2015 Reflection

I like this picture because politics and people having to do with politics are usually very serious, but John McCain, U.S. senator, manages to find humor before speaking at his conference in Washington.

I really love this picture because it shows how beautiful our world is and how no matter what is going on in the world, we can always find fascinating things to make us appreciate our planet.

This is one of my favorite pictures because I think that it is really cute and interesting how a weasel was riding a bird and how the image freezes the moment where the bird is flying at a very high velocity.

1. What was the best song of 2015?

 The best song of 2015, in my opinion, was "Hello" by Adele. I think this because her voice is amazing and she hasn't written songs in a long time. Also, there were a lot of songs that were really bad this year so I was happy to hear a tasteful song from a  singer that I really enjoy listening to.

2. What was the best movie of 2015?

To me, the best movie of 2015 was Mockingjay part II because I love The Hunger Games books and movies and I was excited to see the last movie of the trilogy. Also, I really like the characters/actors in the movie and how action packed it was.

3. What was the most important news story of the year?

 The most important news story of 2015 was about the refugee crisis for Syrians who are trying to come to the United States to start a new life and get away from ISIS. It is important because it has created a lot of conflict about whether they should be allowed in the U.S. and has now turned our countries focus to the tragic ISIS attacks in places around the world such as Paris.

4. Who was the most important person of 2015?

The most important people of 2015 were the Black Lives Matter activists because they have protested against the inequality of African Americans that have been treated unfairly by, in particular, law enforcement. It has created a lot of uproar and has brought the attention of unnecessary violence towards African American in the U.S.

5. What was the biggest entertainment story of 2015?

 

One of the biggest entertainment stories of 2015 was the unfortunate death of one of television's biggest stars. Joan Rivers was a funny personality known for saying outrageous comments in her shows. Even though she is no longer on T.V. her shows such as "Fashion Police" continue to be popular on U.S. television.

1. Tell me what is the one thing that happened on your holiday that you will remember? It can be a trip, a family visit, a present, something fun.

     Something that happened during the break was that we went to help my grandmother move into her new house in Palestine, TX. 

2. What are your resolutions for the 2016 year?

     One of my resolutions for 2016 is to exercise more and eat healthier. I have had some health problems the last 6 months and I think that having a better lifestyle will help me to feel better.

3. What are you looking forward to in 2016? 

     I am looking forward to meeting new people and hopefully getting my permeant.

Final Exam Review

1.

James R. Robert is taking a closer look to see if the bottom of his award winning pies are cooked all the way. He has been doing miniature pie contests for 45 years, and has one every single year. 

649 ducks are running away from a huge stampede of Hungarian Grey cattle in the open lands in Hungary. These ducks have already ran 7 miles, trying to escape them.

2.

1. Rule of thirds - Then the subject is not centered, but in one third of the picture.

2. Balancing Elements - Good placement of shapes and the balance of subjects in the whole photo.

3. Leading Lines -  Diagonal, horizontal, or perpendicular lines that allow the eyes to follow them towards the main subject and make an object the main focus of the photo.

4. Symmetry and Patterns (repetition) - shapes or symmetry that are evident in the photo and that create a focal point

5. Viewpoint - Taking the picture at a different angle or height, other than eye level to change the impact that the photo will have.

6. Background - Strive to find a background for your picture that isn't busy. Try to find a simple background so that the subject in the foreground doesn't get "lost" in the picture. 

7. Create depth - Make sure to include subjects in the foreground, middle ground, and background so that the image doesn't look 2D, but conveys a sense of depth.

8. Framing - Find natural elements such as trees to surround, and help draw focus to the main subject.

9. Cropping - If the subject is too small in the photo, "crop into" the subject to help get rid of unnecessary, background colors, shapes, etc.

10. Mergers and avoiding them - Look for plain and simple backgrounds so that the subject doesn't blend into or "merge" with its surroundings.

3.

Aperture - Like the pupil of the eye, a large aperture allows more light to travel through the photo while a smaller aperture, will prevent a lot of light to pass through the camera, creating a darker image.

Shutter Speed  - The amount of time a camera shutter is open to the exposure of light into the camera sensor. A hight shutter speed can capture an image quickly so that is doesn't turn out blurry, while a low shutter speed captures the picture slower, allowing more light in but also making the photo more blurry.

ISO  - How sensitive the camera is to light. The lower the ISO, the lower the camera's sensitivity to light, usually making the image smoother and brighter.
     

4. Photo shopping pictures can be a tedious task. This is because if the change to the photo is minimal, than it is ethical. But if by using photoshop a person completely changes the photo to portray a false sense of reality, than it is unethical.

5.  
Environmental  - Is when a picture is taken of someone with a background that gives an insight to their life. (jobs, likes/dislikes, hobbies, etc.)

Self  - A portrait of the photographer, in which the photographer captures.

Casual - A photo that is informal and doesn't include the subject posing/looking directly at the camera.

6. 
Exposure - The amount of light portrayed in a photo.

Depth of Field - Is the distance between the nearest and the furthest objects in a photo. Also, there will be a focused point with unfocused areas in front of, and behind it.

Focal Length - The distance between the center of the lens and the image sensor, while the lens is in focus.

7. Magazine covers:

Early - Back then, the magazines usually looked like a book cover with the title, publication data and occasionally a small illustration. 

Poster - During the late 1800's, many magazine covers had exquisite illustrations done by artists and engravers who learned to master graphic design. Also, the illustrations weren't typically covered by the title and the illustration was just to convey a general mood, not to portray the stories in the magazine. 

Married to Type - Some magazines had to have creative cover lines to catch people's attention. Ever since then, most magazines have a cover line and a big picture on the cover. Also, four things that were common in magazine covers were a large title with the person's face slightly overlapping it, a full body picture of the person, an unusual expression or pose by the person, and cover lines on all sides of the person. 

Forest of Words - Most covers have a background picture and cover lines that are in the foreground, covering all of the sides of the picture.

Magazine Covers

Portrait

Self-portrait

Portraits and Self-portraits

Portraits

Self-Portraits

Fashion Photography

Video #1

The changes that were done to the model's face were:
- Her lips were enlarged
- Her neck was made longer
- Her eyes and eyebrows were lowered
- Her neck and jawline where smaller
- Her eyes were enlarged

Video #2

The changes that were made to the model's body were:
- Her shoulders were raised
- Her neck was longer
- Her butt was lowered
- Her legs were longer
- They made her stomach skinnier
- Her skin was lightened
- Her feet were smaller
- Her legs were skinnier.

Video #3

The changes done to the model were:
- They made her whole body skinnier
- They enlarged her breasts
- The made her head smaller
- They made her arms and hands smaller
- They lengthened her hair

4. Is it ethically acceptable to change a person's appearance like these in a photo? Why or why not?

     It is not because it isn't right to completely change what a person looks like just to fit the stereotypical idea of beauty. 

5. Are there circumstances in which it would be more ethically wrong to do this type of manipulation?

     I would be more ethnically wrong if the model was unaware of the changes made to her body.

6. What types of changes are OK, and what aren't?
    
 I think that it is ok to brighten up the person's face and get rid of any blemishes that the model might not want to have.

7. Explain what you think the differences are between fashion photography and photojournalism.

     Fashion photography is a much more made up and distorted version of the real world while photojournalism is a more realistic insight to everyday life.

8. What relationship does each type of photography have to reality, and how does this affect the ethical practice of each?

     Fashion photography is a fake version of life because everyone and everything is altered to fit a stereotypical point of view, which is not ethnically acceptable. But, photojournalism portrays reality in an ethnically acceptable and true way.

9. Why do you think I am showing you these three videos?

    I think that you want to show us how easy it is to change someone's appearance and how ethnically wrong it is to portray a fake version of someone.

10. Why are none of these videos about guys???

    I think that there are none of guys because girls worry more about their appearance and have an image of beauty that they try to achieve.

Magazines Part II

1. Early Magazine Covers

     Most magazine covers in the 1700's and the 1800's were extremely different from the magazine covers of today. Back then, the magazines usually looked like a book cover with the title, publication data and occasionally a small illustration. But, the illustration was for decoration rather than a insight to what would be talked about in the magazine. Also, some magazine covers would look like a table of contents, or the front of a newspaper. 


2. The Poster Cover

     During the late 1800's, many magazine covers had exquisite illustrations done by artists and engravers who learned to master graphic design. Also, the illustrations weren't typically covered by the title and the illustration was just to convey a general mood, not to portray the stories in the magazine. Pictures were the main focus of the cover and sometimes looked as if the should be framed and hanging on a wall rather than on the cover of a magazine. Lastly, sometimes photographs would be blown up to fill almost the whole entire cover, leaving a small amount of room for the title and the theme of the magazine.


3. Pictures Married to Type

     Although most illustrations and pictures drew people in, some magazines had to have creative cover lines to catch people's attention. Ever since then, most magazines have a cover line and a big picture on the cover. Also, four things that were common in magazine covers were a large title with the person's face slightly overlapping it, a full body picture of the person, an unusual expression or pose by the person, and cover lines on all sides of the person. Lastly, the cover lines typically included the contributors to the magazine, not the topics or themes presented in the magazine.

4. In the Forest of Words

     In the 21st century, magazine covers included cover lines and pictures that were of equal importance. Also, most covers have a background picture and cover lines that are in the foreground, covering all of the sides of the picture. Lastly, many models on the cover pose in a certain way to allow many cover lines to cover parts of the picture that aren't too important. 

    

My Favorite Covers

Favorite

New York, February 17–24, Spring Fashion

"In a stunning cover for New York’s “Spring Fashion” issue, Erik Madigan Heck created a wall-to-wall effect with the red and white floral pattern on Lupita Nyong’o’s Stella McCartney dress and a coordinated background. Nyong’o is no wallflower, seeming to pop right out of this inventive and stylish cover."

     I really like this magazine cover because it catches one's eye and is unique. However, I think that the background hides the letters on the front. I think if the background wasn't so busy, then the words and her dress would be more visible. I would also change the layout of the cover because there isn't one thing to focus on, so it is hard to read. I think the picture taken of her is really good because of her expression and how she is standing, which portrays and communicates power, confidence, and elegance. One last thing I would change would be the amount of editing that was done on her because she almost looks kind of cartoon like.