Classmate Video Interview Assignment

I interviewed my advanced techniques classmate Katie Alaimo about her favorite personal photograph. Check out the video here.

And click here to see her interview of me.

Painting with Light Assignment

My group decided we wanted to do something clean and easy to understand. We all really liked the painting with light photo of the golfer’s swing example that was shown in class. It was a clean and easy to understand the concept of the image. We all love the Harry Potter franchise so we decided to do a wand duel between Harry and Voldemort. We figured everyone would be able to recognize instantly that this image was a wand duel from Harry Potter.

Painting with light was the assignment I was most looking forward to in this class. I plan to continue to explore PWL techniques and create more PWL images.

 

Multiple Flash Assignment

Not sure if the slightly more cropped image looks better or not so I am posting both.

 

Audio Slideshow Research Assignment

I enjoyed this audio slideshow set from the LA Times because it does not generalize Autism into one video of one person. It takes multiple individual stories about a similar topic and shows a little insight into people’s day-to-day lives. Most of the photos in each section capture the intimacy of the parent and their child. The photos capture the love the parent has for their child but also the affect Autism has on their relationship. The audio is edited very well and correctly matches the photos. I agree with the choice the photographer/editor to not include ambient sounds. There are no distractions from the photos and the parents clear and crisp voice telling their story. Each video held my attention for the entire time.

Another good audio slideshow is the portrait series by Martin Schoeller. Human faces are so unique. I like the mixture of ordinary people and celebrities throughout the slideshow.

Color Correction Assignment

This was a very challenging assignment and I am going to have to keep practicing to get the hang of it.

 

Seth Lanning, an Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Taxonomist, shows Margaret McGeehon, administrative staff assistant, a hydrophila beetle. Lanning and McGeehon both work at the Missouri Department of Conservation off College Ave in Columbia, Mo. Lanning found the beetle outside of a Comfort Inn in Chillicothe. Lanning described the hydrophila beetle as one of the largest predatory beetles.

 

Lighting diagram: [I'm obviously a very talented sketch artist...ha...]

Fill and Balance Assignment

My fill photos:

Alex H. Melise (left) and DJ Matthews (right) play their trumpets together on the corner of Ninth and Broadway. They recently became friends because of their love of music. Melise and Matthews spent their Wednesday afternoon enjoying the nice weather and playing music for people as they passed by.

 

My balance photo:

 

Lighting diagram:

Single Flash Assignment

My photos for this single flash assignment are all experiments. As the semester progresses I hope to improve significantly.

 

This is my bounce flash photo, I bounced the flash off my white sweater I was wearing:

 

Teresa Phouk (left) works on Halley Hollis' (right) nails at Varsity Nails during the afternoon of Monday, March 5. Phouk has worked for Varsity Nails on Elm in Columbia, Mo for three and a half years. Hollis is a senior at Rockbridge High School and a client of Varsity Nails for over a year. Hollis comes about every two weeks to get her nails done.

 

Maura Baker (left) and Abbi Walker (right) work on a class project for their SHAPE (Sexual Health Advocacy and Peer Education) class in the University of Missouri student center on Wednesday, March 7. Walker is a senior who is taking the SHAPE course for her multicultural certificate and Baker is taking the course for her major.

 

My lighting diagram for the bounce flash:

Lighting Glass Assignment

The long-standing state border rivalry between athletic teams from the University of Missouri and the University of Kansas is a very popular topic amongst college sports fans. Last week, MU lost to KU in what's said to be, the last game between the two rival schools because MU will be leaving for the SEC after this season. MU has mentioned they are open to playing KU so the border rivalry does not have to end here, but KU seems to be a bit more close-minded about playing MU. After the game Saturday Mizzou coach Frank Haith told the Columbia Missourian he hopes the two schools can work something out soon. "You saw the atmosphere today and the atmosphere at our place," Haith said. "It would be sad if we don't play."

 

I am a huge Mizzou basketball fan so I wanted to use my Mizzou True Tiger glass cups for my assignment. The concept I was going for was Mizzou is still on top. I have a blue glass cup and a red feather boa on the bottom to symbolize KU. The long-standing state border rivalry between athletic teams from the University of Missouri and the University of Kansas is a very popular topic amongst college sports fans. I was trying to be creative with the glasses by showing that Mizzou is still “on top.”  Or the intense rivalry makes each team like glass, on sitting on top of the other then when one wins the fans hopes are shattered as the buzzer rings and one glass falls off the other. Which is like one teams standing in basketball ranking being knocked down by the other. Or the blue cup that symbolizes KU was overflowing with the red boa in some pictures, which could be symbolizing the KU stadium that was overflowing with KU fans on Saturday. Mizzou leaves for the SEC after this season. Mizzou has mentioned they are open to playing KU so the border rivalry does not have to end here but KU seems to be a bit more close-minded about playing Mizzou. So the Mizzou cup is “open-minded” on top to playing KU again but sadly this might be the last game we “ruffled their feathers.” Basically there are a lot of creative interpretations to take away from the photograph. (This season Mizzou won at home 2/4/12 with a score of 74-71. Then KU won at their home 2/25/12 with a score of 87-86.)

((Also the cup says “True Tiger” on the back. I tried taking the photo where the words were blocked out by the tiger symbol but it looked odd. The words kind of showed through the emblem. So I angled the camera where the word true curved around the emblem.))

 

Visual Diagram: (sorry drawing abilities are quite rough…)

 

Classmate Studio Portrait Assignment

Emma Kessinger is a junior photojournalism major at the University of Missouri. She balances being a full-time student, a waitress at Buffalo Wild Wings, and is a sorority member of Alpha Delta Pi. In her free time she enjoys painting.Emma Kessinger is a junior photojournalism major at the University of Missouri. She balances being a full-time student, a waitress at Buffalo Wild Wings, and is a sorority member of Alpha Delta Pi. In her free time she enjoys painting.

 

 

Visual Diagram:

 

Find and Share Inspiration for the Portrait Assignment

Assignment: Look in either print or on the internet for inspirational portraits in which you feel the character of the subject has been revealed and:

1.  copy and post or post a link to your favorite image on your blog – don’t forget to credit the photographer by name.
2.  Write a short analysis of why you think your selection is an outstanding portrait and post to your blog with the image or link to the image.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

I could not one single photograph as my favorite portrait so I am posting a few….

Steve McCurry National Geographic

“It was just a quick portraits of a school-girl in an Afgan refugee camp. But this photograph by Steve McCurry is among the most powerful images in National Geographic’s history. McCurry suggests that she captivates because of her look of “hopeless beauty.”

I have always loved this portrait from the National Geographic but I never have been able to put into words quite why I am I so drawn to it. I am not sure of her exact age in this photo but I believe I was only a few years older than her when I first saw this photograph. It just captivated my attention. I do not know how else to say it. Its such a  simple portrait but yet so strong. He really captured her emotions. Even if you do not know her story you can tell that something is troubling her. That she has seen far too much for a girl her age. The viewer instantly empathizes for her. Then McCurry went back years later to find the girl…

“Seventeen years after making the portrait, McCurry returned to Afghanistan, hoping to find out whethere the girl was still alive–and to finally learn her name. Sharbat Gula, now a grown woman, had survived…The best part was being able to help make her life better. There was a school built in Kabul based on donations collected from that picture.”

Julia Roberts by Herb Ritts for Vanity Fair – New Orleans 1993

I believe this is a fantastic portrait because it captures Julia Robert’s personality. One of the things she is most well known for is her smile and her laughter. If you have seen a Julia Roberts movie you can almost her the sound of her laughter when looking at this photograph.

Photograph by Annie Leibovitz

“Environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio, at the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon in southeast Iceland.”

I love the colors and the lighting in this photograph. The water and the sky almost look like mirror images. Leo’s placement in the photograph and his expression are both a part of what makes this a great portrait.