Abandoned Theme Parks

The theme park I would want to visit is Koka Family Land in Shiga Japan. The reason I would want to go there is because all the abounded rides have been affected by nature, which makes the "dead" amusement park seem a little more alive. It also has some of the more appealing rides if you compare it to the other abandoned theme parks. There's still some colors left (even though they are dull) it has a serene feeling to it and would photograph well. My favorite part is the ferris wheel because it is so big and it makes you wonder about the unexplored parts of it high up.

Five unusual places that I would like to photograph are a cemetary, abandoned asylum. abandoned schools, an abandoned prison and old houses. 

I think it would be really interesting to photograph a cemetery because there's a lot of history behind it and even some stories (the gravestones). It also immediately gives off an eerie feeling just because of the fact it's a cemetery. There are also a lot of interesting angles you can take the photos at because of the placing of the gravestones. You can achieve great close up photographs but also landscape photos. 

Getting to a cemetery wouldn't be a problem because I know of at least two in Austin and it would be easy to access and I wouldn't have to make an expense. 

Africa

This was a very interesting article most of all because I have never heard of any photographer going to such extremes to get a perfect picture. What was the most impressive to me was his patience. To spend three weeks, just to capture one photograph is not something many people can do. Another concept that seemed extreme to me was that he actually got close to the animals to take the photographs. These animals are huge and some even dangerous, and risking your life to take the perfect shot shows his strong passion towards photography and the being of the animals. His photographs are like no other, when you look at them, they don't look real, they almost have a "majestic" look to them.

This is my favorite photo from his collection because it has an emotion behind it and even a story. The photograph is perfect because of the fact there are imperfections in it. The tilted tree is unique and captures you attention, and then the lion sitting under the tree alone gives off a lonesome emotion with makes the whole image more appealing.

The most noticeable rule in this photograph is framing because the tree is framing the lion. But there is also simplicity because the only objects in this photo are the lion and the tree.

Nick Brandt uses a Pentax 67II with two fixed lenses, this is an important part of his photography because he does not use a telephoto lens, meaning he himself has to get close to the animals to get the images he desires.

His reasons for taking these photos are to remember the animals of Africa before they are destroyed by the harsh forces of mankind.

Brandt's hope by taking these photographs is to spread awareness about the animals and their habitat and that we have to protect the creatures, because they are too beautiful and breath taking to lose.

"My images are unashamedly idyllic and romantic, a kind of enchanted Africa. They're my elegy to a world that is steadily, tragically vanishing."

Funny Captions

Sally Hansen is an 87 year old woman that does not enjoy the presence of people. She started her own clothing company last year that produces attire with the caption "I hate everyone", her business has been very successful! 

Robert Johnson visits Las Vegas for his spring vacation every year and enjoys the company of exotic dancers. He donated $1000 last year to the "Exotic Dancers of the USA" campaign last year. 

Lana Miller swings on the children's swing everyday in the afternoon. She started doing this after her doctor informed her she needed to receive more exercise.  

Great Black and White Photographers Part III

1.) What first caught your eye while looking at your photographers photos? Is there something in particular about their photos that made you want to choose them? Post the images with your writing.

There are several the images stood out to me more than any of the others. The photographer with the man and the woman stood out among the photographs because there are two people in the photograph rather than it just focusing on one subject. What also makes this photograph great is the contrast, which is very important is black and white photography. It is darker along the edges and then slightly gets lighter towards the middle, where the subjects are. This leads toward the subject and makes it more noticeable. Then in the second photograph, of the man sitting at the desk, what made that photograph different than the others is he is sitting down and has other objects surrounding him, unlike all the typical portrait photos. There's a lot of character in that photo which ties in with emotion making the photograph more appealing and pleasing to look at and explore. Even with all the objects around him, the image maintains a good balance, the shelf balancing with the man. As in the other photo, it has a good contrast and makes things stand out. The man's face stands out against the background and then the lamp is lighter than the background, standing out and the contrast is balanced on both sides. 


I see two people standing, still but full of emotion on their face. The man is taller than the woman, but not by a lot. The woman is beautiful and still youthful, the man has an important presence and is serious. They are both dressed nice and come from nice backgrounds. They are standing against a plain background with lights shining down on both of them. 

I smell a clean dusty smell, the kind you smell after someone got done painting and the smell is still lingering in the air. It's crisp and pleasant and not too overwhelming. The smell has a cold feel to it, and when you inhale you feel refreshed and renewed. 

I hear laughter and a deep comforting voice. The laughter coming from the woman and the voice coming from the man. There's distinct talking between the sounds of the clicking of the camera, and then a long silence. I hear feet shuffling as the people are trying to find their stance. 

I taste the ripe taste of the wine the people have brought over. It feels dry as I continue to shoot the people. I take a bit of a small creamy cube of cheese and it melts like cotton candy. The flavor kicks in but it's still pleasant and a little tangy. 

I feel happy and warm inside. The couple has a positive vibe which radiates all around them and infects everyone around. The woman makes you feel cared for and the man makes you feel important. When you mix them both in a closed room their personalities balance each other out, making you feel as though you are a young child, innocent and worthy. 

I see an elderly man who is focused on his work, but he is the only presence in his office. Years of work and study surround him all within three feet. He takes his doing very seriously and wants his importance to be captured. 

I smell shaved wood and a hint of a rustic fire burning. It smells as though you have gone camping, but walls and a ceiling around your camping ground, blocking out the fresh air and cool breeze There is also a sweet generic smell in the air from a candle burning. 

I hear silence and the thick sound of the ticking of the clock. I hear a loud continuing sound of a pen gliding against paper, and the shuffling of contracts are the man looks from something on his desk. I hear footsteps as the man walks over to the lamp and a "click" when he turns it on. 

I taste black coffee which is slightly sweetened. It's hot against my tongue and burns as it goes down my throat. The taste is pure but bitter, with a smokey aftertaste. 

I feel relaxed and not rushed. It seems as the world has stopped when you're in that room because the surroundings are so serene and quiet. It feels as though you can stay in that room for days, exploring the books that lay on the bookshelf and let your imagination wander sitting at the desk and putting down your imagination on a piece of paper. 

What I would create to display the works of Yosuf Karsh would be a website including his best photographs and then the story behind the photograph. Meaning I would research the person he photographed and write a little biography on them. I would also analyze the photo and explain what elements make the photograph like no other. 

Mural Project

1. What theme that we could take here at school could we do a series of these panels to place around the school?

A theme that we could create here at school is taking pictures of fine arts classes such as band, orchestra, dance, art and choir. I think this would be better than just the average classroom photos because you will be able to see a larger story behind the photograph and also embodying more emotion. 

2. Should we use phones only, or should we open it up to our regular cameras for those people that don't have camera phones?

I think we should be able to use regular cameras because you can control how the photograph comes out a lot better on a regular camera rather than a phone camera. 

3. Where would you want to put the mural on campus?

I would want to put the mural on the walls outside of the library because that is the academic building and it will be interesting to bring in the world of fine arts into an academic setting. 

Academic Shoot Reflection and Critique

1. What challenges did you encounter while trying to get the photos following the rules I set out for you? 

The challenges that I encountered was finding a good subject point and then being able to position it in a way which it stands out. This was difficult for me because we were shooting classrooms, where there are a lot of people, and you had to incorporate all those people but still be able to make out an obvious subject point. 

2. What technical aspects of photography or the assignment in general (focus, framing, holding the camera, etc.) did you find yourself thinking about the most? Provide a specific example of what you did to do this correctly.

I thought about focus a lot because to me the most pleasing photographs are when your subuject is in great focus and then the background is a little blurred out. To get a good focus I would hold the button for a while and then shoot. I also sometimes focused the camera manually. 

3. If you could do the assignment again, what would you do differently now that you know some basic rules of photography?

There are a lot of things that I would do differently. First I would try to shoot from a whole lot of different angles. A lot of the time I just shot from the angle I was standing at. I would also hold the camera in vertically more and try to get more people in a photograph so it tells a better story but still find a good focus point. 

4. What things would you do the same?

What I would do the same is still foucs the camera properly and shoot the saem subject from different view points. 

5. When you go out with your next set of prompts, which rule do you think will be the easiest to achieve?

I think the rule of thirds is the easiest to achieve because you just have to postion yourself differently when taking the photo. 

6. Which rule do you think will be the hardest to capture?

I think the hardest rule to capture is either simplicity or framing. Simplicity is hard for me because you want the photograph to have meaning but you have to do it with not much action happening. And then framing is hard because you really have to inspect your surroundings and find a way to frame your subject. 

7. What rule are you still not totally clear on and what can you do to figure out what that rule is?


I am clear about all the rules. 



The blog I critiqued:

Katrina's Blog

I really liked her photos because all of them are telling a story and have emotion. My favorite is the black and white photograph because I like how all the boys are leading to the subject point and not distracting from it. On the last photograph I think if she were to crop out the clock on the right side it would be better because it's a little distracting.

Academic Post Shoot Reflection

1. What composition rule did you follow the rule?

I followed the rules of thirds because if you draw the two lines going down and then two across you'll see that they meet at the subject. I also think there are some lines happening (even though they aren't obvious) but the way the people are sitting creates a soft line (also leading to my subject). 

2. What is the subject (be very very specific)?

My subject is the girl with brown hair on the left side of the photograph. If we are being very, very specific then the subject are her hands, because that is where the "action" is happening. 

3. Is it clear to people looking at your photos what the subject is?

Yes it is clear who the subject is because she is the most in focus and at an intresting angle. 

4. If you can't very clearly see what the subject is, what could you have done differently?

You can see the subject clearly. 

1. What composition rule did you follow the rule?

The compisition rule I followed in this photograph is balance because the two boys in the front of the photograph are balancing each other out, and then the boy in the back is balanced with the people in the background. 

2. What is the subject (be very very specific)?

The subject of the photograph is the boy in the front kneeling over the boy laying on the ground. 

3. Is it clear to people looking at your photos what the subject is?

I don't think it is completly clear who the subject is in this photo, and different people may see it different ways.

4. If you can't very clearly see what the subject is, what could you have done differently? 

To make the subject more clear I could've blurred the background and really focused on the two boys in the front. I also could've shot at a differnt angle or positioned him in a more noticable way.

1. What composition rule did you follow the rule?

The compiition rule that I followed was lines because if you look towards the bottom of the picture there is a line and then the people standing are forming a line. 

2. What is the subject (be very very specific)?

The subject is the teacher (the man in the black). 

3. Is it clear to people looking at your photos what the subject is?

I think it is clear who my subject is because he is separated from the rest of the crowd, but I could've done a better of job of making it even more obvious. 

4. If you can't very clearly see what the subject is, what could you have done differently? 

I could have positioned him better (I think using the rule of thirds could really improve this). Maybe even incorporate simplicity not having shot so many people in one photograph so he could stand out more. 

Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO

F2.8 Aperture 

F16 Aperture 

   

 1. What part of the body should we closely relate aperture?

The human eye, and specifically the iris, because it controls the amount of light let into the eye. 

2. Finish this sentence - the smaller the Aperture the more light let in, the higher the Aperture the less light let in.

3. In your own words tell me how aperture impacts Depth of Field?

Aperture impacts depth of field because the lower the aperture, the more depth of field you are going to get because it blurs out the background only focusing on you subject point. But if your aperture is high, both the background and the subject point will be focused. 

Low Shutter Speed 

High Shutter Speed

 

At the beginning while the sun was still up and the courtyard had reasonable good light
a.) a booth in the middle of the yard near the Tree
Low Shutter Speed 
b.) a food booth outside under one of the big red awnings
Low Shutter Speed
c.) the Stars performance inside the gym
High Shutter Speed 
d.) students dancing near the center of the courtyard
High Shutter Speed
e.) people streaming in from the front doors
High Shutter Speed
f.) the basketball booth where students are shooting basketballs at a hoop
High Shutter Speed 

Towards the end when there is no sun and has gotten dark enough that you can't see from one end of the courtyard to the other.

a.) a booth in the middle of the yard near the Tree

High Shutter Speed 

b.) a food booth outside under one of the big red awnings

High Shutter Speed 

c.) the Stars performance inside the gym

High Shutter Speed 

d.) students dancing near the center of the courtyard

High Shutter Speed

e.) people streaming in from the front doors

High Shutter Speed 

f.) the basketball booth where students are shooting basketballs at a hoop

High Shutter Speed 

Three settings regarding the shutter speed 

"Aperture Priority" - you are setting the aperture yourself, while the camera is setting the shutter speed for you 

"Shutter Priority" - you are setting the shutter speed, while the camera is setting the aperture for you

"Manual" - you are setting both the aperture and the shutter speed on your own

ISO 3200

ISO 200 

     

1. What are the advantages of shoot at a higher ISO at a sporting event like basketball or a night football game? 

The advantages are that when you use a high ISO you can get fast movement shots and still have them to be clear. When you are shooting at night a high ISO is important because it still captures a clear image in a low light setting. 

2. What suggestions did the author make about using a low ISO?

You should use low ISO when there is already a lot of light present, so you can get a clear photograph. 

3. What suggestions did the author make about using a high ISO?

You should increase your ISO when there is not enough light for the camera to be able to take the photo quickly. 

DSLR Camera 

Aperture Settings: 

2.4, 4, 5.6, 8 , 11, 16 , 22

Shutter Speed: 

1 second, 1/60 second, 1/4000 second 

ISO: 

100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800, 25600