Kelly R.

Kelly R. digital Photography/ Fall 2019-2020/ Strath Haven H.S.

This photo I found to be one of my least favorites of Jordan matter, the photo seems extremely staged and the fact the girl was smiling gave me the impression that she wasn’t really reading. I decided to try to recreate the photo but I asked Erin not to smile and to try to actually read the book while she jumps. In my opinion, my photo looks more authentic and although Jordan’s photo has a warm feel to it, the smiling child reading a book throws off the whole aesthetic. The book shelves around Erin frames her and draws the viewer’s attention toward her. As I continue to look at Jordan’s photo, it seems to have a slight vignette, making the bright bubble around the girl.

There was no way I was going to have Erin try to perfectly recreate this shot. It looks super scary, and not to mention dangerous. I decided to try to create a picture with the same concept, a girl having fun on a swing, but with a little bit more a safer pose. I think my photo still shares the same joy as Jordans, as it is evident that the girl is having fun on the swing. I found it hard to capture the actual pose as I found that the swing was unpredictable when you were only holding on with one hand.

This photo I took was on a whim almost like Jordan! I had ten minutes till my mom was going to pick me up and I wanted to have a backup photo. I tried to think of something that hopeful Jordan would have a similar picture of and he did! I wanted it to look as if Erin was trying to find a good book to read. Pulling out a book to see what it was. I think my photo looks more natural. Erin’s leg isn’t crazy high and she not in pointe shoes. She’s just trying to find a good book to read.

I found this photo difficult to recreate. Jordan’s photo it looks like the girl is running on the beach. I look at my photo and think that it just looks like some girl doing a jump. Reflecting on the experience I think that I would've had Erin empty her backpack and jump with it on her back to make it look more like she was running to school. This photo taught me that sometimes things don’t turn out the way you want them to and that okay. Although I like my photo it doesn’t tell a story, or give you any information about Erin.

I don’t take a lot of selfies. I can sometimes be really self-conscious about how I look, so I was thrilled about taking this. This photo was the very last photo I took of that night. It was late and I was tired. I had been doing photography since the moment I got home, so about 5 hours of photography, and I was ready to eat dinner. I wasn’t sure what the artful aspect of the selfie was supposed to be but I thought flowers and plants would make a photo look artsy. It took me a long time to figure out this shot. It took a lot of different poses, facial expressions and the number of flowers but I finally got it. The actual concept of an artful selfie was confusing to me. I knew it couldn't just be some random selfie but I also knew it couldn't just be a portrait. So, in my opinion, the fine line between a random selfie and a portrait was where this photo was supposed to land. Although this photo is technically a selfie, it has artful aspects to it. This shot has a good view of a strong subject and although I am in the center, the flowers frame my face and the plant behind me draws the attention toward me.

Middle school was not kind to me. I had rumors spread, and let's just say I’m convinced half my grade hates me after all the rumors were extinguished. The other day in math, everyone was talking about finals. How stressed they were, how they can’t get everything done, and how basically they were going to fail all of them. Obviously being able to relate to them I joined in the conversation. After a while, one of my classmates turned to me and said that I didn't need to worry because I would go home and study all night because all I do is homework and that's why my grades are good. I was taken aback. I was shocked. Did people seriously think all I did was homework and study? It made me think about the main misperception people have of me; all I do when I get home is I study and do homework and study some more. I can’t even describe to anyone how false this is. To be honest It feels like I don’t spend that much time on homework (I really do but it just doesn’t feel like a lot to me). On the day I don’t have practice, I go home, and I lounge on the couch for about an hour before begrudgingly starting my homework that I will do anything to get it out of the way. My homework isn’t something I sit down and do all at once either. I’ll do one subject and take a break. I sit at my desk and wonder why I thought it was a good idea to double up in math this year. In other words, I procrastinate a lot. I Like to consider myself a professional procrastinator. So, in the end, although people think all I do is study and do homework, the people who really know and who really matter, know the truth. This photo shows what people think I do. Homework spread across my desk, getting everything done. I like to think the messing desk frames me well in the photo as the composition of the desk draws your eye to the blank wall on the left side of the photo where I am located. Although this shot was a bit tricky to get and involved a lot of clean up, the photo demonstrates the misperception people have of me.

When you first meet me, I am a completely different person than when you actually know me. It’s hard to describe as I’ve seen myself change over the years. When you first meet me, people see me as an outgoing teenager. I like talking to people, making new friends, and mainly just being around people. I consider myself slightly sophisticated but not an adult. Although that what on the outside, it’s the inside that matters. I put up a show because who wants to be with a Debby downer, or the quiet shy girl that sits in the corner and doesn’t talk. Sitting and not talking is no way to get ahead in life so I push myself out of my comfort zone constantly to put of this act that people see as me. People don’t usually see that shy quiet introvert, that lives inside me. Social events are emotionally exhausting for me, and over the years I have become a very private person. I used to once be that girl that would never shut up, and sometimes I still am, but I’ve grown into a girl who is just trying to make it through high school alive. Some days of good, some days are bad, and someday are just okay. This photo is a strong focus on me, and although I look sad in this photo it represents the other side of me, the not outgoing and not talkative side, the side that people don’t see. The walls around me frame my face and the simplistic background draws the viewer's attention towards me and my facial expression.

When I was faced with the challenge of a new experience, I was stuck. I’m a high schooler on budget, with no license, and very little time. “Oh boy,” was my first thought when faced with the assignment and then it quickly changed to “WTF am I supposed to do”. It was hard to find something but my best friend, Sarah pointed out that I had never peeled gum wrappers and stuck them on something. I thought it was a good idea especially compared to her other ideas which included catching a squirrel. I went out and bought a lot of gum and was ready for the project ahead of me. After Sarah showed me how to peel the foil, I was on a roll and in no time I was finished covering my tea cup! The photographic aspect of the assignment was challenging for me. How was I supposed to shoot photos and experience something at the same time? I don’t have four hands! It was difficult but I figured it out. I started out simply and every once in awhile would grab my camera and photograph the progress I had made. The biggest challenge was remember compositional elements while trying to quickly take a photo of the experience. It was hard not wanting to stop but knowing I needed to take photos. Although the photos were sometimes difficult to shoot, I enjoyed the process of figuring out how to quickly shoot a compositional photo without using too much time.

This is my second photography class I have taken but it definitely won't be my last. Photography has given me a sense of purpose. I was never very good at drawing or painting and I was convinced art was not for me until I was introduced to the world of photography. It takes a good eye, patience, and sometimes just straight luck. In my first photography class, I was given the brief analysis on photography, the basics. It was fun but I wanted more. In this class, we went much more in depth about the function and uses of each setting on the camera. I enjoyed being introduced to other aspects of photography such as the illustrator project or how to properly edit the photos. I enjoyed getting more in depth with setting of a camera and I now feel that I could go anywhere, in any situation a shoot a good collection of photos. I learned a lot in the class and I hope to carry this skills with me to wherever I end up. The weekly practice was honestly the most challenging part of this class. Finding time to finish the current project and go out and shoot photos for a whole nother project was a lot each week. It was something that was constantly on my mind and even once I had that weeks weekly practice was turned, I then found myself thinking about what I was going to do next week. Nothing was ever really easy but some projects were easier then others and some were more enjoyable than others. It just depended on the project and what it required. My perspective of photography has changed in the thought that photography was easy work with an easy point and shoot, when really it can be really difficult at times with more complex verses of the point and shoot method. Sometimes it's hard to get that one photo and sometimes your photos don't turn out how you want them to. It was hard accepting sometimes that I couldn't do anything more to adjust my photos to make them absolutely perfect. How they were had to be the best I could do and if it was my best, that was all that mattered. I thoroughly enjoyed this class and I am excited for my next photography adventure.

Appreciate