Final Write Up

As this class comes to a close, it's nice to be able to look back on posts that we have made throughout the trimester. I must say that I have definitively noticed some improvement, not just in myself but in the other members of the blog as well. Everyone has seemed to develop their own unique style. I feel like Nick's style has grown to have an almost modern feel, with pictures involving architecture, and modern subject matter. Makaylaa's style has more of an artsy feel, with vivid colors and strikingly beautiful subject matter. Ben's style feels more unique and abstract to me. He seems to take pictures of every day things in an odd way, or find something unexpected to photograph. My own style has more of a natural, raw feeling. I have found that I like to take pictures of landscapes, things outdoors, or things that portray the world how it is, even if it is not particularly pretty. Through taking pictures relating to evolution, I feel that I have forced myself to make connections in what I see everyday. It's been really good for me because I find myself manipulating ideas when taking pictures to make them fit into the evolution theme. It has forced me to be creative and think outside the box. I found myself constantly searching for new subject matter. This was difficult at first, but after awhile it became easier as I got used to what I should be looking for. Working for this class ended up creating a sort of escape from my other classes this term because it allowed me to think and create freely without constraints. I also tried my hand at using Photoshop this term. This proved to be much more difficult than I originally imagined. It isn't very intuitive, and so I had to ask a bunch of people questions and when they didn't know I had to look up tutorials online. I did all this only to figure out that once I edited a photo in Photoshop the file type changed and it wouldn't allow me to upload it to the internet. This was frustrating, however I still learned some things about editing pictures. Having the ability to edit pictures also changed the way I took them as well. I began to think about what might look good after I edit while taking my pictures, such as what kind of lighting it had, and the contrast between the colors. This was fun because it made me feel like I had more power over what my pictures ended up looking like. While taking pictures this term, I focused on learning how to change the settings on my camera to enhance the way the pictures looked. I manipulated the shutter speed, ISO factor, and how much light the lens lets in depending on the conditions under which I was taking a picture, and how I wanted it to look. This was confusing at first, but after some practice I began to understand it more. I posted three of my favorite pictures that I took this term at the top of this post. The picture of horse tail falls is one of my favorites because of how starkly the waterfall stands out against the almost black background, and how the tree is silhouetted against the waterfall. I also like the sort of mystical vibe that it has to it. The picture of the rotten apple is one of my favorites because of the beautiful colors of the apple. The colors remind me of autumn, and I like how the apple is in focus and the background is slightly blurred. The last picture I like because of the vanishing point created by the road. It created a perspective that draws you in. All in all, I learned a lot of things from taking and posting pictures in Evolution Through Photography. I learned some things about how to compose and edit good pictures, and how to write about them and make connections between them. It was a valuable and fun experience.