Still Life

For this week's assignment I took still life pictures, which is capturing objects that do not move. I took pictures in my dad's studio in the basement. The lights were the same as used for a portrait shot, and I put a black sheet over a table so the background would not be distracting. The little toy duck picture I think stuck out the most to because it captures the fact that the duck is stuck in that position. I also like the angle it was taken at. I learned how to use lights to a greater extent in taking these photos.

ISO - 80

Aperture - f/3.5

Shutter Speed - 1/500

Event

For this week's photo assignment I chose the topic "event". For this particular assignment, we had to take photos at an event that captured what goes on at that event. I took pictures at some of the Saline Men's Cross Country invitationals and states. In order to capture some motion shots, I had to change the shutter speed a little bit, and depending on the weather the ISO, but overall these snapshots were pretty simple and I had a lot of fun taking them.

ISO - 80

Aperture - f/4

Shutter Speed - 1/500 second

Context Gimp Assignment

For this Gimp assignment we were to take a picture of the school or a place in the school and make it look out of the ordinary. I took a photo of the windows by the bus loop. I erased in between the window panes and made it look like we were right by the beach. I also made new layers for a beach chair and a tiki bar, and erased around them so it appeared as if they were actually right there. This assignment was a lot of fun and gave us a chance to put our gimp skills (and creativity) to the test! 

Nature

For this week's assignment I chose nature. We had to take 50 pictures of things in nature and then pick one that really stood out to us. I took a few in my backyard and the other were around the school. The one that really looked good to me we of a purple wildflower. I adjusted the aperture so the flowers in the background were a little blurrier. I really liked the way it turned out.

Aperture - f/3.5

ISO - 80

Shutter Speed - 1/500

Portrait Demo

For this assignment we had to take portrait shots, and we learned about the different lights that make the portrait happen - the key light, hair light and fill light. We also learned that you can take a nice shot without all the professional equipment using a whiteboard reflector as a fill light and a window as the key light. We took both and then edited them in gimp to present the two appropriately. I learned a lot of tips that will be helpful when I am doing portrait as an actual photo assignment.

Black and White

For this week's photo assignment I took pictures in black and white. I had to find items that I thought would be be captured using black and white. I took pictures of a lot of things, but I ended up picking my best photo of my shoes, the effect conveyed it nicely. I learned that it's harder than you think to find objects that would look nice in black and white.

Aperture - f/2.8

Shutter Speed - 1/4 second

ISO - 400

Panoramic

For my panoramic picture I took 3 photos of book shelf in the library. It ended up turning out really cool after I edited it in gimp. Using tools like perspective, scale and eraser it ended up coming together in the end. It's a good skill to know for the future!

Macro

For the photo assignment this week I chose macro. I thought this would be fun to do because there is a lot of intricate and detailed items in my room that would be perfect to capture for this picture. My favorite photo was of my keys - I have a J on my keychain (for Jessica) and there is stitching around the edges that created a great photo. I changed the ISO so the lighting would be a little better, and it worked out pretty well.

Aperture - f/2.8

Shutter Speed - 1/10 second

ISO - 400

Retouching Demo

In this assignment, we used the photo editing software Gimp to retouch a car that could use some enhancement. I learned how to use the clone tool and the lasso tool (so I could tint the background and the windows without tinting the whole picture) which I found helpful, especially for future assignments. I look forward to using my newly found Gimp skills in my future photos.

Architecture

For this week's photo assignment I chose to do architecture. I took a photo of the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit when I went to my uncle's wedding. I thought the lights along the structure looked awesome and the reflections in the water made it even better. I also took pictures of windsor and the shore line. The clouds in the sky put the finishing touches on what I call a great photo.

ISO - 400

Shutter Speed - 1/8 second

Aperture - f/1.4

Motion Demo

Today, we did a motion demo so we could practice capturing an object in motion so it shows clearly, but the background is blurry. I learn to set the shutter speed to 1/100 second and to pan with the object as it moves (at the same speed). I'm looking forward to applying this technique in future snapshots.

Animal

For my "Animal" photo, I took a snapshot of my dog, Mac. He is a Yorkshire Terrier so he's pretty small, and in the picture he is looking up, giving the feeling of innocence, so I thought that fit his personality pretty well. At some points it was hard because he was constantly moving, but all I had to do was change the shutter speed and I got the photograph I wanted.

ISO - 400

Shutter Speed - 1/250

Aperture - f/8

Gimp Assignment

In this assignment we used the photo editing software Gimp to create an Andy Warhol-like effect on a picture of ourselves or another person. We were walked through the steps of save copies, making them different colors and such.

Composition Assignment

For this assignment, we had to take pictures around the school, each one representing one of the 11 elements of composition. For the rule of thirds I took a picture of the tree by the pond outside, and the tree and it's branches took up most of the photograph. For lines, I took a picture of a car, the front grill of the car had intersecting lines that I thought represented this well. Next I did pattern, and took a photo of the benches out side of the school, showing the pattern with the crossing "bars".  For symmetry, I found a neat light fixture that had a cool wave to it, and it was perfectly symmetrical, even the wall in the background. For depth of field, I took a photo of a tree in the foreground and the school in the background, so you can see the distance in between the two. For texture, I took a picture of a shoe, I think the shadows and the ground he is standing on helps enhance this photo a lot. Next, I took a picture of Matt framing. This shows him trying to make the focal point of the picture his eyes, which is one of the elements of composition. For balance I took a picture of the crossing staircases, because there isn't too much in one section of the photo. For perspective I have a picture of matt on the football field from an angle I find quite effective. Space means to let the focal point breath, so in the next picture, of the dandelion, the majority of the photograph is grass. Lastly, for color, I took a picture of a yellow moped. The yellow along with the orange of the reflector is great for color. Overall, I learned about the elements of composition and how to apply the techniques to photographs. I think that they are very effective and will help me grow as a photographer.