My Friend Came Home

Today one of my close friends came home from a two week vacation in California. I was very excited to see her again because I missed hanging out with her and having her as a companion as I went out to shoot assignments. After class was dismissed, I went to run a few errands before I went to pick her up. When I arrived at her house, she let me in as they were eating an early dinner. She told me that she had something for me and handed me a plastic sleeve with a cute little turquoise bracelet inside. I was so happy because I had something for her too. It was a picture of her that I printed in my Digital Photo class right around the time we began printing. She was so excited and she showed the rest of her family members. Everyone else was thrilled as well. I presume that they will frame it and put it somewhere, but it is up to them. It felt nice to have done that. I enjoy giving people things. Here is the image I printed for her on my instagram page. It doesn't look exactly the same, as I did do some retouching before I printed it. But it is relatively the same picture.

Image (also self promo..):https://www.instagram.com/p/BKtdzXuDkMF/?taken-by=mels.photography__&hl=en

Shooting Spontaneity Project

Today, my friend and I went out to shoot a project for our digital photography class. We went out to Bayville after school and visited many of the beaches and parks in that area. The project required us to stick around various areas and basically observe what people were doing around us, and capture those moments. It's the idea of spontaneity. One of my favorite things that we shot was when we went to a beach when the sun was in the process of setting. People on the shore line turned into really nice silhouettes with this warm glow from the sun around them. I captured an image of a father with his son while he was pointing to something out in the water. In my opinion, the image gives a sense of closeness while observing and contemplating the bond between a father and a son. It's very heart warming. Another image I particularly enjoy is of a man playing ball with his dog on a dock. The man would throw the ball off the dock and into the water and his dog would go running after it into the water. The man would then follow suit, and they would swim back up together and do it again. This is also a heart warming image, seeing a man and his best friend spending some quality time together. After the sun had set, my friend and I decided to go into Huntington for some dinner and a coffee at Starbucks. We relaxed up until 9:30pm and then we went home. All in all, it was a very eventful day, and I am proud of what I captured. I look forward to going to that area again, as I was particularly fond of it.

Reaction Paper Two: Jim Lennon Studio Visit

Today My photography seminar class and I went to visit Jim Lennon's studio. I thought he was a very friendly individual who really explained what goes into keeping a studio very well. He had extensive knowledge in the business side of photography and provided many stories and experiences. However, I found myself become slightly intimidated. After leaving the studio, I began to ponder over whether photography is the profession for me. Of course I love photography, and I still want to do it know matter what, but I'm not sure if I would be capable of making a living out of it or turning it into a business. Maybe I'm too hard on myself or too cautious, but maybe not. In addition to the experience, I was expecting to see more of Jim's studio and how he does things rather than having him talk most of the time. I found myself getting restless from standing for so long, and a bit bored. All in all, the visit to Jim Lennon's studio was a good one because I got a lot of pointers out of it. It also gave me an inside look on what a real photography studio looks like and what it entails. Lastly, I also enjoyed browsing over his work that was tastefully hung around the studio.

Reaction Paper #1: Albert Maysles

A week ago, I watch a video in my photography seminar class regarding the photographer, Albert Maysles. Albert Maysles was a unique photographer in many ways. Firstly, I admired the fact that he used a regular point and shoot camera to photograph his subjects. This showed that he cared more about the people and their emotions rather than the quality of the photograph. I believe this made his photographs more real and personal. Second, I loved how friendly and out going he was with his subjects. He made them feel comfortable and good about themselves so that they were willing to have their pictures taken. I could also see the joy he had when he was photographing. He had started to take pictures at the young age of ten, and first started out by photographing his parents and other family members. Based on an interview, Albert stated that he had taken one of his early photographs of his brother sleeping. It displays a great deal of tranquility in my opinion, and gives the viewer a sense of peace. Furthermore, I also thought it was interesting that Albert had studied psychology prior to launching in the photography and film making field. The transition from psychology to photography seemed to be an advantage for him because he could get a sense of what the subject was feeling based on a gaze. This he has learned from his wife. His photography, I believe, is even better because it gets the viewer to think about what that particular subject is thinking or feeling. As stated before, it makes it more real and appealing. Unfortunately, Albert had passed away in May 2015. However, his work will continue to hopefully inspire others. He has surely inspired me.