February Extra Post

I have been starting again on my pictures and my portfolio. For my Independent Component 2 I have been complimenting selling my pride and joy or not. I will be trying to sell pictures soon but I've been busy with colleges and things of the sort. I have been trying to see what I can do with purchasing Adobe Photoshop. It's really exciting. I enjoy the program very much and to have it at home would be a dream. And now, it's a dream coming true.

Blog 16: Answer 2

What is the most important element to go into a memorable digital photograph?

Color is the most important element to go into a memorable digital photograph because it triggers emotion and draws in the viewer the the scene.

Form is another important element to go into a memorable digital photograph because it makes a subject look like it is in the third dimension rather that being flat, which gives it more presence.

Color has long been believed to be a form of therapy, blues and greens were placed around a person to make them feel calmer and relieve tension. Red in our society now means stop, warning, just no. It's bold and it triggers a memory response in people. White to us can mean something plain, bright, or simple, while in some other cultures it gives a sense of mourning. Color means something different to different people. Color means something different to different people because it is strongly linked to memory.

We have all seen the standard child's drawing on a house. It looks flat, like a sticker. Now add shading, it looks more tangible. That is form. Form is the difference between a circle and a sphere. Form is the difference between a straight on square, and an evident cube.

CHIC SIMPLE. PAINT. Pg 11-23. New York. 1994. Print.
CHIC SIMPLE. PAINT. Pg 24-47. New York. 1994. Print.
Peterson, David. "Visual Design: Using Color in Photography." Tips. Digital Photography Secrets. 21 December 2012. Web. 7 November 2014. <http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/2815/using-color-in-photography/>

Peterson, David. "Visual Design: Using Form in Photography." Tips. Digital Photography Secrets. 21 December 2012. Web. 23 January 2015. <http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/2835/visual-design-finding-form-in-photography/>
Peterson, David. "Six Classic Design Elements for Outstanding Photographs." Tips. Digital Photography Secrets. 30 November 2012. Web. 5 December 2014. <http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/2679/six-classic-design-elements-for-outstanding-photographs/>

Color is linked to emotion. Form is linked to touch. Emotion and touch are the essence of memory.

Blog 14 1/2: Independent Component 1

I can cot find my flashdrive anywhere. Which really sucks because there are print worthy pictures on there. Not to brag, but I take pride in what I do. Luckily, I found 454 of my pictures on a hidden file I I had forgotten about. Yay me! The bad news, they're not the good ones that I hoped to share. I'm sorry. I'm so sad, you don't know how many memories lie in that flash drive. How may hours. How many years. How many stories.

Bare in mind, I have 454 pictures. I am so not putting all of those up. I also do not have any editing software on this computer so these are raw. The ones that were touched up to perfection were done at school. And we saved to my flash drive. And now for some pictures!

There are mostly depth and line photos. Normally I would have all elements, but enjoy.

space

line

depth

depth

line

line (implied)

color

These are the Azusa mountains at sunset. I think they're beautiful.

shape

color

Blog 15: Independent Component 2 Approval

I feel sick so I'll try to make this quick. I feel really really gross.

I plan to get a new flash drive and keep on taking pictures.

I was planning to probably try selling pictures already. the demand is not high, but at least it's something. I guess I have to start all over again though.

You can not read about photography. You have to do it. It is an art.

Blog 14: Independent Component 1

I, Ester America Gonzalez, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 32 1/2 hours of work.

"Ansel Adams A Documentary Film." American Experience. PBS. Nd. Web. 25 November 2014. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/ansel/index.html>

This is probably the only thing I looked up, really, for my independent component. The rest is in my WB. I do not like history, but I like photography. When I find I like a piece of history I am interested in,  I try to engage myself as much as I can and really take advantage of my interest. I would not know any history otherwise. Ansel Adams is probably my favorite photographer. he lived in Northern California. he photographed Yosemite. His photos are stunning, I have posters. Every photograph has a story and behind that story is a person. Whether they are trying to convey feeling or an event, it is all different. Getting a feel for the photographer that took the picture gives you a sense and feel for as to why they photographed that very picture that very way. It is quite interesting.

I completed a TON of photographs. Once I'm on a roll, I don't delete any photos that were taken during that time. I tried focusing on my use of space, shape, line, form, texture, and color. I grade pictures during mentorship, so I went back and graded my pictures. Boy oh boy am I far way from something print worthy! But I did use the six elements in bad ways and in good ways, probably half and half. But I think the element that was most important was color and the use of color.

Photography tells a story. Photos can make people laugh and cry. They are not tangible in a sense of touch, but they are visual. There is visual strength in everything . Everything makes you feel, whether it is subconscious or conscious. Everything has a story. I read a quote from one of my recent WB sources. Street photographer instructor Eric Kim said, "You can't fake passion. You can't fake love." I do not know if this impacts any of you, but this hits home for me. Photography is my passion. I am not good with words and I was never really cared for like a regular kid would have been. I have had a messed up life and I am not even 18 yet. Two sentences after that he said, "Share your time, energy, love, insights, hopes, weaknesses, and self-doubts with them." He was talking about his students. People he just met. People he does not know but he is willing to open up to them and be blind to who they might be or what they might do. He is raw. He trusts. He is confident man and it shows in his pictures. There is something so admirable in his words and in his work. I never was allowed to express myself. Just knowing that there is someone out there that has these characteristics, makes me feel safe. I have feelings and I have a voice and I demand to be allowed to express myself. To express myself in the way I see the world, through visuals. This is what I find comfortable, this is who I am.

I had a flash drive with all of my pictures, but I live with people that do not respect my space or my things. So I have no evidence. Do not bother looking for my Instagram account, it only has one picture. I had no way to upload my pictures onto my account because the device I use was taken away for no reason and I only very recently got it back, for no reason again. I'm telling the truth when I say I did my hours. In fact, I'm missing hours. I went over thirty hours, I do not know what that means but that's all I needed to log, really. Hopefully It just makes the grading process faster.

Thank you.

Blog 13: Lesson 2 Reflection

I am not proud of anything in my presentation. I was accidentally making a powerpoint equivalent to the two hour presentation and when I finished that, I realized that it would be totally way too much and what I was actually doing. I only spent three hours working on it so it didn't have the full affect I wished it could have had.

I would give myself an NC/CR.
There was concern with all three points made on the Professionalism section of the contract. There was concern with two on Organization and Activity. Concern with all for Justification and Answer. And concern with two on Audience and Involvement.

People liked the pictures I put on my slides, so I guess that worked.

What didn't work was someone else's presentation... The day before there was a super short presentation and it scared the willies out of me! So I was scared my lesson would be short too. So I tried stalling to make time but it made my presence seem weak and that I didn't actually know my topic. I did. and I wish I could have presented in the manor that was originally intended. It made my activity weak and it made me sound bored. I forgot to say my sources and use my props. They were on the slides, but still. I should have addressed that more. I only gave credit to the pictures in my slides.

My answer two would be form.

For My ROP Students

Every Monday and Wednesday I TA for the photography class Jack teaches in the ROP room. What really impresses me every time I go in are the students. They are all such great workers and they really slay when it comes to creativity. They are dedicated to their work and trying to meet the standards the rubrics call for. Two days ago I was honored to be there as their TA.

The A-Z project is a project in which the students try to make a children's book using pictures. They photograph objects and photoshop the first letter of the object on to their pictures. It sounds simple but the process is very long and taxing. Trying to find objects that start with certain letters is tedious. On top of maintaining pictures, photoshopping each multiple times, keeping them in order, and finding an object for every letter, they must boil everything down to a simple form. It's a picture book for children and not all of them understand what the pictures are trying to convey. It is their end of the semester project, worth 104 points, their biggest photography task yet.

That last day they had to work was the most focused I have seem them. It was a race against time and it was interesting seeing them pulling everything together. There was a group of students that stayed behind longer than the rest, working fast yet still managed to stray behind. I remembered when I was in their shoes. You feel the rush, the drive to keep on going. It is stressful and it feels like you are getting nowhere. In the end, my students completed their projects. The relief of knowing you don't have to worry about the project anymore, that it's over, is very rewarding. Later you think of improvements you could have made, but a lll together you are proud. It may not be the best looking to everyone else, but it looks like the best to you. You know what went into it and you are proud.

In honor of the kids I TA for and all of the hard work they've done this semester, I will be posting my A-Z project. Their projects may have a few bugs to fix but I know what they did to get there, and I am the most proud TA in the world.

Some of them were asking about my A-Z project and I told them I might show them if they finished. My gosh did they finish. And with flying colors. The pictures are embarrassing, it was a whole year ago and I have learned from my mistakes. If you guys actually check my blog, this one is for you rascals.