Photo Collection #2: Brightly Colored Objects

A couple additional photos that I would like you to "collect":

• Something brightly solid-colored.  An on-campus example would be a school bus, a colorful piece of furniture, or even a brightly colored car.  You can also find someone wearing a bright shirt or pants or jacket.  We'll be using these to do a "Replace Color" project in Photoshop.  Something to think about with this project is that a photograph of a subject like the Coca Cola machine or Harley Davidson may not be usable in the future because Coke owns the trademark to the logo and bottle design and Harley Davidson owns the trademark for their logo.

Project #3: Flowers, Trees & Plants

People often neglect simple photographs [like plants or trees] because they are so abundant.  But at various times of the year, a tree [for example] will look very different.  In the Summer it can be bushy and full of green leaves... only to give way to oranges and reds in the Fall... and then stark, cold and empty branches in the Winter.  Sometimes you may consider making the choice between color or black and white based on your image -- a beautiful Fall picture should be in vibrant color while a foggy field with a lone dead tree might be awe-inspiring in sharp black and white.

Plants can be interesting as well.  Simple things like ivy growing on the wall of a building might look cool, but a close-up of the vine grabbing onto the brick might be cool as well.  You may even want to use plants or trees as your "frame" for other photos.  Even a potted plant or dirt, seeds and a trowel can be a cool subject to try out.  Be creative.

Project #4: Fall Colors

It's that time of year when nature provides a huge variety of colors.  It only happens once per year, so it's time to get out there and get some pictures.  Look for Fall colors in leaves, grass, orchards, vineyards, and pumpkin patches.  There's really no wrong way to do this assignment, but try to capture a series of images which would display the season.

And speaking of the time only coming once per year, I took this snapshot (below) several years ago in a pear orchard in Ukiah, California.  I planned on coming back in a week or so to get the full color spectrum, but the orchards were all sold and the trees were all torn out and later replaced by grape vineyards.  You never know how long something you love will be around, so capture those memories.

Sometimes when you hear "Fall" you think of brightly colored leaves and the return to school.  These pictures are typical "Fall" scenes, but I think they are beautiful:

Sometimes you can focus on a single leaf or even a more abstract view:

Upcoming Photo Challenges

We are looking forward to a variety of projects coming up in Photography Club.

Core Photo Challenges:

1. Vantage Points (6 images)
2. Found Alphabet (26 photos)
3. Flowers, Trees & Plants
4. Fall Colors
5. Weather & Sky
6. Now and Then / Dear Photograph
7. Leading Lines
8. Abstract
9. Shadow World
10. Forced Perspective
11. Reflections
12. Pets & Companions
13. Unconventional Framing:
1. Framing (Natural)
2. Framing (Artificial)
3. Framing (Actual)
14. Country Life
15. Bridges
16. Architecture
17. Farm Animals
18. Statues & Monuments
19. Wildlife
20. Props
21. Losing Gravity
22. Blue & White
23. Industrial
24. Sporting Event
25. Waterscape
26. Landscape
27. Transportation
28. Body Art
29. Food
30. Silhouette
31. Narrow Focus:
1. Hands
2. Eyes
3. Lips
4. Skin
32. Flags & Patriotic
33. Theme: Trust
34. Theme: Cold
35. Theme: Strength
36. Theme: Childhood Memory

Holidays:

1. Halloween
2. Thanksgiving
3. Christmas

Begin Your Digital Portfolio

Next, we will set up a Photography Web Page (Blog) to begin our digital portfolio.  This will be your showcase so your fellow club members (or friends) can see the pictures you're taking.

Blog: Title "Same Subject: Different Points of View"

• Choose the subject that works best for you
• Post your set of pictures to one blog post
• Describe the experience of creating the pictures
• How does a different vantage point change the way the subject is portrayed
• What is your favorite picture from this set?  What qualities do you like about this photo?
• What did you have trouble with?  What would you do differently if you had this assignment again?

Getting Started: Take Pictures and Keep a Journal

I would like you to take several pictures following the good design, composition and layout principles we discussed in club last week (which we can revisit today).  Try to keep your subjects as the "center of attention" (i.e. simplicity, rule of thirds, powerful, meaningful, etc.).  You are welcome to do color, black & white, or both.  I'm looking for composition here more than anything else.

I also want you to begin a notebook (spiral is fine) to take notes on photo ideas, useful web sites, etc.  You should also use that notebook to begin scouting for good locations to take pictures.  These can be good subjects, good backgrounds, or even places with open air without power lines or busy roads.  You may even want to keep a photo journal to keep track where, when, and who you photographed.

Peripheral Vision Exercise

Before you begin, notice that the faces are all normal -- until you begin watching the cross.

Watch the cross in the center of the image: