#culminating activities

If I have learned anything over the course of this class it is that there is always room for improvement. Therefore, I know that I have some weak points when it comes to my photography, and it is these weaker skills that I wish to develop further.

I believe the aspect of the course that I found most challenging was the Photoshop portion of the course.

I rarely use Photoshop, because I try to take my photographs the way I want them to be in the end. Therefore the most I've used Photoshop on my photos in the past was usually when I needed to do a minor cropping to one of my photos. Other than that, my experience with Photoshop going into this course was pretty much nil. Therefore, when we began the Photoshop portion of the course, I was quite apprehensive. I was uncomfortable with the program as I had used it so little, and the many tools that were available to use really confused me. Fortunately, we began with some instruction on the basic tools for had we not I would've been lost. It was through much trial and error (with emphasis on the error), that I learned how to use Photoshop.

I believe that my two best photos are Portrait #1, and By the Light of the Moon.

Portrait #1 was my first submission for the portrait assignment, Assignment 7. It depicts my younger brother, Joseph, in profile view, looking out over the water. The best aspect of this photograph is the lighting, as my brother in back-lit by the sun, and side-lit from the sunlight reflecting off the water before him. The bright back-lighting gives my brother an almost unearthly glow, whilst the softer side-lighting lights-up my brother's face and prevents the photograph from being a silhouette shot. This unusual lighting scheme amplifies the photo's use of contrast by giving my brother a bright, and defined outline. This outline makes the photo appear almost unreal, and yet it was not edited in any way. Overall, I believe this photo to be one of my best photos, and probably my very best portrait shot.

There are many things I learned throughout this photography course that are of great value to me as a photographer. However, I feel that the most important were about the elements and principles of design, portrait photography, and how to use Photoshop.

Before the start of this course I had had a basic knowledge of the elements and principles of design, and was used to using this knowledge to critique other artists' work. I did not, however, have much practice with applying said elements and principles to my own work. This course changed that. By having assignments on each element of design in which I had to actually take photos that made good use of the element, I feel that I had good practice in applying these elements to my work, and gained a better understanding of each individual element. For any artist, such knowledge is invaluable.

I also appreciate the knowledge I gained in this course when researching a portrait photographer (Yousuf Karsh). I belief that portrait photography is one of my weak points in photography seeing as I rarely take portrait photographs, and plan them out even less. I believe that the greater understanding I gained of portrait photography through my study of Karsh, along with the practice I received while working on my 6 portraits (assignment 7) has made me a stronger portrait photographer. I no longer find the idea of planning and taking these pictures to be as difficult as I did originally. Clearly, a little practice goes a long way.

Culminating Activities - Part 3 - Visual Messages #2

The photo above depicts me and my kobo e-reader, both curled up asleep (with the lights on) at 3:21 in the morning.

Has this actually happened? No. However, a few years ago I read from 1:00 a.m. until the following evening. But, to be fair, that occasion was special seeing as the final Harry Potter book had just been released and I picked-up my copy at midnight. Trust me, there was no way I could have slept that night.

The visual message depicted above is greatly exaggerated. When I read, I tend to forcibly put away my kobo around 1:00 a.m. at the latest, and if I have schoolwork to do I don't touch the kobo until it's done. I am usually responsible when it comes to my reading habits... really.

The visual message portrayed by this photograph can be broken-down in the following way: The girl in the photo has a kobo e-reader. The girl likes to read in bed. The kobo has a sleep-mode which it enters when left idle for a certain amount of time. The girl has fallen asleep. The kobo has fallen asleep too. It is currently 3:21 in the morning. The overall visual message: The girl in the photo loves to read.

The idea for this visual message came about when my uncle pointed-out how ironic it would be if I took a picture of both myself and my kobo sleeping.

I had to edit this photo in Photoshop because in the original image, the "sleep mode" was too small and difficult to read. Therefore, I took a close-up shot of my kobo, cropped everything but the screen, and overlaid it onto the original photo making adjustments until it fit seamlessly.

It took more work then I was expecting, but I am really proud of the final product.

Culminating Activities - Part 3 - Visual Messages #1

This photograph portrays the visual message of the extent to which we sometimes allow technology to interfere in our lives.

In our commercial society, we often feel like we just have to have the newest phone, computer, or game system. Maybe it looks cooler, or has newer features. Perhaps that phone comes with a better talk and text plan. Whatever the reason, we really want to have this new technology. And it isn't like it is detrimental in any way, right? I mean, that new phone can connect me to not only my friends and family but the world, seeing as it has access to the Internet. Isn't that amazing? It is pretty amazing... until you are on your computer and realize that you are chatting with your brother through Facebook when he's only one floor below you. And even if he weren't currently in the same house as you, wouldn't the conversation be easier (and provide a better connection between the two of you) if you called him instead?

Sometimes the technology meant to keep us connected can have the opposite effect. After all, humans are lazy, and therefore we tend to take the easiest route to reach our goals.

"It will be easier to call my friends then to actually go see them, so I'll call them... Then again, it isn't like I have that much to say... I'll just text them instead." The easier it is to connect with people, the less connecting we actually do.

The photo above is an exaggerated portrayal of the whole "messaging my brother when I could just as easily go and talk to him" situation. To that effect, instead of having us separated by a fight of stairs whilst carrying on a stupid and meaningless conversation, I depicted us as being separated by about a foot (and two phones) whist carrying on a stupid and meaningless conversation.

Photo by: Cheryll (Me)

Culminating Activities - Part 2 - Photo In the Style of Ansel Adams #2

Having been taken in Muskoka over the summer, this photograph depicts a faint cloud, a clear expanse of water that is disturbed by some ripples and lily-pads, and some towering trees that disturb the sky and are reflected in the water. It is a very picturesque shot.

I believe that this photo of mine is a good reflection of the style of Ansel Adams who I studied earlier in the year. Like Adams' photos, my photo showcases the beauty that can be found in nature. And therefore, just like Adams, I cannot take full-credit for this photo; for, nature provided the scene and my job was merely to ensure that I did it justice.

I believe that the great amount of contrast and value in my photo is also reminiscent of Adams' work. All of his photographs had great contrast between light and dark regions which served to draw the eye, and varying grays that balanced the image and provided details. My photo does the same. The contrast between the trees and land, and the sky and water captures the viewer's attention, whilst the varying grays tone the image down enough that the contrast doesn't overwhelm. This use of the element of value also provides the trees, land, and the ripples in the water with detail and definition which makes the overall photo more interesting.