The Road to my Photo Essay

A photo essay is a collection of pictures that, together, tell a story. These pictures usually vary in size and subjects, but ultimately create an overall theme. Sometimes photo essays are created to evoke emotion, and other times they are created to promote awareness or to inform. In photo journalism this week we are creating photo essays of our own. After much thought, I decided to create a photo essay with the topic of graffiti. Let's hope this turns out well!

A Pop of Color

This week in photo j we learned how to take a normal picture filled with colors and isolate one. After creating a two layer background, we made the entire photo black and white. Then, using the eraser tool, we went back and erased the area that we chose for a color to shine through.
Hope you take this tip to use and create some awesome pops of color in a dull back and white. Enjoy -food, friends, and fashion. 

Iconic Photos

This week in photo j we looked at some iconic photos. Each person was assigned a photo that Ms. Hartman felt was an important moment in time that many people should be able to realize. I found this so interesting because I recognized a few of the photos, but many of the pictures I had never seen. Learning about the history behind each photo was eye opening.

I was assigned the photo "Migrant Mother" taken by Dorothea Lange at a pea farm just north of Los Angeles during the Great Depression. The photo was taken of Florence Owens Thompson, a mother of seven kids that she was struggling to provide for. Once this photo was released, many Americans eye's were opened by the fact that a mother and her children, working on a pea farm, were still starving. Now, when many people see this photo, the immediately think of the Great Depression. This photo can be classified as iconic because it symbolizes the Great Depression and the struggles of the typical American citizen during that time period.

I think that learning about these photos was beneficial because it made me more aware of my surroundings and showed such historic moments captured in history. One photo that caught my attention was a photo taken by Nick Napalm of a little girl who's clothes had been burned off from a southern vietnamese bomb. It can be classified as iconic because it shows how bad the war actually was and the controversy felt about the Vietnam War. The emotion of the little girls face also made the photo memorable. Another photo I found interesting was of John F. Kennedy's two brothers, wife, son, and daughter at his funeral. Stan Sterns took this photo that captured the immense amount of sadness felt throughout America over such an iconic person's death. 

Tips Seven, Eight, Nine, and Ten

Today in Photo J we focused on the last four tips of Kodak's Top Ten Tips. These four tips are move it from the middle, know your flashes range, watch the light, and be a picture director. 

This photo is an example of move it from the middle. When using this technique, imagine a tic tac toe board over your picture. place your object where a horizontal and vertical line intersect. When deciding which side to place your photo on, pay attention to leading lines and if the way your subject is moving. If your subject is moving, make them run into the open space, no off the page. 

This photo is an example of knowing your flashes range. As the photographer, know where the object needs to be for the flash to work effectively. Usually the range of the flash is from four to eight feet. 

This photo is an example of the technique watch your light. Know your surroundings and the way the sun is shining. Knowing this will help your subject not have shadows on top of their face or body. 

This photo is an example of being a picture director. Instead of taking a photo of a group of people randomly placed, arrange your subjects making them pose. Thinking about grouping and the final product will be beneficial when using this tip. 

Hope you enjoyed these tips!- food, friends, and fashion. 

Tips Four, Five, and Six

This week in Photo J, we continued to look at Kodak's Top Ten Tips. The Three Tips we learned this week were to take vertical pictures, blur the background, and zoom in close. Here of some examples of these techniques. 

This picture is an example of a vertical picture. When your out and about taking photos, turn your camera vertically ever fifth or sixth picture. I know this feels uncomfortable for some, but objects that are standing vertically usually look better photographed vertically. 

This picture is an example of blurring the background. To blur the background in a picture, focus on the background while holding down the focus button halfway. Then actually move the camera to face the subject you want the camera to focus on. When you move the camera back, the focus of your picture should be the subject you focused on second. You should be able to tell what objects are in the background, but they should be blurred. 

This picture is an example of zooming in close. Zooming in close, also known as filling the frame, give a more personal shot with great detail. When taking a zoomed picture, get as close to the object as you possibly can before zooming with the camera. 

Hope y'all enjoyed these helpful hints. Go be artsy- food, friends, and fashion. 

Tips One, Two, and Three

In photo j we looked at Kodak's Top Ten Tips to take successful pictures. The first the tips we learned were getting down at eye level, using a plain background, and using flash outdoors. 

This is an example of getting down at eye level with your subject. Getting down at eye level means to take the photo level with the eyes of your subject. This technique makes the photo more sharp, intimate, and creates a better background. 

This is an example of using a plain background. By using a plain background, make sure the colors of the background and subject do not clash. Also make sure to not shoot into the sun. 

This photo is an example of using a flash outdoors. By using a flash outdoors eliminates the shadow on the face by brightening the face. Using a flash outside especially helps when your subject is wearing a hat. 

Use the helpful hints to improve the pictures you're taking! Enjoy- food, friends, and fashion.

Photowalk

There are many techniques to take a photo worth looking at. I am here to share ten of these techniques with you. One is anticipate the moment, or know and plan what is about to happen so you can position yourself perfectly to capture the moment. Two is to find a different angle using birds eye view (shoot from above) or worms eye view (shoot from below). Three is to use the rule of thirds, offsetting your subject to the right or left so it falls on intersecting lines. Four is to use leading lines, which naturally force the viewer to follow them to the subject. Five is to fill the frame which will eliminate a distracting background and give a great picture. Six is to let the mug shot tell the story, getting just a person from the waist up. Seven is to use framing, or objects that create a frame around your subject. Eight is to look for repetition, or the same thing over and over again. Nine is to stop the action and keep the ball in the picture, a technique that focuses more on sports photography. Last but not least, ten is to look for emotion in pictures. Using these easy ten tips, I can guarantee your photos will begin to turn out better. Over the past few days, I went and took pictures myself. I pick these three to show you because I felt that they displayed the rules the best. The picture of the cookie dough shows repetition, and I just love cookies. The picture of the parking sign shows a worms eye view, and I like the way the sun was streaking across the pictures. The third picture I chose was of a friend with a flower in her hair. This demonstrates filling the frame, where the subject fills the space. Hope you enjoy- food, friends, and fashion.

Capturing Emotion

Today in photo journalism, we learned the importance of emotion in a picture. The ability of a photographer to capture the feelings of their subject in a moment of time can completely change the photo. Capturing emotion in pictures is so important because behind the picture is a story. When the photographer captures the emotion felt at that time and place, the moment describes itself and shows how the subject felt then and there. A few tips to snap photos filled with emotion are to fill the frame by focusing in on the face of your subject. By simplifying the background and focusing in one your subject, the photo will capture the essence of that moment. Another tip is to take a break for about fifteen minutes and observe your surroundings. By doing this, you become more aware of the people and mood around you which will be evident in your pictures. Another good tip is to take photos of things, people or places that you can return to. By returning to the place where you originally took the photo, you can capture a different mood or weather that will change the meaning of the first photo.  For our assignment, we were told to go out and find a photo that you think defines emotion. The photo I chose (top right corner) shows the newly weds honest bliss and captures a raw moment of happiness. The ability to capture a moment full of emotion will give the photo a bigger impact. Taking photos with emotion can be difficult, but take these tips and shoot a subject that mirrors your mood. Best of luck- food, friends, and fashion.

All About Me!

Hey y'all, just wanted to share what we did today in photo j. I have officially completed my first project, aren't you proud? It's called All About Me and contains photos that can basically describe my life. They range from food I love to my favorite jewelry. Here's a preview- food, friends, and fashion.

Warning: I'm a beginner.

Just as a polite warning, this is my first blog and possibly last, but who knows. Please don't expect anything extravagant so I can possibly pleasantly surprise you. I've started this blog as a requirement for my photojournalism class. My motivation for taking the class was to learn more about taking photos and to learn how to use my camera.  I've always enjoyed looking through photo shoots of Sarah Jessica Parker, Blake Lively, and many other fashion forward stars, so I figured why not attempt to learn how to take those pictures. Keep checking for updated photos on my attempt to be an artsy, modern photographer- food, friends, and fashion.