Wednesday, June 11, 2014

End of the Year Reflection

When I started this class on February 1st, I had almost zero idea on how to use a camera "properly". I knew how to point and shoot. However, I didn’t know what any of the different modes meant. I also didn’t even think about how different angles and lightings could make a photo better. After learning more and more about cameras and how to take good photos, I think my best work to come out of it would have to be either the normal portraits or the self-portraits. I just really enjoy portraits because people are fun to photograph. They show so many emotions that you can’t always see and if you do see them, they only last for a brief second. However, with a camera you can capture those brief emotions.
In the class I also started to learn more about Photoshop and all the type of things you can do to pictures to edit them. My favorite editing processes are the simple ones like brightness/contrast, curves, exposure, and vibrancy/saturation. As fun as it is to Photoshop pictures so much that it looks super different, I really like to keep it simple, clean and to leave the picture as close as possible to the original image. Especially since I like to photograph portraits, to edit/Photoshop a person so much that it looks like something else seems to defeat the purpose of “a portrait” (that’s just me).
Through this class I found out that I’m actually not that bad at photography and at using Photoshop. I really really enjoy it and I think the photography bug bit me. I want to keep doing it and really hope I get to take Photo 2 next year.
Like I said, I liked this class a lot. The only challenge I had with it was the amount of pictures that were assigned for homework. I thought it was a little much. I think focusing on the quality of work rather than the amount of work it better. I understand that taking many pictures may produce a higher chance of getting a better end result, but for me I already take way too many pictures and don’t really stop until I like what I have.
But, other than that, this class was great. Thank you for teaching us so much and I hope to have you again next year. :)