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WEEK 1

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ARDN632_2024_S2

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Week 12

Contact Sheet

Photos selected from the contact sheet

I selected some of the best photos from the contact sheet.

These photos were taken on a Sunday morning near my home when the weather was exceptionally good.

For this shoot, I invited my roommate Ziyan Zhang to be the model. The sunlight filtered through the fence, casting interesting shadows on my roommate. By shooting from different angles, I captured a variety of dynamic and visually appealing images.

Research and Ideas

This photo is from a scene in the Chinese historical TV drama "Empresses in the Palace."

The main character walks among green plants, with sunlight filtering through the leaves and casting dappled light on her. This scene inspired me, as I saw the aesthetics of light and shadow in it.

Therefore, I attempted to shoot a series of photos capturing people walking with light and shadow falling on them, aiming to capture a similar effect and atmosphere. Through this, I hope to showcase the beauty and dynamics of the interplay between light and shadow.

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Week 11

Contact Sheet

Photos selected from the contact sheet

The photos for this week were taken at Albert Park, with my friend Tammy Yao as the model. We chose to shoot on a sunny day to ensure better photo quality. I had my friend stand among the trees and sit on the grass, with sunlight filtering through the foliage and casting a warm, relaxing glow on her, creating a cozy and serene atmosphere. This shoot aimed to capture the beauty of natural light as well as the joy and relaxation of spending happy times with friends.

The last photo was taken in front of a Vietnamese restaurant in Parnell, with a wall adorned with lanterns as the backdrop. This restaurant has a Chinese-inspired decor, and the soft glow of the lanterns reflected gently on my friends' faces, creating a warm and charming atmosphere.

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Week 10

Contact Sheet

Photos selected from the contact sheet

This series of photos was taken at night inside my friend's car, with Tammy Yao as the model. I've been exploring night photography, which poses significant challenges in adjusting ISO, shutter speed, and aperture settings—a challenge I've eagerly embraced. To hone my skills, I've experimented with shooting in various nocturnal locations and lighting conditions. For this shoot, I chose to use the car's interior lights as the primary light source and employed the car door as a prop to capture different angles and depths of field. My goal was to highlight the mysterious ambiance and individuality of nighttime scenes.

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Week 9

Contact Sheet

Photos selected from the contact sheet

The first set was captured inside the car at night, where I aimed to capture candid close-ups of my friend Tammy Yao's facial expressions.

In the second set, taken during the daytime on a street in Avondale, I stumbled upon a wall adorned with murals. The juxtaposition of the characters on the wall with my friend Luna Tang added vibrancy and interest to the photos.

For the third set, we ventured into a secluded spot behind a fence, where sunlight streamed through the gaps in the fence, casting striking contrasts on my friend's figure.

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Week 8

Contact Sheet

Photos selected from the contact sheet

The photos this week were taken in a park at night. I had my friend Tammy Yao stand under the trees, with the light casting through the leaves onto her. As she walked through the interplay of light and shadows, I captured the dynamic scenes. Then, I positioned her to sit on the grass, using maple leaves as props. With the light shining on her profile, it created a stark contrast with the darkness, accentuating the brightness on her face. This contrast added depth and emotion to the photos.

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Week 7

Contact Sheet

Photos selected from the contact sheet

This week's photos were taken at Western Springs Lakeside Park. I invited my friends to be my models and captured various moments of them feeding the animals with bread crumbs. The sunlight accompanied them throughout, enriching the scenes with vibrancy and humor. I aimed to capture my theme "friends and light" by photographing them while they chatted and walked, hoping to freeze moments of friendship and joy for eternity.

Research and Ideas

I drew inspiration from photobooks like Melissa Schriek's "Ode," observing how she employs photography to convey emotional depth and narrative complexity. This influence guides me in capturing moments of friends being together and the changing interplay of light and shadow in different environments. The photos depict friends engaging in various activities, sharing joy, laughter, and contemplation, illuminated by natural or artificial light sources. Each photograph reflects the intimacy between friends while highlighting the beauty of light.

The friendships depicted in this photobook remind me of a favorite author of mine, Elena Ferrante, and her work "My Brilliant Friend," a novel primarily centered around friendship. The story portrays the profound friendship between the protagonist and her brilliant friend. Despite facing many challenges and disagreements, they always support and uplift each other. Friendship plays a crucial role in the story, helping them navigate through life's difficulties, sharing joys and sorrows, and becoming indispensable parts of each other's lives. Through this friendship, I have come to appreciate the true power of friendship and the importance of supporting each other in times of need.

I have also read her "Frantumaglia," a collection of interviews and letters. In the thirteenth piece, "Confusion Under the Belief," in an interview with Elisa Sabelo, Ferrante discusses, "Friendship is a crucible of positive and negative feelings that are in a permanent state of ebullition."

So I plan to use friendship and light as the themes for my photography. The connection between the two is so close that they both constitute an important part of my life. Through my photography, I hope to capture the beautiful moments between friendship and light, as well as the warmth and hope they bring to people. I believe that guided by such a theme, my work will be able to showcase genuine and profound emotions while conveying the power and significance of friendship and light to the audience.

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Week 6

This week's photos were taken at the entrance of my house. Because there are green plants as a screen at the entrance of my house, when the sun sets, sunlight shines through the leaves and through the glass into the room, creating a warm atmosphere. I used a foam board as a prop to illuminate, letting the light shine on my face, and took self-portraits using the camera's timer function.

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Week5

Reflection - When taking portraits I need to find the best angle to present a richer story. And when setting the camera's shooting time, I need to be more precise about the distance between the camera and the person to get better results.

These six photos are my favorites and inspired me a lot after researching the portfolios of 12 photographers, I drew on their inspiration of using the shadows of plants mapped onto the human body to form tattoos for their shots and finding the perfect angle of light and shadow while doing so. I had some difficulties with the self-portraits, and I still need to find a more suitable angle and light.

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Week 4

From light studio

For this shoot, I used a polystyrene box to make it easier for the light to reach my face and I used the change of location to my advantage and took the chance to build up on portraits and self-portraits using the natural light.

Photographers 10 Martina Matencio

The photographer specializes in capturing limb skin in light and shadow, with plants in natural light mapping out shadows on the model's skin like tattoos.

Photographers 11 Alessio Albi

In the photographer's work, the structure of light and shadow is often used to set the mood of the image, and props are utilized to express their ideas.

Photographers 12 Masha Raymers

The photographer's composition, light and shade, and color palette are all unique, and Raymers specializes in symmetrical and three-dimensional compositions that have a strong visual impact.

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Week 3

My photography is inspired by the photographers Lee Gyuyeon and Antoine Henault, who I studied this week

Week 3 workshop

we focused on three photography techniques:

Classic headshot with shallow depth of field [bokeh]:

This technique involves capturing a traditional headshot with a shallow depth of field, creating a pleasing background blur known as bokeh. Factors such as lighting, focal length, camera-to-subject distance, and f-stop decisions were considered to achieve the desired effect. The framing of the shot focused on the subject's face.

Half-body or full-length portrait framing:

This technique involved photographing subjects in half-body or full-length portraits, paying attention to lighting, focal length, camera-to-subject distance, and f-stop decisions. The goal was to capture the subject's entire body while maintaining a pleasing composition. Portrait framing was utilized to emphasize the subject.

Wide-angle environmental portrait genre:

This technique involved using a wide-angle lens to capture environmental portraits, incorporating the surrounding landscape into the composition. Factors such as lighting, focal length, and framing decisions were crucial in this genre to convey the subject's relationship with their environment. Landscape framing was utilized to showcase the subject within their surroundings.

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SDL

'Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California' (1936)

The video highlights the profound impact of photography as a medium for storytelling and emotional connection. Dorothea Lange's iconic photograph "Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California" exemplifies this power. Capturing the hardship and resilience of the Great Depression era, the image resonates with viewers on a deeply human level.

Lange's composition skillfully conveys the mother's strength and vulnerability, as well as the plight of migrant workers during that tumultuous time. The lighting and framing draw attention to the mother's weary yet determined expression, inviting empathy and understanding from the viewer.

Just as Teju Cole discusses the importance of capturing moments that are "washed with presence, with light," Lange's photograph encapsulates a moment of raw emotion and quiet dignity. It serves as a poignant reminder of the struggles faced by countless families during the Great Depression, while also celebrating the resilience and spirit of the human condition.

In essence, "Migrant Mother" is a testament to the enduring power of photography to evoke empathy, spark conversation, and illuminate the human experience across time and space.

Photographers 7 Ilona Bankevich

Her photographs give me a sense of hazy and cold atmosphere, giving the viewer a sense of cold detachment, she is very good at using natural light and shadow to breathe life into her photographs, and make the viewer feel the emotion in her works through the characters and the environment.

Photographers 8 Lee gyuyeon

This photographer from South Korea's photography has a sense of atmosphere and storytelling that allows the viewer to feel the emotions behind the characters, and uses simple scenes but can bring out the sense of storytelling.

Photographers 9 Antoine Henault

She specializes in film photography, and her shots have rich colors that can make viewers feel the romantic French style, with shots that are rich in color and as intense as oil paintings.

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Week 2

Week 2 - Portrait of my friend

This week, I invited my friend Luna for a portrait photography session. We chose a park near Avondale, and I used a Canon 80D with a 50mm portrait lens. Throughout the shoot, I carefully considered lighting, composition, and depth of field. To add a storytelling touch, I incorporated props like leaves and a chair into the scenes.Through this exercise, I gained a deep appreciation for the joys and challenges of portrait photography. Feeling more familiar with using the camera and lenses, I also learned how to capture unique moments in my shots. I realized that experimenting with different lighting and angles is crucial to creating unique effects. This time I also utilized props such as leaves and seats, which made my shots more storytelling. In the future, I plan to continue to keep experimenting with new ways of shooting to keep improving my photography skills.

Week2 workshop

Photo from Tuesday's studio group shoot

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SDL

lighting and composition

In photography, lighting and composition play crucial roles in influencing emotions, visual communication, and the impact of an image.

1. Lighting:

Contrast: High-contrast lighting can create a dramatic atmosphere and enhance the emotional expression of a photo. Low-contrast lighting may convey a softer, warmer mood, suitable for expressing tenderness and calmness.

Direction of Light: The direction of light can affect the shape and texture of objects in the image. Side lighting can emphasize textures and details, while backlighting can create silhouette effects, enhancing the sense of shape.

Color Temperature: The choice of warm or cool color tones can directly influence viewers' emotional responses. Warm tones are often associated with comfort and warmth, while cool tones may evoke feelings of loneliness or detachment.

2. Composition:

Diagonals and Lines: Using diagonals and lines can guide the viewer's gaze, creating a sense of dynamism and flow, or adding tension and drama to the image.

Balance and Proportion: Considering the position, size, and relationship of objects in the frame can create a sense of balance and harmony, or introduce dramatic imbalance.

Foreground and Background: Thoughtfully using foreground and background elements can add layers and depth to the image, creating a rich visual experience.

Through the skillful use of lighting and composition, photographers can manipulate viewers' emotions, guide their gaze, and convey the story and meaning behind the image. This visual communication goes beyond conveying the image itself, but also communicates the photographer's emotions and viewpoints.

Photographers 4 Paul Abbbah

I can feel in his photographic images that he focuses his lens on the emotions and moods behind human behavior, and that he is inspired by observing the world around him, presenting the viewer with a visual world that is unique and rich in depth.

Photographers 5 Stuart Redler

His photography is very diverse in subject matter, is a passionate black and white photographer who sits in the sun and flash to create stark, high-contrast photography.

Photographers 6 Jimmy Marble

His bright, saturated colors, and exaggerated poses of the characters present a vibrant and lively image that allows the viewer to feel the colorful and exciting moments of life!

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Week 1 - In the mirror

I chose two songs with different emotions as background music for my photography session, namely "Copycat" by Billie Eilish and "Pure Imagination" by Timothée Chalamet. They created distinct atmospheres, adding fun and inspiration to the shoot. Through experimenting with various compositions, lighting, and tones, I tested different emotions in the photos, allowing me to express the theme more flexibly. By manually adjusting camera settings according to the scene's demands, I gradually became familiar with mastering the photo effects. Additionally, utilizing the self-timer function on my camera gave me more control, especially when shooting personal portraits.

Photographers of self-portraiture and portraiture

Ernst Haas

He is good at using colors and contrasts of light and dark to make viewers feel strong visual effects and emotional expressions. He often uses changes in shutter speeds and long exposures to capture changes in people, he often uses changes in natural light to highlight his subjects, and he is good at using shadows to create a sense of ambience in his images.

Photographers 2 Marco Klahold

In his portraits I can see that he uses the relationship between the environment and the subject to give the photo a natural and unique sense of life.

Photographers 3 Anastasia Lisitsyna

I can feel the warm colors and delicate skin textures in her work, mixed well, these shots make me feel classicism, the images are quiet, like a frame of film footage.

Week 1 SDL

Steve McCurry Video

Steve McCurry is a famous photographer known for his in-depth reporting and captivating photos. In 1984, National Geographic magazine sent him to Afghanistan to photograph the lives of refugees. His work depicted the destruction and suffering caused by the Afghan war, touching the hearts of global audiences. These photos not only portrayed human tragedy but also conveyed a profound insight into human nature. McCurry's work is not just visually stunning but also prompts deep reflection on human living conditions.

Teju Cole Video

In this video, award-winning writer and photographer Teju Cole discusses his project "Blind Spot," which stemmed from a period of partial blindness. He talks about the limitations of vision, noting how much we miss when observing the world. Cole shares his experience of waking up one morning blind in one eye, later diagnosed with "Big Blind Spot Syndrome," which changed how he saw things as a photographer. This experience led him to find a sense of sacredness in closely observing the world and capturing moments saturated with presence and light. "Blind Spot" focuses on holding moments in attention, emphasizing photography as a unique collaboration with the world, where capturing the moment is irreplaceable. Cole's work explores the profound connection between perception, existence, and photography.

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Basic Photography Test

Additional Notes. - For some reason I came in two weeks late, so I missed some of the course content.

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Week 12 - black & white

This marked my initial foray into the realm of black and white photography, and I employed Lightroom Classic to make some basic adjustments. I was pleasantly surprised to find that, after these simple alterations, several photos that initially seemed quite ordinary took on a fresh and captivating allure. It's truly remarkable how black and white photography has the ability to infuse photographs with a distinct charm and an air of intrigue that color photography often cannot match. This experience allowed me to appreciate the enchanting power of monochromatic imagery, enhancing the storytelling aspect of each picture.

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Week 11 - Mount Albert

During the hectic end-of-semester period, I brought my camera and friends along to Mt. Albert to alleviate the stress that comes with the end of the semester. The lens I used was a Canon 80D 18-135mm.

Throughout the climb, I captured various shots of people, animals, and the beautiful scenery. I aimed to convey a sense of depth and dimension in my photographs. Unfortunately, the weather was cloudy, and I believe the photos would have turned out even better on a sunny day.

On the journey back after our ascent, I took pictures of the roadside landscapes and the familiar places I encounter daily on my way to school. I endeavored to capture their unique narratives from different perspectives.