Famous Portraits

Leo Dicaprio

Annie Leibovitz

1997

Dovima with Elephants

Richard Avedon

1955

Yitzhak Rabin Israel

Arnold Newman

1967

      I absolutely love the techniques used in the portraits of these talented photographers. Annie Leibovitz's portrait of Leonardo Dicaprio is outstanding. First and foremost, her use of the rule of thirds is extremely effective. Placing Dicaprio off-center adds a lot of interest to the portrait. His piercing and intense stare is emphasized by this arrangement. The contrast between light and dark is also huge in this photograph. The white swan contrasts the blackness on the left side of the photograph. Perhaps Leibovitz is trying to convey a message, for it is extremely clear that the two halves of the photo contrast significantly in terms of lightness and darkness. I love the idea of conveying a deep message through photography; it is beautiful. Richard Avedon's portrait of the lady weaved into the elephants is gorgeous. I primarily love the way he captured the woman between the elephants; it looks as if she is interwoven between them. It is almost as if she is one with the elephants in a symbolic manner. Avedon similarly uses a contrast between light and dark in the image which adds to the effect of the portrait. It is extremely creative. The image is very expressive, and it illustrates deep emotion. I particularly love Arnold Newman's portrait, because the background conveys messages that completely surpass the photograph. By taking the portrait in this setting, Avedon ensures that the viewer is able to infer different things about the subject. The photograph tells stories; it is powerful. I also love how Avedon took the portrait from a different perspective. This adds interest to the photograph. On the whole, the stylistic aspects of these photographers' portraits are incredible. Each portrait is not merely a portrait, but it is a story. They all convey messages and powerful emotions. 

History of Photography

I gathered a huge amount of interesting and beneficial information from completing and presenting this poster. First and foremost, I learned how dense and intricate the history of photography really is. There have been so many people and innovations that have contributed to modern photography. There has not been one single person or invention that has defined photography. It truly is the culmination of amazing people and outstanding creations. Furthermore, I learned about the importance of pushing the boundaries in order to achieve amazing things in photography. As I listened to the presentations, I picked up on a recurring theme of escaping the confines of conventional society to produce new and inspirational photography. Whether it is Robert Mapplethorpe and his controversial nude photos, or Jerry Uelsmann and his groundbreaking manipulation of photos in the darkroom, or Annie Leibovitz and her seductive magazine portraits, or, frankly, anyone in between, these groundbreaking photographers have paved the way for modern photography by tirelessly pushing the limits. Finally, I learned how far photography has come since the 1800’s. It is incredible to visibly see how these people and innovations that have popped up over the past few centuries have collaborated to work towards modern photography. The progression of photography towards what it is today is truly inspiring.

Shadow

"Life in Technicolor"

Life in colors:

Brilliant

          bright

                    bold.

The wars

          the hatred

                    the sadness

                              the remorse

                                        the crime:

All-Excluding.

                                         The peace

                             the love

                   the happiness

         the laughter

the freedom:

All- Encompassing.

One bowl: life

in Technicolor. 

"Candlelight"

Oh candle,

so bright,

please illuminate my night.

Night has come, 

and Day has gone,

so please hold your flame until dawn.

Carpe Diem

"Seize The Day"

            I learned a multitude of things as a result of doing this project. I primarily learned key information necessary to success when using Photoshop in one's photographs. I learned how to transform and adjust the photos in a way that makes them more effective and interesting for a photographer's purpose. I also learned how to look at everyday objects with a creative lens. Venturing around the school on a search for the shapes of various letters hidden in everyday objects inspired my imagination and demonstrated to me that creativity is a huge component of photography. Finally, this project undoubtedly illustrated to me the wide variety of projects one can do with photos. Photography is a sea of possibilities. Creating phrases with photos is definitely a unique project, and it is unlike anything I had expected to do in photography class; however, it was entirely a plausible project. On the whole, these and the other more minor things that I learned through this project will be very beneficial to me moving forward with my photography. They have showed me how to have an open mind and how to take things as they come. They have showed me how to be innovative and how to be creative. This project was a great experience to enhance my photo experience.

Unusual Perspectives

"Happy Place Found"

             The slopes, his playground, 

                                  the winter, his wonderland. 

           Laughing on the ground,

                                                 endless smiles within this young man.

Love of liberty, 




                           passion for freedom. 

         Skiing with creativity,

                                           so fast that no one can see him.

 The season, short,

                            each day, precious.

                                          Moments like these filled with great import, 

                                                        the memories leaving him breathless. 

Composition

"Peak-A-Boo"

In this first image, I photographed Ethan Nightingale. I used two compositional strategies for this photograph: Background Simplified and Rule of Thirds. Background Simplified was a very effective compositional strategy to use for this image, because the background is less sharp than Ethan's face, carving out a significant amount of focus to be paid to his single eye. Everything that surrounds Ethan's face is reduced in depth and sharpness, thus making obvious the focal point of the photograph. The second compositional strategy I used, Rule of Thirds, was similarly a very advantageous strategy for my photograph. The center of interest, Ethan's eye, is located at an intersection point when the frame is divided into three parts horizontally and vertically. This adds more interest and excitement to the photograph as a whole. 

"On a Snow Day"

In this second image, I photographed my dog, Yogi, on a snow day. My dog, refusing to go beyond the door into the snow, simply sat on the porch and stared right at me, as if to tell me indirectly that he was not to go any further. I captured this whole moment, using most notably the Rule of Thirds and Background Included. Yogi's eyes staring right back at me are at an intersection point when the frame is divided into three parts horizontally and vertically, adding to the interest and therefore comical aspects of the photograph. I also used Background Included, for everything surrounding Yogi is included in the photograph, even the depth beyond the windows in the door. Finally, I also used Different Points of View by getting down to the level of Yogi.

Shapes, Geometric and Organic

"Song in the Snow"

"Natural Beauty"

I found the guitar and jagged piece of wood in a closet in Mrs. Noack's classroom and immediately envisioned them as perfect subjects for this assignment. The guitar's shape is fantastic, for it's body provides a sense of fluidity, while the neck and strings add a linear effect. The wood's shape is fascinating due to its organic features; the jagged edges are are all unique and interesting. Furthermore, I took both of these objects outside and placed them in the snow. I did this for two reasons: I primarily chose the environment outside because of the natural lighting. I personally do not like to use flash; therefore, I found that outside I was getting the best results in terms of the image quality without the flash being necessary. Secondly, I chose to take the photographs outside, because I thought that the snow would be a good background to enhance the unique and beautiful shapes that both the guitar and wood possess.