week 5 macro photos 

Week 6, Window light portrait.

 Here is a copy of what's in the syllabus for this week.

Week 6 

The Digital Portrait 

I call this assignment "How to Fry an Egg".... Everyone thinks they know how to do it but when you come right down to it, there is a lot of technique involved and there is plenty of opportunity to mess it up. Watch Jacques Pepin show you how to do this properly.

Watch Video Introduction to the assignment.

Google Image Search for "window light portrait"

25 Inspirational Natural Light Portraits Take a look at these...Which is your favorite? Why? Where did the photographer position themselves relative to the light?

"Renaissance" inspired portraits by Ruslan Rakhmatov from Moscow do check these out... his composition, light and expression is what I would like you to aspire to. Seriously. How does he hold the camera? Where is the light coming from? These are formal and careful images... don't be afraid to slow down!

Browse these images: Where is the light coming from? Where is the photographer standing relative to the light source? Are most of the shots vertical? Where is the head placed in the frame? (hint: never centered)

Maks Danlin from Mod 2, 2014 posted these links to excellent portraits

Here's what I'd like you to do... Find someone you know, love and trust. This can be a child, spouse, best friend, parent... you get the idea. Take them by window light. Watch the light on the face, wait for an open, truthful expression and create a simple but beautiful portrait. (No flash!). Use a piece of white cardboard, a sheet or other white object to reflect light back into the shadow side of the face. Take your time... there's no rush. If your model puts up a fuss, find someone else. Can you do it? This also works without a reflector, the shadow side of the face is just darker.

Use the Photoshop tools to adjust light, contrast, grayscale (if you'd like). Hold the camera vertically, use the telephoto (zoom in) setting on your camera, steady your hand or use a tripod. Don't make your subject smile, just relaxed and truthful. No candids either....Crop the photo like this....

Submit 6-10 of your best, edited in Photoshop images to the blog. Post a minimum of 50 in Google Drive.

Another worthy window light portrait with no reflector. Notice what happens on the shadow side of the face with no white reflector. Notice also that the window itself is not included in the shot. 

Wonderful video on photographing your pet from DPreview

Listen to this wonderful NPR story on Alfred Sieglitz and Georgia O'Keefe

Tips... No direct sunlight, simple background, quiet expression... take your time. Fill the frame. These portraits, if done well will be far better than most commercial work from low end Sears Portrait Studio images up to high end commercial photographers... Most commercial work is over produced and artificial. For your work to be good in this assignment, I am looking for a simple, true, honest and direct portrait... it doesn't get better than that.

William Dreier's New Favorite Macro Photos

 

Macro / week 5

These were the best "macro" shots I got with my phone, while keeping the my image sharp

 

Jessie Schreck: Week 4 - Shadow and Light

I attempted to include interior and exterior environments when showcasing the contrast that exists between shadow and light. The below photos include an early morning close up that shows a single light bulb casting shadows on a group of vegetables, a spider's web, and a neighborhood silhouette. I find that I tend to gravitate toward subjects that are "hidden in plain sight", such as a typical dandelion in the lawn.  

Week 4

 

Here are a few images for my term project this week. 

Matcha in Paris

If you look closely you can see my reflection in the window. 

Known But to God 

Normandy American Cemetery at Omaha Beach

Mont Saint-Michel

Raspberry Roof

Week 5- Macro

 

Week 4 shadow and light

 

Shadow and Light

 

Week 4

I feel that I struggled a bit with this week's assignment.  I enjoy taking pictures of objects and scenes, yet shadows seem like a negative space.  Searching for what's not there, or what is behind something, was difficult.  The photos I captured are simple, but overall I enjoyed the challenge.

The above picture is the shadow of some monkey bars at Eisenhower Park in Milford.  Brightness was lowered, contrast was increased, and the color was completely desaturated.  When I look at this photo, it's easy to forget that it is a shadow and instead reminds my of interlocked fingers.

The photo above was also from Eisenhower Park in Milford.  I attempted to lighten the foreground to create a focal point, which then pulls focus to the background of the repeating shadow.  I seem to enjoy a bit of over-saturation of colors, even if it's not accurate.

Above is a photo of the door that leads to the first floor of our raised ranch.  Lassoing the middle and darkening the inverted area helps bring attention to door as a focal point.  Darkening the image overall led to an ominous look.  This area of the house is always brightly lit with natural lighting from the glass panels next to the front door, so it was interesting to edit it in this manner.  My 7 year old said he loved it because it was "so creepy, mama."
 

Macro

 

For this assignment I visited a pollinator garden to capture these images. 

The Cost of Growth: I wanted to lean into how otherworldly this plant looks.

Imperfect Perfection: The dynamic motion of the flower's center and petals is powerful.

Contradictions: The contrasts of color and texture in this image are particularly interesting to me. 

Crossroads: I love the repetition in this image. 

Symbiosis: Capturing a still bee was such a challenge. 

Retrograde

Shadows and Light

 

Slivers of Self: When you open yourself to others, they can only ever see a portion.

Bridging Realities: The tree reaches towards its own shadow like a child might to understand.

Revelation: The sun reveals the pattern of the burgundy Ficus leaf that would otherwise be hidden.

Ripples and Lines: The ripples on the water's surface play against a reflected houseline, confusing realities as they interact.

Divide: The stark contrast between the dark foreground and bright background emphasizes the shapes and dynamic lines of the image in a way that I think generates tension for the viewer, narrating the piece.

Stoicism: The heavy shadows over the still pond were perfect for capturing reflections, contrasting the dappled sunlight on the ground. 

Oasis: I really struggled with the harsh sunlight in this image. The delicate shadows on the statue make it come to life as the divine, protector of the oasis.

Waiting: The sunlight playing on this spider's web reveals it's trap while the weaver waits along the underside of the foliage.

A Moment: The narrative quality of light is especially highlighted through this image.

Warped Perspectives: The bending quality of both light and wood play against each other in this piece.