Final Reflection

My most successful project was definitely a Room of One's One. I not only developed Photoshop skills, but also grew as an artist/photographer. I used Photoshop to edit the separate photographs and then put them together on one page. Because this project was unique to the class, I feel like I really defined my "style" and felt proud of my piece no matter who did or didn't like it. I think this piece was important to perfect because it was like nothing that I had ever done before. I had never purposely took out of focus pictures, but the dark background against the light circles really made it look like a substantial piece of art. Personally, this piece evokes a sense of happiness in me because I know all the hard work finally payed off. However, I want  my audience to appreciate how many ways normal sceneries can be distorted to fit different standards of art.

My most challenging project was the high key/low key. Both, but especially high key, were extremely difficult to find and capture in one photograph. I think this project really required taking risks because you have to risk something or go outside the box to get a successful image. I struggled with finding a balance between a completely white-outed photo and a darker photo, that could no longer be classified as high key. Looking for a solution, I definitely used Photoshop as my companion to adjust the lighting and I also consistently adjusted my aperture/shutter speed on my camera to match the lighting outside. Attaining a low key photo was much less difficult because the right places were more accessible. One place where I got quite a few low key photographs was the storage room below the stage. It was dark and mysterious, but  I got some good photos out of it.

This year in intermediate photography I feel that I have definitely developed a specific skill set. I think that I have had enough experience to feel very comfortable with composition and finding unique places to take pictures. I have definitely used the "thirds" rule, but have also broken it when need be. Also, something I have recently noticed is that I make very clear distinctions with horizon lines. For example, at Phoenix Lake I took one picture of trees, weeds, and the lake. The trees were in the top third, then water, and last the weeds. All three were separated very subtle lines and it was very intriguing to the eye.

 Another skill that I have very much enjoyed developing is working in the darkroom. Even though I also worked with digital images, I think my strength definitely lies in the darkroom. For the recent Sarah Project, I have aimed to create a lot of contrast within my images because, from earlier experience, I think those make the most interesting photographs. I can successfully say that I have mastered the enlarger, using the filters, the chemicals, the photo paper, and the negatives. Additionally, I think working in the darkroom has also been one of the most rewarding experiences. After spending so much time adjusting aperture and shutter speed, it is wonderful to know that all the
hard work payed off when a beautiful print is produced. I wish I could have had the opportunity to work with the Holga cameras because I love the subtle roughness that is a part of the Holga pictures.

The last skill that I have developed and thing I have learned is to develop an outline of some sort, but also trust your instinct and really go with the flow. So many intentions can change along the way, so it is really important to not stay bogged down by ideas at the beginning of the project. For the Room of Ones Own Project, I definitely used this skill to create my final product. At first I wanted to shoot cityscape and skylines, but as soon as I saw the circles of light, I knew I had to pursue that. As a result, it was one of my most successful projects this year.

A Room of One's Own Final Reflection

When I first heard about this project, I honestly did not know what I wanted to do. I knew that I wanted to create really intriguing and unique images, but was not quite sure how to go about that. Through looking at images on the internet for inspiration, I finally figured out what I wanted to do: out of focus bright lights that stand out against the dark background. Once I figured out what I wanted to do, I was on a straight path. I had a "vision," for lack of a better word, and was determined to create the images I wanted. However, when it came to book making I did not know what would be best: an actual book or just one big poster with all the images. I decided to go with the poster because I knew it would be a more fulfilling experience for the audience who will be shown my work to see all the images together. Given what I know now about my work, I would have pushed myself even further to try different compositions of the lights in the images. I also would have liked to get different background colors besides the green, blue, and black I already have. 

In these images, the lights emerge from the blurred out dark backgrounds, making light the only character. This project was definitely a turning point in my path as a visual artist because it gave me the courage to step outside my comfort zone. It was a rewarding experience to create a work of art that I have never seen or done before. This project was extremely meaningful because it gave me a sense of what types of images I will want to create in the future. Because these images are very interesting, I can experiment in the future with a similar style, but a different composition. 

A Room of One's Own

For this project, I decided to take pictures of out of focus lights with a dark background. I was really striving to create unique images that are not cliche, but rather show normal sceneries in an abstract way.  The way the circular lights stand out against the darker background evokes a sense of spontaneousness and happiness within me. I have always been drawn to taking pictures of sceneries or objects that people don't normally see because I believe those make the most interesting and intriguing type of photograph. My intention for this project was exactly that; capturing things that most people overlook in their everyday lives. Living in one of the most beautiful places in California, most of the time we take for granted everything it has to offer. But taking my camera and driving through San Francisco and Marin determined to find interesting lighting, opened my eyes to so many new types of photographs I can experiment with in the future. Even though I took a risk by taking out of focus pictures, I definitely experimented with ISO, exposure, and aperture, which allowed me to eventually create the twelve images I have here. While I am extremely happy with these photographs, I am also very excited to push my knowledge of taking these types of photographs to the next level. 

Light is a Character

I really like this photo because it evokes a sense of mystery because of the lighting. The darkness surrounding the brighter light in the middle of the photo really makes the highlights of bright light stand out, thus making light a character. 

The speckles of light create a path for my eye to follow. Light also really stands out against the criss-cross fence. The light is also blurred which makes it more intriguing to look at.

The light in this photo really stands out and makes the rest of the building a dark silhouette.  The reflection of light on the ground and on the pillars is also really intriguing because it seems like the light is being funneled to different places.

On To Digital!

Exposure Triangle: 

 For this image, I really like the detail of the small icicles and the contrast against the grainy wood. On Aperture, I took a risk by adding a vignette effect, which really brings highlights the white ice along the wood. The dark black space in between the wood evokes a sense of mystery, which is really intriguing and interesting. I had a really high ISO of 800, which made the wood grainy and was key for shooting in this dark lighting situation.

For this image, it really evokes a joyous feel of Christmastime because of the blurred lights on the tree and the dark blue/grey background. To me, the lights on the tree are absolutely fantastic because I love how they are not in focus and are just plain circles.

For this image, I really like how there is only one space that is truly in focus and the rest is blurred, which highlights the detail of the tree bark. Although this picture is very Bransony, it is still very interesting because of the angle of the camera (how only part of the tree is captured). For all three images, I was trying to capture detail because behind everyday objects, are really interesting nuances that most people over look. But, I really wanted to capture those types of photographs. 

High Key/Low Key:

Getting a low key image was much easier than getting a high key one. For this image, I put the camera under the stove to capture the blue light from the gas. Even though it looks different on here, I really like how it is completely black, besides the glimmer of blue light. It really evokes a sense of mystery because taking a picture of a gas heater is very unusual, in my mind.

This image is not technically high key, but it was I all had. Getting a high key image was extremely difficult. Finding the balance between getting a high key image without having it be blown out was tough. The shadows the light creates, especially in this image, were hard to avoid and thus this image is not completely white. Overall, this image does not qualify as a high key image. However, one of my goals for the future is to become more experienced at taking high key photos because if you can master them, you can get some great photos. 

Off-Camera Flash:

For this image, the light reflecting off of the pink flowers reflects onto the metal trophy, which creates a sense of movement, like the trophy is actually playing soccer. I also really like how some parts of the trophy is pink, while others are the normal color of gold. And the light from the lamp creates interesting shadows within the crevices of the trophy. This was my first time using a white background for taking pictures, and I think next time I will uses a less crumpled pillow sheet in the background.

For this image, I really like the reflection of the trophy in the Coke bottle. It makes it seem like the trophy is actually coming to life. The light from behind the flower creates some dark and some light spots on the flower, which is really intriguing. The way the light reflects onto the actual trophy makes the trophy seem less like a metal statue and more like a real human being. 

Overall, I am mostly happy with the images I got, but, like always, I am ready to keep improving and I know that with learning many techniques, I am becoming a better photographer. Digital shooting is completely different than darkroom developing, but it was a nice change for me. For the Exposure Triangle, High/Low Key, and Off-Camera Flash, I feel like I have learned details that I probably would have overlooked or never even known about. This experience has been really rewarding for me.