EXTRA CREDIT

1. Ki Suk Han was pushed onto the tracks by a man who was harassing people after an attempt to calm him down.
2. R. Umar Abbasi tried to warn the train by snapping his camera in hopes that the driver would see the flash and stop, but it was unfortunately too late.
3. It was pretty much taken in an act of panic, not for the photo itself, but to warn the train. He clearly didn't intend to take the photo.
4. He was simply trying to warn the train, but took a devastating photo in the process. On second thought, after reading the comments, I realized that he could of easily picked up the man from the tracks.
5. I disagree with the decision. Maybe if it was on the inside of the magazine, it would attract less bad attention because posting it on the front could possibly distress innocent people looking at magazine covers.
6. The difference between this photo and other infamous photos such as Kevin Carter's The vulture and the little girl and Frank Fournier's The Agony of Omayra Sánchez is that those photos were taken as aftermath. Abbasi could have easily saved the man from certain death.
7. Art is a complicated thing. Sometimes, you have to take a photo just to show how messed up the world can be. But costing a life is a whole different story.
8. Again, Abbasi could have easily saved the man if he hadn't stopped to take the photo.
9. Even though photography and art are two of my favorite things in the world, costing someone's life for the take of a photo doesn't seem worth it. I would have tried to pick the poor old man up from the tracks. Besides, the surveillance cameras probably captured the whole thing anyway, so what's the point of taking a picture?

5 Websites

1. http://petapixel.com/2014/12/31/10-photography-resolutions-new-year

1. I chose this photo because of the beautiful backdrop and personality.
2. I see that they used the background to fantastic effect.
3. It doesn't say who took the photo.

2. http://petapixel.com/2014/08/25/approaching-problem-style/

1. I chose this photo because of the black-and-white colors.
2. The rule of thirds was used.
3. Photographed

3. http://www.rachelsussman.com/oltw/

1. I chose this photo because the ocean always attracts my attention.
2. Cropping was used.
3. Photographed by Rachel Sussman.

4. http://petapixel.com/2014/12/19/disorienting-beauty-spiral-staircases-old-abandoned-buildings/

1. This photo caught my attention because of how disorienting it is.
2. Viewpoint was used to great degree.
3. Photographed by Christian Ritcher.

5. http://blog.phowd.com/2014/09/7-tips-shooting-great-portrait-photographs/

1. I chose this photo because of the expression.
2. Balancing elements was definitely used.
3. Photographed by Rajib Mukherjee.

Magazines Pt. II

An image-based cover is the most common type of magazine cover. Most of the time, it's a portrait. Image-based covers are useful for, well, pictures. Illustration-based covers were most common before the 1930's, back when photography was barely a thing. However, illustration-based covers are still useful today, especially if you want to add a bunch of color and absurdity to your cover which couldn't otherwise be obtained with a typical photograph. Type-based magazine covers mainly consist of text. They're mainly used for more serious occasions involving stories. Concept-magazine covers tend to be the most artsy, as they usually have a certain meaning behind them. Finally, the relationship between words and photos on magazine covers is that the words explain what is happening in the picture.

My Favorite Cover

"When shooting Solange Knowles for The FADER, we wanted to reference her timeless songwriting, and emphasize her classic presence in the image. This cover was shot with an Bx 10 View Camera for a simple, timeless vibe, bringing only SO plates of film to capture the perfect shot (compared to a standard 2,000-shot digital sitting). We took many conservative, close up shots of Solange, but still wanted that final, bold image. We chose yellow as the backdrop, because it paired well with the natural lighting from the windows and the contrast of colors in her outfit. Solange stepped onto the apple box herself, and the shot we chose was the very last plate of film."

My favorite part about this photo is how well it fits with Solange's style. She's always had a very independent and closed-off personality, and the image of her staring off into space perfectly cements that. The way she calmly and silently sits with her legs crossed on top of a box of apples shows that she's thinking some deep thoughts at the moment. But enough with backstory, let me critique the actual quality of the photo itself. First things first, the lighting is on-point. It perfectly shines off her legs and leather skirt. The yellow background fits well with the white/blue shirt, and I also love the way her hair is just all over the place, making it basically the center of the photo. Overall, it's a fantastic shot. The FADER definitely has a very good taste in cover photographs.

Best Covers

1. Formal
2. Formal
3. Informal
4. Environmental/Informal
5. Informal
6. Formal
7. Formal
8. Formal
9. Formal
10. Formal
11. Formal
12. Formal
13. Formal
14. Environmental
15. Formal
16. Environmental
17. Formal

Portaits and Self-Portaits

Me

Nico

Georgia

Georgia again

Rachel

Portait Magazine Cover

Self-Portait Magazine Cover

Magazine Tips

Things I shall be thinking about:
1. I want the cover to stand out and be attention-grabbing.
2. I need to think about how the scale of the image will fit on the cover.
3. I want the image to have a bunch of personality.
4. I want to have a vague title which makes people want to read the article (that's called baiting)
5. I want the image to be unique

Top 100 Photos

1. Oscars Selfie

1. This may be the greatest "selfie" of all time. It perfectly captures all these familiar faces having a gay old time.
2. This is a selfie taken by actor Bradley Cooper at the 2014 Oscar Awards. The group selfie includes other famous actors/actresses such as Ellen Degeneres, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, and many more.
3. Even though Bradley Cooper is credited as the photographer, as he was the one holding the phone, Ellen was the genius behind the idea. After Cooper took the photo, Ellen posted it on Twitter, where it became the most retweeted photo of all time with over 3 million retweets. She even used it to promote the Samsung phones, which the photo was taken with.
4. Bradley Cooper isn't known for being a professional photographer, but this simple selfie had so much influence and impact that it was put in TIME magazine's Top 100 Photos of All Time.
5. Name: Bradley Cooper
    Born: January 5th, 1975 (41 years old) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    Attended Georgetown Unviersity

2. The Terror of War

1. The crying children depicts signs of terror, catching my attention.
2. This is a photograph taken by Nick Ut during the Vietnamese War. It depicts a crowd of Vietnamese children and soldiers running away from a mass of fire in Saigon. A panicking naked girl can be seen in the middle of the crowd.
3. The mass of fire was caused after the South Vietnamese air force accidentally dropped a load of napalm over a village where the children in the photograph lived. The girl in the middle is actually 9-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc, whose clothes were burned off due to the napalm. The soldiers were quick to save the panicking children. Hence the title of the photograph, it certainly depicts the true terror of war.
4. Nick Ut

5. Name: Nick Ut
    Born: March 29th, 1951 (65 years old) in Long An Province, Vietnam

3. The Pillow Fight

1. The freeze-frame technique used in the photograph was used perfectly, and got my attention.
2. This is a photograph taken by Harry Benson. It depicts the uber-famous band known as The Beatles (consisting of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison) having a playful pillow fight.
3. This photo is incredibly influential, as it was known for lifting the spirits of Americans 11 weeks after the infamous assassination of president John F. Kennedy. It was taken on the night that the band realized that their single "I Want to Hold Your Hand" had hit No. 1 in the U.S.
4. Harry Benson

5. Name: Harry Benson
    Born: December 2nd, 1929 (87 years old) in Glasgow, United Kingdom
    College: Unknown

4. Black Power Salute

1. The heroic stance of the men caught my attention.
2. This is a photo taken by John Dominis at the 1968 Olympics. It depicts sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists in the air.
3. This moment has gone down in history as one of the biggest statements of all time. As "The Star-Spangled Banner" played, the stadium put their hands on their hearts to salute America. In an act of protest, Smith and Carlos raised their fists in the air. "Before we salute America, America must treat blacks as equal".
4. John Dominis

5. Name: John Dominis
    Born: June 27th, 1921 in Los Angeles, California
    Died: December 30th, 2013
    Attended University of Southern California


5. Michael Jordan

1. The sunlight in the background really made the photo catch my eye.
2. This is a photograph taken by Co Rentmeester for LIFE magazine. It depicts Michael Jordan, the ultra-famous basketball player, jumping in front of a rising (or setting) sun as he prepares to shoot his basketball through the hoop.
3. After the photo was taken, it was bought by Nike. The silhouette of jumping Jordan was used as a logo for Air Jordans, later being referred to as the "Jumpman". Since then, the logo has been a staple on Nike clothing. It became so popular that in 2015, famed musicians Aubrey "Drake" Graham and Nayvadius "Future" Wilburn collaborated to create a song dedicated to the logo!
4. Co Rentmeester

5. Name: Jakobus "Co" Rentmeester
    Born: February 28th, 1936 (80 years old) in Amsterdam, Netherlands
    Attended Art Center College in Los Angeles
 

Deadlines, ARGGH!

1. According to the website, the origins of the term "deadline" are uncertain. 
2. I'll get a bad grade on the assignment.
3. I've always had issues meeting deadlines for homework. Most of my consequences include getting fussed at by my parents.
4. I'm a hardcore procrastinator, causing me to miss deadlines a lot.
5. I was sick for a few days, causing me to miss a lot.
6. I shall focus as hard as possible on the assignment, and not be distracted by other things.

1. The one about setting a specific time to work on homework would be very useful.
2. Probably the one about saying no. It's extremely hard for me to turn down an offer from a friend.
3. I'm more like a middle-of-day person. That's the time I normally work.
3A. Due to the fact that I normally work in the middle of the day, it might last longer into the night.
4. I can find a specific time of day in which I can't be doing anything else that I can dedicate to studying.
5. 1. Find a quiet spot with no distractions. 2. Let a parent or partner sit with me to make sure I'm not goofing off. 3. Ask a question if I need help.

1. Yes! Most of the suggestions would be very useful.
2. Quiet, cozy, chilly, free of distractions.
3. Usually my thoughts, my drawing book, and the internet. I tend to drift off whenever I get stuck on something.
4. For my thoughts, I could ask for help if I get stuck. For my drawing book, I can just hide it. For the internet, I can just let someone sit with me to make sure I'm on task.

Another Prompt Shoot

Tiny:

Circle:

Edge:


Numbers:

Prompt Shoot

American Soldier

A. Personally, I think the first image on page 21A is the most interesting. It shows that even with Ian's internal and external battles, he's still the same kid in the same room. The gun in his hand shows that even when he's safe in bed, he still has battles to deal with.

B. They tell the story of Ian Fisher's journey through his involvement in the army.

C. The captions show what is going on in the pictures, who is in them, and what they symbolize.

D. When Ian Fisher was 17, he announced that he was going to join the army. 1 year later, he did just that. After a bunch of heartfelt goodbyes, he finally arrived at the camp. Countless hours of training turned him into a real soldier. The stereotypical drill sergeant constantly bullies his soldiers, making them tougher. Ian bought a ring for his new girlfriend during a week back home. Months of training, preparing, and emotional conflicts finally made him ready. 11 months later, he finally arrived in Iraq. After constant battle, Ian returned home as a new man.

E. Third-person

F.
1. They usually have 1 or 2 sentences.
2. They tell what is going on in the story.
3. They say what Ian's point of view on the event is, sometimes showing a quote.
4. They enforce what Ian is saying.
5. A lot of them do.
6. Yes. One of them even has 5.

G. It's quite easy to do. There needs to be a certain picture for every important event that happens, and the caption needs to describe what is going on in the picture and its significance.

H. Words tend to add more to the story, maybe it might dive into people's thoughts more. This is a complicated question.

Funny Captions! (LOL!!!)

1.

IT'S LIT, FAM!

Grover Higgins's 100th birthday went ablaze yesterday, literally.
His family bought 100 candles, and were going to light them individually, but one candle caused the whole thing to light up.

2.

Hospitality with a Twist

Holby City Hospital has opened up a new wing to treat patients with Alzheimer's, a condition which causes memory loss.
Unfortunately, the designer of the wing decided to make it a little bit hard for patients to get there.

 3. 

YEEEAAAH, BOY!

Here, we have your average everyday hipster being him. Looking like Flava Flav with a giant clock on his chest as well as a red polo, some shorts, red socks, and purple, festive shades, 102 year old Archibald Belanger is living his life to the fullest.

Rules of Photography II

Theme: Things That Represent Me

1. Rule of Thirds


2. Balancing Elements


3. Leading Lines

4. Symmetry and Patterns

5. Viewpoint

6. Background

7. Depth
8. Framing
9. Cropping 

10. Merging

Abandoned Theme Parks

1. I definitely wouldn't enter any of those, for they are just far too spooky, but if I was forced to, I'd probably check out the Lincoln Park in Massachusetts just for the "Comet" rollercoaster. It also seems the least spooky, despite the... casualties that occurred. Still, it seems like a great place to do photography considering how high The Comet stands and how iconic it is.

2. 

3. I'd recommend photographers to check out Chernobyl, but remember to bring the best anti-radiation equipment they can find. I would also recommend L.A, especially during the winter. The balcony of the Griffith Observatory in particular is a great place to snap photographs from. Toronto, Canada also seems like a good place to get some stylish photographs, especially the CN tower. If there's any photographers that are into scuba diving, I'd probably recommend the ocean off the coast of Sakhalin, Russia, due to the fact that there have been some... intriguing sightings in that area. Lastly, I would recommend Dubai, especially because of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.

4. 

5. Chernobyl seems like a great place to photograph because of how imposing it is. After the horrible nuclear disaster in 1986, almost half a million people either died or fled. Recently, the radiation has died down, making it a bit safer for people to visit. It feel like it's the perfect example of an abandoned city with a grim and morbid backstory. A good thing to photograph (if it's safe) would be the infamous "Elephant's Foot". After the reactor exploded at the power plant in 1986, all of the nuclear material gathered in the bottom room of the plant, forming an enormous mass of radioactive waste now known as the "Elephant's Foot", which has broken the record for the most dangerous object on the planet. If a really lucky photographer is able to visit the blob of death, snap a few pictures, and live to tell the tale, history would be made.

6. Although it seems unlikely that I'll ever visit the place, if we're speaking theoretically, well, I'm gonna need the best anti-radiation equipment I can find. I'll need a compass, in case I get lost, and probably something to defend myself with, because you never know if you might run across a living mutant monster that succumbed to the radiation. I'll probably need a partner, because I'm a sensitive soul who just wouldn't have the courage to go alone.

Africa

1. The photos I saw were breathtaking. It amazed me how perfect each shot was, and I can't even imagine how long it took the photographer to get such amazing photos.

2.
 

3. Although it is a saddening image, it has its own beauty to it. The bird is clearly suffering, attempting to spread its wings. But even though the bird is suffering, it is perched on a branch in the middle of the water, just like birds usually do. Its stance is strong and determined. But the background is what really sets the image for me. I don't know how Nick managed to get such a perfect shot, but he did it. The stormy, cloudy sky sets the mood for the image, along with the bare water. The little vignette effect in the corners as well as the colors also make this a perfect image.

4. Pretty much all of the rules of photography are present in this image.

5. Nick used a Pentax 67II, with two lenses. This shows how he was able to take such high-quality and appealing-to-the-eye shots.

6. Most of Nick's work represents the pain and suffering of animals in Africa, whether due to poaching, deforestation, droughts, etc.

7. He hopes that it will raise awareness of the problems that the animals in Africa face.

8. "I'm not interested in creating work that is simply documentary or filled with action and drama, which has been the norm in the photography of animals in the wild. What I am interested in is showing the animals simply in the state of Being. In the state of Being before they are no longer are. Before, in the wild at least, they cease to exist. This world is under terrible threat, all of it caused by us. To me, every creature, human or nonhuman, has an equal right to live, and this feeling, this belief that every animal and I are equal, affects me every time I frame an animal in my camera. The photos are my elegy to these beautiful creatures, to this wrenchingly beautiful world that is steadily, tragically vanishing before our eyes." - Nick Brandt

Great B&W Photographers III

1. One thing that I love about Garry Winogrand's photography is the vagueness and simplicity of some of his photos. They always have people in them, but in the majority of his photos, there's always something hidden that you might not see at first glance.

2.
 
At first glance, I see an ordinary, everyday couple casually walking down the street. But after a closer look, I saw something shocking. Monkeys! They're holding monkeys! Chimps! Primates!
I smell the distinct smell of the chimps. Not exactly a pleasant one.
I hear the sounds of the people walking, along with the faint chirping of the chimps.
I taste the thick, strange air. It gives me an odd feeling.
I feel the presence that something unordinary is happing. It takes a while for me to notice what's giving me that feeling.
My interpretation of this image is that it might represent the idea of evolution, showing the 2 infants being born as monkeys, later to evolve into adult humans.


This is a very interesting image, what with its simplicity.
I see two classy men who look like mafia members or crime bosses. One is confronting the other.
I smell thick cigar smoke. Since they both look like crime bosses, I can definitely image an ashtray on a table below the sitting one.
I hear the sound of the small light buzzing. I also hear the faint speaking of the two men.
I taste my saliva due to the suspense. I swallow it in fear.
I feel the cold air in the room upon my face. I also sense that something dramatic is about to happen.

3. To honor Garry Winogrand's influential, unique, and avant-garde artwork, I feel like his work should be honored among the other legends such as Ansel Adams. Museums should start featuring his work in the abstract and avant-garde art section.

Great Black & White Photographers II

Garry Winogrand was born in New York City on January 14th, 1928. He graduated from high school in 1947, and went on to study painting, art, and photography at the City College of New York and later at Columbia University. He took photojournalism class in 1951 at the New School for Social Research in New York as well.

For the first few years of his career, Winogrand worked as a freelance photojournalist as well as an advertising photographer. Some of his photography ended up in museums and books, and so he decided to become a professional photographer. In the 1960s, he started doing photography around the streets of New York.

Winogrand's photography was mostly known for its subliminal messages involving American life, conflicts, and social issues. He had multiple books published, such as Figments from the Real World, Winogrand 1964, and The Man in the Crowd: The Uneasy Streets of Garry Winogrand. He won multiple Guggenheim Awards, in 1964, 1969, and 1979. He also gained fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1975.

In 1984, Winogrand was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer. He was rushed to the Gerson Clinic in Tijuana for treatment. On March 19th, 1984, Winogrand unfortunately passed away at 56 years old. Although he isn't typically brought up amongst legends such as Ansel Adams, he left a huge legacy for the photography industry to look up to.