Pre- Imogen Cunningham

     Imogen Cunningham is a photographer that is know for her close up pictures which is what our assignment is about this time. When taking a picture the subject should be clear while the background should be blured out using the camera ( The name of the camera is in a earlier post) at the to there is a little wheel that has a bunch of symbols and abrivations on it. You want to set the wheel on AV which adjusts the aperature for you to blur out the backgropund when you get close enough to the subject.

   Imogen was born in portland, Oregon in 1833 and lived in Seattle, Washington. Where she went to the University of Washington and got her major in in chemistry. After she finished collage she worked in athe Seattle portrait studio of Edward S. Curtis. Who is the same person who produced the twenty volumes of  "The North American Indian". In this studio she learned the techniques of platinum printing. Later she married a guy named Roi Patridge. Of which she had three sons. The oldest was named Gryffyd. And the twins were Rondal, and Padraic. She and Roi ended up divorced and she passed away June 23, 1976 at the age of 93.

     These are some of the photographs that I felt a connection to that Imogen took and would like to share with all of you. Most of these are not the close up flowers that she is known for but neither are they of any less quality.



Post Paul Strand Assignment

These are some of my Paul Strand style photos. I was not able to upload all of my photos at my house so the rest will be added on monday. I found that while I was going out to take pictures or looking for something that captured my fancy I would gravitate more toward nature and landscapes. Even though I did try for some shadow play and man made objects they just did not compete with some of the pictures that I am and going to display in this post. I hope when you are looking at the photographs below have the same vibbe as that of Paul Strand in that the picture is telling you a story like in a silent film. So in following that focus I asked myself these questions about each photograph. Is the picture exciting for the eye even with the apsence of color? Does the picture flow between the back, middle, and fore ground? Is my subject odvious or do you have to guess? Can you tell what the subject is? Of course for me that is what I do after the picture is already taken. What usually runs through my mind when I go out for a photo shoot is the first assignment that my class did. Which is called a Light Walk ( for more information on what a light walk is look to an earlier post called chasing the light). I also looked for things that I found appealing, or weird to the eye. Once I found something that looked good I would take atleast four or five of the same picture just from different angles so that when I made the photos black and white I could find that one money or magic shot. Which was not always easy because something that I struggled with in this assignment was finding the right lighting for different subjects. Also known as exposure is the biggest issue that I have to work on since alot of my pictures are to light or to dark.



Working in Black and White Verses Color

When working in black and white there is a difference in the way you take pictures. For instance in color when you want something to have a glow around a object you would use a brighter and stronger light. This is going to lighten everything in the surrounding areas of the subject. But in black and white if you have to bright of a light then you will get a much darker subject so that you can tell the difference between the subject and the background. The only way to learn what it is you are looking for in the terms of a mood is to practice different types of light from different positions of the same subject. Never be afraid to over shoot because this give you more selections to choose that desired affect.

Bad Photo Objective

The objecive of the bad photo challenge is to create a one of a kind bad photo that look cool due to the
1. Wrong Exposure ( To light or to dark)
2. Subject Blur ( Everything else but the subject is in focus)
3. All Over Blur ( Camera shake)
4. Bad Composition ( the Ssubject is only half in the picture or something is in the way of the subject)
5. Wrong White balence ( Too blue, too yellow)
This may seem weird but it is easy for someone to take a decent photo the hard part is making something that is usally a mistake a work of art.

Before Paul Strand Assignment Assessment

My class and I are learning about a man called Paul Strand. Who is a very famous photographer that lived from 1890- 1976 and changed the way we view pictures or photography today. We were given an assignment to take pictures in the Paul Strand style. Which basically is  how the components are arranged and the different values of contrast in any given photo. Also known as straight photograpghy. In his pictures he makes a clear path for the eyes to follow by making sure that all the pieces of importance move diagonally throughout the picture. Kind of like a set of stairs that can be gone up or gone down. Even though the components in the pictures never move each picture is like a silent movie or a beautiful painting making you want to stare off into their magic forever never to miss color again. Each pictures has some sort of meaning behind it so that you feel as if you know the person in the picture or that you are actually standing where the picture was taken. For instance there is a picture that he took that is of a senery and in the foreground there is a boat that is dark with lighter contrast buildings creating a middle ground makeing your eyes slowly drift from the front view toward the sea and out to the horizan giving the picture more depth. So while I am Following through the assiagnment I am mostly going to stick toward close up of man made and nature items with some shadow play and senery thrown in.

Paul Strand Pictures.


Wall Street
I enjoy looking at this photo because of all the people who came out so sharpe like a movie that has been paused.

This picture strikes a cord in me thogh I don't fullt understand why. It's as though I have known her my whole life. Like she is looking at me with something other than her eyes.

I just love the weirdness of the look and how Strand maserfully used his lighting to have all the different shades of gray and black.

Bad Photos




This is an example of bad exposure and a blur because there is not enough light and the objects are very fuzzy making it hard to see what the objects in the picture are.

 



This is and example of  bad exposure because the picture is to dark.

 


This is an example of an overall blur because everything in the photo is blured.




This is an example of bad white balance due to the off color of the trees and cars.



This is a bad composition, because the subject of the picture is not lit properly and is mostly cut out of the frame.

Two Things that Make a Camara

1. The Lenses
2.  The Glass

Exposure Triangle on the Cannon Rebel T3 Eos 1100 D

  1.  What is aperture and where is it located?

   The aperature is located inside of your camara lense. It adjusts the amount of light that reaches the film or sensor. The large light allows the most light to pass through the lens. Where as the smallest opening lets in the least amount of light.
                         ~The botton to adjust this action is right abouve the Live View Shooting button also known as the video recording button.
                         ~Name of button on manual is Compensation/Erase button.

   2.   What is the shutter and where is it located?


     The shutter is located inside the camara in the lense. The shutter opens and closes to control the length of time that light strikes the light-sensitive surface.
                          ~The Main Dial is what is used to change the shutter speed.
                          ~The shutter Button is the same one used to take pictures.

   3.   What is ISO and where is it located?

     The ISO or International Organization for Standarization is the top arrow on the cross keys.
                          ~The higher the ISO number the less light that is required.
                          ~Allows you to take pictures in dimmer light.
                          ~Use faster shutter speeds.
                          ~Smaller apertures.

* Other Rating Systems
~ASA or American Standards Association
~EI or Exposure Index
~European DIN


                         

Chasing The Light

On Friday, my photography teacher assigned us a task of chasing the light, also known as a light walk. For those who don't know what a light walk is don't worry I will explain. A light walk is when you go out with or without your camara and just investagate all the different types of natural light during different times of the days. During my walk I found that light at different times of the day will induce a different feel for the same picture. If your looking for something soft or mysterious then you are more than likely going to be taking your photos in the early morning or later in the evening. If you want something more strong a midday late afternoon would be my vaugest time frame.