Assignment 5: Self-Portrait

 

 

 

 

The self-portrait was the most challenging, the most thought-provoking, and the most difficult to edit.  It was fascinating to see how the project changed and how different themes emerged as it progressed.  It made me really think about what EVERYTHING in each photo was saying.  It was difficult to decide what to say in the photos, and I changed my mind several times.  Editing was hard, but in some ways it was easier than the editing process for many of the earlier assignments.  I looked back over most of the 10,000 (literally) photos I took this semester, and some of them were easily thrown out.  Others, however, were very difficult to decide on.  Some definite themes did start to emerge, however, which made the selection process a bit easier.

One of the strengths of the project was that it really taught me to look at all of the little details within the frame.  It taught me to read more into each photo, and to look at things with a very critical eye.  It taught me - through necessity - to be quicker and more efficient with my editing process, and reinforced the value of having other people help with editing.

If I could do the project over again I really don't think I would have changed much.  I would have like to have gotten some more action shots of horses, and I know there are always ways to improve, but I really like the way this project turned out. 

Assignment 4: Color - Orange

 

 

This color project was fun.  It definitely helped me to notice color even more. Every time I go anywhere now I see a thousand things that make me really wish I had my camera so I could photograph them!  The hardest part of this was definitely editing.  There are a million and one ways to illustrate each different color, and if sorting through hundreds of photos and dividing them into different categories wasn't hard enough, picking a color after that was even harder.  I finally chose orange because I felt I had enough really different representations of orange, and since it's one of my least favorite colors I thought the challenge would be a good thing.  Anna was helpful in the editing process, too.

For this project, I wanted each photo to represent orange in a different way.  I wanted to have it interact with different colors in each photo, and to have a different mood and feel in each.  I also wanted each picture to be in a different setting and for the subject matters to be diverse.  I also wanted them to be visually appealing, though, and put more emphasis on the "prettiness" of the photos than I did on any of the other assignments thus far.  In one sense I was trying to still challenge myself to take photos outside of my comfort zone while bringing my love of aesthetically pleasing images back into the equation.

My project could have been improved had I worked harder at finding more subtleties within the color, I think.  While the first photo illustrates the different ranges of orange (and red) fairly well, many of the other photos don't.  I shot a LOT for this assignment, but I think my shooting would have been much more productive had I decided which color to choose much earlier in the process.  Then again, shooting for other colors probably helped me to see orange that much more clearly.

If I could have done this project over again, I would have continued to shoot much more, and would have worked more with Anna. 

Drop for Assignment 4: Color

http://drop.io/hope_color_1

Assignment 3

"Nature is a creature, a created thing, with its own particular tang or flavour...It is not in her, but in Something beyond her, that all lines meet and all contrasts are explained."  (p. 102)

From C.S. Lewis, Miracles (1947)

 

 

 

 

Additional Images:

 

I really enjoyed making an argument with these photos.  I wanted each photo to show the idea of there being something beyond what is seen in the photograph.  They each have lines and contrast but I wanted there to be something outside of the photographs explaining those elements.  I also wanted to juxtapose human creation with "natural" creation to show the created properties of nature.

This has definitely been my favorite assignment so far.  I think it's easier to take pictures when there is a purpose behind them.  I really enjoyed using photos to make an argument, too; albeit a subtle one.  I learned that it is definitely a good idea to take LOTS of pictures, and that even in returning to a place more times than one thinks is possible great shots come up.  It's interesting how much taking photos of the same thing multiple times over the course of a few days causes you to see so much differently.

One of the strengths of the project is that it teaches you how to make an argument or illustrate a point with photographs.  And if a picture is worth a thousand words, why shouldn't we be doing so?  It definitely made arguing/illustrating through photographs less intimidating.

I could have worked harder at finding specific things I really wanted to shoot rather than shooting a lot and discovering afterwards what what didn't.  But then again, maybe another strength of this assignment is that it helped me to understand what it is that I like and don't like.  I also could have worked harder at corresponding with Anna and Joanie. 

If I was doing this again I would take even more diverse photographs.  I also would have allowed myself a lot more time for editing, and would have asked for help more.  Anna's comments in particular were invaluable when it came to selecting photos, and I wish I had gone to her and Joanie for advice earlier on - it would have made sorting through my thousands of photos a lot easier. 

Third drop for Assignment 3

http://drop.io/hopeassgt3drop3

Choosing 5 images is going to be SO difficult...

More Photos for Assignment 3...

...may be found at http://drop.io/HopeAssgt3Drop2

Assignment 3: In Progress

Here is the link to the photos I'm considering for this assignment:  http://drop.io/ponyjumper

I've decided to use the following quote:

From C.S. Lewis, Miracles (1947)

"Nature is a creature, a created thing, with its own particular tang or flavour...It is not in her, but in Something beyond her, that all lines meet and all contrasts are explained."  (p. 102)