Final Exam

Part 1

Solar Pillar

f-stop: 2.8

shutter speed:1/105

What I think makes this such a great photo is how it is a beautiful natural phenomena intertwined with the human world. This is the photo that started me into the world of mixing the human element with nature photography. I love how the light posts of the dealership seem to mimic the trees around the pillar. The sheer contrast between the natural elements and the human elements creates both tension and flow...so I think

Perry's Grand Monument

f-stop:5.6

shutter speed:1/1100

The part of this photograph that I think makes it amazing it the angle it was shot at. The strong perspective lines help to make it far stronger a photograph. True to my style there is a strong natural element to this photograph as well. The sun peaking out from behind the monument makes for a much more dramatic photograph. I also think the stark sky slue background keeps the viewers' eyes on the subject.

Emily Has No Friends

(no camera data available)

The depth of field effect is what makes this photograph so successful. I think that the sharpness and clarity of the foreground subject (Emily Bulgrin) contrast the blurriness of the background(People with Friends). It really sets her apart and shows her loneliness.

You May Fire When Ready

f-stop:2.8

shutter speed:2

This photograph is amazing. I absolutely love how it looks like Nancy is firing a giant laser from her mouth. This photo also has really great motion to it due to the placement of the subject and the motion in the 'beam'. This is the photo that made me start to think more compositionally (think 1/3 rule) and place the subject strategically in the photo.

Hot and Cold

f-stop: 4.2

shutter speed:1/30

The illusion and contrast in this photograph is what makes it awesome. Although not apparent at first glance it actually a photograph of a picture of a beach scene. The glass covering the picture reflects what is going on outside-a snowy and cold wasteland. Even though the illusion is partly what makes it strong I attribute most of this photo's success to the contrast in it. From a lovely and warm beach, this photo transitions to a bitterly cold landscape.

A Maze Of Red Buds

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I love how the branches full of tiny flowers and the depth of field in this photograph give the illusion that you are looking into a giant field of flowers. They almost look like pipelines leading off to far away places. The best part of this photo is how there are so many places for your eyes to wander and look.

Bountiful Blossoms

(no camera data available here either...I do not know why)

While a tad busy, this photograph is still amazing. It looks as thought you are staring into a nearly endless mass of flowers. With so many layers due to depth of field, this photo is given a large scale; or, to put it in better terms, it looks like it is from the view of perhaps another flower, or a bug of some kind. Another successful part of this photo is all the random and sometimes crazy motion.

Cliff-side Trucker

f-stop:2.8

shutter speed:1/250

There is one attribute to this photograph that makes it so successful. That is, the horizontal motion/pattern that the cliffs and the semi-truck make. This is also a great blending of nature and human elements that was inspired by the Solar Pillar photo. I was also pleasantly surprised at how clear the truck came out.

The Long Long Halls

f-stop:2.8

shutter speed:1/17

Another great perspective shot. I really like how the floor of Hoban looks like ground beef. This also perfectly shows one-point perspective. I am not really quite sure why this is successful, but there is just something about it.

Glory of the Sunrise

f-stop:4.2

shutter speed:1/45

If I had to pick one phrase to describe this photograph to would have to be: gloriously epically beautiful. I love how truly massive the sky is. Its beautiful colors also contribute to this photo's strength; orange, red, yellow, and some pink and purple, all blend beautifully into an amazing sun rise shot unlike any other I have ever taken. Taking a hint from Solar Pillar I also included a human touch in this photograph. If you look carefully at the ground you will see what appears to be a river of lights. That river is a highway.

Blizzard Aftermath

f-stop:5.6

shutter speed:1/1200

To me this photograph screams perfect tilt-shift photo. (please excuse the ego) The tilt-shift effect is what makes this photo so successful. What appears to be a bulldozer dwarfed by a giant pile of snow is actually a tiny transformers in its Earth-mode in front of a pile of snow about 10 inches high.

Piano Recital

f-stop:2.8

shutter speed:1/80

Tilt-shift, at first I detested it, then, I took this shot, edited it a bit, and voila! Tilit-shift is like by me. I love how model-like the piano looks. When I first took the shot I was apprehensive. After editing it a tiny little bit I was amazed at how fake everything looked.

One last note on Part 1: I am not sure why A Maze Of Red Buds and Bountiful Blossoms are so big.

Part 2

1) I got to be honest, my first reaction after reading this question was, “Oh hell…” Why? Because, photography/imagery really has no effect on my faith. In fact, my faith is pretty much non-existent at the moment. I suppose that an amazing picture of a sunset, a mama bear with her cubs, or a magnificent waterfall could be proof of God’s existence to many. (For me this proves the existence of a god, but not necessarily God.) In fact photography has done more to put my faith into question than enhance it. Photos of atrocities committed by people make me wonder why was this omnipotent God not there to let these people live, or stop their torture. As far as something unseen being proven or made more real by imagery; I think it is to the effect of it being able to show people something that they do not see everyday such as: a nebula in deep space, a massive and lush valley, or Earth as seen from space. This probably shows people (or to me at least) that there is a greater force than science behind everything.

5) Taking A.D.I. and learning more about photography has taught me that even the most normal of situations always has something interesting going on in them…but you just might have to look at it differently to see it. It has also taught me to seek out fun or neat shots in more places than I previously would have tried or expected. The danger of looking at the world as “a set of potential photographs” is that the world, and the people and creatures and stuff in it lose their significance and become mere objects. People become models, skies and mountains become backdrops, and animals, plants, and the very things we use to get through life become props. When people objectify others they start to disconnect from the outside world.

2) I suppose by having a photograph of something you inherently own part of it. not in the “It’s mine! Ahahahahaha!” sense, but in the fact that you have frozen the object etc. at a time when no one else did. Therefore, you own that object etc. in that very moment in the past. Please note that this applies to photography only, not videography. I both agree and disagree with this statement. I disagree with it literal meaning that you own the object. If this were true, I would own the sun, several miles of highway, countless buildings, hundreds of people, and a whole lot of clouds. (which sadly, I do not.) I do agree with its deeper meaning though, or at least the deeper meaning I interpreted from it.

Part 3

1. I take photographs to preserve a fleeting moment forever. I take them so that when memory of the event, person, or situation fades into the past, that it will not be gone forever, but live on in a photograph. There are many moments that I wish I could remember more vividly, but I cannot, and I have no photos to look at to remember them by. I take photographs as a way of preserving that which is important to me. I also take photos so that I can share funny moments, beautiful sunsets, or an unusual scene with other people. I communicate with others a lot via photographs

2. Before I took this class I did not think about the composition or balance of the photograph. (consciously at least) I took a snapshot of something because I thought it looked cool. All I worried about was that the subject was centered, that the subject could be seen, that the photo was not too dark or too light, and that there is nothing else interfering with my photo. Now when I go to take pictures of something or someone I place them somewhere in the photo that creates interest. I also now look for more photographic opportunities in places that I would never have thought to.

3. The aspect of photography that I need to develop the most has been, and still is composition. I still have some obsessive need to center the subject if there is not anything else of interest in the photo. To help cure this problem I have turned on the rule of thirds grid on my camera. Having the lines there in the view finder help tremendously in uncentering subjects.

4. My staying active as a photographer with probably be me taking pictures every so often when I think of something cool or the opportunity presents itself. If possible, I hope to minor in photography at The University of Akron. This way I can further develop my skills in an art form I absolutely love. Hopefully, if I minor,(if I don't I will still try) I will learn to stop centering every subject I photograph. Another obstacle to this is laziness. During the summer I tend to like to do nothing.

5. In Part 1 there is a photograph called "Glory of the Sunrise" I believe this truly counts as art. It is an amazing photograph show casing the beauty of both nature and humans, or rather human creations. That is the only photograph I can think of that would truly qualify as art.