Robert Mapplethorpe

This photographer really caught my eye in class because he decided to stretch the norm of his time. Born in Florida Park, Queens he even says that he "came from suburban America. It was a very safe environment and it was a good place to come from in that it was a good place to leave." This to me is interesting because I didn't really see that much shelter or poise in his work, that he doesn't really incorporate his growing up into his work, although with some of his works I do see a sense of elegance. I also read about him that he began at the Pratt Institute studying painting, drawing and sculpture, but when he got his first polaroid in 1970 he felt it was more honest than the other medias. I found this interesting because I never thought of that, I have always enjoyed drawings more than photography because I feel that you can get to know a person more by their drawing, the way they do their mark makings or abstract or even the way they can create something that only they see. Although that is how I feel, I appreciate his point of view, it really makes me think of why he feels this way.

From what I saw of his work, these were some of my favorites! They really draw me in and have so much emotion in them that I would love to learn how to incorporate in my own photographs. 

Still Life Project

My top picks:

Also here are some random still life pictures that I took last week:

North Carolina Spring Break

Here are some of my favorites from today!

Feedback is always greatly appreciated!!! 

Homework #2

I will admit these are late, I know, and I did use some of the photos I took today at the beach, I am just loving the NC sunsets.

Chapter 6: Printing and Display

This was a short chapter that talked about printing and ink, this to me is pretty basic but I always worry that I am going to mess something up because these are expensive printers and I would really prefer not to be the one to break it. This chapter calmed my nerves about using them a little bit because I was able to see the different types of printers, ink and matting. I really enjoy using the printers in class because the photographs always turn out so clear and almost perfect! The day after we did our first prints in class I looked though my photo library and found a few pictures that I have always wanted to print but they needed to be on a nicer quality printer instead of the one I have at home. All I have to do now is invest in a portfolio to protect my precious photos instead of storing them in the paper box.

Chapter 5: Image Editing

This chapter was my favorite so far because editing a photo is always my favorite part of taking a photograph. I have always loved downloading my photos onto my computer then opening Lightroom or just through iPhoto and editing my heart out, I just like to have fun with it, go through all of the options and see which ones look better, worse or if I prefer it to stay the same. With this chapter I was actually able to see what all of the functions do and how to control them. Some parts to me got a little confusing such as layering, it reminded me of my high school photoshop days where I had no idea what I was doing, but I am sure that with time and help I will get a better handle on it. I especially liked how the book told me how to make localized adjustments on my photograph instead of general adjustments, this was such a huge help with me because some times I would enjoy some aspects of my photograph but felt other parts could use a little touch up. I am really excited to start using photoshop in the classroom so I have more ability to manipulate aspects of my photographs as well as combine multiple photos into one. 

Chapter 4: The Digital Darkroom

After reading chapter four I found half of it to be common sense about computers such as how to upload pictures and what pixels are, as well as things around that sort, but I also found other parts to be helpful as well as a bit confusing. After reading about taking pictures in "raw" I am excited to try it out, learning that it is when files do not conform to a single set of standards, that is just lets pictures stay in hight bit and allows more precise editing control. I am interested to see how this setting will really change my photographs, whether in a big way or in a way I can barely tell. From what I have read and heard it is a lot better, clearer and the quality is astonishing.