Assignment 5

Skulls and Flowers

Tiny Bubbles

Crystal Fragments

Fast Milk

Glass and Candle

Liquid Cardboard

Slivers of Light

Tree Time

Lotus of Light

Mouse Feast

25 Cents Worth

I chose a photograph by Ruth Bernhard.  This photograph was taken in 1945 and is titled “In the Wave”. Ruth Bernhard takes the feminine figure and creates beautiful landscapes of form.  I had a difficult time choosing among her many photographs but this one spoke to me most directly.

This photograph of moving water and the feminine nude uses a combination of blurred motion and stopped motion to create both movement and focus.  A black and white image of the feminine nude, very risqué for the time, gives an offering of a landscape which is both of the human body and the natural world.  The composition of the photograph is asymmetrical, drawing the eye from the bottom left corner up to the apex of the photograph and then down and off to the right following the figure and course of the water.  Bernhard uses the figure to interrupt the flow of the water in a way which feels, to the viewer, completely natural, as if the living being was a boulder in a fast moving current.

Moving water has always created a peaceful feeling within me.  I have always looked at water as having a feminine quality and this picture took my existing feelings and encapsulated them into a photograph.  My response to the piece is one of feeling soothed.  I find it beautiful and peaceful is a way that is as much about the stillness of the figure as it is about the motion of the water.  What Ms. Bernhard has done effectively is capture a moment which elicits real feeling in the viewer through her use of the formal elements of art and photography.

Assignment 4

Lonely Instruments make no noise

Photography Phrustration

Dinner Time!

Critique of Ray's "Humans of UTSA" pictures

Picture #1
I think this is a great shot.  The pillar behind her frames her very well bringing out the rule of thirds.  The flowers and tree lighten up the structure of the building making the photograph softer while maintaining the shots structure.  The flowers make it an overall beautiful picture.

Picture #2  Great use of angles in the shot.  Also the handrail does a great job of framing the man in the shot.  The picture is a little out of focus maybe with a higher F Stop or a tripod would have given a better shot.  He also did a good job of alternate perspective because I automatically tilt my head when I look at this picture.

Picture #3  I like this picture because of the way it is set up.  The shallow depth makes everything behind her blurry drawing your focus back to the subject.  The subject is beautiful and framed well. The empty chairs to the right of her also draw your eye back to her.  Shot is a little blurry.  Probably needs a tripod or maybe it was windy.  Overall great shot setup.

Picture #4  This shot is framed well with the pillar, the objects on the table and the blurriness of the people behind him really bring this guys face into focus.  His arm leading to his face also draw your eyes to the subjects smile and brand new facial look, according to the caption.  One of the better photographs, he is a very interesting subject. 

Picture #5  I like the way the fountain in the background frames his face.  The blue in his shirt really brings out the subjects smile and features.  There is a lot of red in the shot making the subject look a little red, but the blue helps to balance it out.  Properly exposed and good depth of focus to bring out the subject of the shot.

Employees of UTSA

"What do you like most about working at UTSA?"
"I like the calmness and people" translated by Michelle

"What is the most enjoyable part of keeping UTSA safe?"
"When people thank me for what I do.  Its always nice to be acknowledged.  Do you want to see my Robocop Look?"

"What do you like most about working at UTSA?"
"I get along well with everyone and that makes it less like work."

"What do you do here at UTSA?"
"I work IT"
"Do you enjoy it, you look happy?"
"Yes I do, It is challenging and keeps my interest."

"What do you enjoy most about working at UTSA?"
"5 O'Clock"

Assignment 2 color shots

assignment 1 composition

Alternate Point of View
F-Stop - f/6.3
Shutter Speed - 1/125 sec

Open Frame
F-Stop - f/5.0
Shutter Speed - 1/13 sec

Curvilinear Lines
F-Stop - f/5.0
Shutter Speed - 1/1000 sec

Movement - Blur
F-Stop - f/4.5
Shutter Speed - 2.0 sec

Frame within a Frame
F-Stop - f/8
Shutter Speed -  1/5 sec

Horizontal Lines
F-Stop - f/4.5
Shutter Speed -  0.3 sec

Symmetry
F-Stop - F/3.5
Shutter Speed -  1/320 sec

Converging Lines
F-Stop - f/6.3
Shutter Speed - 0.6 sec

Shape
F-Stop - f/5.0
Shutter Speed - 1/100 sec

Diagonal Lines
F-Stop - f/7.1
Shutter Speed - 1/500 sec

Composition Exercise

Shutter Speed - 1/80 sec
Aperture Value - f/4.5
Curvilinear Lines