Best Mural

Self Portrait

Magazine Cover Introduction

5 things to think about your magazine cover design:

1. Arousing curiosity (that’s to pull the casual glancer in)
2. Emotionally irresistible (that’s the image’s appeal) 
3. The cover attracts a target consumer.
4. Intellectually stimulating, interesting (that’s to promise benefits)
5. Efficient, fast, easy to scan (that’s showing off the service) 

 Informal portrait















Informal portrait

Informal portrait

Informal portrait

Informal portrait

Environmental portrait

Environmental portrait

Environmental portrait

Informal portrait

Informal portrait

Formal portrait

Informal portrait

Environmental portrait

Formal portrait

Informal portrait

Formal portrait

Environmental portait

Informal portrait

Informal portrait
















Favorite:

Environmental portrait

LIFE Special Edition (1969)

This LIFE special edition To the Moon and Back chronicles the first moon landing, brought about by the courage of the Apollo 11 astronauts and the thousands of people who supported their mission. On the magazine cover is a picture of Buzz Aldrin, taken by fellow astronaut Neil Armstrong. Along with color photographs of this historic walk on the moon, there are biographical sketches of Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins. There is also a history of manned space exploration from the first single orbit around the earth orbit to the launch of Apollo 11.






This is my favorite magazine cover because this environmental photo has deeper meaning that what it looks like. The title "Life" and the photo resonate together. The photo represent how humans life. We seek knowledge, explore, then we come back again to share that knowledge and/or experience just as the description title "to the moon and back" . We seek our own road to freedom, to the moon, but we will be back for those who we care for. We will stand strong, confident to our own way because we will be back with something worthwhile to show from the rocky moon. The background/grounding means the trouble that we will go through to seek those individual freedom. How far one will go for our own freedom. Then, the dark sky represents the unknown universe we don't know but look up to seek. I like the lightning, how the color change from bottom right to top left, getting darker in order to blend the title of the magazine with the photo itself for a clear understanding of the text, I also like the reflection of the astronaut's head cover shows the shadow side of the picture.

Lytro Warm-Up

1. What did you see happen when you clicked on the photo?
Pictures with great light exposure, the camera captures the light field

2. How does this new camera work?
This new camera contain a light field sensor that "captures the color, intensity and vector direction of the rays of light".

3. What do you think a photographer would have to know about to take this kind of photo (remember its a point-and-shoot, so its full manual mode, what do you need to know about)
You need to be able to zoom in and out because this new camera does not have an auto focus motor. Since no auto focus motor means no shutter delay, you cannot put a timer for this new camera.

4. Is it worth the money?
I think it's worth the money for people who does not want to play with lightning, balance, or the whole manual mode, but for photographers that want to take a photo with their own settings, its not.

Rules of Photography

 1. Rule of thirds

 

2. Balancing Elements

3. Leading Lines

4. Symmetry and Patterns

5.Viewpoint

6.Background

7. Create Depth 

8. Framing

9. Cropping

10. Mergers and avoiding them

Self Portraits and Portraits Part II

Tips for self portrait or portraits:

Anticipating Behavior
An important element in people photography is knowing your subjects well enough to be able to anticipate what they are going to do. It's the only way you are going to be able to get pictures of it. If you wait until you see it, it's too late. The key is to watch people carefully. Always have your camera ready. If you're going to be shooting in one situation, set the aperture and shutter speed in advance so you don't have to fiddle with them while you're shooting. Watch people through the viewfinder. If you're paying attention, you'll sense what's about to happen.

Hands and other details
The hands of a farmer, a pianist, a baker. The feet of a ballet dancer, a long distance runner, a place kicker. The belly of a pregnant woman, the bicep of a weight lifter. Hair caressing a pillow, fingers clutched in prayer, a peering eye. The details of the human body make great photographic subjects, either as expressions of ideas or emotions, as graphic shots, or as a way to say something about an individual. Whenever you are photographing someone, try to think of details of their body or dress that would get your message across in an indirect way.
Are there particular parts of their body or items of what they wear that are important to what they do for a living or a hobby? Does some part of them really stand out? Can you find a way to abstract what you want to say about the person by using one of these elements?
The point is to use your eyes and your imagination, whether you want to use detail and abstraction to say something about an individual or about the beauty of the human body. If you are making photographs of details of the human body, you will be working intimately with people and will have to direct them, tell them where to pose, and how.

Using reflective object
A mirror or some other reflective surface offers an even easier way to take a self-portrait. In most cases, the camera will be included in the scene (but this can help make a statement about your enthusiasm for photography). You can use your camera as a prop, and hold it away from your face. When you photograph into a mirror, be sure your reflection is in focus. An infrared auto focusing system will usually focus on glass if it's aimed into a mirror, and will focus at infinity if aimed at an angle. You might try focusing at an object that's the same distance as the distance from the camera to the reflection, lock in the focus, recompose the image to include yourself, and take the picture.

Environmental Portraits 

 These photos have amazing lightning and color contrast. The model's emotion is also fantastic, it shows their personality in that environment. The choice of background, setting, and time looks very professional with the model holding their individual item of settings.

Casual Portrait

I like the balance of these portraits and the emotion the subject is expressing. The background, their clothes, accessories and hair position, and shooting angle fits their personality as an individual. Soft lines on background, avoiding mergers and focus out everything other than the main subjects blends in as a casual portrait.

Portrait Assignment

I plan on shooting myself because I trust myself the most. I will shoot outside for clear, natural, earthy background and good lightning. I might shoot on top of a rock in courtyard for my martial arts kick pose, or a bright expression looking up with sun light exposure for a magical feeling, or laying on top of something, facing upward, with an expression matching my outwear color, or a sad expression looking right into the camera while sitting on a grassy ground and grip right into the grass, a dress (if i want to wear one) and camera facing down on me, or a jump on the air while the background shows only the sky with excited expression, or my martial arts jump kick with vertical lines as background to show a strong spirit feeling (if the camera can go down to a good enough shutter speed and good lightning). These are my ideas that i haven't narrowed down.