American Soldier

A. The most powerful image from this slideshow was the one when Ian Fisher got to come home and be reunited with his loved ones, as all the other soldiers did in the background. This really touched me because it brought me back to the time when my mom, brother and I went to go pick up my dad from the airport when he returned from Iraq. It was one of the happiest days in my life.

B.
Set 1 - at home - #1 to #3
Set 2 - basic training -  #4 to #13
Set 3 - in Iraq - #14 to #27
#28 back at home

C. I think set 2 is the most powerful set of images because they captured Ian transitioning to the rough life of being an American soldier. He had to give up is life at home and train for war. This gave me insight to all the challenges my dad goes through as a soldier and made me thankful for these soldiers who risk their lives for our country.

D. The images show Ian's transition from a typical young adult to a dedicated soldier. In the beginning, you can see him enjoying the time he has left with his friends and family. Then you see him become more serious and train for war. Lastly, Ian has become a man devoted to serving his country.

E. The verbs are usually written in present tense.

F. The captions enhance the photo by giving you specific detail to what is actually happening. It helps you connect and get a deeper meaning from the story.

G. After Ian graduated from high school he had to enjoy the  little time he had left at home before he went off to training. At training he faced many mental and physical challenges that prepared him for war in Iraq. In Iraq Ian became a leader who was solemnly dedicated to his tasks as a soldier. When Ian got home, he reunited with his girlfriend who then became his finance.

Portrait & Self Portrait Pt 1

Tips

Take a Series of Shots

Switch your camera into 'burst' or 'continuous shooting' mode and fire off more than one shot at a time.

In doing this you create a series of images that could be presented together instead of just one static image.

This technique can work very well when you're photographing children - or really any active subject that is changing position or pose in quick succession.

Play With Backgrounds

The person in your portrait is the main point of interest – however sometimes when you place them into different contexts with different backgrounds you can dramatically alter the mood in a shot.

self portraits tip

A self-portrait doesn't have to be of your face—the image of two hands holding a camera says a lot about the photographer who shot his own portrait. You can also aim the camera down your body from eye level. I once took a photo of my own feet in hiking shoes, handing over the edge of a rocky outcropping in a scenic spot (if you try something like this, just make sure you're in a safe place that you won't fall from). A picture like this will say a lot about your activities and surroundings.

Environmental portrait

I chose this photo because the background and what the girl is wearing really helped tell me that she enjoys swimming. I like how the girl is looking directly into the camera and makes a connection with you.

I chose this photo because I like the background and prop that the subject was given. It shows me that he he's a fisherman or just likes to be on the lake. I also like how he is looking outside of the frame, making you wonder what he could be looking at.


Photography self portrait

 

I picked this picture because it was unique how the whole picture is dark and the only source of light is being held by the subject. Since all you can see is the subjects face, hood, and gloves it make the picture a little eerie.

I picked this picture because I like how the photographer used a mirror and took a picture of his reflection (I'm guessing). His facial expression gives the picture a serious mood.

Casual Portrait

I chose this picture because I really like the scenic background. I also like how the girl is off to the left which follows the rule of thirds.

This picture also follows the rule of thirds because the guy is placed to the right. I chose this because the guy's smiling face makes him look very friendly.

For my portrait assignment I plan to take photos of my friend, Madison, in her backyard. She has a very large and naturistic yard that would make perfect backgrounds and great natural lighting from the sun. I would have her hold up her flute to show the audience that she is in the band. I also have the idea to take photos of her in the gym holding up a basketball because she also enjoys playing basketball. To get good photos I will try to be creative and shoot from unique angles. I will also try to use the aperture to blur out the background like the photos above.

love & loss warm up

1. As I scrolled through the pictures I was very heartbroken. As I got further and further down the pictures kept getting more sorrowful.

2. When the photographer said this he was saying that these events did happen in their lives, but it didn't define who they really were; their personalities.

3. If I were in this situation I would not be able to capture these mournful moments. I would be to sad to sad to continue with my normal life much less take photos of it.

4. If I were to write a letter to Angelo I would give him my condolences and tell him how great of a photographer he is to seize all of those painful memories and create a timeline out of them.

Rules of photography - Part 2

Theme - Austin, Texas

Rule of Thirds

Balancing elements

Leading Lines

Symmetry and Patterns

Viewpoint

Background

Depth

Framing

Cropping

Avoiding Mergers