Kel's Photography

Importance in being you

2010-05-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

In self portraits, I believe expressing yourself as who you are is better that expressing who you wish to be. I think if you just express yourself in an image of something you wish of you are not truly showing who you are, but what you want to be. By having an image that represents who you are and not who you wish to be you are expressing yourself in a way showing your true side. Every one has a person or an image that they wish to be some will come close in becoming, but you can only become who you are suppose to be rather than some one you wish to be.

Photoshop

2010-04-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

In the "Smile and Say No Photoshop" article, it emphasised the effects on photoshop in the magazines. In magazines many, if not all, photos are enhanced to make each photo perfect. That means that there are no blemishes, or no imperfections. This article mentions how these enhancements really effect a person's view on themself. The people who look at these magazines will often feel put down. They might feel that they are far from the perfect image. The article also mentions how even the ones who pose for the photos do not look like the ones printed. The photos are made for the people to look; skinny, toned, tan, and overall perfect. That is why the editors in France are proposing it to be illegal to photoshop the photos and to show the true person.

I think that this article has very key points in why these magazines should post the actual picture and not the enhanced, perfect photo. There are so many people in the world today who strive to be "perfect." When in all actuality no one is perfect. There are so many enhancements to the people in the magazines now that there will never be that perfect image. It all looks perfect however, no person looks like the ones on paper. Therefore, there are only the imperfections that look and are truly beautiful.

There are times when photoshop can be used and that should be only to maybe enhance the colors in the photo. But, I do not think it really should be used for alternating the sizes and body images. It is the body images and sizes that are not real. The images in the magazines are so unrealistic that so many try to strive to look that way when it really is not healthy. It can also cause health problems to try to look like the actual unrealistic enhanced photos of the people. Overall, photoshop should be used for color and to make the photo look appealing. But, it should not be used to fix the imperfections of the people in the photo.

Reflection on the three assignments

2010-03-28T15:53:00.000-07:00

1.) What is your interpretation of the purpose of each of these three assignments?
- A. Point of View- My interpretation of the purpose for this project was to be able to apply your views to every photo. That no matter what your position is in the photo you should be able to find your views in it. Every photo has an interpretation of how you feel and have a sense of it. The photos that viewed as the point view really shifted the moods I had for each photo.
-B. Macro/ Minutiae- For the Macro/ Minutiae assignment, I thought the interpretation of this assignment was to be able to see the details in the photos. I thought this assignment's interpretation was to see the small details of the subect that we normally do not notice. Macro/ Minutiae project was great for us to take photos in great detail. When you take photos in Marco you tend to notice the details in the photo more and get a good overall feel for the photo. When we placed the two inch by two inch squares of our photos into the grid, you could see the common interest and senses for them. With the photos placed in the grids, you could really see the details of the photos and the connection with all of the other photos in the grid.
-C. Motion- The assignment of the motion photos intepreted to me as being able to capture the movement of the subject. Motion pictures are great to show your photo in action and in life. the purpose for these photos would be to show the interest in motion photos. When you take a photo of a subject moving you are giving your photo life and possibly an exciting feel of the photo.
2.) What do you think the most important thing was you learned from each assignment?
-A.Point of View-In the Point of View assignment, the most important thing was that view matters. The position you take your photo in will give your viewer a certain feel. If your photo is off, the feelings may be off. When you take your photos of a subject and are trying to get say a powerful feel, you would want to take the photo from a higher position to make the subject to seem large and powerful. You would not want to take the photo from a lower position because you feel like you are small and less powerful.
-B. Macro/Minutiae- During this assignment, I came to the conclusion of what the most important thing was that I obtained. The most important thing was to make sure you were steady and took the photo of an interesting subject that has great detail in it. In order to make sure that the photo was detailed enough was to take the photo of an interesting picture that could have a common theme throughout the serires of photos for the grid.
-C.Motion-For the motion assignment, the most important thing I obtained was to get the motion perfect in the photo. That is hard to do because the motion can end out blurry or still look like a still photo. When you are taking motion pictures the action is moving but in the photo it could look still or sometimes too much movement where you get blur in the photo.
3.) Why do you suppose these three projects were assigned in this particular order?
-A.Point of View-I believe the reason why point of view was first was for us to grow and learn the ways of views. It was for us to learn how we can make certain feelings and emotions for each photo. That if we position the camera in a way to make the photo seem a certain mood we would be able to make more accurate and better photos for the next assignment.
-B. Macro/Minutiae - With the practice we received and learned from the point of view project, we were able to get better macro pictures because we could get a different view and moods on the macro photos. It would allow us to get good detailed photos of that common interest we each choose for our photos. These photos would have more views and feeling for them than if we never had the experience in working with the different point of views.
-C. Motion - Then we received the motion project. This was most like the last one because it was probably the most difficult to take. Motion pictures are hard to do because we are working with action that could change our moods and view of our photos. With the chance to do the macro and point of view first, we were introduced with easier shots and photos to take. But with motion, we had the risk of running into blurriness and the wrong or different point of views. That is probably why these projects were assigned in this order so we could have some experience in working with harder and more difficult photos. If we did not have the previous projects we would have not been able to or it would have been pretty difficult ot get the better photos of that we now have.
4.) How do you feel you did on each project? Be specific about the areas on which you think you did well and not as well.
-A. Point of View - In the Point of View project, I feel I succeeded well in it. I was happy with the turn outs of my different views and the selection I choose for the series of photos that had to show different feelings. However, I do wish I had a more creative subject in the other ones that I took. I took different point of views on a pool table, my dog and trees. I was happy with the pool table and dog ones but not so happy with the photos of the trees. That is where I wish I could fix.
-B. Macro/Minutiae - For this assignment, I liked my theme I chose. I thought my theme was good and the two inch by two inch selectionsn I picked in my photos showed the best of each whole photo. But, I wished my views for the photos were better. I would have liked to show more different feels for each individual square in the grid. I also did not like the order I put them in. I would have liked to have put them in a simpler order and smoother order.
-C.Motion - In this assignment, I thought I did okay in the motion assignment. I liked in the photo how every person got higher in the jump as you looked at it from left to right. I liked my overall feel of some group of people jumping off. I like the look of seeing people in action in the air. I wanted that as mine in the beginning. However, I did not like the number of people. I think maybe if there was less to look at it would look better.
5.) What was one thing you wishe you would have done that you didn't, and why didn't happen?
-One thing I wish I did but did not do would be to have a motion picture of a horse trotting with a rider on the horse around the arena. I would have liked this because it would be something different and nice to have a picture like that. I would think that type of motion picture would be great and beautiful to have because I think it would give the feeling of serene and gracefulness. However, that did not happen because where I volunteer at with the horses, where I would have gotten the picture, was doing another class after me. Therefopre, I was not able to get a photo like that. The photos I did take of them were of the horse moving but it looked a litle still when I took the photo, even though the horse was moving.
6.) Which was your favorite of the three projects and why?
-My favorite project out of the three was the Point of View. I liked trying to take photos of subjects in different ways where you would normally not think of taking a photo that way. I loved experimenting with the different ways of views to take and getting completely opposite feelings and moods of the same subject. When I took a photo of a subject from one angle and take it from a different position. You received a totally different feel for each picture, yet they were the same subject.
7.) Has one or more of these topics had an impact on your photography? How?
-I would have to say the Point of View project really had an impact in the photography I take. Before this class and project, I never really thought of changing my position for a photo. Normally I would have just clicked the button to take a photo, not really caring on the feeling you could have in seeing the photo. Now, I take in the consideration of my position and the subject in the photo in how the viewer will feel. I now try to take a photo with the subject in certain position and view so that the viewer might feel what I felt the subject would give off in the photo.

"God is in the details"

2010-03-14T13:22:00.001-07:00

"God is in the details"

This quote can be interpreted as a meaning for where God is in the world. God is known to be in everything in the world. When there are rainbows right after a horrible storm, that shows us the power of God in those details. God is the details. God makes up for what everything is.
God can be seen through these objects by us humans paying more close attention to these details. If we see and truly look, you will think how miraculous things in the world look. If you also look at the object as more than what it is then you will see it as being greater than just the object itself.
We can use our cameras to see these details even more. We can also capture the truth of the object to be something behind the power of God. When we use our cameras we are capturing the life and reality in the object with God in the details.

2010-03-02T05:42:00.000-08:00

"Photography is about finding out what can happen in the frame. When you put four edges around some facts, you can change those facts." - Gary Winogrand.
-What does this quote mean?

This quote to me means that there are facts and yet those facts can be changed through photography. In photography, the truth is set in the photo. When you take a picture of a certain subject you are making that photo the truth. It is what you see and capture that is real and truly what is to be seen. But, with the slightest change in the photo or point of view in the picture that is changed may even completely change the facts of the photo and the truth behind the photo.

Critique

2010-02-28T15:35:00.000-08:00

The first critique of my first photo was mainly that it was more likely to be a diffuse photo if the light shining in the photo was not there. Another critique of the photo was if that photo of the picture seemed to blend together. The last main critique was that the viewers were not so sure if the photo was black and white or if the photo was taken of a black and white photo on the white wall. I was appreciative of these critiques because it told me a lot of what I need to improve. It gave me ideas from their critiques and how taking a photo is a little difficult since its just flat up against a wall with no depth. These critiques were very helpful to me to make sure my photo will be quite precise.

However, hearing the other critiques for the other photos and seeing the others work really gave me a better insight of how to enhance my performance in my photos. I was shown that angle is the most worthy technique you can possibly use in enhancing your photos. The angles in which photos are taken in really set the mood of the photo. It helps you get the sense of things. It will sometimes make you feel big, small, powerful, at ease, etc. The other critique that seemed very powerful to me was that the lighting in the photos is crucial in the photos. If the photo has too much lighting the photo may seem overly bright. The last thing I heard was that the subject should be somewhat appealing. If the subject seems boring or not too interesting, than it may be boring to others. But, if you have a photo of an interesting subject than you will most likely catch the viewer's eye. Overall the critiques for this assignment helped very much in gathering more interesting and, hopefully, better photos.
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First look on a photo

2010-02-15T11:41:00.000-08:00

When you first look at photograph and make your initial judgement of it as being 'great', is it because it is technically great or because it makes you feel something?

- When first looking at a photograph, you are making the judgement of whether you think it is great or not. But, if your judgement of the photograph is that you think it is great then, I believe you are making an emotional connection rather than being technical. When you look at a photograph that you think is great, you are more likely making an emotional connection. You are liking it because you are feeling something. It is making some kind of connection. It may be that I it is reminding you of something in your personal past, or your think that it has a liking of yours. Therefore, you are making more of emotional connection rather than technically seeing that is great. However, I think that you will later come to the thought that maybe there is certain lighting, position or technical about it that you like, but your first thought will be on the fact that the photograph makes you feel something. There that why I think that your first initial thought on it come from feelings rather than the technical perspective. But, the technical parts of the photograph do make your feelings of it more real.

Andy Goldsworthy

2010-01-29T09:13:00.000-08:00

What is the point of working on art that will disappear with the elements ( wash away with the rain or tides, melt in the warm weather, etc.)?

- The point of working with art that will disappear would be the fact that you are actually capturing a moment of time. When you are working with art that will disappear you are saving that moment of time. The time that you would want to witness for a lifetime. The art that will disappear is something you want to see all the time, but you may never get it back or never see it again. Therefore, you want to capture it forever. With Goldsworthy he is capturing images many who would just walk right by and not take the time to notice it.

Why, specifically, do you connect or not connect with his work?

- I would say that I could connect with his work because he shows images that are so rare that I would love to see. I think his work is beautiful and could connect with many people. It shows you the creation on Earth that many do not see, but can be seen through his work.

What do you think makes something a piece of art ( versus a pile of rocks, some leaves stuck in the river etc)? Is Mr. Goldsworthy's work art?

- I would have to say that yourself makes a piece of art. Your personality, likes, dislikes, and love in life is what makes a piece of art. It is what you make of that piece of art. Art is your own likes and dislikes turned into beauty. If you like nature your art will be with nature, if you like animals your art will be with animals, etc. Art is a love of something, a beautiful thing. It can be expressed through physical art, photography, sculpture, etc. Therefore, I believe Mr. Goldsworthy's work art. It is his own time and effort put into something that he loves. He loves working with nature that will disappear. His work is then art. I think it is beautiful art captured through his lens that will disappear in time but not in his photos.