Final Exam

1. I created a blog post called "Final Exam" on my Photography Blog.

2. I sent an email with the subject "Period 3 - Final Exam"

3. My email signature does include my Blogspot and Weebly links.

4. My transformative picture was actually taken later in the year. This is due to the fact that it took me a few months to gain an appreciation of how difficult photography is and the amount of work that photographers put into perfecting their pictures. The photo was part of the commercial shoot that was done as a group and it included my two project mates, Hugh and Barry.

This photo legitimately altered my view of photography from an easy pastime to a tiring yet rewarding art form for many reasons. Firstly, it took an hour just to shoot this singular photo. In order to match the style of Ralph Lauren, I had to take dozens of different shots. I wanted a style of serious yet cool similar to that of Ralph Lauren and on around the 30th try, after an hour, I finally got a good picture. I thought it was the end of my work, but alas, it was not. This ties into my second reason for it for believing it was a difficult art form. Even after taking the picture, it took me another 2 hours to correctly edit it! I had edited pictures before but for this one, not only did I have to edit the brightness, clarity and contrast, but I had to mask the background as well to make it completely white. Finally, I had to make it a printable size with just the right quality! Originally, I had believed that photography was simple and all one had to do in order to take pictures was click a button. However, this photo taught me that it takes time to take a good picture and edit it, and that photography is a difficult skill. 

5. Shape and Form are both elements of art, but they are inherently different. Shape is a flat image that is a closed figure and has a visible outline. For example, in a picture, shapes can include triangles or circles or even leaf-life figures. Form, on the other hand, not only expresses length and width, but depth as well. Instead of being a two-dimensional flat image like shape, form includes three-dimensional figures that have depth as well. These include cubes, spheres and cylindrical figures.

Link for Shape from my Blog: Shape

Link for Form from my Blog: Form

Two Separate websites that substantiate my explanation: 

First Link

Second Link

6. Pattern and Repetition are both principles of design, but are different from one another. Pattern simply repeats a figure or group of symbols throughout the work. For example, repeating patterns could be shapes like squares continuously reoccurring throughout the image. However, repetition not only has a repeating structure throughout the work of art, but it completes the work or makes the pattern less monotonous by varying its style. For example, in my repetition image, I not only showed a repeat of the sides of the bushes, but the shadows of the bush, to make the photo seem harmonic in style. Pattern is a repeat of a figure while repetition is a repeat with less monotony and makes the work of art seem dynamic. 

Link for Pattern from my Blog: Pattern
Link for Repetition from my Blog: Repetition

Two Separate websites that substantiate my explanation:

First Link

Second Link

7. My Weebly About Page: Simar's Weebly About Page

   A Photographer's About Page that inspired me: Eric Ryan Anderson About Page

8. My last Three Project Blog Links: 

Commercial Shoot

Presentation Project

Final Project

I believe my best work came in my Final Project, in which I took candid shots of my family. This is my best work because of the variety of styles that are exemplified throughout the project and varying perspectives. For example. I had one picture of my cousin shooting a soccer ball while the ball was in the air, a different perspective from normal, to a picture of my sister staring at a picture which included all of the names in the family to my sister laughing at a story our grandpa told her. These unique shots captured daily life because of their candidness and did so in a different perspective than the usual direct shot, which makes the entire project so much more real in my eyes. This makes it in my opinion, my best work. Not only do I believe it was my best work, it changed me as well. Each moment that I am with my family tells a story and it allowed me to appreciate these situations not only as a photographer, but as a person as well. They let me appreciate life and enjoy every day and that is what is most important to me. In this way, photographing these moments has allowed me to value my life for the amazing thing it is. Furthermore, I see in a different view now. This project allowed me to view different moments of life as snapshots waiting to be captured. Each situation that I am in can truly represent a story. Now whenever I take a picture, I truly understand that there are a variety of unique situations waiting to be captured, and I do not even have to look further than my own home. 

42nd Photo Assignment, Final Project

For my photography final, I took candid shots of my family. They did not have to be the same as the ones I originally came up with because of their candidness. The images show my family in their natural settings and explain their dispositions very well.

 This is a shot of my dad explaining his 2015. NBA finals prediction to me. He loves discussing basketball and while in the car, I took this shot of him while he chose the Warriors to defeat the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

My sister loves being with the family so naturally I took a candid shot of her staring at a scrabble board that contained the names of everyone in the immediate family, including mine.

My cousin loves playing sports. Even when there is no basketball available, she shoots with a soccer ball or anything whatsoever. I saw her shooting around so while I watched her, I took a picture of her shooting the soccer ball. She made the basket.

My grandfather (I call him Nanu) loves telling stories of his childhood to the entire family. They are often hilarious and we enjoy hearing them. In this picture, I caught my sister laughing at one of the stores my Nanu told her. 

My grandmother (I call her Nani Ma) always helps with the house chores and she provides structural support of the family, even when my parents are at work. In this picture, I caught her washing the dishes after the family ate a humongous lunch. 

Link to My Portfolio: http://simarsphotos.weebly.com/
The gallery contains these photos!

Inspirations are Kristen Rachelle and Sally Mann

41st Photo Assignment, Student Website Reviews

1st Period: http://lucyszeto.weebly.com/
I believe Lucy Szeto's best picture is this one. As the first image on the gallery, it has two people in the process of performing handstands. This is the best picture because there is a balance between the two individuals. Since they are almost at the exact same position with their handstands and their legs, it creates a principle of design of balance as there is symmetry in between them. Due to this excellent balance, I believe this is her best picture.

2nd Period: http://mvaidyaphotography.weebly.com/
I believe Mohini Vaidya's best picture is of her dog biting and chewing on a red, blue, and white string and is this one. As the second image on her gallery, it is the best picture because it is the only picture on her gallery that represents a movement or action. This motion forces our eyes to first view the dog and what he is doing, and the blurred background keeps our eyes focused on the dog. This movement and motion causes that picture to be the best one. In order to supplement the movement, she made the light focused on the dog's head and his action and this further improved the quality of the picture.

3rd Period: http://rudriksutharmsjphotography.weebly.com/
I believe Rudrik Suthar's best picture is the last one on his gallery and is this one This is a picture that contains a tennis racket and a tennis ball right next to each other in the back of the image and a Reebok logo saying "I am what I am". This is the best picture because the simplicity of the image and the clear focus on the tennis racket and ball. The rest of the image is in the right setting and is plain at the same time, so this allows the tennis racket and ball to be focused. It is simple and beautiful and it makes it the best picture.

4th Period: http://melissacaiphotography.weebly.com/
I believe Melissa Cai's best picture is the first one on her gallery and is this one. This is a picture that shows a yellow flower and a green plant background behind. This is her best picture because of its color element of art. The contrast of the yellow flower with the greenery behind it and the focus on the yellow flower evokes colorful imagery. This color focus accentuates the beauty of the environment and the fact that her picture captured that makes it the best picture. 

40th Photo Assignment, Presentation Project

Link to Weebly website portfolio: 

Photo Gallery

39th Photo Assignment, Photo Story MC Week

People begin to prepare the tents for the multicultural event on a sunny Thursday afternoon. The Make-A-Wish Foundation is putting down the tents as they get ready for a hectic hour of lunch.

 The Senior class officers are preparing chinese food and the junior class officers are making Chipotle. After putting down tents, food preparation is the next step in getting ready for the hour of lunch,

The L2 treasurers eat their own food as they wait for lunch to begin. They have to be fully filled up, so they can focus on selling tickets for the next hour! The individual volunteers who help multicultural week occur have to eat their own food after preparing tents and the food that the club is selling!

Juniors Shourya Jain and Saksham Pruthi are relaxing after fully completing the tiring preparation work. This relaxation is needed to calm their mind before the hour of lunch! After getting ready and eating their own food, it is time for the volunteers to relax as only a few minutes remain before lunch begins!

Lunch is set to begin! Lines are about to get large and money is about to be sold! Let the hour of fun commence!

38th Photo Assignment, Commercial Shoot

                                                             Taken by Me

                                                            Taken by Hugh Smith

Taken by Me

                                     
                                                                               Taken by Barry Liu

Taken by Barry Liu

Barry's blog

Hugh's blog

Ralph Lauren is our inspiration for this commercial shoot!

37th Photo Assignment, Best Photo

5 Photographer Websites About Me

Eric Ryan Anderson

Piotr Kulcyzcki

Jason Bell

Nicolas Tarier

Morgan Norman

36th Photo Assignment, Story with a Photo - Cake

After a long day of hard work and competition, I felt exhausted. However, because of hours of work remaining, I decided I needed some food to reenergize myself. I was in Sacramento, on a conference, and decided to try something new, so I went to a snow cream shop. I never had something like that before, but I loved strawberry cheesecake, so I ordered that flavor, hoping it would be delicious. When I received it, it was a huge surprise- it was gigantic, but at the same time, it was tasty. It was an amazing decision, as I tried something new and energized myself for the next few hours of work.

35th Photo Assignment, Story MC week

There once was a man named Fabhi Modi

A mixture of cultures he was

During multicutural week he was a little stoney

Unfortunately because he was Fabhi he took more fuzz

This made him question his true race

He was african indian and american

After some more green tea he began to embrace

Who he truly was then

He began to eat a variety of food

Green curry Watermelon and Mint Ice Cream

He started to get in the happiest mood

He truly accentuated carpe diem

Fabhi was so happy he was a cultural blend

A lot of money on Supreme© he began to spend

34th Photo Assignment, Principles of Design- Unity

Edits

Only Edits are:

Tint: +30

Clarity: +19

Vibrance: +63

and Cropped at top

This picture represents Unity because there is completeness in the picture, as the mountain is entirely shown and all the text and posters seemed balanced and proportional. This demonstrates harmony.

33rd Photo Assignment, Principles of Design- Variety

Edits;

Temperature: +17

Tint: -18

Exposure: +1.10

Contrast: +46

Highlights: +27

Shadows: +21

Blacks: +29

Clarity: +20

Vibrance: +31

Saturation: +33

Cropped as well on right side

This indicates variety because there are the principles of design of balance because theres symmetry in the grass and building and proportion of the bushes.

32nd Photo Assignment, Principles of Design- Rhythm

Edits:

Temperature: +25

Tint: -23

Exposure: +0.10

Contrast: -73

Highlights: -85

Shadows; -40

Whites: +46

Blacks: -57

Clarity: -9

Vibrance: +38

Saturation: +8

This photo indicates rhythm because the repetition of the purples flowers indicate movement because your eyes keep on switching off in a direction trying to see the different purple flowers in the green grass.

31st Photo Assignment, Quiz, Shutter Speed and Everything After

My partner is Barry Liu.
Lens Picture

1. Fast, since the trucks on the right are actually moving in real life but they look stationary and frozen in this photo. This freeze in time indicates a very quick shutter speed.

2. This indicates my rule of composition, which is perspectives, because the trucks are going away from the person. This is different than a front perspective as instead, it is a back perspective of the trucks. This perspective is different from normal, signifying the rule. Another rule of composition indicated in this photo is leading lines.  The lines in the road and the trucks are all parallel and help to focus the viewers attention to the focal point which is the cabin of the overturned truck.

3. This picture utilizes lines as its element of art. There are plenty of spaced lines throughout the picture including railroad, road and truck advertisement lines.

4. This picture uses balance because the two trucks are spaced away from each other and the truck lying on the floor is directly in the middle of them. Along with the railroad tracks and road lines, these are symmetrical and balanced.

Tuesday's Farley's Kids picture

1/250

Edits;

Temperature: 0

Tint; +3

Exposure: -0.20

Contrast; +20

Highlights:+ 12

Shadows: +42

Whites: +31

Blacks: +45

Clarity: +19

Vibrance; +90

Saturation: -21

Guessed Shutter Speed: 1/250

30th Photo Assignment, Principles of Design- Proportion

This photo represents proportion because the sizes relate well to each other because even though the bushes are of different sizes, they are varying uniquely and creates a feeling of unity in a vacuum.

Edits: 

Temperature: +6

Tint: +17

Exposure: +0.90

Contrast: -30

Highlights: +23

Shadows: +36

Whites: +23

Blacks: +34

Clarity: +33

Vibrance: +43

Saturation: -5

29th Photo Assignment, Principles of Design- Repetition

This photo represents repetition because the shadows of the bushes are repeating in a continual basis. 

Edits

Temperature: +16

Tint: -40

Exposure: +1.30

Contrast: +8

Highlights: +38

Shadows: -21

Whites: +32

Blacks: +19

Clarity: +8

Vibrance: +43

Saturation: -16

28th photo assignment, Principles of Design- Movement

This photo represents Movement because the emphasis starts on the subject's face. Afterwards, the eyes go to his hand and where he's moving. From there, the eyes go to the paper and what he's doing.

Edits

Temperature: +27

Tint: -14

Exposure: +0.25

Contrast: -28

Highlights: +26

Shadows: +17

Whites: +14

Blacks: +33

Clarity: -7

Vibrance: +31

Saturation: +30

27th Photo Assignment, Half Past Autumn Parts 3 and 4

1. My definition of success is being happy with what you have in life.
2. I have given up nothing, because whatever I do in life, I want to be happy, and sacrificing does not make me happy.
3. Parks gave up his family life to become successful.
4. He was a UN ambassador for Great Britain, USA and France.
5. Parks was offered $10,000 to write his first book.
6. Parks was offered $500,000 to write the story on the Nation of Islam.
7. Parks refused the money because he believed Elijah Muhammad would influence him if he did and he didn't want bias.
8. The movie the Learning Tree was significant because it was the first major motion hollywood movie directed by an african american (Gordon Parks)
9. Shaft was a black super hero that many people looked up to.
10. Gordon Park's choice of weapon was his camera.
11. Genevieve reason for divorce was because of the turmoil that Gordon parks was in.
12. Twelve Years a Slave was a similar movie that told the same story.
13. Gordon Parks Jr. was Gordon Park's oldest son who died early.
14. My favorite Gordon Park's photo is American Gothic.
15. In ten years, I will not remember Gordon Parks.

26th Photo Assignment, Principles of Design- Pattern

Crop on Right Side

Temperature: -1

Tint: -1

Exposure: -0.20

Contrast: +32

Highlights: -28

Shadows: +4

Whites: +53

Blacks: -42

Clarity: -72

Vibrance: +23

Saturation: -28

This photo clearly shows pattern as the different oval-shaped holes of the table

repeat throughout the image.

25th Photo Assignment, Principles of Design- Emphasis & Structure

The Structure is the statue and the emphasis is on the Thinker's arms positions as they are straight in the center of the picture to make the viewer focus on them.

Edits

Crops on the sides

Temperature: +17

Tint: +20

Exposure: +0.75

Contrast: -33

Highlights: +31

Shadows: -42

Whites: +78

Blacks: +29

Clarity: +38

Vibrance: +32

Saturation: +16

24th Photo Assignment, Principles of Design- Balance

Edits

Cropped right side to make it balance with other side, straightened it out

Temperature: -3

Tint: -6

Exposure: +0.65

Contrast: -21

Highlights: +34

Shadows: +25

Whites: +47

Blacks: +39

Clarity: -31

Vibrance: +11

Saturation: +78

This photo effectively demonstrates balance as everything is symmetrical. The two doors on the side, the table in the back, the poles, the two doors in the back, and the lockers are perfectly split by the two doors in the center.

23rd Photo Assignment, Elements of Art- Texture

Edits

Cropped on top

Temperature: +5

Tint: -14

Exposure: +0.05

Contrast: +14

Highlights: +13

Shadows: +21

Whites: -64

                                                                        Blacks: +25

Clarity: +52

Vibrance: +26

Saturation: +27

This photo uses texture because it appears as if you can easily touch or feel the bushes and the plants. It is impossible to feel something physically in an image, but this photo allows the audience to truly have a sense of texture.

22nd Photo Assignment, Elements of Art- Color

Edits

Temperature: +2

Tint: -41

Exposure:+0.65

Contrast: +45

Highlights:-16

Shadows: -30

Whites: +36

Blacks: -17

Clarity: 0

Vibrance: +19

Saturation:+18

                               

     This photo correctly follows directions as yellow plant life is clearly shown on the bottom left of the image, from the flower.

21st Photo Assignment, Elements of Art- Space

Edits

Temperature: +3

Tint: -32

Exposure: +0.10

Contrast: +48

Highlights: 0

Shadows: +1

White: +15

Black: +14

Clarity: +28

Vibrance: +13

Saturation: +27

This image demonstrates space as their is a sense of depth achieved through the image as the tree on the left clearly is closer to the point of view compared to the right tree. 

20th Photo Assignment, Elements of Art- Form

Temperature: +2

Tint: +18

Exposure: +0.15

Contrast: -3

Highlights: -57

Shadows: +3

Whites: -33

Blacks: +37

Clarity: +92

Vibrance: -13

Saturation: +13

This photo shows form because not only does it demonstrate height and width, but the different components of the plant show depth as well. 

19th Photo Assignment, Elements of Art- Shape

Temperature: +22

Tint: -34

Exposure: -.60

Contrast: -13

Highlights: +46

Shadows: -33

Whites: +24

Blacks: +19

Clarity: +58

Vibrance: +4

Saturation: +23

This clearly demonstrates shape because the leaf has a clear figure that's outline is visibly represented in the image.

18th Photo Assignment, Elements of Art- Lines

Edits:

Temperature: -13

Tint: 13

Exposure: 0.05

Contrast: -44

Highlights: 13

Shadows: -27

Clarity: 16

Vibrance: 33

Saturation: 9

This photo shows lines as the needles of the plant clearly demonstrate an abundance of lines throughout the image. The lines are placed throughout the photo to enhance its effectiveness.

17th Photo Assignment, Photo from Lens

Picture 5

This picture is the best and my favorite as well. I consider it to be my favorite because the eagle is my favorite bird and I love its representation of freedom, football is my favorite sport, and because I've experienced similar circumstances because I was on my 8th grade football team and the mascot stood through.

I feel like it is the best too. This is because of the symmetry in the photo (as the bird represents a border between the football players conversing), the lights perfectly representing the picture as it makes the eagle stand out even more and allows the field to be displayed with bright colors while the top is so dark (a kind of symmetry as well), and the perspective as it is taken from the mascot from the behind looking at the field, the players and the audience. The perspective, lights, and symmetry substantiates my argument for it being the best photo as well. 

16th Photo Assignment, Photo Ranking

Top 5 Pictures: 

1.  10

2. 28

3. 2

4. 5

5. 30

15th Photo Assignment, Multimedia Fest Poster Part 2

Why is this poster good?

This poster is good because of the blend of concepts of music creation, graphic design, photography,video and animation. These are blended really nicely as they are coming out of a computer, accentuating the usefulness of ROP. The font is really nicely created and the background is really nicely done.

Why is it better than the last one?

The last one was really simple, it just showed four photos in rectangles. This was far more creative as the pictures came out from the animated laptop. The arrows showing them pop out show the many concepts of ROP far better than the older one. The font is more pretty and more spread out throughout the poster, keeping simplicity and improving design.

What did I do to create it?

I took a picture of a computer, animated it, resized everything and posted it on the psd file. I layered many things such as the 4 different pictures popping out and fixed the gradient for the background. I also used the distort feature on photoshop to put the image on the computer and used arrows and lines to connect the four pictures. Text was edited and font size and style was improved. 

14th Photo Assignment, The Photo League Movie Monday Questions

1.            What was The Photo League's credo?

The credo of the Photo League was the belief of expressive power in documentary photography and a progressive alliance in the 1930s of socialist ideas and art.

2.            What organization did The Photo League separate from?

The Photo League separated from the Film and Photo League.

3.            What was the workshop?

The workshops were focused on learning to take good pictures and focus in photography.

4.            Who taught "the workshop?"

Sid Grossman

5.            If you were to devote one year of your life to one project, what project is worth your time and energy?

I would devote one year of my life towards programming an application to educate people how to code!

6.            What was The Harlem Document?

The Harlem Document was a set of photographs that portrayed Black America in cities and the cultural setting and types of people of Harlem during the 1930s.

7.            Who started The Harlem Document?

The Harlem Document was started by Aaron Siskind.

8.            A photographer discusses a photograph where "the children looked like they came out of a _______ painting. Who was the painter?

 Caravaggio

9.            Why did the photograph mentioned in #8 look like it was by the painter? 

The lighting of the photos looked similar to the paintings.

10.          Who was Lewis Hine? (name two significant contributions)

Lewis Wickes Hine was an American sociologist and photographer. His photographs were essential in creating the child labor laws in the United States. Hine also made "work portraits" that demonstrated the people's impact on industrialization and industry.

11.          Who was Weegee?

Weegee was Arthur Fellig, a photographer and photojournalist, who created black and white street photography.

12.          How did The League change when The Nazis took power?

The League changed when the Nazis took power because the influx of refugees came to the United States from Eastern Europe and created a diversity and wealth of pictures to accentuate the league's standing. However, as individuals, they suffered as they fought for rights in a prejudiced America.

13.          How did The League change during WWII?

The League changed because men went to war so more women got in the league and started leading the organization. 

14.          How did Siskind change after WWII?

Siskind changed from someone who focused on social issues and social documentation in his photography to someone who focused on abstraction.

15.          What was the Saturday Evening post?

The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963.

 16.          Who was Barbara Morgan? What did she photograph?

Barbara Morgan was an American photographer best known for her depictions of modern dancers. She mainly photographed dancers and their styles. 

17.          What eventually undermined the Photo League?

The idea that the League was a front organization for the Communist Party undermined the Photo League.

 18.          What was the "Growing Menace" mentioned in the film?

The “growing menace” was facsim.

19.          Who agreed to serve as President when The League was under investigation?

Harry S. Truman

20.          What happened to the league?

The League disbanded in 1951.