Yousef Karsh: William Lyon Mackenzie Kay 1940

I really enjoyed going to the WAG to see the exibits there. I especially liked the Karsh one a little more. It's nice to stop once in awhile and admire someone else's work other than always focusing on your own all the time. The images were very hard to choose from, I had made a list and had to go back around a few times to narrow down the one that really stuck out to me. This is the image that I chose.

The lighting in this image is amazing, it really draws you throughout the image. The light highlights the subjects very well. For me it's on all the right places. The photo is not too high contrast, but it works for this image well. The rule of thirds as far as the placement of the man and his dog are strong. They are also placed on a diagonal line throughout the image. That makes it interesting. It's hard to tell if Karsh dodged or burned this image. If he did I would have to guess that it might have been in the highlights on the ground and maybe on the couch he's sitting on. I think the way the lighting is throughout the image, that if he hadn't burned in the couch a little that the image would be a little darker. I've realized now how important lighting is in your images you take. It can make or break an image, or it can be the subject all on it's own. I definately pay more attention now when using any kind of light source whether it be natural or artificial lighting. Anyways this image really jumped out at me after awhile and I truely appreciate Karsh's work.

Color Block

For this assignment we had to chose colors to photograph. I chose Violet, Magenta, Orange and Green. For my similarity colors I chose colored paints that go from green to red, and for my complimentary colors I chose red and green. When I look at the color violet I feel very relaxed or at ease. For me it's a color of calmness and peace (it's also my favorite color.) Magenta is a brighter color and to me it has excitement and energy, and not to overpowering to look at. Orange gives off that warm feeling, like you want to be next to a toasty fire all wrapped up. Green is vibrant, well the green I chose. To me it is also relaxing and energetic. This was a very interesting assignment as well as a bit of a challenge. I mean you see colors around you all day everyday, but to stop and think how that color affects you and your mood is truely different. Like in class when we talked about red being either strong, warm or energetic, people could look at red and see love or romance while others may see danger or panic of some sort. I will be paying attention more to the colors around me everyday trying to determine on how that color makes me feel overall. Like I said...interesting assignment :)

CI Field Trip 1

So today after our test in Creative Imaging we were all going to the zoo. Minus the cold weather and rain, it was nice to get out for a few hours. I have not been to the zoo in years so it was nice to go. I had tried out alot of different shots that we were to be looking for, and some of them turned out, but some didn't. That's ok though. Overall it was just nice to get away for a few hours. Here is one of my favorites from the day :)

6.2 Photographic Hero Jeremy Turner

I chose to do this assignment on a photographer named Jeremy Turner. He is known for landscape, wilderness and abstact photography. What inspired Jeremy to get into photography was when he started to pursue outdoor activities such as hiking, kayaking and long distance cycling. He had done tons of research on other landscape photographers while traveling through New Zealand. He is comfortable with color or black and white images. He does not limit himself. Here is one of his quotes: "I'm not a traditionalist, and I don't limit myself to one style or approach. But I do have traditional values when it comes to landscape images, as they must inspire a love for the outdoors and nature." Jeremy would like to one day self-publish a book of his own work, and hopes to do so in the next few years.

The picture on the top left is called New Fern Fronds, near Lake Mackenzie, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand.

This picture has some great compositions in it. Texture is the first and most obvious. The ferns look sharp, and the way they curl into one another looks interesting. I like how Turner used a very shallow depth of field in this picture. You can see that there are more ferns in the background, but the main focus is dead on and centered. The rule of thirds doesn't really apply to this photograph, but I think that having it centered right in the middle really works for this particular image. The lighting is nicely worked on parts of the ferns as you can see some highlighted areas on it.

The picture on the top right is called Lone Tree, Big Sandhills, Moreton Island National Park, Austrailia.

In this photograph the framing and subject placement is what really makes this photo. You have the clouds all around the top filling the frame. The lighting is strong. You can see parts of the clouds lit up by the sun as well as the strong shaddows of the tree. To me this picture looks like the tree has been struck by a force of wind for a period of time and thats why it looks curved or somewhat leaning. I like that the photographer really gives a sense of depth and layers in this image.

The picture on the bottom is called Fence, North Island, New Zealand.

Turner did a wonderful job on the placement of this fence. It has the leading lines that take you from the right side of the photo all the way to the left side, then back again. Depth of field is high which is great for this particular image because your eyes follow all the way to the end of the fence. To me it looks like it goes on for infinity. And if I saw what was at the end of the fence and what was beyond it, then I wouldn't be sitting here thinking of all the possibilities of what could be over there. I really enjoy how this image is so simple and how it's framed so well.


To end off this assignment I am going to add Jeremy's advice for those entering the field of photography:

*Get out there and shoot images, lots of images
*Find your own style
*Look and learn from other photographers
*Don't be afraid to make mistakes, it's the best way to learn
*Experiment
*Photograph what you like, not what you think other people will like
*Don't ever assume that it's not worth getting out of bed, even though it's raining and cold outside. Sometimes the worst weather can yield some of the most beautiful and emotive images.
-Jeremy Turner

Hope you enjoyed this :)
Kristen

Beauty Like This In October?

So I was out on Monday afternoon and decided to go to Assinaboine Park to do an assignment for Gabrielle's class, taking pics of your favorite genre or theme of photography. Of course there are flowers all around there (indoors...and yes outdoors) Could you believe that this beautiful flower was still full of life out in this cold weather we've recently had? I couldn't...I thought forsure that all of my shots were going to be taken inside, but the majority of them were taken outside. I thought I would post this picture right away because soon there will be snow...:( plus this picture lets myself and everyone else hold onto summer just a little bit longer...hope you like it :)

Lines
Pattern
Symetrical Balance
Shape
Texture
Depth

I had alot of fun with this assignment. At first I thought it was going to be difficult but once I started to look around my place everything kind of just came together. I started noticing things that had all of the elements that were required to photograph. If I found myself in a rut, I just sat back and focused and soon enough things were coming together. I really enjoyed this project and I hope the other students had a good time doing it as well. I had taken a picture of what my idea of texture would be, and it was my "need to be defrosted freezer" The picture turned out pretty good, but it didn't make my finals...plus i'd be too imbarassed for you all to see how much ice is actually around my freezer *lol* Again I had a great time with this one, lots of neat things in one's own house :)

Working the subject....100 creative ways

Well to start off...i'm not going to lie...I was not a huge fan of this project. It took me quite awhile to get my shots and some or most of them did not turn out the way I thought they would. Part of the reason I wasn't a fan was because the subjects I chose did not work the way I wanted them too. I also should have picked a better location to do the assignment in, not in my living room, where the light was not co-operating with me at all. All I have to say is I hope we do not have to post these pics cause I think mine are terrible. I hope the other students had better luck.

Kristen

Lines Are Everywhere

Well I had alot of fun doing this assignment. There are lines all around us and some of them you don't even see untill you actually look. I went out walking to different places and also found objects in my house that have lots of lines in them. This was a very easy assignment to do, but now everywhere I look from now on i'm sure i'll see lots of lines all the time.

Purple Flowers

This is a picture of some beautiful flowers that I took downtown. My favorite genre of photography would have to be Nature, Landscapes and Action shots. I hope to learn how to capture better people pictures and landscape photos. I've been into photography since I was about 12 and have always loved photographing everything around me. I have just recently realized that this love for photography had to become more than just a hobby. That is why i'm here now :) I hope to learn everything that I possibly can over the year at Prairie View. It's all very exciting to me to be around a group of people who share the same love and compassion for photography. My favorite memory with taking photos would have to be whenever i'm out at my mom's place in the country. It's very quiet and peaceful and my mind just goes blank and let's me focus on what i'm doing. The first two weeks of school has already taught me so much more than I knew...think of what 10 more months will do :) Bring it on!