Portraits and Self-portraits

Tips:

    Looking off camera:
Have your subject focus their attention on something unseen and outside the field of view of your camera. This can create a feeling of candidness and also create a little intrigue and interest as the viewer of the shot wonders what they are looking at. This intrigue is particularly drawn about when the subject is showing some kind of emotion (ie ‘what’s making them laugh?’ or ‘what is making them look surprised?’). Just be aware that when you have a subject looking out of frame that you can also draw the eye of the viewer of the shot to the edge of the image also – taking them away from the point of interest in your shot – the subject.

   Play with Backgrounds:
The person in your portrait is the main point of interest – however sometimes when you place them into different contexts with different backgrounds you can dramatically alter the mood in a shot. Sometimes you want your background to be as minimalistic as possible.

   Experiment with Lighting:
Another element of randomness that you can introduce to your portraits is the way that you light them. There are almost unlimited possibilities when it comes to using light in portraits. Side-lighting can create mood, backlighting and silhouetting your subject to hide their features can be powerful.

Environmental Portrait

Has a different sense of culture and marketing.

Has a large and repetitive scenery/background to focus more on the person in front.

Photography Self-Portrait

Gives a deeper meaning with the added color on his face with the monochromatic background

"Headshot", includes a pun and a metaphor for the work of a photographer.

Casual Portrait

Applies the Rule of Thirds and blurs background to focus on the lady.

Why is he in the fruit aisle, taking a very professional photo, smoldering? That's for him to know.

I will be shooting my mom for the photos, most likely by a park but hopefully downtown with the public. If with public, I will blur the background to focus on her, if with nature, I'll brighten the photo and have her do a pose if possible. I will include a side portrait of her looking at the distance, possibly with a prop, lowering the aperture and raising the aperture right before it begins to look grainy. And another with her looking busy, casual state, or relaxing.

Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO

Aperture of F2.8


Aperture of F16+

1. What part of the body should we closely relate aperture?
Our pupils in our eyes

2. Finish this sentence - the smaller the Aperture, the smaller the background blur is. The higher the Aperture, the more blurry the background is.

3. In your own words tell me how aperture impacts Depth of Field
It can dramatically change how large a room or scene feels when tinkering with depth of field on aperture.


Taken at High Shutter Speed

Taken at 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

a.) a booth in the middle of the yard near the Tree
   Slow shutter speed

b.) a food booth outside under one of the big red awnings
   A medium shutter speed

c.) the Stars performance inside the gym
   Fast or medium shutter speed

d.) students dancing near the center of the courtyard
   Medium to fast shutter speed

e.) people streaming in from the front doors
   Slow shutter speed

f.) the basketball booth where students are shooting basketballs at a hoop
  Fast shutter speed
 
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.

a.) a booth in the middle of the yard near the Tree

   Slow shutter speed for light

b.) a food booth outside under one of the big red awnings

   Slow shutter speed for light

c.) the Stars performance inside the gym

   Fast shutter speed for freeze effect

d.) students dancing near the center of the courtyard

   Slow shutter speed for blur and light

e.) people streaming in from the front doors

   Slow shutter speed for blur and light

f.) the basketball booth where students are shooting basketballs at a hoop

   Slow shutter speed for blur and light

2. List the three settings your camera has regarding setting shutter speed (these are found by clicking on the hyperlink labeled: Camera Modes on the Shutter Speed website in the paragraph titled How to Set Shutter Speed). Explain how each works - DO NOT COPY AND PASTE, use your own words.
   a. Program - Is automatically chosen by the camera based on the amount of light that passes through the lens. 
   b. Shutter Priority - can change the shutter speed manually, although aperture is automatically picked
   c. Manual - can change aperture, can also change shutter speed


Taken with ISO 200

Taken with ISO 6400

1. What are the advantages of shoot at a higher ISO at a sporting event like basketball or a night football game?
   Shooting at a higher ISO in a sporting event will prevent all of its motion blurs and help the photo not be as dark.

2. What suggestions did the author make about using a low ISO?
   To attempt to use it more often when the scene isn't as dark

3. What suggestions did the author make about using a high ISO?
   It is necessary to reduce the motion blur but it makes the photo appear 'grainy'.


Aperture settings
   Can set aperture from F2.8 to F22

Shutter Speed settings
   Can set the shutter speed from 1/4000 of a second to 1 second

ISO Settings
   Can set ISO from 100 to 25600

Prompt Shoot II

Photo Manipulation and Ethics

A. What are some of the main points you read about in the website above regarding manipulating images?

It says how photoshop is much easier and accessible than it was when it was first used as a tool. Also that there are certain types of rules for photo manipulation.


B. What is the philosophy of newspapers like the Washington Post and the New York times regarding image manipulation?

They say that it is okay, as long as they don't overdo it.


C. What do you think are acceptable things you could do to an image and not cross the line unto an unethical manipulation?

Changing a color that doesn't match, cropping, removing meaningless details, etc.


On your blog

D.

I believe that this photo was the most 'unethical' since they asked neither Ann Richards nor Oprah to have this photo be published to the public. They only had approval for a woman that recognized the dress.


E. 

This one seems the most least unethical since they had only squeezed the pyramids together to fit the vertical style. They had apologized afterwards, although the position of the pyramids could only be misleading from that point of view.

Composition II

1. Rule of thirds

The main focus in the photo should be the shoes hanging on the tree, but the background takes away your attention with all of the firefighters crowding the streets.
 
2. Balancing Elements (balance)

The buildings on the sides bring the attention to the man upfront and the burning building in the background with the airplane going through it.

3. Leading Lines (lines)

At first, you only notice that there is smoke coming out of the building. With further inspection, you can see that there are people currently opening windows and jumping out of said building.

4. Symmetry and Patterns (repetition)

The paper or ashes on the floor with the man in the monochrome setting creates a good example of tension with the scene.

5. Viewpoint

The people's reactions from the ground's point of view gives a good example of the dramatic incident in a different perspective.
 
6. Background (simplicity)

The main focus, the twin towers, aren't being distracted by the background and is a good example of  being given the viewers full attention.

7. Create depth

The extra buildings and other cities in the background gives a good example of more life than just one street, one room, one person.

8. Framing

Both buildings bring the attention to the people in distress and the smoke from behind them. Very suspenseful mood from the picture.

9. Cropping

You would not normally be able to see this close up with regular eyes, as it zooms in to unclutter its surroundings, which gives the viewers a good example of one thing to look at.


10. Avoiding Mergers

Best? 2019

Best song 2018?

This Is America - Childish Gambino (Donald Glover
The song represents both America and racial stereotypes within its video and lyrics. The first time everyone watched it, they all were distracted by his dancing and faces and not by the murder or chaos happening in the background. This song makes you think and has many scenes associating with current topics.

Best movie 2018?

Ready Player One

All of its references brought me back to watching it more than once. It had very well done animation for all of its scenes and made a cinematic ride that recaptured the magic of the early films. The nostalgia from all of its movie references was one of the best parts about it.

Most important news story?

Stan Lee's death impacted much more people than we had anticipated, considering he had died at 95. He had created many characters throughout his life, his favorite being spider-man. He was also in many beloved Marvel movies.

Who was the most important person?

Whether anyone liked it or not, it was Donald Trump. If there is one person, that if they didn't exist in 2018, making everything change, it's Donald Trump. He met the leader of South Korea, a first for american presidents, he is making a lead with his 'wall', and created millions of new jobs which brought down unemployment to 3.9%.

What was the biggest sports (and/or) entertainment person of 2018?

Kylian Mbappe - Soccer
His first FIFA match being his first World Cup at only the age of 19, now 20. One of the most impressive teenagers of the year, he wasn't even alive the last time France won. Mbappe is also now considered to be the most expensive player to be transferred.

2019

I went to celebrate my friend's birthday playing on a Deal-or-No Deal machine. My briefcase had either 1 or 400 points, so I took the deal...I lost 200 points.
My resolutions are to do 'new' things, something vague.
I'm looking forward to what technology advancements they will make this year, as well as movies.