faridaafadil-blog

[faridaafadil-blog]

Final Images

[faridaafadil-blog]

Final Reflection - Assignment 5

To be honest, I was really nervous on the first day of class because I really didn’t know anything about photography or my camera except for setting the camera to ‘auto’ and pressing a button. However, as each class went by, I realized that I wasn’t the only one like this , the majority of the students also didn’t know much about photography. Therefore , this  motivated and pushed me to learn. From not knowing anything to the amount of knowledge I have right now about photography is truly a dramatic difference. I learned so many new terms, techniques, and information about photography in general. After each class , I was so happy and pleased of my ability to come up with ideas. Throughout this course , I learned that I am creative person and for each assignment that was given, I always had ideas of what I should do. For techniques, I learned about the compositions, elements etc of photography.  I learned a lot about the terms in photography. For instance, exposure, aperture, ISO, shutter speed, composition, etc. I learned all of the different types of compositions and how important it is in photography. Where the subject of the photo is, is critical. I learned about depth of field and selective focus. Both things which can show emphasis on the subject of the photo. What really helped me in this course was the fact of researching, without doing my research assignments , I wouldn’t have had this much knowledge. As for the structure of the class, I really enjoyed the class. Lastly , I would like to thank you Dr. Ronnie and Alaa for a great semester , I really had so much fun

[faridaafadil-blog]

Eyes on Streets

[faridaafadil-blog]

Assignment 5 - Final Project

[faridaafadil-blog]

Assignment 5 - Test Shots

[faridaafadil-blog]

My Statement

When you pick up any newspaper or magazine, or even when you walk in the streets, do you ever think about how diverse our society is?

It is known that every woman is beautiful in her own way. This idea has inspired me to come up with this project. I visited different places in Cairo and captured portraits of both high class and working class women. My aim was to capture the natural/inner beauty of women through portraits. As I see that millions of women around the world and specifically in Egypt work hard for their goals and their activities and don’t seem that spectacular from the outside. My hope is that such powerful imagery will help heal wounds and inspire unity. All captured portraits encourages and supports art that conveys a positive and inspirational image of diversity through womens beauty and strength. Therefore , beauty is diversity and it can teach us to be more tolerant.

I hope that by capturing 9 different women in different places in Cairo , I was able to deliver the message of the importance of inner beauty and diversity.

[faridaafadil-blog]

Assignment 5 : Production Timeline

15/11/2019 - Started brainstorming for ideas

16/11/2019 - Looked at LensCulture and Student Photography

17/11/2019 - Settled on my chosen theme & searched for similar projects

19/11/2019 - Started working on my presentation putting all research together and proposal

21/11/2019 - Went to ‘ El Zawya El Hamra in Shobra’ for my test shots

23/11/2019 - Put all presentation together and finalized production timeline

24/11/2019 - My presentation

28/11/2019 to 6/12/2019 - Will be going to different places to take my final pictures (Khan El Khalili , Been El Sarayat , Imbaba  etc)

7/12/2019 - Will start editing pictures on Photoshop and looking for pictures that needs to be retaken

8 and 9/12/2019 - 2 days for retaking pictures , IF NOT then continue editing

10 to 13/12/2019 - Start printing final pictures or send by Email.

[faridaafadil-blog]

Assignment 5 - My Proposal

It is known that every woman is beautiful in her own way. This idea has inspired me to come up with this project. Throughout this project i will be visiting different places in Cairo to show the diversity (High class and Working Class) of women through portraits. I will be aiming at capturing the natural beauty of women in Egyptian streets as I see that millions of women around the world and specifically in Egypt work hard for their goals and their activities and don’t seem that spectacular from the outside. So i  hope that by photographing some of them for my project, I can capture their inner and outer beauty and show them how special they are . (with minimum facial expressions)

“ Eyes on the streets “ OR “ The Dream within pictures” will be the name of my project.

[faridaafadil-blog]

Assignment 5 - Research for Similar Projects

Project 1 : Ronald Vogel - Can’t Get Closer

A famous photographer that does portrait photography only

His aim is to document characters without any distraction from the mere face.

People that view his work can not proof the "real story" behind the models captures.

Thus he leaves the viewers with nothing more than the intimacy of a stranger's face and name

He tries to project memories of a persons own onto the image to make him/her feel the accompanied vibe - which come out of their own past.

AIM

Aiming at is the "story" in the mind of the viewer itself. By trying to craft portraits with an expressive and characteristic appearance he tries to invoke a certain remembrance in the viewers mind.

Project 2:  Armen Zaven - Faces with no expression​

This project is about photographing faces that show no expression or emotion.

 In the beginning of photography, people did not smile in photographs. 

These kinds of photographs have a sense of mystery

He photographs strange people - normal portraits with simple background 

Enables focus on main subject

AIM

Shedding the light on what is the story or meaning behind mysterious looks..

Project 3 : Peter Zelewski - Beautiful Strangers: The beauty and diversity of London

An American Portrait Photographer

Loves to capture people on the streets of London from a diverse range of cultures and styles.

Through his fascination and love of the city, he was drawn to the streets of London to take photographs of its citizens

AIM

Is to challenge the concept of traditional beauty by bringing out the uniqueness, personality and true individuality of the people he photographs.

Project 4 : Mou Aysha - The powerful portraits of Marginalized Children in Bangladesh

Raised and lived in Bangladesh

Mou uses her skills to spotlight the plight of street children in her country.

Through moving portraits of children in the countryside

Her portraits range from tight shots against black backgrounds to photos that show the children in their environment.

Through raw emotions that produce laughter and tears

AIM

Is to give a voice to those who are often unheard. She also views her photography as a humanitarian way to enact change

[faridaafadil-blog]

Research - Assignment 4 ‘The Mournful Women’

This photograph is by the famous photographer Ebrahim Naroozi. Ebrahim Naroozi was born in 2004, he began working as a professional photographer and worked in India, Afghanistan and Iran as the head of photo department of Fars News Agency, Iran newspaper, Iran Daily newspaper , Alvefagh newspaper , Iran Sport, Iran Photo Agency (IIPA), Jamejam Newspaper.

His photographs have appeared nationally and internationally, in such publications as The New York Times, Time, The Washington Post, and have been distributed by Agence France-Presse, the Associated Press, Reuters, United Press International, and the European Press Photo Agency. He has been a jury member for several Iranian photo contests.

As you can see Naroozi took photographs of Women in the Iranian city of Khorramabad where they were dressed for the ceremony of Chehel Manbar. The commemoration of the battle of Karbala, when Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, was killed, is one of the most important ceremonies of the year for Shia Muslims.  On the ninth day of the Muslim month of Muharram—on the eve of the climactic Day of Ashura—women in some regions participate in Chehel Manbar. In an act of mourning for Hussein they go veiled and barefoot to light candles at forty different locations. I found out that ceremonies differ from city to city, according to regional traditions. In Khorramabad, women light candles in the doorways of houses and offer cookies to the occupants. They may also cover their head and shoulders with clay in an act of mourning.

Moreover, Naroozi showed us that he only used ‘available light’ and kept the backgrounds simple and focused all the viewers’ attention on the mourning women. Through his photographs Naroozi tried to show us that the duty of Photographers is to observe pain, record and show them to the others, and hope that governments and communities can solve the problems.Noroozi chose his subject matter not to win an award, but because he felt moved to report on it. “When I shoot a project, I never think about prize winning and such things. I believe if I choose the subject correctly and feel my subject's pains deeply, I'll be in the right time and right place for pressing the camera's shutter button”. So in other words Naroozi emphasized on the fact that if his photos can transmit pains of subjects to audiences, Then his photos will reach their final destination: of being effective and helpful.

Noroozi kept his compositions simple, placing maximum attention on the subjects – grieving women in a ceremony of Chehel Manbar, the commemoration of the battle of Karbala when Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, was killed. As you can see the picture of the veiled women , the women is all covered in white cloth and has her face covered with a white chiffon cloth. Her face features are barely shown. The background is so simple , it has a pattern which enables us to focus on the main subject of the photograph. I can say that Naroozi Is one of the smartest photographers out there , as he was able to out a simple background (combing 2 objects in his photograph) but at the end making the women stand out from the picture. The women is the focus of the photograph . Furthermore, people may see that the photograph is simple and neutral at the beginning however when they look at it deeper they will notice that there must be a story behind this photograph that the photographer wanted to deliver to the audience.

[faridaafadil-blog]

Reflection : Assignment 4

What makes a photograph famous? To me , I will look at it from a different perspective which is ‘what makes a photograph powerful’. So in other words if a photograph is powerful then it is by all means a famous photograph. I know that people may say that technology Is what makes a photograph famous or powerful but its not! What, then, is the secret to powerful/famous photographs? I’m sure there are many secrets, more than I can possibly think of, but here are a few things that can help you think about what it takes for a photograph to be famous. The first thing that came up on my mind is The idea of conflict , what I really mean are those odd juxtapositions that really make a viewer pause to consider an image. As a basic example, consider a stop sign that has had the word “go” spray painted on it. To me, this is the is the type of conflict that makes a viewer wonder why it should be so. Who thought to paint “go” on a stop sign, and why. When you introduce conflict, you would like the viewer to ask these kinds of questions to themselves and thus, you give them a reason to think more about the image. Because of this, the image becomes more famous. Every image needs strong underlying compositional order so that it grabs the eye from a hundred feet away thus making it famous. If it can't grab the eye from a distance, it will never be an interesting photo, regardless of how many fine details it might have. Details don't matter if there's no story behind it. To me , the story behind a photograph is another element that makes a photopgraph famous. It must be unique and to the point , basically a photograph that will enable viewers to think out of the box and think of the deeper meaning behind it. Meaning that the photograph must be able to communicate with the viewer.  It should be able to tell a story through its composition, lighting, and most importantly its subject matter. Moreover, a famous photograph is one that puts a person in a particular moment in time, they tell a story, or they speak to their emotions.  Also, Realism can help , for example images that include the natural are not the interesting to people, However photographs that don’t seek to hide the imperfections of reality, are the images that make the most impact. Why? Because they are not simply a representation of beauty but a representation of real life and what that means for all of us.

[faridaafadil-blog]

Assignment 4 - Copy a Famous Photograph - ‘ The Mournful Women’ ~ Ebrahim Noroozi

Original Picture

Remaking of Picture

[faridaafadil-blog]

Assignment 3 - Street Photography

[faridaafadil-blog]

Reflection - Assignment 3

Street Photography is more than a simple Photography genre. It is more than just going out & taking pictures of the Street. To me, Street Photography is a philosophy. A Philosophy that not only helps me to become a better Photographer but also to explore the world in a different way. Street Photography is good for you in many ways. When we went to Moaz Street and started talking to people and trying to take a picture of them , I learned that ‘time is rarity’. I don’t have a lot of time, meaning that I had to compose an image in a matter of a millisecond and get the shot. I learned that I should expect the unexpected , in other words you have to always work around anything. After a few failures, you will become more confident. You will know that rejection is not the end of the world. I learned to be respectful and at the same time get my assignment done. I did face my share of resentment while doing street photography but there is a fine line between being disrespectful and just wondering in your head whether you are invading others’ privacy or not. I learned not to over think the idea of taking pictures of strangers because overthinking it will slow you down. Knowing that I was in Moaz street , a public street where you the right to take pictures. I was taking them with a big smile on my face. I was amazed of how politely people responded to me. I learned to be ready at all times , in my case I learned to get ready to answer basic questions like why you are shooting and where you will use the images. Get ready to delete images if someone asks. There is no harm in that. Moreover, How to approach a subject? How to strike a conversation? How to slow yourself down and think about composition, lighting, etc.. was the most important things to me when I was taking my pictures and those were the main lessons that I was able to learn in Street Photography. Street photography has built up my confidence as a person and as a photographer in so many ways. I can now easily strike a conversation with a stranger. I can handle rejection better than before

I really enjoyed the experience !

[faridaafadil-blog]

Background Research - How to Master Shooting Street Portraits

Textures in the face: Taking photographs if older people, because they have more interesting wrinkles and textures in their face. Aesthetically, rough textures are more interesting/beautiful to human beings.

A difficult-to-interpret expression: capturing this by photographing people with a mysterious, or mischievous look.

Proximity: Closeup portraits of people shot on a wide angle lens more interesting than portraits shot on a “normal” lens . A wide angle lens shot of a subjects face closeup is more fascinating to look at, because it distorts the face of the subject. However street photographers job isn’t  is to just make flattering photos of people. Their job is to create their own interpretation of the subject they are photographing.

YOU SHOULD ALWAYS:

1.  Talk to your subject while photographing them: It’s not rude to photograph people while you’re talking to them. Ask your subject open-ended questions about where they are from, what their life story is, how their day is going or what their life goals are.

2.  Shoot a lot: If possible, try to shoot at least 30-50 photos of a subject who says “yes” to being photographed. You never know what photograph will be best. Also the more you shoot, the more likely you are to make an interesting portrait of somebody. The more you shoot, the more likely you are to make an interesting portrait of somebody.

3.  Don’t review your photos while photographing your subject: Turn off the auto review function of your digital camera, so you don’t get interrupted while photographing your subject.

4.  Make your subject laugh! Life is too short to be boring. When talking to your subject, make them crack up. Make bad jokes, or tell them something personal about you. Remember that photographing your subject is a two-way street: the more you give to your subject, the more they will give in return.

5.  Practice for a a long time.  Don’t expect the fear of photographing strangers go away overnight. But the exciting this is this: conquering your fears of photographing strangers is a skill you can build and cultivate, like building a muscle.

[faridaafadil-blog]

Research - 4 Concepts

This is a very famous photo by the photographer Diane Arbus which was taken in 1968. It is called, simply, ‘A Family on their Lawn one Sunday in Westchester, NY’. And that’s exactly what’s in the photo. When I look at the photo though, I see many more meanings and hidden messages. Diane Arbus took this photography , the surrounding of the photograph emphasises that the photography wasn’t set up.Firstly, we can see that the mother and father are sitting almost symmetrically. There are  two deck chairs and a table in the middle of the lawn. I’m sure if we were to place a mirror here they would look identical. This may mean that their intentions are similar in life, but their current situations make them different. Their expressions and body language are very different. While the mother looks very relaxed and chilled out sunbathing, the male has his hand over his face and he looks unhappy, stressed or full of dread. This possibly reflects the society of the 60’s where the men would go out to work and become tired and/or stressed while the women would stay at home to look after the children and do the housework etc. This image captures the stereotypes of the day. Both of the parents are wearing white which means again, they are similar, and white may be a symbol of vulnerability. I think that the big trees which surround the garden act as a barrier or as a way of casting a shadow over the family to keep them together and hidden, but as we look, like Arbus is also, we feel like a spy looking in on someone else’s private life. We get an insight into the lives of these family members and we get to see what state the family is in and make or own interpretations. Therefore, this photograph is not neutral by all means.

This photograph is taken by an Egyptian photographer Heba Khamis . This picture is one of her photos taken in a project called ‘ Banned Beauty’ . This photograph shows an attempt to delay or diminish breast development in young girls. Photograph shows that flattening the girls’ breasts will delay or hide their maturity, so that these young girls will appear less attractive to men. Heba Khamis tried to raise awareness about this problem. As you can see that the photograph is set up according and based at Heba Khamis’s idea. The photograph isn’t neutral and is stating a problem that is not neutral at all. This photograph shows Suzanne a 11 years old girls .Two months before that image was taken, she experienced breast ironing until her breasts were totally gone. Therefore, we can all say that this photograph has a lot of hidden meanings that must be delivered to audience.

Robert Frank’s “Trolley—New Orleans”, a multi-portrait photograph showing a row of passengers segregated by color, age and sex in a trolley car on Bourbon Street, this photograph was taken in 1955. To me , the image is set up according to Franks purpose and idea. The photography does tell the truth and raises awareness. Moreover, this photograph isn’t neutral by all means.  Reading the image from left to right we see a hierarchical descent white man, white woman, white children, black man, black woman – all isolated from one another and all seated as if ranked by birthright.  The trolley is of course a metaphor for the world as Frank saw it on the brink of annihilation.  The passengers on this vehicle are all part of a family that has no relevance except as a collective lie.  Frank’s camera captured the deep tensions he saw in all sections of American society during 1950s and did so with a rigid purity that almost covers the bite that his images possess.

This photograph is untitled and was taken by William Eggleston in Untitled (Memphis, Tennessee), c.1969-71. As you can see in this picture that Eggleston  was the first photographer to use color. Color in this picture is used for description . To me this picture is not a photograph of color, any more than it is a photograph of shapes, textures, objects, symbols, or events, but rather it is a photograph of experience, as it has been ordered and clarified within the structures imposed by the camera. This picture has a hidden meaning like all other photographs he took as he focused on relatives and friends, houses in the neighborhood, local streets and country roads, strangers, dining rooms and unusual souvenirs are seen by his camera. According to this picture , I realized that Egglestons way of slipping things in and out of view in the camera lens is what constantly shifts our attention. Eggleston captures how ephemeral things represent human presence in the world, while playing with the idea of experience and memory and our perceptions of things to make them feel personal and intimate. So definitely this photography does tell the truth and has a very strong meaning behind it. People may see that the photograph is neutral and is of a lady sitting however I looked at it from another perspective and my point was the story behind why he took it from that specific angle and why her?

This photograph is called ‘ The Innocents’  (Scene of arrest) and is taken by Taryn Simon in 2002. The photograph documents the stories of individuals who served time in prison for violent crimes they did not commit. As you can see that the photograph shows that Simon photographed these men at sites that had particular significance to their illegitimate conviction ,also we can see through this picture that Simon confronts photography’s ability to blur truth and fiction. As you can see this picture is when the police found Mayes hiding beneath a mattress in a room. This photograph is not neutral at all however, people may say that it is set up and how did Simon take this photograph. However, it’s a very unique shot and shows that it stresses the costof ignoring the limitations of photography and minimizing the context in which photographic images are presented. Nowhere are the material effects of ignoring a photograph’s context as profound as in the misidentification that leads to the imprisonment or execution of an innocent person. She basically photographed each innocent person at a site that came to assume particular significance following his wrongful conviction. Therefore, this photograph does tell the truth and has hidden meanings that Simon wanted us as viewers to understand it .

[faridaafadil-blog]

15 Composition Techniques that you must know

I know that every person hates having rules however, when it comes to photography there are several guidelines a person can follow in order to improve the composition of their photos.

#1 : Rule of Thirds

The idea is to place the important element or elements of the scene along one or more of the lines or where the lines intersect.

#2. Centered Composition and Symmetry

Symmetrical scenes are perfect for a centered composition. Scenes containing reflections are a great opportunity to use symmetry in your composition

#3. Foreground Interest and Depth

Including some foreground interest in a scene is a good way of adding a sense of depth to the scene. Photographs are 2D by nature. Including foreground interest gives the scene a more 3D feel.

#4. Frame Within the Frame

Including a ‘frame within the frame’ is a way of portraying depth in a scene. Looking for elements such as windows, arches, etc. Using a ‘frame within a frame’ presents a great opportunity to use your surroundings to be creative in your compositions.

#5. Leading Lines

Leading lines help lead the viewer through the image and focus attention on important elements. Anything from paths, walls or patterns can be used as leading lines.

#6. Diagonals and Triangles

Including triangles and diagonals into our photos can help create a sense of ‘dynamic tension’.

#7. Patterns and Textures

As we all know that human beings are naturally attracted to patterns. They are visually attractive and suggest harmony. Incorporating patterns into photographs is always a good way to create a pleasing composition. Less regular textures can also be very pleasing on the eye.

#8. Rule of Odds

The rule suggests that an image is more visually appealing if there are an odd number of subjects. The theory proposes that an even number of elements in a scene is distracting as the viewer is not sure which one to focus his or her attention on.

#9. Fill the Frame

Filling the frame with your subject, leaving little or no space around  can be very effective in certain situations. It helps focus the viewer completely on the main subject without any distractions. It also allows the viewer to explore the detail of the subject that wouldn’t be possible if photographed from further away.

#10. Leave Negative Space

Leaving a lot of empty space around your subject can be very attractive. It creates a sense of simplicity and minimalism. Like filling the frame, it helps the viewer focus on the main subject without distractions.

#11. Simplicity and Minimalism

Simplicity itself can be a powerful compositional tool.  We all know that ‘less is more’. Simplicity often means taking photos with uncomplicated backgrounds that don’t distract from the main subject.

#12. Isolate the Subject

Using a shallow depth of field to isolate your subject is a very effective way of simplifying your composition. Ex:Shooting portraits

#13. Change your Point of View

The idea behind changing you point of view is basically getting high up or low down to create a more interesting and original composition

#14. Look for Particular Color Combinations

Certain color combinations compliment each other well and can be visually very striking.

#15. Rule of Space

The rule of space relates to the direction the subject or subjects in your photo are facing or moving towards.