Final Exam

This picture was my transformative photo because when I was shooting and editing it, I realized how much fun photography could be. I also realized that photography had the power to capture and share beauty. Before this photo, I merely completed assignments; after this, I actively sought out new photo subjects. Like Mr. Towell in the New York Times Lens Blog article about Magnum photographers, I realized that good photography does not have to be of unique and wondrous sights, but also "what is common with all people: everyday things, the small things". Discovering this led me to choose sunsets as my prompt for one of my three final projects, as sunsets are so ubiquitous and appear every day, but have so much simple beauty that everyone can appreciate.

The difference between shape and form is that shape is two-dimensional, while form is three-dimensional. For example, in my pictures that define Shape, I chose an angle that would show only the front sides of the leaves and petals, thus showing only a flat organic form. However, in my picture that defined Form, I chose an angle that would show the multiple dimensions of the petals and the flower as a whole, therefore expressing length, width, and depth.

The difference between pattern and repetition are that while pattern repeats a symbol or object, repetition incorporates this pattern to add movement and unity to the photograph. For example, in my picture that defines Pattern, I captured a pattern of eight identical rectangles arranged in a square. In my picture of Repetition, however, I chose an angle that would highlight the repetition of the shape of the flower petals while adding an element of motion that comes from the eye following the pattern around, as well as an element of unity that comes from the clumps of the petals' pattern.

My weebly about page is here. The Cook Phodography blog has inspired me, and their about page can be found here.

The most recent project I completed was about cafes. Prior to that, I had a Spring Expo gallery about sunsets. Before that, I had my first commercial shoot advertising for Northface products. I believe that my Spring Expo gallery about sunsets was the best out of these three projects, for multiple reasons. This gallery included my transformative picture that I talked about before, and helped me to appreciate some of the simple yet majestic beauty of an everyday natural occurrence. This project helped me expand my usage of editing tools and included some of the pictures I was the most proud of this year. As I said previously, this project helped me to appreciate some of the everyday, commonplace occurrences as much as I would a unique, momentous sight.