apd2zara

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This assignment was very challenging so I tried to create a simple composition with very few props and models so that I could focus on the compositing aspect of it. Luckily, I have a friend who is very experienced in this type of photography so he helped me think about angles while I was shooting the images I would later compose together and to consider changes in lighting depending on where I shot or moved my body/camera. My original idea was to have a female in the first image with long hair looking into the mirror and having the bag over her head looking back but afterwards I found it awkward having one image with the female and the second with the male. In the end, I decided to stay with the same model (my knowledgeable friend) so I was lucky cause he helped me figure out how to best create and bring my idea to life and because he understood my idea so well, he was a great model too. I have wanted to use this mirror at my apartment for a shoot all semester so I took advantage of this assignment to do so, I also wanted to work with reflections and this idea of inner and outer world within us and in the physical world. I also wanted a more feminine and nature inspired prop to suggest beauty and materialism so the floral bedsheets I have at my grandmothers were perfect but they were too large and looked silly so I decided to use a pillowcase instead and pin the corners down so they wouldn’t stick up and look weird. For the first image, four different images were used; one of Sean standing alone in the room, one of the mirror on its own from an angle, one of Sean standing with the pillowcase over his head and one image of scratches/dust to place over the mirrors so they wouldn’t look too clean. In the second image only two were used; one of the mirror on the floor in the corner with the pillowcase on the ground and the second one of Sean looking over his shoulder so I could put into the mirror shot – I also added that scratchy/dust image to the mirror so that it would be consistent as a series. I believe this image would fit under the genre of narrative/fine art because I am attempting to tell a story although it is mostly a conceptual idea. The idea is that in the first image the person looking into the mirror sees a version of them with the floral pillow case over their head blinding and suffocating him, this floral pillowcase is representative of the ways we believe we should portray ourselves to the world, often not how we truly “see” ourselves but rather, a version whose growth is stunted – hence the “flowers” that will never grow, only a print confined to the space of the fabric as we are confined to the space of self and the concept of beauty. In the second image however, we see the person has taken control over how he wants to be seen and who he is thus looking over his shoulder and seeing the floral pillow case now on the ground outside of the mirror in the “real” world suggesting that the subject has chosen to live through his own reflection and image of his world rather than the ‘real’ – it is an exchange of reflection, understanding and reclaiming oneself again.

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Photo 1 - ISO 200, 34mm, F/11, 1/50sec. Photo 2 - ISO 200, 80mm, F/11, 1/50sec. Photo 3 - ISO 200, 105mm, F/11, 1/160sec. Photo 4 - ISO 400, 105mm, F/8, 1/400 sec. APD2 Assignment 3 - Street Photography - Summary of Shoot; I have only experienced street photography through traveling beforehand which I find to be a very different experience. When we travel, we are looking all around us constantly soaking in tons of new information and we feel inspired. I think I am naturally a very observant person so there are many moments I would like to record that I see a story in whether ironic, emotional or simply through a comparison of some sort (in age, size, cultural clash etc.). However, this experience felt a little artificial because I was on ‘the hunt’ you could say and I prefer taking my time and walking into a moment rather than searching for one. The positive aspect is that I ended up taking many more photographs then I usually would by ‘hunting’ because it felt almost desperate to find that ‘decisive moment’ but now I have a lot of new photos to look through which is always nice. The worst part of this type of exercise is the general dislike some people have with being photographed in public thus I was met with a lot of negative confrontation which is an unfortunate reality of street photography. This happened to me specifically while I was in Chinatown which was surprising because I would assume this area is used to tourists and therefore okay with the possibility of being photographed - I was wrong. It was definitely an added challenge but I ended up finding a few areas to sit that wouldn't be too close or personal. Doing this, however, does effect composition and choice of subject. Overall, the assignment was difficult in that I felt a lot of pressure because it is a school assignment not just for my own fun and I also had to work hard at organizing a time to actually go out and shoot while keeping a due date in mind. It is something I am going to have to work on in the program and considering the reality of this career.

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The Gaze // The Haze (2018) Zara Domingues APD2 Assignment 02. Conceptual Image 
Theme: Chromatic - Plastic Identity - The Male Gaze - Gender Performance

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The Gaze // The Haze (2018) Zara Domingues  APD2 Assignment 02. Conceptual Image  Theme: Chromatic - Plastic Identity - The Male Gaze - Gender Performance For the theme of chromatic and plastic, I chose an interdisciplinary approach combining gender theory from the work of Judith Butler and film theory from the work of Laura Mulvey to approach a photographic exploration of identity. I used my previous knowledge obtained from years of observing and consuming images whether in magazines or on TV and attempt to apply the tropes that I was familiar with to ‘play dress up’ in the studio. In this way, my model would perform through her body language (poses), clothing, makeup, expressions and overall color theme. I decided on a complimentary color scheme because I wanted a warm and cooler color to be present and in conversation with one another - having the rose as the main prop was a huge help in this way and I felt it poetically represented the idea of the shoot. The color green has many components attached to it from nature, rejuvenation, growth, and fertitlity to pride and envy which works well symbolically as a background/drop for these photos and in connection to the stem of the rose. The color red represents two passionate ends of the spectrum from anger and danger to passion and desire, both seemingly transient emotions just as the petals of the rose and further connecting to this idea of the feminine and the beautiful - the seductive femme fatale character. For the shoot itself, I used an 18-105mm lens, a softbox, flash and triggers in the school studio. As a result, I had fun shooting for this assignment but I realized that no matter what I imagine in my mind, what happens on set and as a result will never be the same. I would have liked more exaggerations from the clothing to the expressions/body language but there is only so much I can ask of an unpaid model and to respect their own comforts sometimes that can mean your shoot won’t go as you expect and I guess I’m learning to be ok with that from now on. I had to deal with a lot of last minute changes and thus decisions to be made so now that its all over, I am happy with the outcome but it was definitely not how I first imagined my concept unraveling so I would like to go back to this project in the future and maybe have different bodies and identities taking on this cultural trope. 

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Photo 1 - 28mm, iso 100, f 4.0, 1/8 sec I chose a wide aperture f 4.0 thereby getting a shallow depth of field because I wanted to isolate the subject and emphasize it. I had no interest in the background nor did it offer anything to the shot. In this way, the background is not the focus of the image in any way. I chose a slow shutter speed of 1/8 because the subject displays no motion and this speed allows more light to hit the sensor which was helpful because the area had awkward low light. In terms of composition, the image was shot at eye level, we have vertical lines from the shelves and the books to the windows in the far right. Moreover, there is symmetry and pattern within the image having an imbalance in the number of books and the broken space on the left side.

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Photo 2 - 18mm, iso 800, f 4.0, 1/10 sec I chose a wide aperture thereby getting a shallow depth of field because I wanted to focus mainly on the chained fence, the marks in the snow and the ‘Theatre Dawson’ sign. I had little interest in the background however, I did want there to be slight detail. In this way, although the background is not in focus, the viewer can tell that there are buildings up ahead. I chose a slow shutter speed of 1/10 because the subject is immovable and this speed allows more light to hit the sensor which was helpful because the photo is taken outdoors and my iso was already quite high, I did not want to risk having a grainier photo. In terms of composition, the image was shot at eye level, the rule of thirds is represented and we have a shape of sorts leading our eyes in a curved line from right to left with the opened gate and the lights reflecting on the snow offer further direction.

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Photo 3 - 22mm, iso 100, f 3.8, 1/25 sec I chose a wide aperture thereby getting a shallow depth of field because I wanted to focus on the book titles closest to the camera and the rest to be slightly out of focus from the subject with the newspaper and beyond. I wanted the book titles to be the focus and for the image to appear quite square and horizontal to align with the concept. I chose a slow shutter speed of 1/25 because there is little to no movement and I wanted extra light in/from the corner I was shooting from. There was enough light above the book stacks but not in the foreground where I shot from. Moreover, this is why I kept my iso at 100, the ceiling lights above offered more background light than needed. In terms of composition, the image was shot from below offering a different point of view. The rule of odds is represented by the chairs and placement of books. There is also a leading line and patterns of symmetry in the background. Concept/Theme is Performance throughout all three photographs. I decided to have all three photos in black and white because the colors were not significant to the theme, they were merely a distraction. The message I wanted to convey was more appropriate in black and white rather than color. 

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photo by olivia bee example of leading lines in composition

http://oliviabee.com/fashion-ish/