rules of composition are:

• Leading Lines
• Rule of symmetry
• Rule of thirds

5. Umbrella

 

This photo demonstrates the rule of symmetry and the rule of thirds. 

6. Your first rule is the the rule of thirds. 

7. The benefits of working in groups:

• Sharing ideas. By working in a group we are able to share ideas and be more innovative.
• Asking a group member what the assignment was. When you are absent, it is easy to get in touch with a group member via facebook or other methods of social media in order to ask them what the assignment for that day was.
• Higher quality work. When you are responsible for not only your own grade, but possibly the grades of others, you have more responsibility to achieve a higher quality work rather than being satisfied with mediocre work.
• Learning to be compromising. When working in a group, you can't only input ideas and expect the group to follow exactly what you say. By working together and compromising with each other, you may be able to come up with a better idea. 
• More responsibility. When working as a group, you are responsible for not only yourself, but for your group members as well. This helps each individual to build more responsibility and requires them to stop procrastinating. 

8. The difficulties of working in groups:

• Conflicting ideas. Although learning to compromise is a good thing, it can be hard to come to a mutual conclusion when the ideas are from opposite ends of the spectrum. 
• When you have to carry your group. Sometimes, you can get stuck with a group that doesn't do anything or likes to slack off and depends solely on you to do all the work. 
• Getting along with your group. Sometimes its hard to get along with your group if your personalities clash. It is also hard to get along with them if everyone is shy and doesn't like to talk to each other.
• Being responsible for your group members. This can be a benefit and a difficulty. When you have done the best that you can but your group members do not meet your expectations or fall below the quality of your own work, it is hard to motivate them to do better.
• Inputting too many ideas. When your group has a lot of ideas, its a good thing, but sometimes it is hard for the group to choose one of the many ideas that everyone has inputted because there are so many choices.

9. This is my favorite photo from another person in this class: PHOTO

10. My master photographer was Carleton Watkins. One significant contribution of Carleton Watkins is that he created his own business that made photographs for land dispute cases. His more famous works are his photo series on Yosemite. Watkin's xpedition to Yosemite was able to secure him a reputation as a landscape photographer.

11. Dorothea Lange's most popular photo is the "Migrant Mother." The photo was taken at Nipomo, California in February or March of 1936. The Farm Security Administration (FSA) employed Dorothea Lange when she took the photo.

12. Life Magazine began publishing in November 23, 1936.

13. January 8, 1935.

14. Robert Capa was a founding member of the Magnum Photos. It started in 1947.