Reading Response Chapter 9

Chapter 9 talks about the way in which we take and understand photographs. It reminded me of our final project because it touches upon the importance of absorbing the work of other recognized artists and using it for inspiration and insight. When I take photos I usually ask myself "how do I want to frame this". I've learned that if I don't take my time while shooting, and I don't explore different angles and variations it will result in tons of photos, but not any strong ones. If I take my time however, and really think about framing the subject exactly how I want it, i'll end up with less photos but much stronger ones to chose from. It's best to just decide before you shoot exactly how the photo should be framed rather than cropping in on it later. Although Lightroom can do so many things, it's better to actually try and get the lighting and subject exactly how you want it while shooting, rather than relying on fixing it later. This chapter emphasis the fact that a photograph is a slice of time and its important on choosing the correct timing which is something I would really like to work on in the future.

Reading Response Chapter 8

Without a doubt one of the most crucial aspects of photography is of course, lighting. Lighting sets the mood of the entire photograph. Light captured in certain ways often tells a story, and it's important to know what kind of story you want to tell with the photograph. This chapter talks about how different lighting situations effect different scenes. It makes a huge difference if the lighting is directly on the subject or if it's diffused or directional. I personally tend to gravitate towards more direct lighting on my subjects because I like high contrast photos. I find that direct lighting has a much more dramatic and crisp effect. I think the most effective lighting source is natural light. However, sometimes natural sunlight can be a little over bearing and too bright, so it's great to incorporate other lighting sources. Adjusting the camera settings to each lighting situation is very important. The chapter talks about using a higher ISO when the light is dim, which is helpful because it means that you don't have to just wait for a sunny day to take photographs. It's possible to still have effective lighting even if the photo is shot in a darker setting. This chapter taught me that It's essential to invest in some nice studio lights and reflectors because it makes it so you can control the lighting situation to get any effect you prefer.

Reading Response Chapter 7

Chapter 7 begins with information on how to organize and save photos. It was so important for me to read this section because I have noticed that my photos are accumulating at rapid rates and it can be overwhelming to think about how to organize thousands of photos. It's important to organize those photos in an orderly fashion as well, because it would be very unfortunate to lose any precious images. I learned that it's extremely advised to keep an extra external hard drive or disk to save the photos on, because as it says in the chapter "digital files can be lost instantly". Which is why it's good to take care of your files and make sure they are safe and protected. Computers have totally revolutionized the way most photographers handle their work. Metadata is a key aspect of a digital photograph because it gives so much information. By looking at the metadata one can see the exact settings the camera was at when the photo was taken which is helpful for so many reasons. Using the metadata will help with archiving photos. The chapter also touches upon storage of prints and film, it's crucial to make sure your prints stay just as pristine as they were when printed. All of this is useful information because photos are memories that can last a lifetime if they are properly cared for.

Portrait Scavenger Hunt

Artist Lecture Response on Barbara Bosworth

Barbara Bosworth had absolutely stunning photographs that she presented during her lecture. It truly was such a pleasure to hear someone speak so enthusiastically about their work. It actually inspired me to see someone so successful in such a difficult industry. I think it's incredible that she has turned her passion of photography into a successful career. She has such simplistic and elegant photos that I truly enjoyed looking at. It seemed as though, her work was very personal to her which makes the photos much more intense and meaningful. I love that she enjoys taking photos of her family and the people that are closest to her. You can even see those relationships show through in her photos.  I especially loved the photos she had that were in sets of three. It reminds me of a similar technique that Robert Adams uses which I'm really drawn to.

One of my favorite photos of hers was this one:

Collage

Final Project Emulation of Robert Adams

I chose Robert Adams as a photographer to emulate for my final project because his photos particularly struck me. I have always loved landscape photos and outdoor photography, which is mainly what he shot. Robert Adams took a lot of photos out west throughout the past 4 decades, which is another reason why his work seemed to speak to me. I'm originally from Colorado and a lot of his photos were taken throughout the state. His work had a familiarity to it that I couldn't seem to find in other artists I was looking at. 

Robert liked to focus on the effects human beings have on the landscape. Most of his photos do not include humans or animals, but rather the mark they have left on mother nature. I tried to emulate that same sense of quietness and loneliness in my project. I spent a lot of time focusing on the importance of what happens in the forest when no one is watching.

 The trees Adams shot out west were very large trees. I constantly thought about this when I took photos in New Hampshire because the trees are much different here. I used different angles and tried to give the trees the "larger than life" feel that Robert's photos have. I also played with different settings in Lightroom to make the black and white photos more warm toned. His work was always in black and white but seemed to have a uniqueness to the color which was difficult to emulate.

 This project has taught me a lot about myself as a photography student and has given me even more appreciation for the outdoors. It has also helped me start to develop my own personal style because I've realized what I love to take photos of.

Project 4: Portraiture

Project 3: Flaneur Street Photography

Flaneur is a french word that describes someone who wanders, explores urban areas, and is a connoisseur of the street. These are photos that I took in Boston while I was thinking about what it means to be a "Flaneur".