Fall Final

1.  The most important thing I feel I have learned this semester is some of the techniques and types of shots.  I would really like to continue doing photography after I graduate and this class has taught me a lot of methods and techniques that will help me do that.  I have really enjoyed starting to look into studio photography.

2.  One thing I wish we had spent more time on was architecture.  I really like shooting architecture and would have enjoyed going more in depth on techniques for shooting architecture.  I also would have loved getting to shoot more types of buildings and structures that are more out-of-the-norm.

3.  I think I understand lightroom pretty well already, so I don't think I need more training on what we've already learned.  I would like to know more about the tools in split toning, I don't recall talking about those and I want to know what they are/what they do.  Another thing I want to do in lightroom is to just generally go deeper into what things are and how they work, like the effects and such.

4.  To be honest, I feel like there is too much work in this class. Out of all of my classes, I have the most in this one and I know myself and quite a few others have other extra curricular activities that prevent us from having the amount of time required to really do well and put a lot of effort into the amount of work given. I really try my best to complete my assignments but there's a lot of it on top of all my work from my other classes and I simply do not have the time to do anything without causing myself excessive amounts of stress.  I really do love this class but it's just so much work and I have trouble keeping up because of other things going on outside of this.

4A.  I know I was one of the ones that is falling behind in my work and I think it's because I cheerleading takes up so much of my time plus work from my all of my other classes.  It is really difficult for me to complete all of the assignments given in this class without causing myself to have small breakdowns.  This is the only class I stress about and I know this isn't an excuse (and I don't want to make excuses because I know I need to turn in my work) but to me, my mental health and overall well being comes first and if not turning in an event shoot or something is what keeps everything good, then that is what I am going to do.

5.  My favorite assignment this semester was either landscapes or architecture.   I really like shooting these two things and I'm glad we got to cover them this year and go more in depth than last year in photojournalism.  With shooting landscapes, I like the amount of freedom we had in what we shot and how we shot it.  The architecture project I just liked shooting because I find architecture really interesting so it was fun to shoot stuff that wasn't on campus.

6.  The assignment that was most difficult for me was depth of field.  I just really didn't understand how to shoot it and just generally did not get it.  I don't know what it was about that project but I couldn't do it right no matter how many times I tried and moved things around and played with settings,

7.  The topic for next semester I'm most excited about is studio photography because I'm interested in portraits and studio work in general and would eventually like to get into fashion photography.  I feel like working on that in this class will really help me understand it better and teach me a lot about techniques and how to shoot it.

8.  One thing I do want to know more about is shooting animals (not just pets).  I don't see it on the list and we just barely touched on it with the pet project but I love shooting animals.  Other than fashion photography, I love national geographic and I would like to know more about getting such great shots of animals.

9.   My goals for the future I have mentioned in a few other questions but I really want to continue photography in the future.  I would love to get into event photography (specifically concerts and other music events), fashion photography, or something similar to what you see in national geographic.  My favorite photographer is Adam Elmakias, I love his work and just what he does in general and I really see myself doing something similar because of my love for music.  I see concert photography as a way to do my two favorite things - be around music and shoot.
     I used to want to go to college specifically for photography but now I really see myself maybe just minoring in it but I really don't know. I think it would be really cool to go to college for it but I just don't know really.

10.  I would like to spend a little more time talking about equipment.  I understand the camera body but I want to know more about different lenses, what they are used for, when you use them, and what they do.  I also would like to cover other various pieces of equipment, I can't think of anything in particular but I really just want to learn everything I can this year about photography.

11.

12.  I think the semester has gone well on your part, really. I like the way you teach and how you cover new things and everything.  You do well on telling people what they're missing and how it affects their grades.  I like the content we cover and what we do in class.  I don't really think I would change anything.  The structure of the formal assignments are clear and generally pretty easy to understand. Go Reeves!!! :-)

Pet Project

Portrait Lighting in a Studio Setting - The Beginning

fill light - lighting used to reduce the contrast of a scene and record the same amount of detail seen by the eye in average lighting.

main light - main light that illuminates the subject

hair light - light used to light up the subject's hair; usually placed about 3 feet behind model and angled down and slightly forward to strike top of head and shoulders

background light - light source behind the subject to create a highlight that separates the subject from the background

shadowless lighting - lighting that results in almost no shadow on the subject

butterfly - lighting that casts a butterfly-shaped shadow below the subject's nose; produced by placing the light source about 25-70 degrees above the face in line with the direction the face is pointing.

loop - lighting that casts a loop-shaped shadow below the nose; produced by placing the light source 25-60 degrees above the face and 20-50 to the left or right of the direction of the face.

split - lighting where half the face is lit, and the other half is in shadow; produced by placing a light source 90-120 degrees to the right or left of the direction in which the subject is facing, with the lighting unit at or slightly above face level.

rembrandt - similar to loop lighting but with the light source moved higher and further left or right of the face; creates a strong pattern of a small triangle of light that appears under the eye on the shadow side of the face and a nose shadow that almost extends to the corner of the mouth.

gray card - flat object of a neutral gray color typically used with reflective light as a way to produce a consistent image exposure and/or color.

hard light vs soft light - soft light is diffused, meaning that shadows are absent or indistinct whereas hard light is more contrasting where shadows have harder edges and greater distinction.

strength (shutter speed and apertures appropriate to portraits) - it's best to set a wide aperture around f/2.8-f/5.6 to capture a shallow depth of field; as a general rule, make sure your shutter speed is higher than your effective focal length (ex: at 200mm use 1/250 sec or faster)

3:1 lighting ratio - occurs when the light discrepancy between two light sources is one and a half f-stops.

inverse square law of light - an object is twice the distance from a point source of light will receive a quarter of the illumination (ex: if you move your subject from 3 meters away to 6 meters away, you will need 4x the amount of light for the same exposure)

Suggestions/Tips on formal portrait posing

1. experiment with different angles of a head tilt to see what suits them best
2. tell them to avoid hunched up shoulders
3. avoid centering the subject; frame them slightly off to the side
4. have them stand at a slight angle; place all the weight on the leg furthest from the camera and the other leg bent or extended
5. tell them to straighten up, slouching isn't attractive

examples:

Event Shoot

rule of thirds

ISO 200, f/4.0, 1/1000 sec

viewpoint change

ISO 200, f/4.0, 1/1000 sec

movement

ISO 200, f/4.0, 1/1000 sec

depth of field

ISO 200, f/4.0, 1/1000 sec

3rd Free Shoot

Architecture

2nd Free Shoot

Landscapes

Taking Pictures, Raising Children

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/taking-pictures-raising-children/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=Multimedia&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs&region=Body

2.  The article I read on this site was about women working as photographers and traveling while also raising kids.  Up until the early 1970's, not many female photographers were doing major work but in the last few years, female photographers have broken into the field while simultaneously raising their children.

3.  I learned that women can still have successful careers while juggling family life.  A lot of times in the media, women are presented as staying home with the family and raising their kids while their husbands go out and support the family (which is bs).  It was nice to see women being represented as having successful careers while also having families because it shows that it is possible to do so.

4-8.  N/A

9. If you were directed to a site that you cannot answer any of the questions above, please do the following:
a.  This website was about women who are working as photojournalists and photographers and how they juggle their profession and raising their children.  All of these women have kids and manage to have successful careers that involve a lot of traveling.
b.  I learned that you shouldn't (and don't) have to compromise your happiness in order to have a family.  All of these women do it everyday and haven't had to sacrifice their happiness and their careers just because they have kids.
c.  How the site related to photography: all of the women were photographers or photojournalists.

Good Pictures, Bad Timing

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/13/good-pictures-bad-timing/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=Multimedia&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs&region=Body&_r=0

2.  This article was about photographer, Will Brown, and the discouraging advice he received from John Szarkowski at the age of 37 and the effects it had on Brown's career.  Brown showed Szarkowski the photos in 1974 to which Szarkowski told him, "you should find your own way of photographing.  Your own voice.  These look like someone else's voice."  Brown packed his photos away in a box and they didn't see the light of day until recently and are now the subject of a solo exhibition at the Laurence Miller Gallery in New York and were published in a book, The Picture That Remains, alongside the poetry of Tom Devaney.

3.  I learned that discouraging advice shouldn't deter you from what you love because it may just be the wrong time.  If you keep at it, eventually things may fall into place and your hard work will be recognized.

4.

5.  If you have a photo to post, answer the following questions:

a.  I picked this photo because it was my favorite from the website.  I really like old cars and old black & white photos so this one stood out to me. 

b.  The rule of photography that is most evident to me is balance because everything in the photo is pretty even on either side.

c.  The photo was taken by Will Brown in 1973.

6-9.  N/A

Mother of Ten and Talented Photographer Captures Wonderful Natural Light Portraits

http://petapixel.com/2014/11/17/mother-ten-talented-photographer-takes-wonderful-natural-light-portraits/

2. This website featured a series of images by photographer and mother of ten, Lisa Holloway.  Holloway is a self-taught photographer specializing in portraits.  All of her photos are captured using natural light in serene settings.

3.  I didn't learn anything from this website but I did get to look at a lot of beautiful portraits of this woman's children.  All of the images featured on the site were wonderfully captured and I really like her style.

4.

5. If you have a photo to post, please answer the following questions:

a.  I picked this photo because it's a gorgeous photo and I love the contrast between the little girl's hair and the greens in everything else. 

b.  The rule of photography I noticed in this photo is framing, the trees in the background of the image frame the girl.

c.  The photo was taken by Lisa Holloway

6-9.  N/A

Heroes, Villains, and Pop Culture Characters Go 'Super Flemish' in 16th Century Style Portraits

1.  http://petapixel.com/2014/11/18/heroes-villains-pop-culture-characters-go-super-flemish-viral-cosplay-portrait-series/

2.  This website showed several portraits of superheroes from the series Super Flemish as if they were in 16th century paintings.  The photographer depicted characters from Star Wars, The Avengers, fairytales, and more. 

3.  I didn't learn anything from this website as it was just a collection of photos, but I did really enjoy looking at the photos as they depicted many characters that I love.

4.

5.  If you have a photo to post, please answer the following questions:
a.  I picked this photo because I really like Star Wars and I found it interesting how he portrayed Princess Leia
b.  Rules of photography that are evident in the photo are simplicity and background; there isn't anything in the photo to distract from the subject and the background is plain and simple.
c.  The photo was taken by Sacha Goldberger

6.  N/A

7.  N/A

8.  N/A

9.  N/A

Architecture Intro

Tips

Reflections add an extra dimension to architectural images and allow the photographer to create a canvas on which the building can be playfully distorted. Urban environments are littered with a multitude of reflective surfaces, so you’ll never have to look too far to practice, for example: windows, water features, puddles and wet streets, sunglasses, rivers and modern art.

Architectural images shouldn’t just be aesthetic and graphic; they should also provide dynamism and movement – so play with the lines, the light and the shadows to provide interest and consider the hierarchy of levels and areas. Architecture is built on the principle of symmetry, so capturing this symmetry will ultimately reinforce the subject matter and hopefully strengthen the composition. Discover the centre of the symmetry by placing your hand between your eye-line and construct your frame around this centre. Alternatively break free of the cold and sterile straight lines and rectilinear angles and follow the principles of nature by including curves and circles in the form of shadows or reflections can help to soften the structure.

Your pictures don't need to be pretty. Architectural photography at its best will convey the experience of being in and around a built environment.  

(I can't find the photographer)

     I picked this photo because I really like the composition of it.  It's a cool photo and I like how the photographer used a long exposure to capture the movement of the city.  The angle the photo was taken at is interesting and captures the city well.  The lighting in this photo is coming from the buildings and man-made lights in the city (street lamps, etc) because the photo was taken at night.  I think the lighting is good enough, it makes for a really cool image.  If I had to light this type of photo, I would have done the same thing,  the lighting from the city provides sufficient lighting as it is.  The photographer was standing above the city, presumably on a hill or something like that.  They probably had to climb up a hill or find a raised area.  No, this angle is cool as heck.  The rules of photography that I see are lines because you can see the movement from the cars and the like. 

wecand

     I picked this photo because it's cool.  I like the angle it was taken from and how they shot it.  I also like that it's in black and white. This photo was taken sometime during the day, the light source is the sun, the lighting is fine, and I would use the same lighting probably.  The photographer was standing almost under the eiffel tower, but not completely.  the entire subject is not in the photo and I really like this angle because it shows a different perspective than what you'd usually see.  Some rules used are lines and composition.

Andy Marshall

     I picked this photo because the angle caught my eye.  I also like how colorful it is an the shadows on it.  This photo is really interesting because of the composition.  the lighting is coming from outside the building and taken during the day.  The lighting is good and I would have used natural light as well.  The photographer was standing directly below the subject, the entire subject is not in the photo and the angle was a good choice because it made for a more interesting and eye-catching photo.  I don't think the rules are evident in this photo, I don't think the traditional rules of photography apply.

(I can't find the photographer)

     I picked this photo because it looks really processed and not like a traditional photo.  It looks computer generated and I thought it was cool.  I don't actually like the image all that much but I chose it because it was different than the other ones that I chose.  The lighting is coming from the buildings in this image, the photo was taken at night, and I think the light is good enough because it makes the photo.  The photographer was standing across a small body of water , the entire subject is in the photo (assuming the subject is the building in the middle).  A different angle I would have used was right up near the building and shooting upwards.  Rules that are evident are framing and lines.

Some places in Austin I would shoot architecture would be the Bob Bullock, around the UT campus, small shops on soco or south lamar, the 360 bridge, and maybe an old church.

Tilt shift is the use of shift movement in photography to avoid converging verticals in your photographs.  Canon ‑ Ts‑e 17mm F/4l Til…

Other equipment:
lighting modifiers (external flash, etc)
wide angle lens
macro lens (for detail)

Camera Etiquette

Casual Shoot
1.  In large places there are going to be multiple people trying to get their shot, so you need to be thoughtful of others and not take up too much space or take too long getting your photos. You should make friends with the people around you because that makes the experience more pleasant for everyone and they can give you tips and tricks to help make your photography better or just critique the photos you have taken. If you make a mistake apologize, but don't be afraid to point out other peoples mistakes as well.
2.  Make friends with the people around you. 
     a.  This is something I already apply in many other places like when I am waiting somewhere in a large crowd. When you are friendly to the people around you they tend to be more courteous to you as well and it can make the experience much more pleasant.  
     b.  If a person isn't being cooperative then you should still try to be polite and just ask them to move, but phrase it so you can be assertive in the problem. 
     c.  I have not run into this problem before but if I ever did I would ask the person to move and if they don't just try to find a different place to shoot from.

Weddings
1.  During weddings all the guests want to capture this day as much as the groom and bride, but the photographer that the groom and bride hired should have first dibs on the best places to shoot the photos. They need to remember that this is the bride and groom's day, not theirs and they should let the paid photographer do as much as he can to make them happy. The photographer needs to make the experience pleasant for everyone and maybe take some photos himself then have the bride and groom do the action again for all the guests.
2.  
     a.  If I was hired to shoot a wedding and there was a rude guest I would ask politely for them to take a step back and then speak to the bride and groom about that person. 
     b.  If that person was an important person then I would remind them that this is the bride and grooms day and that I am just trying my best to get the best pictures I can to make them happy. 
     c.  I would maybe plan out some photos with the bride and groom that they want and take them without out the crowd so we can get the best pictures possible. 
     d.  While the event is going on to keep issues from happening I would get in the front to take the picture then ask the bride and groom to do the action again so the guests can get a picture.


Annoying Things That Happen to Professionals
1.  There are many things that photographers find annoying from parts of the camera to the actual photographers. Its ok to be confident about what you are doing, but you shouldn't act arrogant because then people don't like to be around you at events. Sometimes the lenses don't work how they say they will or the people using them are not considerate enough to recognize that there are people around them trying to get shots too and use huge lenses without care.
2.
     a.  I think something that would annoy me the most would be the arrogant photographers because they aren't trying to help you get better by pointing out the flaws in the pictures and they won't see any problems in their own pictures. 
     b.  When I am out taking pictures what is really annoying for me is that a lot don't have any common courtesy and will pay no mind if I (or anyone really) am trying to get a specific shot.
     c.  If a family member asked me to shoot something the would take a lot of time I would probably do it for free but if it was just a friend that asked me I would ask to be paid because I have to spend that much more time editing the pictures.


Photo Walk
1.  On a camera walk you shouldn't bring too many parts for your camera. You want it to be light and easy to carry for long amounts of time. You will be walking for a long time so you need to dress appropriately for the weather and still be comfortable. Even though it is a walk you can pause for a few minutes to get the picture you want, you don't have to walk the entire time. Be friendly with the other people. It is more fun if you make friends and you share the shots you found especially cool and they will share theirs with you as well.
2.  
     a.  I would like to go on a photo walk downtown.
     b.  I love shooting architecture and cityscapes and downtown is a really good place for both of those things
     c.  You would need good shoes for walking and comfortable clothing. you don't want to be carrying too much with you so pockets that you can store thing for your camera stuff in would be great. 
     d.  I would prefer an urban walk because I love shooting urban areas because I think they're really interesting and I like what you can do with them composition wise

Landscape - Urban Style

1. How to get better cityscapes:

1. Consider the composition of your landscape
2. Choose your time of day
3. Research your location
4. Look for contrasts (building styles, colors, etc)

2. Where in Austin:

1. Austin skyline
2. downtown, capitol area
3. south congress

3. Equipment needed:

• monopod/tripod
• polarizing/UV filters
• camera bag (extra batteries, etc)
• lenses

Event Shoot

Landscapes

Favorite Tip: Capture Movement

When most people think about landscapes they think of calm, serene and passive environments – however landscapes are rarely completely still and to convey this movement in an image will add drama, mood and create a point of interest.

Examples – wind in trees, waves on a beach, water flowing over a waterfall, birds flying over head, moving clouds.

Capturing this movement generally means you need to look at a longer shutter speed (sometimes quite a few seconds). Of course this means more light hitting your sensor which will mean you need to either go for a small Aperture, use some sort of a filter or even shoot at the start or end of the day when there is less light.

Favorite Place: Seacoasts

Once you have thought about the character of the shore, look for elements you can use to reinforce the feeling you're after. Palm trees make a good frame for a tropical beach; a spray of water shooting over rocks adds drama to a rugged coastal scene.

Three Favorite Photos:

photo by Ales Komovec

photo by Antony Spencer

photo by Miles Morgan

Photographers:

Ales Komovec was born in Kranj, Slovenia in 1969.  Other types of photos he takes are macro & nature, black & white, architecture, and sports.

Antony Spencer is from Dorset (UK).  He only shoots landscapes, some panoramic, some not.

Miles Morgan is from Portland, Oregon. He is a landscape photographer, he has shot lava, coastlines, alpines, and the southwest.

What You Need For a Landscape Photo:

• filters for black & white
• neutral density (ND) filter
• filters for color
• spare batteries
• flashlight
• lenses
• tripod
• photoshop
• camera

Places:

1. You could go a lot of places in austin for photos like this, the 360 bridge is one place to get a good landscape photo.

2. places I could go:

1. 360 bridge
2. auditorium shores
3. south congress
4. lamar bridge
5. capitol 
6. skyline
7. zilker park
8. zilker botanical gardens
9. barton creek greenbelt
10. mayfield park