inspiration

richard finkelstein is a famous dance photographer who used the lighting and body language to his advantage. the way he captures a moment in a split second (through dance) has its own way of telling a story through the person (dancer). i would like to use his lighting as part of my portfolio and also some of the poses the dancers are doing.

extra credit

I did not finish the house project so i have taken a few pictures in order to receive extra credit to replace the points. In the photos above, my model was Julian Martinez. I chose to shoot the first one from a low angle in order to get the feeling of power across in the image. After adding the yellow tint to the picture and the spotlight, the over all image has a vintage feel for the viewer. in the second photo i used the brightness and contrast tool to make the image more dramatic. although this effect is usually not seen in photography i personally like the look of the intense lighting and contrast which is why i am pleased with the image in the end. for the final photo i had the idea of doing a dance portfolio and this is the first image that will be included within it. the image represents the dance styles of hip hop and break dancing. by using the front foot as an almost 3D look makes the image look like an actual dance photo shoot set up. by making it black and white it makes the photo simple but at the same time interesting and exciting to look at. this is also due to the spotlight affect. i am greatly pleased with the end result of each of these photo because they all have a different meaning and feel towards the viewer/audience.

Yellow Boat/ Aids Awareness

When given the topic of Aids Awareness i thought of an affected individual who needs that loving support system. The bear in the corner of this photo represents the support system. It provides comfort and presence. By using the dark lighting (strobe) it allowed specific features to be accented (ex: the eyes and outline of the face). I then used the dodge tool on photoshop to lighten the face in order for the viewer to see the expression being put across (a sense of sorrow, realization, and acceptance). I then used the burn tool to darken the shadows in order to give the photo a more dramatic feel. I am pleased with the end result because i feel as though it gets the message across and also leaves room for interpretation. My model (Julian Martinez) was easy to work with because he naturally fell into character and was not timid to take on the risk of stepping into the shoes of an aids survivor. If i could change one thing about this photo i think i would have incorporated the red ribbon somehow or added more red features into the photo in a creative yet not over the top way.

STOP MOTION VIDEO

When given the assignment of creating a snapshot video i found it difficult to grasp the concept. the story line was that everything a girl touches turns into a drawing. when she encounters a boy with the same strange ability they both turn into drawings and the previously touched items come back to life. my group took longer than planned to finish this project and throughout the process i found it difficult to work with some of them. this is because some people wanted to take charge and disregard others ideas or artistic interpretations. some also were given a big part in the project and failed to meet the requirements which resulted in hurting the final groups outcome. i was one of the photographers and thought that the process of taking individual pictures a thousand times over was frustrating but was pleased with the end result. i enjoyed this assignment but only for that moment. i believe my group grasped the concept of the story and put the shots together in a creative manner along with adding calm music to get the feel of the video. 

BELOVED BOOK ASSIGNMENT

when reading the book Beloved over summer i realized that it was based on slavery. so when asked to take a picture representing the book i decided that it would be best to use Chynna Young as the character Denver (Beloveds sister). her expression represents the worry Denver feels when Beloved(her dead sister) returns to the house to haunt her and her mother. the roses in the corner represent Beloved as a soul that is no longer there but always will be close to Denver. I chose to use the dark room for my setting because of the dramatic lighting contrast it brings to the picture. the shadows on her face and neck make the picture more dramatic because of the way the light hits the rest of her face in order to capture the emotion and worry of the character. by using photoshop i used the clone tool to make her face look more smooth, take away the clips in her hair, make her hat one color, and turn her shirt from black and white stripes all white. then i used the curve tool to increase the lighting and shadows. i am pleased with this picture because i feel as though it gets the emotion across to the viewer and makes you wonder what the book has to offer.