JOURNEY (Reportage)

Because my reportage was to focus on a "journey", I had a hard time combining the "public transportation" part of my story with the "human" side. After a while, I finally narrowed it down to two storylines (which differ in only two photots).

Alternative Storyline:

Kabuki : Man (ECHO)

Burt Glinn, 1961


Olivia, 2008

So... I didn't get to talk about my photo in class... so I've decided to do my little critique speech here. I would say that I had the most trouble with the light in this project. As I was taking my photos, I was concentrating way too much on angles and placing. If you look at my picture, the light is coming in from the left side (at first I thought I had just developed it wrong... :( ). Comparing it to the "original" photo, it should actually be coming down from the top in the middle. Also, getting my models to cooperate was a little difficult too. I don't blame them though, seeing as I had painted their faces white and kept contorting them into uncomfortable positions :P I think I did pretty well getting props though, except for a mirror that was big enough and without a drawing of a little dog on one side of it.

Overall, I'd probably give this project a 5 out of 10... it was definitely challenging, and a little fruterating at times, but I recognize the importance of what is was trying to teach us... and feel like I learned a lot :)

Side note: Ok, but don't you think my model 's face is perfect???? That's one of the few things I'm proud of in this pic lol I mean - just look! it's scary - the nose, the eyes, the lips! :p

"low whistling thistles in the wind/she laid her head down to keep from falling/into the integrated circuits of history..." (Exquisite Corpse)

石獅子/shíshīzi (Montage)

In Black:



In White:

Out Of The Ashes Comes... (Theme)

This project required three prints... so the first three posted were "the originals". The last two were extra pics I liked from the roll. Unfortunately, I managed to get a sun spot on the picture of the leaves ( :( ) and caught the reflection of the stadium lights in the dark pic ( :( ). Also... though it hurts me to admit it, if you look closely on a couple of the pictures, they're a bit blurry because I often had to use a low shutter speed and couldn't keep steady :p It's random but... I think if you look at the pic of the houses being built for a while, it almost looks like they could be toys. :)

But... there's a funny story that goes along with the pic with the stadium lights in it. While I was turning into the school's parking lot one night - I'd gone to take pictures of a girl's basketball game - I noticed that the stadium lights were on. Curious, I parked and went straight for the field. To my surprise, I discovered a soccer team (not our school's) practicing there. After sitting off to the side for a couple of minutes, hoping a good picture might come up, I gave up and went off to the basketball game. However, I couldn't get the team out of my head as I sat in the gym, so I ended up returning to the field soon after. Though I felt a bit awkward watching the players (I don't doubt the possibility that I made some of them feel uneasy), it was amusing listening to their English coach yelling and reprimanding them. Eventually, the coach blew his whistle and the boys stopped playing. He called them to the edge of the field and started them on stretches. By this time, I'd stalked off to a nearby hill and hidden behind it by crouching down on the west grass covering it's slope. I stayed in that position, with my camera poised so that the picture had the top of the hill as a base, for quite a while. As the players laid on the ground and began lifting their legs up (a painful stretch, if I may add), I began taking the occasional picture - thus, the pic with the stadium lights. Several minutes later, out of nowhere, the stadium lights shut off. The field went black, giving rise to several gasps of surprise. When the confusion died down, the coach dismissed the team and I left.

Note: stadium pic 19, lowest light

Jam Jars (One Thing)

Ominous (Random)

This is a pick I did at the beginning of the year and I never got around to putting up. This was my first try at filtering one part of a pic... obviously it didn't go well lol Intimidated by the task, I gave up after the first try :( I wish I'd gone back to it - I kept saying I would. Ah well, there's next year, right? lol It could of been a really nice pic, I think. Though, if I may say, the effect the mistake brings to the pic is actually kind of cool. It seems like something is shooting from the sky or the sun... I dunno... I just really liked this pic. The reason I snapped it in the first place was that strange, random and ominous black cloud in the right corner. Hmmmm....

Jump, _____, an' Wail (Alpha Betty)

–noun 1. swing music or early jazz.
2. the jargon associated with swing music and early jazz.
3. Slang. deceptive, exaggerated, or meaningless talk: Don't give me any of that jive!
–verb (used without object)
4. to play jive.
5. to dance to jive; jitterbug.
6. Slang. to engage in kidding, teasing, or exaggeration.
–verb (used with object) 7. Slang. to tease; fool; kid: Stop jiving me!
–adjective 8. Slang. insincere, pretentious, or deceptive.






Sorry the scans aren't that great... My scanner sucks :(

Meeley's Many Mammals (And An Avian) (Blur)

Are birds mammals? - Apparently not.

Beach Fever (Random)

How's that for a self-portrait of myself? Except... I didn't take it... So I guess that makes it a regular ol' portrait.




HAHAHA. The expression on my mom's face is PRICELESS. Deer caught in the headlights much? And no, we are not trying to French. LOL Just bein' silly.

Ruffling Hair (Self-Portrait)

What Lurks Within The Washing Machiene... (Self-Portrait)

Bedtime Story (Multiple Exposure)

If Natalia and Go-Un had a baby... (Multiple Exposure)

Safari Ride (Multiple Exposure)

Obviously, I messed around w/it on photoshop - tried to enhance the light background ad get it so that the little man on the car's face is visible. I swear the pic isn't really green.

Meeley (Portrait)

All Hands Together (Rule of Thirds)

I am SO incredibly proud of this picture. Just as I was kind of losing hope, I got this. Let me tell you, it was uplifting. The first print I made was horribly dark, so I went to the fiilters for help. A 5 filter and 12 sec was all this picture needed in the end. Like one of my 26 things pics, this picture was taken at lunch. It's sort of becoming a ritual now - taking pictures at lunch. All I do is leave a couple pictures on my film for our developing days and finish the roll off at lunch (I have photo last period). It makes me happy. It seems like all the action happens during lunch. A lot of times we don't realize it, but lunch is a very important time of the day during school... My friend actually came up with this picture. I had just taken several photos and needed a couple more, so I began asking my friends for ideas. Standing on my chair, I looked down at the table with my camera, my mind grasping for ideas. Suddenly, from out of the blue, my friend said, "Lets put all of our hands in the middle!" As she reached her hand out, she began pushing everyone else at the table to follow her lead. So, rather grudgingly, they all eventually stuck their hands out, one on top of the other and I took the photo.

I love the diversity in this picture. I usually sit with a lot of the foreign exchange students at lunch. The girl in the corner (you can see half her face) adds something to it too, I think.

hahaha I wrote an essay again. I'm so predictable.

Tea Time For Mr. Bear (26 Things - Fuzzy)

Meet my bear. He's brown and big and VERY soft and I love him half to death. It's silly... but I sleep better when something is in my arms. Mr. Bear (his name until I come up with a better one) fits perfectly into my arms. I got him in NY at F.A.O. Schwatz <3. I guess in taking this photo... I just wanted to take a picture of a lot of things I liked. I love cute dinner ware (Again, pathetic - I know), especially tea cups. Sorry coffee lovers, tea is my life <3 Also, the lamb is this beautiful lamp I found laying around the house. It's light colored, and I wanted people to be able to see it, so I turned off all of the lights in the room I took this pic in to create a high contrast. The light bulb is extremely bright, I know. The original, softer and more fitting light bulb, burnt out, so I had to make due with a regular, very bright light bulb. When I wasn't trying to take this picture, I had to put something over the lamp, it was so bright! I swear I almost blinded myself~

In Our Own Little Worlds... (26 Things - Community)

This is the first print I made of this project (the second is above). In our assignment, we were given a list of 26 words and were told to take a picture that reminded us of each of the words. This picture, taken at lunch, was my picture of "community". Don't cafeterias remind you a little of a whole group of little communities? They're like ecosystems with microsystems (or however that goes.... I should know this because I'm in Bio... whoops... lol). I stood on a chair in front of all of the tables while taking this picture (several people were looking at me like I was crazy). Obviously, it's extremely dark. I didn't know about the filters at this point in time, so I had really no choice but to leave it as was. Now that I know about the filters, when I find time next I'm going to try using them on this picture. It's exciting! Stay tuned!

btw, that spotted bag on the table is Go Un's American Eagle bag. I have decided that it is officially the cutest bag in the world (I'm in love with it) and the most amazingest (new word) thing to take photos of. Just watch. It'll be back.

Pinhole 2

Yes, that's me coming out of a locker... I had to hold that pose for three minutes.