Robin Michals | COMD 1340 Photography 1

Category: Student Posts (Page 1 of 7)

Final Project Statement and Mood Board

For my final project, I decided to take photos in Chinatown and capture the busy markets in the streets. I have decided to take the pictures when the sun has just set. One day I was passing through Chinatown at sunset and was intrigued by how bright the lights in the markets were. Everything seemed clearer to me and made me focus on what was more important, the customers and the sellers in the food markets. The dark night in contrast to the very bright lights was very eye-catching as opposed to if I were to be in the same area during the day. In this final project, I will do closeups and catch everyone frozen in motion as well. For example, I will take a picture of the salesman yelling the price of the fish or a buyer bagging the vegetables. There was a common theme in almost all the stores, which was the color red. I liked that this was consistent throughout the whole street, which can keep my photos steady when it comes to the theme. There will be photos of patterns and symmetry as well considering there are arrays of products displayed out for everyone to see and be intrigued by.

Steve Starer

Jannis Werner

Kennard

Gary Burke

Mo Riza

Le Cercle Rouge

Josh Bassett

Gary Burke

Alice Grim

Final Project Statement

The theme of my final project is the neighborhood of St George located in Staten Island’s northern shore. The story I wanted to depict was the modernization of a neighborhood that has been around since 1886. I want to capture the contrast of modern and old architecture in the area. Some examples in this area that support my subject matter are Curtis High School and The Empire Outlets. The Empire Outlets is a modern-day attempt to modernize Staten Island. It is active with tourism and has many outlets stores for shopping and food. While Curtis High school which was founded in 1904 represents the neo-Gothic side of St George. The neighborhood also includes the Richmond County Bank Ballpark. I personally want to do this area because I grew up near here and attended High school.
The techniques I would like to explore in this final project will be composition, Aperture, Depth of field, and exposure. I would like to experiment with composition and exposure the most because these were my favorite techniques / lessons for the semester. I will take my photos during sunny, active, rainy, and foggy days. I think these times will help with my final projects theme. active and sunny days will have a greater chance for tourist activity in the area. I think rainy and foggy days can really help depict the general weather and mood of living in the area.

Final project proposal & mood board

For my final project I want to do a portrait of my neighborhood Corona Queens. Iā€™ve grown up in Corona my whole life and I am very proud of where I came from and all the local businesses that I interact with every day. One of the businesses that I would like to photograph is my local tattoo shop that I live one block away from. Iā€™ve gotten all my first piercings and my first tattoo there at that shop, so it holds a special place in my life. I mainly want to photograph the tattoo artist Luis who did my first ever tattoo when I was 19, I would like to take pictures of him and him tattooing someone. Another local business that Iā€™ve gone to is the world famous ā€œLemon Ice Kingsā€ ice cream shop, every tourist comes here to get ice cream so if I could capture the motion of people getting and eating ice cream, those would be great pictures. Another local business that I have been going to for years my favorite Colombian empanada spot ā€œEmpanadas CafĆ©ā€, I love eating empanadas from there its so delicious. Iā€™ve been going there since I was kid, it is a women-based business so I would love to photograph them. A new local business that appeared in Corona is this new Mexican taco truck that is my favorite spot to get tacos de birria, so delicious! The owner has always been to cool to me and nice every time I order food from his truck so I think photographing him and his truck would make cool shots. I want to take pictures from my roof to get some birds eye shots and capture Corona from above and show whatā€™s around me. There is this building called ā€œTerrance on the Parkā€ that is a venue that hosts parties and it lights up at nights, I would like to photograph that building to show how it looks at night. The theme of my project would be the people of Corona showing its diversity and culture that I grew up around showing that Corona is forever.Ā 

Final Project Statement & Mood Board

My project is not just about capturing portraits; it’s a visual exploration of the connections and routines that shape my life. Each of the 10 people I have chosen holds a unique place in my heart, and by photographing them in my workplace at different times of the day, I am not only freezing moments in time but also revealing the subtleties of their personalities and the roles they play in my daily life.

Photography, as a medium, has the extraordinary ability to convey emotion and atmosphere. Shooting during the afternoon, with its warm, soft light, can emphasize the familiarity and comfort that these individuals bring to my routine. As the day transitions into night, the changing light can be used symbolically to represent the evolving nature of my relationships, as darkness falls and the workday winds down.

My reference to the compositional principles, as introduced by photographer Suzanne Stein, is a clever choice. The rule of thirds, for instance, helps create a balanced and aesthetically pleasing composition, guiding the viewer’s eye to the subjects. The “frame within a frame” technique adds depth and context, effectively capturing not just the person but the setting in which I connect with them. “Fill the frame” focuses solely on the subject, intensifying the viewer’s connection to the person. Lastly, the “dominant eye” technique can bring out the soulful essence of the people I am photographing, emphasizing their character and presence.

As I capture these individuals in their workplace, I am also documenting the intersection of my personal and professional lives. This blend adds a unique layer to my project, revealing the spaces where my bonds with these people unfold. It’s a testament to the richness of my daily life and the significance of these individuals in my journey.

In conclusion, my project is not just a series of portraits but a deep exploration of the connections and routines that shape my world. Through photography and the application of compositional techniques, I am telling a powerful narrative about the impactful faces in my life and the spaces where these bonds are nurtured, bridging the personal and professional aspects of my daily existence.

Final Project Proposal + Mood board

Thinking about the assignments that we have done so far, I feel like I enjoy taking pictures of buildings and city landscapes the most. For this final project, I would like to take pictures of Times Square in day and night settings. The theme I’m going for would be the contrast between the two halves of the day. What I feel like I have struggled with is capturing the light that comes off objects when I’m doing photography. I want to really be able to do justice to Times Square’s emphasis on lights popping out amongst the dark. In my photos I would like to compile different composition techniques using Times Square as a basis, these would include low angles, worms eye view, eye levels, high angles, obliques and etc. besides that, I would also like to try to merge the angles in a way so that buildings could reflect off of each other. I want at least a few images to be dynamic in ways that take the looker a minute to realize what I did with my camera.

While Times Square is nowhere near as interesting during the daytime, I feel like there are aspects I can definitely capture such as the way buildings might reflect onto each other or how the city might look during changes in weather. I especially want to capture Times Square after a rainy day, which is when I feel adds the most detail to the compositions. As of right now, I feel like taking trips to Times Square is something manageable in my schedule, I will be mostly taking these shots during weekends or whenever I am by the area, which so happens to be pretty often. This, and keeping in mind that I love walks around Times Square around nighttime, will allow me to be able actually take time to enjoy what kind of photos I will be taking.

HDR photo of Times Square at night in New York City. (Joey B. Lax Salinas)
View of Times Square at Night - Fine Art Photo / Print by Andrew Prokos
Times Square Billboard Photography at Nasdaq Closing Bell by Ben Hider
Times Square re:Imagined by Tomas Alvarez
Decade old images of Times Square revisited.
Times Square Reflection, Manhattan, GUILLAUME GAUDET
New York Taxis Times Square Photograph by David Pyatt - Fine Art America
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