Final Reflection

I think that I originally came into this class with an eye for photography. However, when I started this class I didn't know anything about how a camera worked, or what things like aperture, shutter speed, and ISO meant. Learning the different technical elements of photography has been very important for me this year. Learning to use the darkroom is also an important skill I'm glad to have. Before starting this class I only knew how to use a point and shoot camera. I realized that in order to be successful in this class, I needed to do more than just take a good picture. Learning the techniques behind taking a good pictures has been something I've learned in this class.  Now I know how to take pictures with a film camera and develop them. I also know more about using digital cameras, and how to manipulate them in Aperture and Photoshop. I think that these skills are skills I will be able to use my whole life. By practicing these skills in class, I have  become familiar with them, which will allow me to explore photography more. I'm excited to continue photography, now that I have a understanding of the basics and can experiment more. 

My favorite photograph that I've taken this year is the photograph that I took of a man walking his dog in Golden Gate Park for the Urban Landscape project. I think the way that this photograph captures a specific moment and plays with the natural lines of the landscape is very successful. I also think that the contradiction of the beauty of nature in an urban setting makes this photograph interesting. 

My favorite project that we did was the abstract project. I really like to focus on detail in my photographs, so the abstract project was the perfect opportunity for me to do that. I also enjoyed experimenting with different 'abstracting materials' to intentionally make a photograph more abstract, rather than just taking a photograph and hoping it turns out well. 

My least favorite project that we did was the portrait project. For this project, I was planning on taking pictures with a friend over the weekend, but she couldn't do it at the last minute. Instead, I had to take pictures during a class period on campus of my classmate Anna. I think that if I had had more time to think about the photographs and to experiment and a more interesting setting, my photographs might have been more successful. I also realize looking back at the project that it might have been beneficial for me to get closer to Anna when I was taking the photographs and to focus on her more than the setting.