Portrait and self portrait tips and ideas

Get Closer
The most common mistake made by photographers is that they are not physically close enough to their subjects. In some cases this means that the center of interest—the subject—is just a speck, too small to have any impact. Even when it is big enough to be decipherable, it usually carries little meaning. Viewers can sense when a subject is small because it was supposed to be and when it's small because the photographer was too shy to get close.
Don't be shy. If you approach people in the right way, they'll usually be happy to have their picture made. It's up to you to break the ice and get them to cooperate. Joke around with them. Tell them why you want to make the picture. Practice with people you know so that you are comfortable; people can sense when you aren't.

The Casual Portrait
Wherever you are with your camera, always be on the lookout for those moments when a person's character shines though. If you have a formal portrait session with someone, make some frames of him while he straightens his tie or while she brushes her hair before the formal sitting. Walk back to the car with her and shoot her on the street. If you are on a spring picnic with the family, look for that moment of bliss when your wife leans back, sated, to enjoy the caress of the warm sun. If you're on the street, look for the impatient expression on a pedestrian's face as he waits for the light to change. Always be on the lookout for the telling moment. Every person has a story, and every picture should tell part of that story.

Hands and Other Details
The hands of a farmer, a pianist, a baker. The feet of a ballet dancer, a long distance runner, a place kicker. The belly of a pregnant woman, the bicep of a weight lifter. Hair caressing a pillow, fingers clutched in prayer, a peering eye. The details of the human body make great photographic subjects, either as expressions of ideas or emotions, as graphic shots, or as a way to say something about an individual. Whenever you are photographing someone, try to think of details of their body or dress that would get your message across in an indirect way.
Are there particular parts of their body or items of what they wear that are important to what they do for a living or a hobby? Does some part of them really stand out? Can you find a way to abstract what you want to say about the person by using one of these elements?
The point is to use your eyes and your imagination, whether you want to use detail and abstraction to say something about an individual or about the beauty of the human body. If you are making photographs of details of the human body, you will be working intimately with people and will have to direct them, tell them where to pose, and how.

I really like this picture for many reasons. First thing that caught my eye had to be that this guy seems to be by himself and the kind of mood it looks like he is in, looks like he is trying to sit back and relax to thing about the things that are going on in life right now, or he might be waiting on someone by looking at the silver ware and the extra cup sitting across from him. What else caught my eye? The row of repeating booths and tables that follow the man. I really like how the camera has all focus on him and how its such a simple photo.

I really liked this picture also mainly because of how fascinating the sky looks and the nice color of the cranberries in the photo. I like how the photo has a distance. This photo is also plain but interesting. Also the man looks like he is pretty satisfied with what he does, it inspires me to find a career that I enjoy when I get older.

This is my favorite casual portrait (so far).

Welcome Back

I really liked this photo for a few reasons. I like wildlife like the picture shown above and also because this picture tells a little about whats going on if you noticed the lion, the giraffe looks like its running and the lion is creeping up on it.

I found this photo very interesting.  I've never seen anything like this and when I look at it i cant look away because its so amazing while scary.

I really liked this picture because I'm fascinated by the sky.  There are a million stars out and the sky is clear of clouds which makes the photo so amazing.  you can also see that theres a little pond from the reflection of the sky in it which is pretty cool.

Best song: Somewhere With You: Kenny Chesney

This song really caught my attention, I'm really into many many types of music but country is my favorite. I like this song because it has a different tune than usual country songs. I also like the lyrics. The song is about these two people going their separate ways but he'd rather be with her than anywhere else.

Best movie: Easy A
I really enjoy movies that are based on teenagers, especially funny movies. This movie is both of those thing, its a funny movie about a high school girl and rumors. Its funny because the way rumors spread in the movie is how they spread in reality and it just made me laugh because that is how high school really is.

 Something that i will remember from this break is that i worked soooo much and had such busy days. it was crazy.

My resolutions for this year: lose 10-15 pounds, try harder in AP english 3 and physics, also to get my gpa up really high for the end of my junior year, save up money to put down on a car for me, get my license, train my puppy, and so on...

This year I will be looking forward to this summer because I might be going to New York once again, also it will be my senior year, whats not exciting about that. Even though its scary, I'm looking forward to start applying to colleges also.

Final Exam Study Guide

1. Explain how to get to the server drives and your folder.
 You go to "my computer", then click on "server drives" and click on the T:drive, photojournalism, your class period, and then find your name.

2. Explain how we use blogger.com in this class
We use it to do our work and it helps us learn.

3. Explain the process of creating a pinhole camera
First you get oat meal can that is empty, second put black paper all inside of it, third cut a square close to the middle about the same size of  your finger, fifth cut a piece of foil paper a bit bigger than the square and tape it with black tape, sixth cover the top with black paper or tape to make sure that there's no light going into the pinhole, seventh make a small hole on the aluminum paper, eight put a piece of paper and a piece of tape so that way you can open and close it when your going to take your picture.

4. Explain how the pinhole camera works and how the image is transferred to the paper inside
Once you open the flap that had tape the light goes in and reflects onto the paper, but you have to make sure to open it for the exact amount of time so that your picture will come out good.

5. Know how to define and explain the 10 rules of composition, these 10 rules will be a MAJOR portion of the final and you better know how to recognize these rules, explain these rules and show me you understand them:

Rule of thirds: main object is not in the middle of the picture; imagining the picture is divided into three parts vertically and horizontally

Balancing Elements: arrangements of shapes, colors or areas of light and dark that complement one another so that the picture looks well balanced and not lopsided.

Leading Lines: repetitive lines draw viewers attention to center of interest; provide a way into the picture for the eyes to follow to the main subject; creates dynamics

Symmetry and Patterns (repetition): When there is patters and symmetry that is man-made and it catches peoples eyes.

Viewpoint: Think about where you will take the picture from it may add or take the affect from the picture.

Background/simplicity: The background is clear and you can clearly see what the main object is.

Create depth: You can see that the object isn't two dimensional

Framing: When natural things make a frame along the picture.

Cropping: cutting parts of the picture off to focus more on the subject

Mergers and avoiding them: part of a persons body is cut off from the picture
6. Explain how action and emotion impact a photograph
I think that action and emotion can make a picture more interesting but it can also mess it up if it comes out with blurs.
7. Explain how a photo can "tell a story"
A picture can tell a story by the way it looks and if there's people you can tell by their face expressions.
8. Explain what the word "multimedia" means and share some examples of how we have seen them in class (on the blog)
Multimedia is used to advertise peoples products so that other people will buy something using models which are fixed by photo shop. An example is the one blog that we did on the model that was used to advertise.
9. Know how to correctly write a caption. I HIGHLY suggest you rewrite the rules on your blog and find at least 2 photos on the Internet, post them on your blog and write correct captions for them. This will be a MAJOR portion of the exam as well.

10. Explain how "strong action" verbs enhance a caption

11. Explain how ethics come into play in regards to photojournalism and compare and contrast this with fashion photography. You really need to get the idea that changing photos to fit a need or to make something

look like something else is VERY unacceptable in photojournalism.

12. Explain the difference between a portrait and a self portrait.

13. Explain what characteristics of a good portrait are.

14. Explain what the major differences are between newspaper and yearbook.

Definitions you are responsible for (I highly recommend you post these on your blog with the definitions and make sure they are correct, many of the ones you posted on your blog previously were INCORRECT. All definitions need to relate directly to photojournalism. Example: many of you defined burning as "pain that feels hot as if it were on fire" , when the correct answer is "burning- increases the exposure to areas of the print that should be darker."):

Aperture: an opening; as a hole; slit
Shutter: a movable cover, slide for an opening
Exposure: the act of exposing 
F-Stop: the setting of an adjustable lens aperture, as indicated by an f number.
Single lens reflex- is a camera that typicaly uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system that permits the photogragher to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system (after a very small delay), as opposed to pre-SLR cameras where the veiw through the veiwfinder could be significantly different from what was captured on film.
Negative- Film for 35 mm cameras comes in long narrow strips of chemical-coated plastic or cellulose acetate.
Positive- is a film or paper record of a scene that represents the color and luminances (as near as the medium will allow).  
Contact sheet- is a photographic image produced from film: sometimes a film negative; sometimes a film positive.
Agitation- The air bubbles that usually occur when dry film is immersed in a solution can be removed without harmful effects in the predevelopment water rinse.
Enlarger- is a specialized transparency projector used to produce photographic prints from film or glass negatives using the gelitain-silver process, or transparencies.
Stop bath- is a chemical bath usually used in processing traditional black-and-white photographic films, plates and paper used after the material has finished developing.

Depth of Field: the range of distances along the axis of an optical instrument, usually a camera lens, through which an object will produce a relatively distinct image.
Focal Length: the distance from a focal point of a lens or mirror to the corresponding principal plane.
Fixer- is a chemical used in the final step in the photograghic processing of film or paper.
Safe light- is a light source suitable for use in a photograghic darkroom.
Burning- increases the exposure to areas of the print that should be darker.
Dodging- decreases the exposure for areas of the print that the photogragher wishes to be lighter.

Print Evaluation- My First Print

 

1. Is anything is sharp focus?
a. What is not is sharp focus is the guy closest to the camera. The things most in focus are the people in the very back
b. The guy close to the camera is not in focus because he was too close to the camera and if i would of made it to focus him, the people in the back would have not been in focus

2. there is good contrast in the photo, you can see good black and good white in the photo

3. my picture did not have any of the photo compositions, i had no subject. the way i will correct it next time will be to make sure i have one specific subject and make sure they are in focus, i will also not go to the portables because the lighting sucks over there. also i will make sure the lighting is right and i will get close to the subject.

4. no there is no yellowing at all

5. there are no ring prints

6. all are in the right folder.

Caption: John is listening to coach lindsey talk about dreams while in class out in the portables.

Abandoned Theme Parks

Of all the abandoned theme park i think the one i would like to visit and photograph would be the one located in Takakanonuma Greenland, Hobara, Japan.  The park has a very creepy, foggy, and haunted look to it.  This caught my attention because it seems like the perfect set for a horror film, it really looks haunted and abandoned. Its rusty, foggy, wet, broken down, and has those creepy wax figures everywhere.

Takakanonuma

• Haunted New Jersey Psychiatric Hospital
• Niagra Falls
• Denbigh Asylum
• Abandoned Six Flags New Orleans
• Alcatraz

Denbigh Asylum - By: Shepy

 I think it would be fun to photograph the Denbigh Asylum because I am a very big fan of haunted and spooky places, so this place definitely caught my attention.  The fact that it is an abandoned mental institution in Britain just makes everything even creepier and more interesting, knowing that this massive building house thousands of mentally ill people who received harsh treatment and care just gives the place a very negative energy and vibe flowing through every corridor.  I would like to capture photos from inside the rooms of a few individual patients to try and see their point of view of the institution.

In order for me to actually visit and photograph this location I would first off have to catch a flight to Britain.  Find a hotel for my partners and I who i will take with me to the Aslyum because being there alone would not be fun because its an experience that should happen within a group of people.  I would give everyone a camera and try and make myself one of the patients of the institution and try and get shots from what there point of view might have been and told my partners to do the same.  Before hand of course i would have to get permission of the current owner of the building or land where the building is located.

Choice Sheet

If I had to choose from journalism, newspaper or yearbook, I would pick yearbook.  My reasoning for this decision would be because I plan on being a cheerleader again and I want the cheer page in the yearbook to be creative and interesting to look at (if I could be one of the people in charge of that particular page).  What made me want to do this is cheering and having my picture taken by some of the yearbook photographers. Also, I've seen some past cheerleading pages and have grown interest in creating a memorable page for my senior year.

Ethics in Fashion Photography

The changes that were made to the model's face include:

• excessive makeup is applied
• eye brows were made darker
• lipgloss/ lipstick is applied
• fake eye lashes are applied
• lips are made fuller
• neck is made longer and thinner
• eyes are lowered
• eyes are made bigger

In my personal opinion, it is unethical to change to change a persons appearance. When people look at advertisements on billboards, they see a perfect looking person.  Realistically, we look at the product that is being promoted and think "hmm.. if I use that, will I look more attractive?" What we all don't know is that those people up in those pictures, the "flawless" models they use, are actually having a lot of work done to their appearance by computer and makeup artists.  This is wrong to do because the advertisers are basically lying about what their product "can do" and just making people spend their money on products that are no better than the some generic brands.

There are circumstances where this kind of photo manipulation would be more ethically wrong. They made an entire different looking woman. People base their definition of beauty on advertisements they see around and they are basing these views on people who are being photoshopped and altered drastically. No one is perfect like the girl in the picture.

The types of changes made that were ok was the makeup applied. It was obvious that make up was put on the model. The change that was not ok was when changes were made to the eyes, neck, hair and lips by photoshop.  I noticed a very big change in the models appearance when photoshop made the models eyes bigger. The change made her look totally different.

The differences between photojournalism and fashion photography is photojournalism deals with a variety of subjects and aspects of life, fashion photography just deals with makeup, clothes and shoes, basically just one's appearance to make money from the consumers.

Photojournalism is reality. It shows whats going on in the world rather than telling about it. It always should be true, untouched by editing.