Abandoned Theme Parks

1. If I could visit and shoot any of the abandoned parks shown, I would choose "Jazzland", a New Orleans Six Flags theme park that was wrecked by hurricane Katrina. Since I've been to a lot of Six Flags parks, I think it would be an interesting experience to see and shoot an old run-down version. It surprises me that one of six flag's amusement parks could be forgotten and left to rot, since Six Flags is a big cooperation with many parks. Also it intrigues me to see the devastating hurricane's effects.  

2. 

3. Think of at least FIVE other unusual places you think would be of interest to photographers. List them.
Barsana Dahm, Hindu temple Austin, Texas 
Salvation Mountain, california
Northern Lights, Alaska
Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas
The Bonneville salt flats


4. 

5. It would be a very neat experience to document the Bonneville salt flats because of the unique reflection of the sky and the flat land after it rains. With this aspect, I think I could produce some very stunning photographs. I would take landscape photos and portraits. Landscape purely because of the beautiful location, and portrait because I think portraits mixed with the background would be equally intriguing.

6. To take photos in the flats, I would need to get a plain ticket to Utah and most likely need to rent a car or cab to western Utah. I would need a good enough camera that would allow me to take clear pictures, and preferably with a nice zoomed lens. 

Africa

1. On your blog post your reactions to what you read and what you saw. How about 3-4 sentences.
Nick Brandt captures images of african wildlife. His photographs are dramatic, beautiful, and utilized the good, natural lighting.  I can tell Brandt puts a lot effort and time into his work, he mentions waiting for the perfect photo of a lion for over 10 days. I hope I can have the same patience when it comes to photography. 

2. Do a google image search for Nick Brandt, find your favorite photo and post it on your blog.

3. Describe it and tell me why its your favorite.
All of Brandt's photos were stunning but I'd have to choose this one as my favorite. This photograph shows a lioness with its prey. The expression of the lioness with it's giant prey before her, tells a story and lets me see what the harsh wildlife in Africa is really like. I can see the sky full of clouds and the dry desert that doesn't seem to end, this photograph (and all of his others') really transports the person viewing to the African savannah. This photograph offers a sense of realness and emptiness that Brandt's other photos didn't offer for me. For these reasons this unique image is my favorite. 

4. What rules of photography are evident in the photos you selected, be sure to explain the rule to me?
Simplicity is evident in this photo because Brandt captured the center of interest in this image with the most visual attention. Also because the uncomplicated background is worth noting, but does not steal away from the subject. I also think the rule of balance is evident in this photo because of the way the shapes/subjects are arranged with the larger animal in the foreground and the lioness behind it. 

Do a google/wikipedia search for Nick Brandt

5. What kind of camera and lens does he use and why is this important?

What is very interesting about Nick Brandt is that he doesn't use cameras with a telephoto or zoom lenses. He uses a pentax 67 with only two fixed lenses. This is important in relation to his work because Brandt feels that being close to the animals rather than just capturing photographs from a distance zooming in, reveals their personality and soul. Brandt writes, " You wouldn't take a portrait of a human being from a hundred feet away and expect to capture their spirit; you'd move in close."  

6. What is his reason for taking these photos?
He takes these photos to spread his message and capture the animals in a state of being in the wild. Brandt is deeply moved by seeing these animals in the wild, especially in Africa. For these reasons, Brandt was inspired to create his collection.

7. What is his hope by taking these type of photos?
Brandt hopes his work will inspire others to help the effort to preserve and protect African wildlife and habitat. He believes without the help of humans, all will be lost. Brandt believes humans are the threat that could cause the end of the animals existence.

8. Find something he has to say about Africa, and post the quote on your blog. 
Brandt describes the effect Africa has on him and how he sees it.

"There is something profoundly iconic, mythological even, about the animals of East and southern Africa. There is also something deeply, emotionally stirring and affecting about the plains of Africa—those vast, green rolling plains punctuated by graphically perfect acacia trees under the huge skies."

Great Black and White Photographers Part 3

1.) What first caught your eye while looking at your photographers photos? Is there something in particular about their photos that made you want to choose them? Post the images with your writing.
Lee Friedlander's black and white photographs each seem to tell a different story. He captures portraits in urban areas. 

I chose this photo of his's because of the story it conveys. The eerie face in the television gives a sense that someone is watching you. Also, the expression the actress has, reminds me of old hollywood glamor.  The old television lets me know this image was taken in the past where television and movies are a somewhat new concept.

As the photographer, I'm seeing inside a motel room I'm staying in. There is a small television playing a drama. At one point in the show, the actress's face is zoomed in on. I see her unique facial expression filled with disdain, and the interesting shadows cast from other objects in the motel room, and snap I snap a photo.I smell the many scents from the motel. The smell of smoke from discarded cigarette butts and recently washed sheets fill the air. I inhale, and I contemplate the interesting combination of smells.
I hear the loud air conditioner as it produces cool air. The clicking of my camera as I take photographs, pierces the silence of the quiet, late afternoon. I also listen to the buzz of the television as it plays a show.
I taste the lasting after taste of the bitter coffee I had earlier. In response to the coffee, the flavor of minty gum plaques my taste buds. I apprehend the tastes as I shoot.
I feel the button of my camera click repetitively, as I capture photographs. I feel the rough motel carpet beneath my feet. The warm breeze from the open window ruffles my hair. 

I chose this photo of Lee Friedlander's because of the interesting subject and the way it correlates with the background.  The subject, the business man, is standing at the edge of the street with a busy sidewalk behind him. The question mark and the arrows above the man makes me intrigued because Friedlander captured the moment with him in deep thought.

As the photographer, I see people pass by on their ways to work. Cars zoom by on the busy streets. I see an odd looking man stop to look at me as I snap a photo of him.
I smell the pungent scent of garbage littering the streets of New York City. The aroma of hot food being sold by vendors drifts by. The smell of distant smoke from factories and smokers cloud my nostrils.
I hear the honking of cars in long lines of traffic. People speak different languages around me. The sounds of construction fill the air.
I taste warm vendor food. I choke on the fumes filling the air. The taste of coffee plaques my taste buds. 
As the photographer, I feel the button of my camera as I snap photos. The cold wind gently blows my scarf. 

Mural Project

1. What theme, that we could take here at school, could we do a series of these panels to place around the school?

Some themes we could do at school are bullying, knowledge, and friendship.

2. Should we use phones only, or should we open it up to our regular cameras for those people that don't have camera phones?

I think using cameras would be good practice because I'm just getting the hang of it. Though I think it would be neat if we could use both phones and cameras (for those who have phones). 

3. Where would you want to put the mural on campus?


Putting the murals on a blank wall in the hallway would be interesting to look at. Maybe on/in a place that relates to our theme.

Academic Shoot Reflection and Critique

1. What challenges did you encounter while trying to get the photos following the rules I set out for you? 

A challenge I faced was remembering to shoot photos that followed more of the rules of composition. Looking back on my photos, I see I could have been more patient with the focus and waited for it to adjust. 

2. What technical aspects of photography or the assignment in general (focus, framing, holding the camera, etc.) did you find yourself thinking about the most? Provide a specific example of what you did to do this correctly. 

I found myself thinking about framing and focus the most during the shoot. During the assignment I tried to get unique angles that helped frame my photos. Also, I found unique subjects and focused them in relation on how I framed my subject(s). While photographing the theatre students practicing combat in their scenes, I had to be cautious about being out of focus.

3. If you could do the assignment again, what would you do differently now that you know some basic rules of photography?

If I could redo this assignment I would try to get photographs that follow more of the rules of composition. Specifically balance, simplicity, and lines. Also, if I did this shoot again I would go to different classrooms and not be nervous too. 

4. What things would you do the same?

During the photo shoot I found some classrooms with potential that I would love to go back too. While shooting in the library and the Spanish room, I got really good photos with interesting subjects.  
5. When you go out with your next set of prompts, which rule do you think will be the easiest to achieve?

I think rule of thirds will be the easiest to achieve because a lot of the time I will capture my subject using rule of thirds without thinking about it. 

6. Which rule do you think will be the hardest to capture?

I think simplicity would be the hardest of the rules of photography to capture. This is because most of the subjects I choose are hard to capture simplistically.

7. What rule are you still not totally clear on and what can you do to figure out what that rule is?

I'm not exactly sure what balance and lines are out of the rules of composition. What I can do to understand them better is to read more about them and how they are used in photography.



http://jakinator89.blogspot.com/

Academic Shoot

I used rule of thirds in this photo, my two subjects, the two theatre girls, are in the corners of the thirds in the photo. I think it is clear that the students acting are the subject of the photo.

In this photo I captured balance. The student at the computer's position creates geometric shapes that balance this photograph. It is obvious my subject here is the girl on the computer.

From the rules of composition, I captured the effect of lines in this photo. Obvious lines are present from the stairs and the stair case railing. The subject of my photo is the two girls working, especially the girl closest in the foreground. 

From the rules of composition, I captured rule of thirds by having my subject, the student studying, in one of the corners of the third. The subject is the student studying, smiling at his friend. I think it is clear he is the subject.

In this photo I somewhat used rule of thirds because my subject, the boy, is in a corner of the thirds. I think a person viewing this would see the subject is obviously the boy working.

IOS

IOS 200

IOS 3200

1. What are the advantages of shoot at a higher ISO at a sporting event like basketball or a night football game?
Using a higher ISO at night would allow you to take the photo without using the flash.
2. What suggestions did the author make about using a low ISO?
Use a low ISO if you have plenty of light to retain the most detail and have the highest image quality.
3. What suggestions did the author make about using a high ISO?
Use low ISO if you have little light.

Shutter Speed

High shutter speed 

Slow shutter speed

1. If you were assigned to shoot at Bulldogs and Hotdogs night, which was a few months ago, what shutter speeds do you think you would have to shoot at the following events that night I would like you to answer the question for the following two situations:
At the beginning while the sun was still up and the courtyard had reasonable good light:

You would use high shutter speed because the sun is still up.

Towards the end when there is no sun and has gotten dark enough that you can't see from one end of the courtyard to the other.
 
You would use slow shutter speed because slow shutter speed can photograph well in dim lighting or at night.

2. List the three settings your camera has regarding setting shutter speed 


 Aperture priority mode, where the photographer sets the lens aperture while the camera automatically sets the shutter speed.

 Shutter priority mode, where the photographer sets the sets the shutter speed and the camera automatically sets the aperture. 

Manual mode, where the photographer sets both the aperture and the shutter speed manually.

Aperture

F2.8

F16

1. What part of the body should we closely relate aperture?

We would relate aperture to the eyes, or more specifically the pupils.

2. Finish this sentence - the smaller the Aperture the larger the f-stop and the picture's foreground/background is clearer, the higher the Aperture the smaller the f-stop .

3. In your own words tell me how aperture impacts Depth of Field?

Depth of field, which is the area of the image that appears sharp, is effected by the aperture because the aperture size determines the depth of field. Different sized f-stops will either show the foreground and background in focus or isolate the foreground by making the background blurry and unfocused.