jump start your photography

1. go to the movies – this would be a fun place for me to find inspiration
2. try to learn a new lighting technique – this would be beneficial to my photos quality
3. look at popular photoblogs – seeing other people’s work would inspire me
4. listen to your favorite music – the aesthetic of songs would inspire me
5. read an art magazine – seeing other people’s work would inspire me
6. look 360 – looking around different angles will let me see other things i don’t usually see
7. shoot your family – doing this will make me feel comfortable doing things i don’t normally do
8. self portrait – i could do things that are out of my comfort zone
9. tell a story in 5 pictures – this challenge would inspire me to fit a lot of things in a photos
10. shoot a family event – this will help me have pictures of my family while also practicing my photography skill

the broad critique

• I like the message behind this photo.
• I like the imagery including the people, animals, and magazines.
• The text on the picture in a diagonal catches my eye. 
• I like how the creator of this photo makes her work political and shows her point of view on sensitive topics.
• I like how she used the colors red and black which conveys mood in her work.

2 articles review

The first article I read was by Jeremy Cowart and he is a celebrity portrait photographer. His article inspired me because he mentioned that you don’t need the best gear to start up. Also, I think anyone would agree that being a photographer who photographs celebrities would be cool because you get to meet a bunch of famous people. I think his work is really nice and his story about not having the best gear at the beginning to going to a professional photographer is really cool.

The next article I read was Underwater Photographer by Stephen Frink. As you can assume from the title, all of his work was underwater photography. I really liked this article because recently when I went to Hawaii I wished that I could take pictures of the fish I seen while snorkeling. I think being an underwater photographer would be really unique and fun. Overall,  I really liked Frink’s work and he made being an underwater photographer look really cool.

influential photo

The Pillow Fight by Harry Benson is one of my favorite images to this day. The Beatles are one of my favorites and seeing this photo brings me joy. To me, it’s a look in the past and it captures such a chaotic and fun time. Not only does it capture the moment, but also their personalities. Most of the pictures of The Beatles that I see, they are just sanding in a group smiling however I like how this photo contrasts that and they are candid. I especially like how they are pillow fighting because it gives an immature and childish feeling and that feels comforting to me. If I didn’t know The Beatles and seen this picture, I would want to be friends with them because of how fun this image looks.

As for the technical side of the photo, I like how the black and white coloring contrasts to the joyfulness of the actual image. Something that also catches my eye within the photo is how they are falling in a perfectly slanted line. It’s timed so well that it looks planned. The scene the photo was taken looks so chaotic, but it was taken at the perfect time. That is the most impressive and admirable part of the image to me. I also admire Harry Benson a lot as he got to take pictures of so many notable celebrities and that is really cool to me.  Overall, I really like every aspect of this image and the photographer himself.

wassily kandinsky critique

Wassily’s images are constructed of various colors and geometric shapes to create an abstract style. I like Wassily’s style because it is very bright and there’s alot to see in every image. The work that I chose specifically caught my eye because it looks a but different from the rest. I like how the colors are bright and aren’t the same as what the normal colors would be, for example, the people are portrayed red and the street is yellow. This feature makes Wassily’s style very eye catching and abstract.

sandy skoglund critique

Sandy Skoglunds process for a photo takes her months to complete. She builds elaborate sets with contrasting colors, like the all red room with cyan leafs in the image I selected. Her background differs from the props. Skoglund’s surrealist style is interesting and unique. I think her months of working on one project pay off.

why photography is important to me

To me, one of the most important parts of photography is the fact that I can preserve memories. It’s so amazing that I can go on a trip and take pictures of beautiful things I see and can look at them forevermore. Not only on trips can I persevere memories either, I can do it any day, any time, and from anywhere. It’s so cool that in the future I can show my kids what i’m doing at this age at what I look like, because otherwise they wouldn’t know. Basically, photography preserves our everyday lives and we can take pictures of anything to have a memory of it forever and to me that is very important.

Another reason that photography is important is the fact we can see other parts of the world and other cultures. Can you imagine the world without photography? Personally, I would have a very hard time trying to imagine other places and what they do on a day to day basis. People undermine how essential photography is especially when it comes to our understanding of others and I think that using photography to see other parts of the world and their cultures is very important.

critique of silver list photographers

David Emitt Adams’ photography is something unique and eye-catching. His work is significant as he collects old cans from the 1800’s off the desert floor and uses wet-plate collodion to project images onto the cans. I really like this idea because the work is a part of history that also connects to its location in history. The pictures of the desert on the old cans show their connection to one another and I really enjoy how he turns the trash into not only art, but an artifact. I think his website is set up well, it is simplistic, but it works well as it makes his photography stand out the most. He has more than just his images on his website, he also displayed experience and contact information. Everything on his website is cohesive and I really enjoy his unique style.

Leonard Suryajaya’s website and photography is very vibrant and leaves me wanting more. I can tell that his photos possess so much love and culture and it makes me happy. I love seeing people celebrating their culture and it is especially interesting when it is something I haven’t seen before. I like that his photos are filled with a lot of imagery and color, it makes the photo fun and unique. Something about their website that I like is that when you click the image a new one pops up, it’s something so simple that makes their website so much more exciting. Overall, Leonard Suryajaya’s photos capture a message and a culture in a fun and vibrant way and their website fits well with their style.

$10,000 shopping spree

Camera – Canon EOS 7D Mark II DSLR Camera with 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens ~ $1,800

• I would get this camera because I like Canon camera’s and I think I could produce nice portraits on it.

Tripod – Oben CTT-1000 Carbon Fiber Tabletop Tripod ~ $100

• I need a tripod for portraits to keep my camera steady if it was ever needed.

Camera bag – Canon EOS 200ES Shoulder Bag (Black) ~ $25

• A camera bag is vital to keep your equipment safe.

Camera flash – Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI ~ $300

• I need a flash for my camera so that I can produce portraits with good quality light.

Color gels – Rosco Color Effects Filter Kit (20 x 24″) ~ $125

• I enjoyed taking portraits with gels and I would want them so that I can use them in my studio portraits.

In studio Lighting – Impact VC-500WLN 3-500Ws Digital Monolight with Transmitter Kit ~ $700

• I need lighting not only for on the go but also for the studio.

Lenses – Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM Lens ~ $1600

Lens baby Velvet 85mm f/1.8 Lens for Canon EF ~ $500

• I chose these two lenses because they are great lenses for portrait photographers.

Backdrop support – Impact Pro Backdrop Support Kit (12.9′ Width) ~ $220

• I need a backdrop support for a quality studio.

Backdrops– Impact Muslin Background – 10 x 12′ (White) ~ $60

Impact Muslin Background – 10 x 12′ (Black) ~ $53

I chose a white and black background because they are simple and necessary for any studio portrait photographer.

Reflector – Impact 5-In-1 Collapsible Circular Reflector Kit (42″) ~ $130

• I need a reflector to produce good lighting in my photos.

Memory card – SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO UHS-I SDXC Memory Card ~ 34$ x 2 = 68$

• I would get two memory cards to store my images.

Computer – Macbook pro ~ 1300$

• I would get a laptop to edit my images.

why you should become a professional photographer

Being a photographer has many advantages. One, being a photographer is accessible. After getting your first camera, it would be very easy to start your business. Especially now, photography is even more accessible as you could take good quality pictures with your phone. Not only is the equipment accessible, but no matter where you are, you could take a photograph of anything. Another amazing thing about photography is that photography is forever, it’s always changing and it’s always there to look back on the past. No matter what, there will always be a want for photos. Next, as a photographer you can be your own boss. You dictate everything about your business and have no constraints on your work. Lastly, photography bring balance. When you feel comfortable and happy with your career then you are set. As a photographer you can practically do anything. Not only is it a chill job, but you get to relieve stress and express yourself while doing it. Overall, photography is an amazing choice for a career and none if it’s qualities should be overlooked.