Self Portrait Assignment

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The first thing that comes to mind about myself is that I don't like talking about myself! I think I am a much better listener. I am not sure how much I am willing to reveal, and that probably says a lot about me. I hate how I look in pictures, I always want to delete them. That being said, this assignment was not that easy for me! I am very self conscious about photographing myself.
I was born in New York, Jamaica Queens to be exact. We moved to Long Island when I started high school. My parents are both from Italy, and as a child I visited often, and I still do since all my relatives are there. My family is very important to me, and I do miss them since they are so far away. I can be very shy, but with friends and family I can be loud and boisterous. I think people often have the wrong impression of me.
I am a computer programmer, I really like my job but my hobby has always been art. I don't paint much anymore but I would like to. I love listening to music, the outdoors, traveling. I am married, I don't have any children.

Robert Adams

On Signal Hill, Overlooking Long Beach, CaliforniaOn Signal Hill, Overlooking Long Beach California, 1983; photograph; gelatin silver print, 9 in. x 11 1/4 in. (22.86 cm x 28.58 cm); Collection SFMOMA, Gift of John "Launny" Steffens; © Robert Adams

In this photo by Robert Adams I see two trees on a hill overlooking a city. There is grass on the hill, and the trees are bare, suggesting to me that its probably late Autumn or possibly Winter. It looks hazy, there are no visible clouds and it seems like the sun is breaking through the haze. There are houses, roads, and buildings in the city below and I see the horizon in the distance. There must be a substantial population in the town considering the number of buildings and the roads. The trees are more prominent in the photo and the city below is in the distance. The colors closest to us are much darker and the photo gets lighter in the background. It has a serious feel to it and is a bit gloomy.

Adams is showing how the natural landscape is getting smaller and smaller by human intervention. What's left of this landscape are the two trees, and they look somewhat pathetic. Partly because they are not blooming and partly because there are only two trees but thousands of houses. The way they are growing they seem to be leaning over, sort of like they have given up, or even reaching up asking for help. They seem weak against the big city that they overlook. But at the same time, the photograph has a glimmer of hope. The tree on the left is younger, the bark is much smaller, so even though our natural landscape is decaying, there is hope for new growth.

I think this photograph is representative of Adams' work. It shows a natural landscape against a backdrop of a man made landscape. He's trying to tell us that we do not have unlimited resources, and that we should appreciate the beauty of what we have. It's also representative of his use of light. It has a stark and somber feeling to it, as do many of his landscape photos. The natural landscape is the prominent subject but we feel the presence of humans and there is a sense of the relationship between the two. I think it makes a statement about nature, like much of his work. His view is important, we must think about our natural resources and how to preserve them. It's interesting that he started taking these photos in the 1970's, and his message is just as important today as it was thirty or forty years ago.

Practice Shots

I went for another walk today at lunchtime, and this time the scenery was much nicer.

Practice Shots

I went for a walk on my lunch hour and took these shots. It was kind of depressing. I will pick a different route next time.

White Balance Test

For this assignment we took the same photo at every White Balance Setting...

White Balance AUTO

White Balance INCANDESCENT

White Balance FLOURESCENT

White Balance DIRECT SUNLIGHT

White Balance FLASH

White Balance CLOUDY

White Balance SHADE

Practice Shots

Still Learning ....

F5.6   1/800s

F4.5   1/13s

F6.3   1/500S

F11   1/200S

Writing Assignment #1

What is the function of photography in today's society? Why do people photograph?

Today's society is so fast moving, we want to capture every moment. It's not uncommon for people to carry a camera at all times and most people can take a picture with their phone. We are in an information age where people capture every event in life and then post it to Facebook so all can their friends can see. What is the point? I think it makes people feel connected. Somehow the photograph can speak to anyone, no matter where they are or what language they speak.

Maybe we do it because we can and because the tools we need are easy to get. With a digital camera, it's easy to get instant gratification. Point, shoot and upload your photos. If you don't like a photo, you just erase it. No more waiting, and you can share your experiences with family even if they are far away. Now as soon as a baby is born, pictures are sent out. Families and friends stay connected through photographs like never before. All over the world.

The photograph as an art form has existed since the camera was invented, but I think the artist has even more possibilities today, and technology helps him be even more creative . We also photograph to capture history. Again, the photograph keeps the world connected. We can see how other people live, and what other parts of the world are like. Of course, we see things from the photographer's point of view, which I think is important when looking at any photograph.

I think photographs change how we see the world, and even the universe. The normal person would never be able to see the moon close up, but all of have seen it because of photographs.
What would the world be like without photographs?

courtesy http://www.nasa.gov

April 10,2010

Exposure Assignment

For this assignment we took similar shots using different apertures and different shutter speeds. The ISO used for all these shots is 100.

F5.6
1/250

F8
1/160

F11
1/100

F16
1/60

F22
1/30

F7.1
1/250

F10
1/125

F14
1/60

F20
1/30

Assignment 1 - 3 Images

It is hard to choose but here are the three images I selected.
I decided to pick three personal photos taken at different times in different places.

This is my uncle, taken in Italy. He has a pet donkey, Flora,
and she was so adorable. It reminds me of being there and makes me smile.

I love being on the beach. I like this picture because it makes me feel peaceful. I get the feeling I am there looking at the ocean. This picture was taken in Cancun, Mexico.

I love Times Square at night and how the colors reflect and seem to bounce all
over the place.