Wine, spirits, beers

Our first commercial II assignment was to photograph spirits. We learned how to photograph glass in commercial I a few semesters ago, but it didn't get any easier this time. We also started to add in new elements to our images instead of focusing just on glass. This is actually my second attempt. I was really unhappy with my first images and they didn't look sharp so I redid the entire assignment with all new props. There are a few little things here and there that bother me a little about that shot, but overall I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. :)

New Semester

The new semester started last week and we are already learning so much and have a few projects we are working on. I will be taking commercial II which I am really excited about. We will also begin working on our portfolios and participating in an internship. I'm really looking forward to all the new things this semester will bring but I know its going to be a long hard road. We are almost done with the program and now is the time that things start to get really serious. I'm prepared for the stresses that are sure to happen, but I'm also excited about getting closer to graduation.

Environmental Portraits

This wasn't our first experience with environmental portraits. We previously did them in our portraiture I class using the 4x5 cameras. Of course using digital this time around was a lot easier and allowed for more mistakes. I spend some time with my friend Kelli while she was working on some of her personal art projects. We had a lot of fun and it was nice photographing her and watching her work as I did as well.

Executive Portraits

We moved out of the studio and began shooting on location for our next assignment. Learning how to take professional head shots/portraits was a little challenging because there were certain guidelines we needed to stick to. Although many clients may ask for something unique and creative, for this assignment we were asked to keep things as formal and professional as possible. I was lucky enough to catch my friend Mary during her time at work and get a mini photoshoot for this project.

Flash

Another part of our photojournalism classed focused on using flash. I didn't have much experience with flash. We were asked to take two pictures. One photo as an example of fill flash and the other as an example of main flash. We weren't so much worried about the subject or image itself as much as learning the difference between the two and managing to use it correctly. I thought my first attempt turned out pretty well.

Low Key

One of my favorite assignments for our portraiture II class was the high key/low key project. We got to chose which one we wanted to do and were allowed to add one other color accessory if we wanted. I chose to do a low key portrait because I really like the dramatic mood it creates. It was also the best choice for my model so it turned out really great. I was glad to find out she enjoyed the photos as much as I did. I posted an example below from the shoot.

Feature Assignment

Part of our photojournalism class was to learn about features. It was probably one of the more fun projects for the class. I enjoyed going on and looking for moments. It made me look at things in a different way and stay open to what would make a good feature image. I eventually took the photo below while out at a Halloween festival with my family. It thought it was really cute so a snapped a quick photo that I later used for this assignment.

Kid Portraits

It turns out that photographing children is about as difficult as working with animals. While a lot of children became shy in from of the camera, I was lucky enough to have a outgoing model who really enjoyed the camera. Once he figured out what was going on he seemed to have a lot of fun just playing around while I tried to capture the moments. I liked this assignment a lot. I don't think anyone could complain about playing with toys and little kids all class period.

Sports

In addition to last semesters portraiture class, we also had a photojournalism class which proved to be even more difficult then portraits. Our first assignment was to photograph a sporting event. Luckily, I'm a sports fan so once I got access to a game I was pretty excited to give it a shot. I have never attempted to shoot any type of sporting event before so it was a new experience for me. Overall I learned a lot. It's something that will definitely take some practice, but it gave me an excuse to rent a fancy lens that I got to play with. :) The below image was shot at Loganville High School's Red Devil stadium.

Pet Photography

Last semester I took my second portraiture class which was a challenge for me since I don't have a lot of experience with portraits, but I had a lot of fun. Our first assignment was pet portraits. I love animals so I was really excited, but of course it was a lot harder than I had expected. I photographed by friends puppy who although was well behaved seemed to be more interested in anything besides me and my camera. Not only was she a little distracted, but she's huge! Overall it was a lot of fun. Below is the final image.

New year

I figured a new year would be a good chance to start a new blog that I will actually make time to keep up with. I want to be able to look back on my time in school and the progress that I have made. I'm really excited about this semester and starting work on my portfolio. I know it's going to be a long and difficult next few months, but I'm looking forward to doing my best and hopefully creating some great images. :)