senior exx FOUR

  #1 & #2) So this picture made me reflect on what my theme really was, and I suppose it is a mixture of landscape and nature. In all of my photos, I will always try to incorporate an element of nature. The images may be of all nature or they may be of something else like in this photo with the walls and tunnel. I tried to get different angles, aiming the camera from a slight upper angel down for the first image of the sequence, aiming it up to the sky, partially capturing the wall in the second image, and getting low, right in the water for the picture of the reflection of a glass bottle. This is a place I come to often, going on adventures with my friends and picking up trash to make the environment around this area more respectable. I hope this image will make people think of how they treat the environment, and to appreciate it a little more. It was a warm and bright day when these images were taken though I edited them to look a little more grunge, to give the photos some edge.
  This image contributes to my theme by incorporating landscape and nature as well as strong color. It showcases our ever changing world with walls covered in years of vandalism and and yet utilizes the element of water by leading into the tunnel, and keeping the glass bottle afloat. It just incorporates everyhting I'm looking for. My idea did changed when editing this image as before, my theme was just that of nature but I have now reformed it into nature as well as landscape and structure. I may be able to create another sequence of photos from this location, but if not, I think I will continue shooting in other locations such as Balboa Park in the gardens or of the buildings.

redo of senior exx TWO

  #1) The bottom image was my first try at this individual photo. As I edited and posted it, I found the picture to be slightly dull as the bottom section of the photo, the winding sea weed, lacked color that I normally include in my work. After sorting through images I had shot, I found a picture of vibrant sea grass, poking out of the water and found it to be bit more of what I needed to make this image interesting and involve the complimentary color scheme I usually involve. So the top image is my final photo, as it involves shape, such as the circular rock, peaking muscles, and lines and edges and swirves of the sea weed intertwined with the water. The lightening is fairly bright and exudes a warm tone. Photoshop was partially responsible for this, though when these photos were taken, the sun was low, making the light perfect to capture on the subjects of my images. 
  #2) This image involves the elements of nature and shape of the beach's rocky landscape. This contributes to my theme immensly as it involves all that I want it to. the rock was so interesting to me as it was copletely round, as the waves of the ocean had shaped it over time. It was really gorgeous but the two third/one third cncept of all my photos leaves a viewer wanting more (I hope). My ideas really didn't change, though this image did make me reflect on how I want my images to look. I'm glad I re-edited the image as I feel it is more defining now. From now on, I will pay special attention to color, and focus on that as although I loved the shape of the first image I used of the sea weed, color is more profound than shape, in some cases. And this was one of them.

senior exx THREE

  #1) This, I believe is my most vibrant photo. These colors are far from each other on the color wheel, but are very complimentary of each other. For the composition, I attempted to balance out the weight of the orange starfish, with the Lump of the hill near the man walking to give it an equal look with a stable struture of barnacles as the bottom image, like the support system. The lighting is bright, making the top of the photo seem endless as there really is no defining top. The angle of the camera ranges from distant shots, from a low perspective to one that is focused in, capturing detail and color and texture. 
  #2) This image devloped my perception of color in my work. I realized I simply cannot just have a few pictures that are vibrant and full of texture. I must make all of my photos like this, to stay consistent and this is what I will base that off of. My work must seem like it fits together, even if its from a different location, the sequenced design of the photogrpahy cannot hold my work as a whole all together. It has to be because of the colors and textures of my photos.

senior exx ONE

  #1) My first composed image, photographed during a low tide at Wind 'N Sea Beach in the La Jolla area, merges texture, complimentary colors, shapes and lines all together. The grainy rock against the subtle water and defined sea weed all contrast each other but still have a unique and aesthetic look. The composition of the image is intentional of course, with a two thirds/one thirds concept in mind when editing. The lighting is warm and is dark or light in certain areas. There are shadows and reflections and gleams of light making this photo very versatile.
  #2) This image was what I based my theme off of. It was the first image where I sliced photos and edited them together, to create the sequence concept I had been leaning towards. My idea changed after I started shooting at other locations, but at the time of editing this, I was sure my theme would be the elements and giving others the opportunity to see what one would not normally see by putting different pictures together. Now I feel my theme is a combination of the elements of nature as well as landscape along with the element of society's modern day structure. My theme is fairly strong, and all I  need to keep doing is figure out photoshop and shoot in more locations.


 (WHAT I ORIGINALLY WROTE: Here is an image, still in the process of editing of course, but my concept is for every three pictures, they will be one. This is the central idea of this is I would like the images to be in a sequence, such as this, and connect with each other in some way. These pictures were all taken in the same location and all incorporate the elements of the beach. The kelp that falls when the tied goes down, the reflection of today's society in the sitting water, and the rocks that have been reduced to sand and/or shaped and imprinted by the crashing waves. I'm still working on it, I need to find ways for my other images to connect, without Ms. Miles' help. She practically did everything, and I use her as a crutch too much. But I'm learning! And I'm trying!
  My idea is like, to photograph things I love, or places where I have fond memories. This beach is where I spent a good portion of my childhood and I love it so much. I try to showcase all of the wonderful qualities of this place, showing the elements and details of location. My ideas have changed throughout the process of this. I'm still working on what I want my theme to me and how I will convey it. I have a good abundance of photos I can use, so my direction can only get better. I hope.)

retry (senior ex theme #1)

 

I thought converting these images to black and white might help with the photos, but they really are just hopeless.

Photographer Biography and Research Paper

  When searching for photographers to research and write a biography on, I found three very talented men who inspired me from the moment I saw their photographs. I couldn't possibly choose just one to research on as each of them had qualities in their work that motivate me.
  The first photographer I researched was Michael Kenna, born in Widnes, England in 1953. He received an education at the Banbury school of Arts and later studied at the London College of Printing. In 1977 he moved to San Francisco, California where he still resides today. Throughout his career, he traveled all over the country taking photographs of interesting and unusual landscapes with ethereal light by capturing images at dawn or night with astonishing exposures of up to ten hours. Kenna's work has been shown in numerous galleries and exhibitions throughout Asia, Australia, Europe and the United States. Some of his work has even been premiered in films. In 2000, the Ministry of Culture in France also declared Kenna a chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters. Kenna's work inspires me as he takes such enticing photos of landscapes. I want my photos to be out of the norm, and compelling as his are. I also appreciate how his photos are in film, though I won't be doing that, but I can still edit my images to be black and white to have the same style and appearance.
  Another photographer’s work that I enjoyed was that of David Hilliard. Born in Lowell, Massachusetts during 1964, Hilliard later received his BFA from Massachusetts College of Art, and his MFA from Yale University. Hilliard mainly works with panoramic photographs. Something very interesting and sincere about his photos is his unique skill of involving his life and those around him in his photography as he records events of his life or others involved in the work. Hilliard mainly focuses on ordinary, every day life though there is a fictional aspect of his images as his many of his photo scenes are staged. His photography is so vibrant and elaborate; also he separates his photographs into three, giving the viewer something to focus on in each image. This is something I would like to do with my photographs, take sequences or one image and divide it up to make it more interesting for the viewer to see.
  I also absolutely love the work of Andrew Moore. He takes the most enticing, entrancing, beautiful pictures I've seen in a long while. I have searched long and hard for information on this artist but it is nearly impossible to get any background information to write a biography on. His images are so interesting. Be it the location, or and object in his image, something about them is so captivating. The colors, the composition, the style, the surroundings, the subjects, the story Moore allows you to create for yourself is all just so wonderful. His work I appreciate the most, and will always keep his variables of photography in mind.
 Each of these photographers has amazing qualities in their work and the way they do it. I am so inspired, and hope I can combine these major artist's styles to make my own. I will keep each of their stylistic virtues in the back of my head, always reminding me to find meaning in each image I take. This assignment has helped me to get more in depth with what I want in my senior exhibition, and I now feel motivated to go out and find interesting locations and themes.