I really enjoyed taking this class. I think it was my favorite of the semester, in fact. Before taking this class I never thought I would be able to take good pictures, I was just not confident of my skills (and in fact they weren’t good:p) but since I started with this class I started building more confidence about taking pictures and even got better at it! I liked this class so much it encouraged me to take photography 2 next semester. I hope it will be as fun as this class and that we learn as much as we did with this class. The only recommendation I would give to this class would be to have more sessions per semester since it teaches a lot of techniques and fun practices.
Author Archives: Regina Torres
learning log 8 – final project (Regina Torres)
Today I worked with Melissa, and one of the suggestions she gave me for the next shoots is to continue shooting in shallow depth of field, and close ups on the subjects. She also really liked the fact that some of my pictures were taken at night time, and therefore she recommended me to keep on doing that as well. Therefore, this week I will focus on taking more shallow depth of field pictures, and maybe even taking some pictures during the night time so it can create an interesting contrast of both, mood and colors.
Filed under Learning Log-Final Project
Learning log 7 (Painting with Light) – Regina Torres
Today’s class was one of my favorite ones because we had so much fun painting with light. One of my favorite pictures is the following one because first of all throughout the shoot we all cooperated in order to get the best pictures as possible. In this picture, I was drawing the heart while Ming was writing out the word “letter” and it came out as a really good picture, especially because of the contrast made with the colors of the both, the word and the heart, with the background. Also. the fact that the heart does not fully show gives it an interesting look.
Filed under Learning Log 7-Painting with Light
Learning log 6 (Greenwood) – Regina Torres
Going to Green-Wood cemetery was really a good experience because we got to take many interesting pictures; I really liked the trip because it really got a variety of subjects to choose from and therefore it was really easy to get nice shots. One of the things we got to see was the monument dedicated to the victims of the Brooklyn Theatre Fire, which we learned more about during our visit to the Brooklyn Historical Society. Also, when we got there we were given maps of the place and it reminded me of that map we saw at the BHS that showed the main recreational points of the Cemetery that was used as advertisement back in the 1800s.
Filed under Learning Log 6-Greenwood
Learning log 5 (Portrait Basics) – Regina Torres
1. What are important factors to consider when shooting a portrait?
The subject’s expression, the light and the shadows created by it, the frame (how and where you put your subject in the picture), in other words, the composition of the photograph is really important
2. What is the difference between broad and short lighting?
The shadows that are created, in broad the shadows are more emphasized, while in short lighting the tones between highlights and shadows are not that apart from each other.
3. In a classic basic portrait set up, what is the function of the main light?
To create shadows and highlights (contrast).
4. In a classic basic portrait set up, what is the function of the fill light?
To make the contrast not that drastic and more subtle.
5. In a classic basic portrait set up, what is the function of the background light?
To make the background stand more than the subject, and create a nice effect of backlight, or to separate the subject from the background.
One of the photographs we took last class that I liked the most is this one because it looks quite emotional. It looks as if the subject, Kassandra, was serious/sad and also I like the gradient created by the light.
Filed under Learning Log 5-Portrait Basics
Learning log 4 (Brooklyn Historical Society) – Regina Torres
Daguerreotype of Christina Payne Hallock, circa 1855, DAG.04: Photography collection; Brooklyn Historical Society.
Last class we went to Brooklyn Historical Society, and it was a really interesting trip. First of all, it took us no more than 15 minutes to get there, and once we got there we were able to enter the library in order to analyze the daguerreotypes. It was really nice seeing them in real life because if you have ever seen a daguerreotype image on a book or online is nothing like the actual thing. It was a really interesting experience because those are historical objects, and we were able to see them in real life and even touch them! One of the most impressive things about them is that they are quite reflective, and very detailed and of course, they have no color unlike the pictures we have been taking during the semester. Also, another difference between them is the exposure time, as we can see on the daguerreotype, the woman looks so serious, and that is because the exposure time was too long (it could lasted up to several minutes) and nowadays, the exposure can even go up to a small portion of a second. Even though, nowadays the technicals of taking a pictures have improved, I really liked the daguerreotypes because they look so artistic and had a meaning behind them, not like today pictures that sometimes we just take pictures for the sake of taking them.
Filed under Learning Logs, Photography Formats
Learning log 3 (Botanic Garden) – Regina Torres
My favorite picture from this shooting is probably this one because I really liked the bokeh effect it created for the background, and also because of the contrast of colors from the “flower”(is it really a flower?) and the rusty bar right next to it, and also because the flower/plant sort of looks like a person to me and therefore it adds emotion to it.
Filed under Learning Log 3 - Botanic Garden
Learning log 2 – Regina Torres
My favorite picture from today was this one because there was a good use of negative and positive space and also because even though is a radical cropping, it only focuses on the petals, and also the light created some nice shadows.
Learning Log 1 – Regina Torres
Today in class we had our first shooting, and it was really exciting seeing all the different results that came out. One of the pictures I took that I liked the most was the one that we used for shallow depth. It has the end of the stool centered and, then rest of the picture is blurred; by doing this it is also hard to tell it is a stool right away. Also, one of the things that I liked about the picture was the way the light hit the stool and it creates a nice contrast between the highlights and the rest of the stool.
Filed under learning log 1-Composition
HW1
- What type of photography is it? This is picture taken from a flyer poster after 9/11 when many people were trying to find their loved ones that used to live, or work around the WTC area.
- What can you tell (or guess) about the photographer’s intention? It was to show the contrast of the happiness both women had in the picture with the despair and anguish there is due to 9/11 terrorist attack.
- What emphasis has the photographer created and how has that been done? I think the emphasis in this photograph has been very quite straight forward. The flyer is dead centered in the picture at an eye level, and there is a high contrast since the paper is white and the image is on grayscale. The fact that the photographer has used a grayscale filter for this series creates a mode of seriousness and sadness.
- Do technical matters help or hinder the image? They help the image because they make it look more real. For example the tape that is placed on top of the picture and blocks a part of the picture gives the photograph that realistic look. It makes it looks as if any person could have posted it in the desperation of finding their loved ones and that it was not supposed to be aethestic but informative.
- Are graphic elements important, such as tone, line or perspective? Tone really helps in this photograph since it makes the dark tones to be more noticiable, which helps the viewer to read the description of the woman, and also to see her face clearly.
- What else does the photograph reveal besides what is immediately evident? It reveals how death and tragedy can really affect anyone. Through the description we can see that both women were young and pretty, and maybe even got good money (because of the gucci watch reference) though, as I mention before, tragedy can affect anyone and therefore we are all vulnerable to it.
- What emotional or physical impact does the photograph have? It has a big emotional impact because as we all know, 9/11 was one of the most tragic events that have occured in New York, and even in America in the last few years and this picture shows one
- How does this photograph relate to others in the same series by the same photographer? All the photographs from this series were taken after 9/11 in New York, and also all of these photographs are in grayscale which emphasizes more the feeling of grieve and sadness.
