FINAL PROJECT

Churches

The most challenging part of this assignment was photographing inside the churches. They were extremely dark and even with camera adjustments, most of them were underexposed. I had to discard several frames. Other times, I could not enter because service was in progress. In one church, I decided to take photos of the interior vestibule. The lighting was provided by church candles and soft ambient lights.

FINAL PROJECT

Churches


Since my initial decision to photography parked cars was not approved, for the final project, I am going with 'churches.' This project includes photographing different churches in several neighborhoods, including both the external and internal areas, if I am able to go inside. I have started on this project, prior to this blog posting and thus far, have taken 141 frames. These images were taken in three neighborhoods and include eight churches.
I am doing this from both architectural and aesthetic perspectives. Some churches have a unified look, especially churches of the same denomination. This includes a traditional look with stained glass and brick facade, which is especially prominent in Catholic churches. Others have a contemporary or commercial look while some are aesthetically pleasing. All these churches will have to be included in the project if there is going to be variety. Whereas, the project can include just one type of structure (the traditional church with stained glass). These are the Catholic churches and there is no shortage of this type of structure. There are several throughout the city's boroughs.
I have photographed from several angles, on all available sides of these churches. These photos include panoramic views, close-ups and vertical perspectives. My preference is photographing all in the daytime. Shooting at various times of the day is not as important to me as getting a captivating angle of the church, or getting a clear view of the building structure. A good view is combing the church top with the skyline. This image is appealing when photographing traditional churches as it creates a subliminal look and feel (almost heavenly). I have, and will, capture most of the religious statues around the building, individually and as part of the building's exterior.
To date, I have been able to shoot the interior of one church. It was very dark inside, but I made several adjustments, using manual exposure. There are many more religious statues and artifacts on the inside. I will attempt to get photos of other church interiors capturing the architecture of the ceilings and the walls, and also the religious icons against the backdrop of the stained glass windows. What could also be interesting is an image of people at worship or in service.
In my opinion, the churches around Court Street are the most historical buildings I have shot, and there are several of them. I have yet to take photos of the Plymouth church (located on Orange street, between Henry and Hicks). It is the site of the ancient 'underground railroad.' Another significant church, in size and structure, is the CCC church, located on Flatlands and Louisiana. It is large and has the shape of a circle. As most of the churches look alike, certain features unique to that church have to be photographed in order to make a distinction from one church to another. This could be the front door, certain columns, the crucifix adorning the upper part of the church, the tower, or even the words on the church door or sign.

FINAL PROJECT

Stationary Vehicles


For the final project, I am going to photograph stationary vehicles. These vehicles will be all colors and all models (shapes and sizes). They will include cars and SUVs. They will be photographed from various angles. I want the final photos to look like part of a car exhibition. In order to do this, they would have to be taken individually parked, with no noticeable obstructions. They would have to be appealing to the public.
Proper lighting is important to achieve this. The midday sun is a deterrent because it is too bright. You would not be able to see the details on the car. The time of day and the weather conditions are important for getting a good image. The lighting should not be too bright or too dark. In the late afternoon and the early evening, just before sunset is a good time. Also, in the early morning, before the strong rays of the sun overwhelm the image. During the rain or snow is also not a good time to get a clean, clear photo.
Customers want to contact the seller of a vehicle if it is seemingly in good condition, looks good, and has appeal. If the image is clear and the details are in focus, without too many shadows and other external obstacles, you will not be contacted. These vehicles are intended for any age above the legal age limit, male and female, and who have specific preferences for color, model and price.
The position of the car is very important. Taking a photo from the front or side may not reveal as many details as taking in from a specific angle. For instance, combining both front and side views in a shot is usually a good placement angle. If it is a convertible, a high camera position will work well to showcase the interior. If you want to show the dashboard or the stylish upholstery, taking the picture from the back works well with a convertible. To showcase the interiors in other vehicles, a close-up shot from the side or side front is suitable. A low camera position will work well if you are looking for durability and sturdiness in the vehicle. It will showcase the tires and the level an SUV is off the ground. The low position is also good for tires of a jeep.
I have seen a few car shots and hard ground shadows are not very appealing. To avoid this, you should not be on the side of the car that is away from the natural light. Not only is the visibility low on the actual car, but the shadows become even darker and heavy, taking away from the look of the vehicle. The light has to be focused on the specific feature of the car that is the selling point. If there are many important features that can be captured in the image, then the light has to be evenly distributed; but soft and subdued lighting, not harsh or disruptive.
An image of the vehicle is the first thing people see before reading or being told about the features.

ANNE LIEBOVITZ EXHIBITION
(attended Sunday, 11.19.06)


There was an interesting variety of photographs from Annie Liebovitz, on display at the museum. Besides celebrities, there were family photos, government officials in public office, unknown people, landscapes and other popular sites from different parts of the world. Some were studio poses and others were captured naturally. Most of them were in black and white.
There were many photographs of government officials, such as George Bush and other prominent people in his administration. Michael Moore, the '911' filmmaker was also one of her subjects. Some images of actors were in color. Nicole Kidman's photo, was used as the main exhibition photo. The pose, the spectacular gown and the back lighting and the ray of light laterally descending towards her, all combine to make this a spectacular photo. The landscape scene in Jordan was beautiful. These photos had clear details even though they were enormous in size. The other extremely large photos were out of focus (specifically, two taken at Monument Valley in Arizona). I think the print was too large for the negative.
One of the eye catching images was a pregnant Demi Moore, in the natural. This photo raised a lot of eyebrows when it appeared on Vanity Fair magazine. However, I think it was tastefully done, not at all erotic. Bruce Willis was also in one of these photos; his hands around his wife, at the time. Cindy Crawford (holding the snake) was another interesting photo. A young Brad Pitt was laying on the hotel bed and so were Johnny Depp and Kate Moss. Robert Di Nero and Al Pacino were classy photos (black and white). Chris Rock and Jamie Foxx apparently posed in the same studio.
I liked the photo of her daughter, one of three of her children. The photo is captivating. Her eyes are open very wide and it is a very clear, in focus, photo. I was surprised at some of the uninteresting subjects like scribbled-on notepads; and stained, messy environments of bicycle parts and old sheds. These must have been in her personal environment growing up and mean something to her. Besides, the exhibition is called "...A Photographer's Life..." so everything that is significant or important, to her, was represented. Her children, her father, her friends, family life, her past home, and the environment that surrounded her were on display. These are photos intended for her enjoyment and were never intended to be for public display.
Everything that was meaningful to her was showcased at the museum. In this exhibit, there were also two extremely large books with her photos, and there was also a slide show of her personal and professional experience, and interviews with her. It was for her, I imagine, not only professional but a personal display and also her life story, captured in the frame. She is reluctant to state which is her best work. However, she feels closer to her personal pictures taken over the years. She believes there is strength in those photos because there is an attachment.-

This photo was taken on the boardwalk at Atlantic City. It was bright, not too sunny yet the photo is bright, and the horses look even brighter. Every visible part of the statue, including the waterfall, is clear. The background and the foreground also add a nice touch to the photo. It can be used as a postcard.

Robert Mapplethorpe mostly shoots pastel flowers on a contrasting background. He zooms in on the flowers (close-up) and demonstrates various angles. He captures nature in its simplest form and shape, revealing beauty without creating any additional composition. Your eyes go directly to the flower because the image is not competing with anything else.

Andy Small shoots extremely bright colors and the background is of a similar color The flowers almost blend into the background. His compositions have a psychedelic look to them. He creates fantasy and illusion with his compositions.

I prefer the softer, subdued photos of Mapplethorpe. It fits with my personality.
Both photographers use the rule of thirds and also successfully break that rule in their photos. See above pics.

This above is a great example of a composite design. The skier has elevated himself in the clouds to pursue the ultimate challenge. His silhouetted figure stands out from the background scenery. He almost seems to be floating in the air. The color of the clouds are a pink orange, indicating sunset, and it extends for miles. In the distant horizon, the color is smooth and clean; not natural, which is another visible sign of retouching. The photo blend is dramatic and there is a high contrast in the dark and light areas. This composite photo is not only eye-catching, it also relays a message of courage and endurance.

This is a clear and distinct photo. It is simply a school of pigeons performing a balancing act. The sky is slightly overcast. Of course they know the signs of the weather so they flock around each other, communicating in their own way. The electrical lines would not make an impact, on their own, but the row of pigeons on them makes an interesting sight. It is such an ordinary sight, most people overlook it. Another interesting observation is the diagonal positioning in the photo and the series of multiple lines. The photo has a geometric and organic feel to it. From this photo, I can try to capture images and scenery that most people ignore or take for granted.

The natural lighting in this photo creates distinct contrasts by creating varying shadows in the fountain area. The trees give a nice background effect, almost as if they are being watered by this giant fountain. The scene is at Park Row. It is around noontime and very sunny. People are sitting around enjoying the atmosphere and a child steadily observes the water spouts.

The photographer combined the photo of a supermarket scene with another photo of a woman (who looks like Jodie Foster) shopping in the fruit section. The background scene has reduced lighting compared to the foreground. The fluorescent lights are blurred (reduced f-stop) to achieve a heavenly look. It tells the story of a woman, perhaps a housewife, who is bored with her life. Like Eve in the garden of Eden, she is tempted to eat the apple and looks up, almost in doubt, as to whether she should. Her nakedness is attributed to her inner desires, which are exposed, making her vulnerable.


A client would opt for a composite photo to make it more powerful, or to tell a story. The added-on photo can either be realistic (to fit the scenario of the subject) or non-realistic (exaggerated or ill-proportioned), in order to give a compelling story. A composite photo can be visually interpreted, without words. One can look at it and get a message that would not be apparent with a straight photo.

PROSPECT PARK

In this photo, although the green vegetation reflects dark in the outer portions of the water, the sunlight transforms the darkness. The time of day is around 1:30 pm. The ducks all seem to gather within that perimeter of light, making them clearly visible. The banks are also highlighted and so is the distant background. The angle of the camera makes the scenery picture-perfect.