John Paradise: May 2010

"Fly Away"

1/1600 F2.7

This photo is one I took of my brother jumping on the trampoline. I believe this photo is successful because i timed this photo perfectly. The light from the sunset silhouettes the my subject very well because it really makes him pop out. It also silhouettes the trees to help my subject stand out more against the sky. I captured the movement very well in this photo because my subject was in the middle of jumping and swinging his arms and that is just a moment in time that is hard to capture and remember without photography. This photo was a growth moment for me because it was the first time i really understood how to choose the right angle for a shot.

"Ginger Ale Depth of Field"

0"6 F2.7

This photo is successful because it really nails Depth of Field. It has a great foreground subject which repeats into the background. It also has a nice background subject that stresses the depth of the photo. The subject is four ginger ale cans that me and my friends stacked behind each other. I didn't even notice how nice of a shot it would make until i sat down. This photograph showed me that almost anything can turn into a successful photo with the right perspective.

"Master Chief"

0"8 F2.7

This is a photo I took of a Master Chief action figure that I had been carrying around with me all day trying to find a good shot. This shot was originally for Tilt-Shift but after further inspection i found a really nice depth of field subject in the background. I think this is successful because of the lighting. The shadows casted by Master Chief are very effective in my opinion. Tilt- Shift was by far the hardest project and this photo marked my first successful shot for Tilt-Shift. This is when i understood Tilt- Shift.

"Gracie"

1/400 F2.7

This photo is important to me because it took my about an hour to get my dog, gracie, to sit and pose for me. I realized my dedication to get the shot that i wanted the way i wanted to see it after this experience. I also like this shot because of the background is just so deep and has a lot of information. I also like how well my subject posed.

"Sweet & Sour"

1/80 F2.7

I like to photograph because of the theme. This was the first photo i the Texture/ Contrast project that i felt really illustrated the theme i needed to fill. This project helped me look at photography as a way of expression than anything else. This whole project helped me learn this theme. I also like the depth of field in this photo because it really helps the skittles stand out. The background colors are rather dull and the skittles are very vibrant.

"Beats"

1/13 F2.7

I like this photo because of the angle i approached my subject. I went out looking for a reflection shot so when i saw the shiny headphones i immediately thought reflection. However when i came into class the next day and actually looked at the photo i saw depth of field, portrait, perspective, and reflection. I just really like how well all of these things worked together in this picture. It's such a simple photo but it is very effective

"Lights"

15" F2.7

This photo was one i choose from when i first started experimenting with Motion Blur and Long Exposure. To me Motion Blur is a technique that can be very effective to a photo but it can also completely ruin a photo. Most of the photos i've seen of motion blur have just been random squiggly lines, which i know looks cool but does it really paint the picture you want to send. The Motion blur project as a whole taught me the to really use motion blur to create a photo and not destroy it.

"Luck"

1/50 F2.7

I like this photo because of the angle and the lighting. The nose creates amazing vanishing points and it just gives a great angle because i was so close to the subject when i took the picture. I also like how the shiny nose stands out against the dull green background. The fact this picture is of a statue gives the photo an identity of sorts. To me it was just an affective and successful picture.

"Eye"

1/40 F2.7

I find this photo affective because of the reflection in the eye and the detail. You can see every hair follicle of hair, pore in the skin, and vein in the eye. This is the best example of the super macro function i have on my camera. The super macro function allows you to capture crisp details very close up. I was experimenting and got this shot. I also like the color that pops out of the eye.

"Perspective"

6" F4.5

This is a successful photo because of the lighting and the angle. This photo has an amazing vanishing point. The lighting really adds to the crisp details you can see on the bench. I also like how when you look at the bench it feels like it guiding you to the figure at the end of the bench. This is a great example of perspective and to me it marked my first real understanding of perspective and lighting.

"Copper Beads"

1/400 F3.5

This photo is successful to me because of the crisp details and the vibrant colors. To me it is just a successful photo. It was my first shot with perspective and it was my first shot experimenting with the macro function on my camera. This was the first of many macro and super macro shots that i took.

"Pedestrian Crossing"

1/400 F2.7

To me this is a successful photo because of the angle, the subject, and the vibrant colors. The way that the pedestrian crossing sign border the left side of the image helps add variety to the image. It really stands out against the backdrop. The broken down building really adds an element of brashness to the photo that i think helps add to the photo.

Part 2

"In the preface to the second edition (1843) of The Essence of Christianity, Feuerbach observes about 'our era' that it 'prefers the image to the thing, the copy to the original, the representation to the reality, appearance to being'. For the images that have virtually unlimited authority in a modern society are mainly photographic images..."

This Quote says that as a society we need to see in order to believe and photography helps us to do that. Now a days we can we almost anything from almost anywhere in the world. Photography allows us to capture a moment in time and remember it forever. Photography helps prove the unbelievable by giving us visual proof.

"To Photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed."

This quote says that when we photograph an object or a person that thing becomes ours. We don't literally own it but in a way we have that thing with us forever in the photo. It allows us to remember and keep a moment in time forever.

"What is written about a person or an event is frankly an interpretation, as are handmade visual statements, like paintings and drawings. Photographed images do not seem to be statements about the world so much as pieces of it, miniatures of reality that anyone can make or acquire."

My photos are expressions of objects because my photos give those objects a voice. My photos allow these objects to send a message and express themselves. Photographs are different than paintings and drawings because they are a true representation of an object rather than the artist's representation of the subject. Photographs are similar to paintings because they are both an artistic expression.

Part 3

Why do I take photographs?

- I take photographs because I want to capture a moment in time that otherwise would have been forgotten. I use photography as a way to express my creativity. I think many people don’t appreciate photography because they think anyone can do it. In order to have a successful picture you need a message that comes from your photo. I take photographs because I want to send that message in a new way.

How has my photography changed over this semester?

- At the start of this semester my thoughts of photography was to try and capture something this is obviously amazing or just completely unbelievable. I quickly learned that with a few simple techniques you can turn almost any subject matter into an amazing photograph. I have learned that it about the message you send rather than the action contained in a photo.

What aspects of your photography do you want to continue to develop?

- I would like to continue learning more techniques of how to create an effective photograph because there are so many tutorials out there on photoshop. I would like to turn my love for photography into something that involves more photoshop. Maybe a design hobby or something like that. I really enjoy playing around in photoshop and now I want to combine the two hobbies.

How will I remain active as a photographer?

- If I want to remain active as a photographer I am going to have to learn how to always be ready to take a photograph. Throughout this semester I have gone out with my camera looking for photographs. I need to learn how to always be ready because you’ll never know when you’ll find a good shot. A tendency I’m going to have to learn to avoid is laziness. I have been late on almost every project this quarter purely because of laziness. I need to kick that habit if I hope to continue being an active photographer.

Give examples of instances that your photography reached a level of “art”.

- This class was designed around completing certain projects that all had something that you had to learn in them. Each project was designed to help us grow as photographers. There have been times where I have taken photographs to try and fill a project’s criteria buy I knew that I truly didn’t understand them yet. At the end of my projects there was always one or more photo that finally made it click for me. The reason these photos were successful was because I finally put to use these techniques. I can continue to create photos like this by continuing to learn new techniques.