Portrait Examples

 Elaine Gates 

Serious

I love the soft lighting on top of her hair and the green grass in the background is really vibrant and makes her stand out. It creates a very warm touch to the photo.

 Elaine Gates

Smirk

I love the color of her eyes in this picture, I think they really stand out. I also love how she isn't serious but she's not laughing, it's in between. Her expression is sweet and innocent.

 Elaine Gates

Serious

The eyes in this picture are so blue and are really sharp. I also love how his outfit matches his eyes perfectly. He almost looks a little scared or frightened!

 Jen Baltgalvis

Laughter

This picture is also on the tummy and I think it adds variety.  I like the all white background and then the pink/red pops out which makes her the main focal point. The expression is adorable and her eyes are beautiful.

 Amanda Hodges

Serious

I love the background and the use of the bin that she's sitting in. The color scheme is continuous and works really nicely together.

 Amanda Hodges

Serious

This is another good use of a bin/basket. I love the different side angle of her and the color scheme is still blue but the photographer changed it a bit. There is a leading line along the side of the basket and the eye directly runs across the middle.

 Amanda Hodges

Smile

This shot is super super cute! I love the vibrant colors, the floor, vertical lines, the basket, and her expression.

 Amanda Hodges

Smile

I love the green in the background and the use of the chair, ( how the back of the chair frames her body). Her eyes are very sharp and blue and I love the expression on her face.

Amanda Hodges

Smile

This picture has a very soft feeling. I love the green in the back, the side of the chair, and the pink. I think the use of soft colors creates a sweetness and warmth in the picture.

Klose Photography

Smile/ Laughter 

I love how the photographer captured an angle looking down on the baby. His expression was caught in the midst of a laugh which is super cute. I love how he's not looking directly into the camera and I think the photographer made good use of the wagon.

Senior Portait Article

• it's important to get to know the teenager first
• photographers who discover their clients interests are the most successful at putting them at ease
• listen to the client's ideas and use different objects to represent them
• "smile with your eyes"
• most teenagers want editorial looking shots, like the ones in magazines
• full frame DSLR's are used for senior portraits
• photographers want the client to bring trendy outfits and an outfit that won't look outdated in years to come
• create a "natural look for the parents" and "high fashion look for seniors"
• urban and beach settings are popular

Elaine Gates Recap

I thought Elaine Gates' photography tips were really helpful. I liked how she put examples of her own work on a power point for all of us to see and talked about how her business grew rapidly. I thought it was helpful when she talked about different weather conditions. She talked a lot about the lighting and how important it is in a photograph. Elaine said about an hour before sunrise/sunset is the best time to be out shooting. She also gave very good tips when it's windy outside and how you just have to rotate the other way around. One of the most important things she said was that the photographer doesn't necessarily have to move the model around. The photographer should be moving, trying to capture different angles of the model. The main goal is to make the model like her pictures in the end result. Elaine's pieces are really beautiful and you can sense the passion through her pictures. She loves what she does and it's inspiring to see the amount of work that is done and she ends up getting beautiful results.

HDR

Asymmetrical - ISO: 400   f/stop: f/22   shutter: 1/250  1/60  1/15
This little shack was right next to the train tracks at Messiah College. I thought that this part of the campus looked like an abandoned town. There was also an old looking wagon behind this shack. I think it means that no matter how old something is, it will always stand firm and have its own meaning. 

Leading Lines - ISO: 400   f/stop: f/22   shutter: 1/250  1/80  1/15
This picture was taken at Messiah College on the train tracks. The tracks represent leading lines and I chose this location because eventually in life, people have to choose how they're going to live it. There is only one path, depending on what they choose.

Framing - ISO: 400  f/stop: f/22   shutter: 1/50  1/200  1/13
This picture was taken from inside of the bridge at Messiah. From the inside, the bridge looks really old and rustic and then when I looked out across the creek, I thought it looked really nice together. The frame of this picture may look old and worn out, but the picture itself still has freshness.

Perspective - ISO: 400   f/stop: f/22    shutter: 1/200  1/50  1/13
This picture was taken of the bridge at Messiah.I have gone to this bridge so many times in my life since I was little. I think there's a deeper meaning, that life keeps going on, as the bridge does in the picture.

Symmetrical - ISO: 400   f/stop: f/22   shutter: 1/8  1/2  1/30
I chose this specific location of the bridge because I think it shows many obstacles in life. On the inside of the bridge, there is a lot of detail and I think it can represent the struggles and triumphs, but then there is light at the other end of the bridge. Even though there are storms in life, there is always light at the end of the tunnel.  

 Repetition - ISO: 400   f/stop: f/22   shutter: 1/20  1/10  1/40
I chose to take pictures of these jars because I think it represents decisions. There are a lot of different jars in this picture and I think that people have many choices to make in life, depending on their situation. There are many many options to choose from and most people choose so that it will benefit themselves.

Reflection: After experimenting with HDR Photography, I have found that I really love the concept of the images I have produced. At first, I didn't think I would like it, but once I started taking pictures and editing them, I actually was quite pleased with my shots. I think this type of photography can really create a different look and feel for this specific location. The colors and detail became sharper and more appealing to the eye. I think it shows what the eye wants to see in it's own way.

Sketchbook Cover

I decided to create a theme for my sketchbook cover. I really love vintage and antique things, so I decided to use old family pictures and find whatever vintage looking crafts at the store. Each of these pictures are important and meaningful to my life. All of the pictures are of my great grandparents and grandparents from both sides of my family. It's really cool to see how young they we're because some of them are still living to this very day. One of the quotes I chose was from the Disney princess movie, beauty and the beast. "Tale as old as time" seemed to fit perfectly with my theme. To me, it means that no matter how old my relatives get, their memories will always stay young and fresh and will always be cherished. The second quote I picked was "time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind". This quote also ties in with the first one. My family members are special to me and I think their stories are important and worth telling. They've lived very long lives and their lives will be remembered forever. I think it was really hard to come up with an idea for this project, but I feel like it represents me completely. I love anything vintage and I think it was really cool to show my heritage in there as well.

HDR Shooting Assignment

HDR Examples and Notes

 Different Point of View- This point of view makes this building look gigantic. I really love how blue the sky is. It makes the picture have a happy and light feeling.

 Symmetrical- I really liked the edit on this picture. The black and white gives it more emphasis on the clouds, water and mountains. I think the reflection in the water makes the picture more bold and its a really cool result.

Repetition- I think the houses are really cute and it gives the picture an urban feeling. It reminds me of houses in Italy, with all the houses on the water. The reflection in the water shows more detail and the sky gives the picture a spooky, dark feeling.

Leading Line- The boardwalk makes the sky and water the main focal point in this picture. The colors in the sky caught my attention immediately and makes a beautiful picture.

Asymmetrical- The boat is supposed to be the main focus, but I think the sky and mountains are too. I think the reflection in the water makes the picture stand out as well as the different colors.

Framing- I can tell that this picture was taken from inside a building. This specific location gives the picture a rustic feeling. It looks like the picture was taken from a barn somewhere out on a farm. I like how I can also see the detail up above in the corners.




 HDR Notes:

• HDR Photography can create a powerful look and is sometimes the only way to capture what the eye truly sees
• HDR= High Dynamic Range, merging different exposures of the same scene
• use a tripod
• main principle is to reduce the contrast of a scene whose dynamic range exceeds that of the camera sensor
• it darkens highlights and brightens shadows
• need software, such as Photomatix 

Locations:
1.  messiah college= a lot of my aunts and uncles went to messiah and so I have been there a lot of times throughout my life. I love the campus, it's really pretty and peaceful

2. conodogiunet creek= my house is right by the creek and it's always pretty

3. Lancaster= my great aunt lives there and we visit her every summer. She is neighbors with the amish and her house surrounds the property and it's really beautiful

4. train tracks= I think using train tracks would make a rustic feeling and it would be an example of leading lines

5. My church= I have been going to my church since I was a newborn. My church is my family and I love the atmosphere. It sits on top of a hill, so I can see farms that surround the area. It's a huge church and it's had a big impact in my life since I was little

6. my neighborhood= I think my neighborhood is really beautiful in the fall, with all the colors and leaves changing. I think it would add a really pretty contrast in the pictures