About me... the photo diary

Upon being asked to blog about what viewpoint I come from, I decided as part of my photo practice today to try and tell a little of my story with a few pictures. This was a fun exercise and I made a few of breakthroughs as well.

Of course, I was dumb and deleted my photos before I could get the F-stops and shutter speed.
But here are few highlights.

 Using a slower shutter speed.

Slowing down the shutter speed even more and changed the ISO.

I used a narrow F-Stop and a faster shutter speed on all the Reed/Piano photos. 

 This came out well. The reed that is in focus is my clarinet reed. The clarinet has been my instrument of choice for the past 8 years. 

Axioms

"It's a funny thing, the more I practice the luckier I get." ~ Arnold Palmer

This quote sums up how I feel about my photography ability. I have taken more pictures (on a non-cellphone camera) the past few days, than I have taken in years - maybe my life time...

For blog purposes, what I struggle with most is recalling what settings I used. I get so excited about the new knowledge I have learned; I quickly start hitting buttons and lose track of my settings. I am very much entrenched in experimentation mode. Thankfully my camera can keep track of it all. I don't know how photographers did it back in the film days. I am grateful for digital photography. That being said, if you think my numbers don't line up, please let me know. Thanks!

ISO (I am not totally sure, I thought it was 200 but because the lighting is different on the photo below I have no idea. ) 

Exposure Time 5" F-Stop 45

ISO 200  Exposure Time 1/80 F-Stop 5.6

ISO 400 Exposure Time 0"8 F-Stop 29

ISO 400 Exposure Time 1/25 F-Stop 5.0

Exposure Time 1/80 F-Stop 8.0 

Exposure Time 1/50 F-Stop 8.0

 Exposure Time 1/160 F-Stop 8.0

 Exposure 1/200 F-Stop 8.0

 Exposure Time 30" F-stop 36

 Exposure Time 30" F-Stop 25

Photo of the Day

Both images were taken in "Shutter Priority Mode" 

The shutter speed was as slow as the camera would allow.

ISO was set to 200 because I was shooting into the light from a window behind the piano (Yes I closed the blinds).

Photos of the Day

I was playing around with AV mode yesterday trying to get used to "depth of field."
But I can't locate the images on my computer.... Ug..Once me and my computer finish are disagreement I'll upload them...


Toward the evening, I realised the sunset was going to be amazing so I found a high point and snapped a few more photo's blindly changing settings just to see what would happen.
 I enjoy artwork where one can see the context of the image but not fine detail so I tried to replicate that a few time ...but that's still a work in progress
I need to work on holding the camera still..... The "D" rats me out every time...

I really like how this image came out.  I came close to getting what I wanted. 

Yannis Behrakis

It’s very hard working on a big story in your home country ... the emotional pressure is enormous when you see your friends and family suffer" ~ Yannis Behrakis

After looking through some of Yannis Behrakis’ photos, I am amazed he is able to accomplish what he does. Not only does he place himself in harms way, but he witnesses unspeakable things every day. Seeing the world's negative has taken its toll on his craft. Not only does Behrakis admit this in his blogs and interviews, but the negative side of the world is easily seen in all his photography.

I (like many Americans) prefer to have a positivity bias. I try to see the positive in everything. Behrakis’ photos keep everything in a saddened perspective. Even images that could bring hope are framed to show the struggle people endure. One of the photos is that of a man trying to help another man out of the water. All that was visible of the man helping was his arm. This image shows the distance of how far away true help really is; keeping the focal point on the refugee. It takes the “Good Samaritan” away from becoming the focal point and highlights the person who is struggling to survive.  Another image of the men protecting the women was also very dark. While I am assuming it took place at night, the image felt more depressing than anything else. The darkness all around displayed the feeling of hopelessness the refugees are facing. 

~ Yannis Behrakis

"Alexis Tsipras shares a joke with Parliament Speaker Zoe Konstantopoulou right before a ruling Syriza party parliamentary group session in Athens. In July, Tsipras battled to win the lawmakers' approval for a bailout deal which would keep Greece in the Euro."  ~ Yannis Behrakis

This image taken during the Greek crisis does not show the lighter side of politics but rather makes one feel they are in a bad dream. I actually get dizzy looking at the photo. I feel like I am spiraling down into the nightmare with Greece. What makes this photo so successful at telling a story is while the people are out of focus, the viewer can tell who each person is; allowing the viewer to understand the context of the image. This lack of focus technique hurts my eyes. As I try to find something to focus on, I begin to feel a great sense of hopeless. This visual technique exaggerates what the common people may have been feeling at the time of the photo; while protesting in the streets, the politicians sit around cracking jokes.

The second thing that evokes my physical response is the red aisle seen in two focal points. My eyes are automatically drawn to it. Red is the color the eyes see the quickest and with the red aisle being in two focal points, my eyes are drawn to the floor. But, my eyes are also drawn to the people not quite in focus. As I stare it the image, my eyes jump around looking for something to focus on; unfortunately, nothing satisfies my need for a focal point. This must have also symbolized the emotions of the people of Greece. Their intense longing for something or someone to connect with and focus on, but in the end there is nothing; sending one deeper into despair - as everything is slightly out of focus.

Bio for COMM 3530

I am including two self-portraits because my emotional response was different for each. Fascinating how changing the lighting, hand placement, and angle of my head tell a different stories. 

Biography:

My name is Josh, and I am a senior Mass Communication major/Music minor. I will be graduating in May 2016! 
I am planning on pursuing a career in Social Media Marketing but am also considering working toward a Masters in Mental Health Counseling. I plan on a few years of working in the business world before making the decision regarding extending my education.
My hobby is getting into hobbies. I enjoy learning new things so I have picked up quite a few extra-curricular interests over the years. I have built a sailboat, learned to Yo-yo, finished 3 Marathons, play disc golf and enjoy learning how to play new instruments. I currently play the piano, clarinet, saxophone, ukelele, guitar, flute well enough to make a musical sound. This semester I will be learning how to play the oboe and possibly, the trombone. My favorite kind of music is Jazz, but I don't have a favorite instrument - I like them all. I am always baffled and learning new things.
I am excited to graduate and start a career in the social media industry. I believe that social media is such a powerful tool. I am looking forward to all the new learning experiences that lie ahead.   

Description of my experience:

My experience is limited at best. While I have taken a few good photos, it is more out of luck than skill. Most of my experience taking photos is with my smartphone. "The best camera is the one you have with you." The ease of taking pictures and uploading them to the pages I manage on different social media sites has proved more "productive" using my phone rather than learning how to properly use a real camera. 

Objectives as a student:

"A picture is worth 1,000 words." In my mind, one of the most underutilized skills for Social Media Managers is our ability to take good photos (becuase most of us can't). This criticism has appeared on a few list regarding the weaknesses about social media management. Since it is considered an underused skill, I know that I am not the only one who struggles in this area. A great photo is a necessity to draw our audience to engagement on the post. Let's remember that Instagram, Pinterest, and SnapChat are all photo sharing sites. 

PhotoJournalism is about telling a story. An engaging social media page does the same thing.
My objective in this class is to learn how to take better pictures so that I can tell engaging stories with my photos. 

Inventory of photographic equipment: 

I have access to my LG Android smartphone and a Canon Rebel XT with two lenses - a 75-300mm zoom lens and the basic 18-55mm lens.