Final

I chose mountains and rocks to represent strength and the value I place on it, with the background being more visible through the shadows on my face to show its greater effect on me.

This portrait is meant to have a darker tone, but the background shows through better on my face than either of the other portraits. The light from a streetlight is meant to represent hope and change, which stands out starkly against a dark background. This quality motivates me and has shaped me more than the other qualities, though they are very important as well. I tried to show this by making the background the most visible through the shadows on my face and what meshes together best with me in the photo. My warmer eyes and subtle, but interested expression are meant to convey  a deeper meaning to me.



This is the first time that I've done a work like this and I'll admit it was challenging and a little overwhelming trying to create and find the images that expressed exactly what I wanted to say. I think I still need to improve on being more specific in my message and become more familiar with Photoshop. One thing that I find very satisfying about the finished product is the way that the black and white and colorful backgrounds work together to create a completed image and I also really like the concept behind my self portrait. Some frustrating things about the project were the uneven erased patches in the beams of light that I would accidentally create and I'm still not completely satisfied aesthetically with the color of my eyes, as well. I think that I met the requirements of the project in that I revealed something of myself in the pictures, they are certainly not vapid selfies, and I applied skills I learned throughout the semester to this project. One way that I did not necessarily meet the requirements of the project is the way that I revealed some very general and basic details about myself, instead of specific feelings or interests. In my next revision I would work on refining the slight imperfections in the background of the piece and edit the pictures further to more clearly portray my message. If I could redo the entire piece I would definitely work on my facial expressions more in the initial portrait taking phase.

Clones

Portrait Oddness (3+)

Reading Photos

A. Location: Yuncheng, Shanxi Province, China
B. Photographer: Wei Liang—Reuters
C. Original caption: A salt lake, which is separated by a road, shows parts of it in different colors due to algae, in Yuncheng, Shanxi Province, China, on Sept. 25, 2016.
D. Site link: http://time.com/top-100-photos-2016/
E. I would describe this place as obviously very contrasting, colorful, and gorgeous. The algae is a marvel to look at and stands out so beautifully against the rest of the lake, as well as the road.
F. What interests me most about this photograph is the angle at which the photo is taken, an all- encompassing birds eye view and the perfect symmetry with which we see the road.
G. What I think is going on in this picture is a parade or other kind of celebration because of the identical blue cars on the road, the clumped together objects of the same color, and the many people cordoned off to one side.

A. Location: Baracoa, Cuba
B. Photographer: Tomas Munita for The New York Times
C. Original caption: In a town on the eastern tip of Cuba, a woman swept her home.
D. Site link: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/22/sunday-review/2016-year-in-pictures.html?_r=0
E. The sounds this photo would make would be the soft sound of crickets and other night time insects, the distant clatter of pans and people talking, and sound of the bristles from the broom against the ground.
F. The aspects of the photo that make it look crowded are the fact most of the photo is taken up by the old woman's house, the way the light is very bright and appears on the ground and on the house in a multitude of shapes and colors, and the way that the viewer can see a lot of the detail of the houses, including the many boards on the windows and the cable wires.
G. One thing that I think is very good about the photograph is the way light is used, the interest it adds in different shapes, the way it highlights different areas of the photograph, and the way the photographer balanced it all around the photo, including the warm and cold colors.

A. Location: Brazilian Pantanal
B: Photographer: Massimilliano Bencivenni
C. Original caption: I was in the Brazilian Pantanal along the Rio Negrinho. I realized that the river, at certain points of the loops, created places where there were many yacare caimans. I saw a yacare sink suddenly, and I immediately looked for the best location to photograph when it resurfaced. The whole thing lasted only a fraction of a moment.
D: Site link: http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/photographer-of-the-year-2016/gallery/winners-all/6
E. The words I would use to describe this photo would be violent, graceful, rough, and very quick.
F. The thing that I think is worth remembering about this photograph is the strange, violent grace of the caiman and beauty of everyday occurrences.
G. I think the photographer made this work by using a very small shutter speed, waiting for the exact right moment, and having a bit of luck.

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