Still lIfe

Activism

For the Activisim assignment, I wanted to take a more unique approach. I knew that most people were doing AIDS, so I decided to follow that same route, but with a different perspective. I feel like as a society, we are extremely judgemental when we hear that someone has AIDS, and we tend to draw unreasonable conclusions about them, and their lifestyles. In a sense, we take caution- and indirectly avoid them, or withdraw from relationships with them. This is an important issue, and because of that, I wanted to capture that sense of hesitation that accompanies most individuals when it comes to talking about AIDS. People become uncomfortable, and suddenly don't want to address the issues. AIDS is one of the most prevalent diseases in our country to date. Instead of photographing a sad child with AIDS, or a individual suffering with the disease, I wanted to portray the way society views it. Society almost outcasts the issue completely, and tries to pretend that it doesn't exist. But it does, and as a community, we need to grow up, and try to beat this epidemic.

"Color My Life With the Chaos of Trouble "

Amber and I decided to have some fun one day in the studio. We found these bright pink boas and thought that they would be the perfect prop . I used only the hot lights which gave me a crisp photo in the end. Then, I got the idea to drop feathers from the top to create a cascading effect. This was difficult, and I had to readjust my shutter speed to ensure that I could capture them falling in time. I chose this background, because I thought it offered an interesting contrast with the intensity of the other colors within the shot. It was harder than I anticipated to get the feathers to fall sporadically. The would often fall in clumps, which was not appealing in the shot. Or, as exhibited in the second picture, I would only be able to capture a few falling at a time, which looked awkward. Overall, this shoot was one of the most fun, because I didn't have a particular theme, or purpose for shooting. 

Environmental

For the environmental shoot, I decided to shoot Amber, not necesarily because she likes being in nature, but because she looks good in this environment. Her outfit was perfect for this shoot, as it provided the perfect mix of natural, and personal style. I used natural lighting, which I though was fitting, since I was going for a natural type look. I experimented with different locations, because for a few of the pictures, the background was extremely flat, and there wasn't enough depth. Once I moved into a different environment with more in the background, I found that the photo came out way more interesting. I also tried experimenting with different types of angles. Although they aren't all exhibited in the small selection of pictures here, I tried many different angles to capture her. They didn't work out. (Which is why I didn't post them!) However, it was beneficial for me to note which angles worked, and which needed specification. My favorite of the three pictures shown here, is the second one. And ironically, this is the only one that I didn't plan. Amber (my model) was fixing her hair, and this picture was created rather candidly as a result. The lighting in it however, is brilliant, and I think it captures a true essence of what a "nature shot" is. I am pleased with the way that most of my pictures came out, and I think that there are definitely more things I need to experiment with, regarding angles, and lighting.

Alter Ego

Initially for this alter ego photoshoot, I had several ideas what I wanted my alter ego to be. However, the execution was more difficult than I anticipated. I wanted to portray two completely different types of people. One that was self confident, and another that was a bit nerdy, and that didn't seem to have as much self-esteem. To depict this, I wore glasses, but the effect I wanted still wasn't achieved. The real power came when I edited the photo in photoshop. I put the picture that I wanted to be viewed as lower self confidence in the background, and applied an overlay so that it would blend in with the background. I figured this would show that I was at times shy, and didn't like to be the center of attention, which is definitely something that I struggle with at times. On the other hand, I am extremely confident, and I love being the life of the party. That is what is shown by the other, more dominant picture. It is clearer in color and more crisp, and the facial expression seems to suggest that I am separating myself from my insecure element, and embracing the more self assured side.  I love the composition of this shot. The entire space is utilized, and I hope everything contributes to the overall theme of the picture. OH! One more thing. During this assignment, I actually took my first self timed photo of myself using the studio and lighting. This was exponentially more difficult than I thought. Once I would get the lighting right, the focus would be off, and once I adjusted the focus, I would snap the shutter and realize that I was out of the frame. But eventually through a combination of frustration and persistence, I obtained a photo that not only functioned technically, but worked to add to what I was trying to portray.