Artist Statement

Throughout this portfolio you will see artwork that I have done pertaining to all projects dealing with the camera and its special effects, Photoshop and its tools, and pictures I have taken and or created myself. This portfolio is an example of a “before and after”; last semester vs. this semester and I feel much more confident and proud of all the work I have done this semester. One thing I experienced in class that was my favorite would definitely have to be using a tutorial to create fire/flames that look realistic. I used the tutorial to help but I changed up the directions and made the fire my own way.

Over the course of this semester/year I learned that using your imagination, personal experiences, and dreams can become real in Photoshop by using tutorials, special effects, tools, and also by using pictures you took yourself; you can create/do anything you put your mind to. I feel I was most successful with Photoshop, learning all the tools and techniques. It took me a great while to get it all down but I finally got it and I learned new tools and techniques on my own as well. I think the thing I struggled with the most in all my artwork was figuring out how to put things together on Photoshop and creating things to the extent of it looking real because there were some things that I couldn’t figure out what to do with it or how to transform it into what I wanted. It was sometimes difficult choosing what tools or techniques to use also.

Some of my influences that helped my with my artwork were colors that I loved, which could have resembled a mood or feeling, my moods and feelings I had as well, and surrealists because of their crazy ideas that they put onto paper or in a photo. I have seen growth and improvement in mainly this semester on my composition and craftsmanship as far as understanding it and putting it throughout my artwork. I could improve my artwork in many ways, but the main way would be to practice, practice, and learn new tools.

Personal Metaphor "Melting Like a Heart on Fire"

Melting Like a Heart on Fire

This was a metaphor I made up representing me. I chose this specific metaphor because of what I’m feeling. I feel great love and extreme happiness. It is because of one special person that I have in my life and I am glad that person is in my life. I strongly believe everything happens for a reason. I also chose this metaphor because it explains what happens and how this person affects me whenever they are around.

The most difficult thing about this project was definitely figuring out how to turn yourself into your metaphor. I guess you could say I didn’t really quite succeed in doing this so that is one thing I could have done better, changing myself into the heart. I absolutely did not like the idea of my hands and or legs being outside of the heart. So, even though I didn’t quite change myself into the heart I tried to make my body combine and become apart of the heart by putting veins/arteries around my body and around the entire heart as well. One thing I am very proud of is how I used Photoshop tools to create fire that looks realistic, and it really does. I am also proud of the veins/arteries and how they look because I think it unifies the whole picture. I feel very good and confident about this specific piece of work. I think I did a great job and I actually enjoyed creating it. Out of all the projects this year I would have to say this one is my favorite.

Shutter Speed

This picture was taken in the classroom in a corner of the room by a door and window. It was dark with very little light coming through the window. We were experimenting with shutter speed, which controls how long light comes into the lens; example: 12 seconds, 15 seconds, etc. and it can create some really cool effects of lighting. You usually use shutter speed in dark settings when you don't want to use the flash on the camera. Shutter speed interacts with ISO and Aperture. We changed the ISO to a faster speed which makes it possible to take pictures in a darker setting without using flash and it captures the natural color of the picture scene. With aperture, which is measured in f-stops, we set the size of the camera hole to a larger setting and it helped more light get into the hole. Shutter speed was really cool to work with and we created really cool light designs, such as numbers, objects, and letters, using our cell phones and glow sticks.

ISO: Film Speed

Flash (above)

ISO Range: 50

ISO Range: 400

ISO Range: 5000

ISO is known as film speed. It means, how slow or fast your camera reacts to the light setting you're in. Changing the ISO on your camera (if it has it) can capture the real, natural lighting in dark settings without using flash. Flash can take away the natural lighting and colors. The top, first photo I used the auto settings with flash, which made my partner very bright and you couldn't tell that the Christmas lights in the background were on. In the second (ISO 50), third (ISO 400), and fourth (ISO 5000) photos more light was added because of the ISO range. The lower the ISO range the less light; the higher the ISO range the more light you have. When you use fast ISO you have to be careful that there is not already enough light in the background. If you have too much light and your settings are on a fast ISO then your picture will be flooded with way too much light and you wont be able to see your background and or subject.

Fill in Flash Experiment

These pictures are OK examples of fill in flash. Fill in flash is when you use flash in your pictures to add more light when you have really dark shadows or a dark subject in a light background. You would use fill in flash to lighten up shadows and brighten up your subject so it can be seen clearly. An example when to use fill in flash would be, if you are taking a picture of your friend and he or she is in the shade but they have a light background, making them dark, well using the fill in flash would make your friend brighter and visible. The purpose of fill in flash is just to "fill" in light where it is needed or where you want it. The top two photos are examples that we did (one with and one without flash) where I was in a back lit situation and the fill in flash brought in more light to see me. The two bottom photos are examples of shadows across the face (one with flash and the other without flash) which lightened the shadows up.

Metering

Light metering is something you can do with almost any camera. What it does is measure the lighting amount in the area you are in or the object you are taking a picture of. Your camera can read light and focus on your object by pressing the shutter button half way down. In the top picture my partner held the camera close to my cheek and the camera read the lighting on my skin by holding down the shutter button half way then pulling back and taking the picture. What that was supposed to do was change the lighting shift, making the picture brighter and the computer screen way over exposed, but it did not quite come out right. The bottom picture my partner metered the computer screen only, which made the computer screen visible, not over exposed, and the rest of the picture dark. They are both different because of the lighting situations and what the camera reads or what you make it reread. Spot metering can help you in dark settings, inside or outside, when you don't necessarily want too little or too much light.

Surrealism: A New Beginning

When you dream, you have symbols and see and hear many things that have a meaning to it, but you may not always or ever understand the meaning of them all. Every symbol in your dream can represent your background, emotions, experiences, and it is associated with your own reality. When you interpret your dreams you will have a better understanding and discovery of your true self. In my surrealism picture there are babies falling from the sky, and seeing a baby in your dream signifies innocence, warmth, and new beginnings. They also symbolize something in my own inner nature that is pure, vulnerable, helpless, and/or uncorrupted. It can mean as well, that I have acknowledged my hidden potential. I have an apple tree in my picture but the bottles are taking the place of the apples; seeing an apple tree in our dreams symbolize greatness and magnificence, you have a thought in your mind that you are feeling larger than life itself. The clear, white, fluffy clouds in my picture signify peace within myself, spiritual harmony and compassion. I believe it means that an issue in my life is clearing up and I can think without any distractions or stress. I think it is amazing that just one symbol can signify more than one thing but it can definitely give you a better understanding of why you dream what you dream, why certain things are in them, and what those things mean.

Graduation Program

After looking at the other students programs I think I did well on everything, the photo, Pegasus, fonts, placement of everything, and the colors. A few things I would have done differently is create a better background as far as not leaving the entire middle part white; I think I could have came up with something more creative and meaningful. Graphic design is definitely a lot harder than I expected in the beginning because you were just barely coming up with ideas and brainstorming but as you move along in progress of the project it becomes easier because you know what to do now. I think the most important aspects of graphic design is knowing how to make it attract the eyes and keep them interested because no one is going to want to look at something or keep looking at something that they think is ugly or poorly done, and that's the truth. Some advice for next year, I would probably have to say to tell your students to put their own meaning into their work; like their own interpretation of graduation for example, and have them express what it means to them in a deeper level.

Alternate Program: Si Se Puede

After looking at the other students program covers and designs I think i did really well on my composition, as far as placing everything in the right spot to where it is all balanced out. If I were to do anything to make it better I would choose a different picture or artwork piece; that would be the only thing I would change. The thing I struggled with the most was really thinking about and choosing a font that was elegant, yet readable and the right size to balance it out as well. I think I did better on the graduation program, because it has more information, a better image that is my own work, and it's not too much to where when you look at it your eyes are being taken throughout the cover steadily.

Effects

I like both the glow and emphasis photos, but I like the glow effect better. The glow effect puts a softer feeling to the photo. It kind of feels dreamy and pleasant, like a fantasy world that I created in my dreams. I think these effects, the glow/blur, emphasis, and cross process are really cool. They can be used to enhance a certain area or the whole thing to create a fun, spunky photo as well as the feeling you get when you take a glance at it.

Frames

Out of these two photos the one I like most is the top one, because I really like how I used the frames. I also like how the shadow on the wall came out, it looks cool. I think what makes these photos artistic is the balance of black, greys, and whites, as far as which side of the frames I used, shadows, and bright areas. What I could do to make it more artistic is, come up with more creative ideas about how and where to place the frames and maybe only using one instead of two or using a small one instead of a big one or vice versa.

Color!

I really love both of my color shots. I think they are fun, exciting, and different. I love the colors, how they are bright and they stand out. Bright colors in photos look beautiful together, they enhance the photo. In the future I would like to wear crazy color clothing, but not too crazy. I also think I could of came up with more creative ways to use and add color. Overall, I am really happy with the way they both came out.

Balance: Asymmetrical and Symmetrical

Symmetrical balance is mirror image balance. If you draw a line down the center of the page, all the objects on one side are mirrored on the other side. They may not be identical objects, but they are similar in terms of numbers of objects, colors and other elements. Sometimes they are completely identical like in architecture. Asymmetrical balance occurs when several smaller items on one side are balanced by a large item on the other side, or smaller items are placed further away from the center of the screen than larger items. For example, one darker item may need to be balanced by several lighter items. I think visual balance is important in art because it puts equal distribution of visual weight on what you are looking at and the visual elements work and cooperate together with the design.

Group Collaboration

Taking group photos are difficult. Sometimes it depends on how many people you have in a group like its more challenging I think to capture 5 or 6 people in a group shot versus 3 or 3 people. It was difficult to actually place everyone in the photo to where they will be visible and have everyone look united. It was also difficult to find a background that wasn't too busy. If I could do large group shots over again I would maybe find more creative, strong, and fun ways to draw attention to the story behind the photo if there is one. If there is no story, it can be created.

Artist Statement

In Digital Photography class this semester we have learned so many things, as far as compositional tricks, and also Photoshop, like all the tools, shortcuts, and cool effects that can be done and used to enhance your photographs overall appearance (hue/saturation, color contrast, levels, etc.). Also, how to put a portfolio together to show our work and progress over time on different projects using different skills. I am very happy that I chose to take Digital Photography, because I love to take photographs and use cameras. Now that I learned how to take nice photographs, I know that I will continue to use my knowledge for the remaining years of my life, thanks to Miss. Cook.

I love my portfolio. I feel that I did a good job on it along with the photos because even though some photos may not be my best work, I still did the best I could and I worked hard. I think it turned out great. In my portfolio you will find photos pertaining to rule of thirds, leading lines, macro, extreme angles, crop, and self portraits. You will also find photo projects that I did in Photoshop, my Contact Sheet, Adjustment Layer, Creative Me, Scary Expressions (scary face, ghosts and zombie), Haunted Chavez, Social Issue, and Lyrics photos. There is also an interpretation of the photo “The Scream" by Edvard Munch and a critique on Parke Harrisons “Guardian”.

One thing I think I was most successful with was the “Lyric” project. I truly believe I did well because I chose a powerful song that relates to me in so many ways. It describes what type of person I am and that was the whole intention and purpose. It is my absolute favorite project I have done out of this entire semester. Although, there was a project, or a few projects I struggled with, mainly the Haunted Chavez. My ideas kept changing. I struggled with the positions and places that I thought my characters should be in and I struggled with the emphasis. It was not as clear as I wanted it to be.

In the future I could improve by practicing my skills, knowledge and composition on my own time, like concentrating on lighting, positions, places, and background. Practice makes perfect, and believe it will come naturally to me the more I practice. I have seen improvement in my photos the more I became familiar with Photoshop. In the beginning I struggled with Photoshop but I learned to teach myself. I am proud of the artwork I have done. It’s the start of a great, new beginning and I plan to become enhanced and learn a lot more as I progress.

Lyrics

The lyrics I chose for this project are: She Got Her Own, By: Ne-Yo, Jaime Foxx, & Fabolous.

”I love her cause she got her own

She don't need mine she say leave mine alone

There aint nothing that's more sexy

Than a girl that want but don't need me

Young independent yeah she work hard

But you can't tell from the way that she walk

She don't slow down cause she aint got time

To be complaining shawty gon shine

She don't expect nothing from no guy

She plays aggressive but she still shy

But you'll never know her softer side

By looking in her eyes

Knowing she can do for herself

Makes me wanna give her my wealth

Only kinda girl I want

Independent queen working for her throne

I love her cause she got her own

She got her own

I love it when she say

It's cool I got it, I got it, I got it

I love her cause she got her own

She don't need mine she say leave mine alone

There aint nothing that's more sexy

Than a girl that want but don't need me

Lovely face, nice thick thighs

Plus she got drive that matches my drive

Sexy thang, she’s mcfly

All the while paying her bills on time

She don't look at me like captain save em’

Gold diggin no she don't do that

Now she look at me like inspiration

She wanna be complimentin’ my swag

And everything she got she work for it

Good life made for it

She take pride in saying that she paid for it

Only kinda girl I want

Independent queen working for her throne

I love her cause she got her own”

I chose this song because it represents what kind of person I am. It’s a strong independent song for women who are independent and strong. The lyrics explain how one woman doesn’t need a man or his money to keep her happy or keep her on her feet. It’s saying that she’s working hard for what she wants in life without any help. These lyrics make feel powerful, like I can do anything I wanted to if I put my mind to it, and that’s exactly how I am. The meanings of the words are very powerful and they stand out, which for example my favorite saying is “Independent queen working for her throne”, this can make a woman feel like she’s on top of the world and very proud of herself because she did it on her own.

Social Issue

I did this social issue on teenage pregnancy, showing how it is difficult to carry a baby inside you when there is no father around to help or take care of you and how you are all alone raising a child. It not only affects me to see my close friends and family get pregnant so young and struggle with the consequences and fears but it affects other people like their family and close friends. It affects some more than others because everyone has a different point of view.

I chose this photo of my best friend Luisa; she was really pregnant and due any day from when I took this photo. I chose this photo because I like how it shows that she’s not really happy or sad, she’s just thinking. Also because it reveals her real life situation she was going through at that time (being alone and dealing with the absent father) and still continues till this day, even after she had the baby. I feel really close to this picture not only because she’s my best friend but because I went through all those hard times with her and I was there for her to make sure she kept her head up high. I chose the statement “I’ll be a Great Mother” because that’s what every mother wants regardless if he father is absent or not. It just means that mothers are strong and they can do it by themselves without the neglect and help.

Haunted Chavez

For this project we had to take a picture of a scene or area in our school and add zombies or ghosts. The intention is to make it look haunted. My initial idea was to have a girl doing her makeup in the restroom and have zombies coming out of the stalls and attack her. In the end nothing changed as far as my idea. Some of the most difficult decisions I had to make were choosing where to put the zombies and how to actually make the restroom look haunted, like choosing tools, colors, and other functions that could possibly make the picture look better. One problem I faced was making the girl the emphasis and not making the zombie on the ground the emphasis. So, what I did was add sort of a leading line to the desired emphasis. I made the zombie on the floor look like she was looking at the girl and it worked out ok. I think I did well on the color contrast, the tint of green, and also making the decision to add a lens flare. On this project I think I could have done so much better, on choosing character positions and also a place that would be easier to make haunted.

Critique: ParkeHarrison's "Guardian"

In a misty forest, what looks like a deserted, empty War field, there is a man in a suit crouching over the land on wooden stilts tied to the middle section of his dress shoes. On his back, are branches piled together to make a protective surrounding, what look like wings stretched out ready to fly away. He looks like a tree, focused and determined, ready to protect from any harm.

Being in the center, he is the main emphasis. The misty fog in the background creates a mixing mood with the soft light and darks that also have a soft edge of contrast letting us know that he has a duty to fulfill and will accomplish it no matter what. The light will soon fade away and he will be surrounded by darkness. I think this is a beautiful photo. It makes me feel like I am really there, feeling what he feels. In most photos, I believe that the emphasis should not be directly in the center but I could tell the artist thought deep and hard about where to put the emphasis. It works.

This photograph deeply portrays the meaning of the need to be safe and always wanting to have your guardian angel by your side. It corresponds clearly that there will always be someone there for you during the ups and downs that we all face in everyday life.

Scary Expressions

When I look at this picture it makes me think of those movies or books I've seen or read that have scary and abnormal looking creatures that everyone is afraid of or make fun of. These are the type of living things that people think are mean and monstrous which sometimes they are and sometimes they're not. You never know what anyone or anything is like until you give it chance, to get to know them. Things are not always what they seem.

When I look at this picture it makes me think of a dream I remember having when I was younger. I had a dream that I was a scary ghost with blood all over my body and I was standing or leaning over my own body that was alive and sound asleep. It was like my soul was dead but my body was still alive and my spirit was haunting my own body because I wanted to be alive. I didn't understand my dream. I was thinking maybe there is a reason why I dreamt that my bloody spirit was haunting my own body. I believe all dreams have reasons whether you did something in the past or present.

When I look at this picture it makes me think of scary movies I have seen in the past, usually movies I would avoid watching. Also, it makes think of the music video "Thriller" by Michael Jackson because of the way my eyes look. At the end of "Thriller" Michael's eyes have that yellow glow and look almost exactly like mine do. Honestly when I look at this picture I get scared of myself. Yea I know funny huh? This photo also reminds me of when I am completely heated and full of anger when someone makes me more than mad. This is what I would probably look like if I really expressed how I was feeling at that point and time.

Scream: My Interpretation

In this photo I see a person screaming. He is in shock because something devastating happened. He was walking on the side of a huge bridge with water flowing rapidly underneath. Cars are passing by every second; he sees a head on crash collision. Five cars are involved. One of the vehicles happened to be family members; his sister as well as her two kids. He is freaking out at the moment. He is so in shock he cannot move. It took him a while before he realized what just happened. He ran to the vehicle, and everyone was seriously injured and his sister died. It was the worst day of his life.

Creative Me

This project was an opportunity for us to put the tools we have learned to use. We were to take one of our portraits, and change it creatively using the following: selection tools, layers, adjustment layers, layer styles, blending options, paint brushes and opacity.

The thing I like about this image is the window with the reflection. Even though you can see what is on the other side, you can still see the reflection which I think is really cool and unique. The tool I liked the most was the magnetic lasso tool becuase it is more precise on the selecting, by selecting the edges of your object but only the contrast. I also like it because you can customize it. So far I really wish I was more confident with the Photoshop knowledge. I have a hard time with computers, remembering how to do things and it takes me a while to learn new things, even at home.

Adjustment Layers

In this exercise we learned about Adjustment layers. Adjustment layers allow you to add adjustments to your image on separate layers instead of directly to the image itself. This comes in handy during long complicated projects. In Photoshop every tool is specifically designed to help improve your photo. However, here we took some artistic liberties and explored adjustments creatively.

Self Portraits

For our Self-Portrait project we were to take three self-portraits. They were all to be in black and white, and they were all to capture a mood of some sort. We were also challenged to be as artistic as possible, and stay as far away from normal, cliche portraits that we see on personal pages etc. as possible. One had to use the rule of thirds as the base for the composition; one had to incorporate leading lines, and one had to be taken from a more extreme angle.

It was hard to be the model while someone was taking the shot of you. You had to be able to think about where you wanted to be in the photo, where you wanted it to be taken, how you wanted to be positioned, what facial expression to do, and you also had to think about the lighting, if it was to bright, just right, or too dark. I think the most successful photo out of the three is the one below because it's not a photo you would see everyday, it's not a snap shot, my facial expression is exposed well, and it came out creative to where it looks interesting and fresh. Next time I would bring props to show who I really am to make the picture a lot more meaningful and stronger. I would also do different facial expressions as well as poses. Overall I am very happy with the outcome of my self portraits. I think I did a great job.

Contact Sheet

I think my contact sheet turned out ok, it could have turned out better. The thing I believe I did well on was the size of the pictures, the style of the wording, and the organization of the photos. Next time I would choose better pictures and organize them differently. Out of all the compositional tricks I think my macro depth of field came out the best. The trick I really like the most is the macro depth of field because it already sets up the emphasis with the faded background, making it clearer to see exactly what you're looking at. It also looks very interesting, not many photos are taken using macro. It's a unique sense of style.

Compositional Trick #5 Cropping

Cropping is a trick that photographers do all the time, even if they don't realize it. Every time a photographer chooses to cut something out of his/her frame, before they snap the photo, that is in essence cropping. We also have learned tools on Photoshop that allow us to crop an image after we have taken it. When cropping in Photoshop it is possible to improve our composition or change it completely.

I changed the composition in this photo by cutting out extra space that did not need to be in the photo and also I cut out the people that were standing in the background. I like this photo better than the original one because it looks more like an actual photo and there is nothing that distracts you from it.

Compositional Trick #4 Extreme Angles

To get this angle I tried to get lower than the main focus in my photo. I kneeled down and faced the camera up towards the building behind him. I like the shades of grey in this picture. I also like the background with the lines and small windows, and the grass in front is really cool too because it has a type of texture-looking feel to it. I could have done better with this photo being in a more extreme angle, either being higher or lower. I think photographing from an extreme angle makes your photographs have a view that is outside the way we normally look at an object. I would choose to use extreme angles because it creates an unfamiliar perspective.

Compositional Trick #3 Macro

The macro function on a camera does an incredibly awesome thing, it captures very small objects, very close to the lens, and makes it larger than what it appears to be. This allows you to see every detail of your photo up close. Depth of field is the amount of distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. A deep depth of field will keep everything in focus, including objects or people close to you, and everything in the background. It is quite good for landscape, architectural shots, technical photographs, or close ups.A shallow depth of field will only focus on the on the object or person you have photographed, allowing the main subject to be "isolated" within the frame. Everything else will be out of focus. This is useful for portraits for instance, because it draws the viewer's eye to the person photographed, and softens any distractions in the background.

Macro would be a compositional trick of choice because you can see things that are too small to see in everyday life and make them large enough to see every detail about it. That is the beauty of it. I could use it on interesting insects, textures, and also plants or flowers whenever i wanted, just to enjoy the nature this world has to offer.

The photo I like best is the flowers. Using macro enhanced this photo by softening the background, fading it, and putting focus only on the flowers, isolating them from the rest of the picture. I like how the flowers are so clear and unique. You don't see flowers like these everyday. I also like the colors and how the background fades just perfectly.

Compositional Trick #2: Leading Lines

A leading line can be almost anything: a road, river, sidewalk, fence, tree line or shadow. Lines in a picture should lead into, not out of, the picture, and they should lead your eye toward the main subject. In this photo I had many leading lines. The long, wide cement-like surface leads you directly to the emphasis which was the whole purpose, it being the main leading line. Other leading lines would be, the lower cement-like surface to right of the emphasis, the curved shadow to the top left corner, the horizontal pole in the middle, and finally the curved line on the ground by the letter C.

Compositional Trick #1: Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds is like a grid that has two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines. It is often used as a guideline to more professional-looking pictures by lining up your subjects on the intersections of the grid lines. This technique creates more tension, energy and interest in the photo than simply centering the feature would.

In this photo above, I used the rule of thirds technique on the horse statue. It is placed on the grid line directly on the bottom right hand corner, the horse statue being the emphasis of the photo.