Final Project

I have been meaning to post these for the last few days. I'm finally getting to it. I was going to procrastinate on it some more, but I decided to procrastinate on the procrastination. Besides I want to feel like I got something done on my off time today. I had a fourth project, but I decided to extend it and submit it as my final. Overall I was happy with it. I wanted to make sure that my final was a cohesive unit. I think I accomplished that. Some of the work at final critique in class made me feel vastly inferior. My hands were shaking as I hung my work up, because I just knew that I was going to get ripped to pieces. I really didn't get as much negative criticism as I expected, and far more positive than I anticipated. After all, my work was not so dynamic as some of the portraits I saw, and creating variety with the subject I chose proved to be a challenge. The good part was that my instructor used my work as an example of how to create interest and variety in a subject that normally wouldn't catch the viewers attention like a portrait would. People are naturally more interested in the human face. It's just our nature. He also described my work as not being about a product, but more of an art piece on my chosen subject matter. As an artist I guess that makes sense that I would have that description put to my work. I wasn't selling something. So perhaps I might not have a future as a product photographer. Maybe I just like to have my creativity left in tact and not taken away by art directors and companies. OR I MAY just want to make money someday. Would that make me a sell-out? I guess I have a good amount of time to ask myself that question. So as I let you all in on my work I'd like to only ask you one favor. That is to look at these photos as one body of work. As the artist I am tempted to comment on every little thing about it. I can't allow myself to do that. In fact, in class we aren't even allowed to open our mouths during the critiquing of our work. No explanations, no excuses, no nothing. So I'll shut up now and let you all just see my work for what it is.

I'll try to come up with some interesting stuff for my next post since I don't have Lighting for Photography II until the Fall. Oh! Another class I'll be taking is an astronomy class and the nerd in me is jumping for joy and excitement that this class actually fulfills a requirement for my degree. Since it will be an online class I can actually do it on my own time. With as much interest as I have in the subject I don't think my tendency to procrastinate will come into play. Wish me luck!

Third Project or The Flop

I said I'd post again after my third project, and I am back and keeping my promise. Hooray for me! I certainly wish I could say that my project went over excellently and that I am positive of a good grade. Sadly my set of photos were underexposed and they certainly didn't look that way in camera, but on the computer they told a different story and I think I'll pay for it with a lower grade. You see, we're not allowed to touch the photos to do any post processing at all. Otherwise I could have helped them along a tad like I've done here for you. The point of not allowing post processing is to make sure that we get the lighting right in the studio. I think I got the lighting right. It was my camera settings I really didn't pay attention to as well. I was rushed and sloppy and I paid for it.

This is an important skill for me to learn though. The instructor told us a story about going to some event or other with 200 other photographers. He said there were probably 3 of them that knew lighting. The rest did not. He said they complained about not getting a lot of work, but the truth of it is it was because they just didn't know the stuff I am learning now. So I'm glad that this was a learning experience for me if nothing else.

Our third assignment was to do dramatic lighting for portraits along the lines of Hurrel the celebrity photographer. He gave us some classic lighting techniques and told us to use them to light our models face in a way that worked for the type of face that the model had. One of the main points of the assignment was to celebrate the fact that people are different and to light accordingly.

I used my other daughter, Roxanne as my model, and she is a more patient soul than Isabella is. She did really well. Here are the photos I submitted for a grade.

That's all for now folks.

Second Project. Not the first.

I should apologize for not posting for so long or something. I'm an unreliable blogger and I know it. I blog when I can or when I have something to say or when I feel like it. I do miss writing and the blogging community though.

For those of you who were wondering, life without the ex husband in the house has been much more peaceful. I try to ignore the occasional harassment via text that I get. It's not worth the argument. All in all, I think I'm doing well. Though I am sorting through some emotional stuff that has to do with finding myself after a long time of living according to the expectations of others. Wish me luck on that.

I have almost completed my writing class. I'm sure I'll get a decent grade. Though perhaps not an A. After all, it is essay writing, and that is not really my strength. I have completed two projects for my Lighting for Photography course. The first project I count as a disaster. I didn't do very well, but it was my first time working with studio lights. Basically, I had to photograph a round object and try to get a certain light ratio. I'm not showing you all that one. I will show you all my second project. I like it a lot better and I hope my grade reflects the hard work I put into it.

I will tell you all that scheduling the studio time proved to be a problem. I was able to work alone the first time and I thought I could do it the second time. I went to the studio as some of my classmates were leaving, and they told me emphatically that I would absolutely NOT be able to work alone. Two of them helped me set up and one of them stayed with me and assisted me in adjusting the lights throughout the shoot. I can't tell you how grateful I am to him for being such a gentleman and sticking around to help me. I really could NOT have done it without him. One other person I have to give credit to is my beautiful daughter who was my model. It was a long process and she was tired and hungry and only lost patience once I was already done with the shoot. For Isabella that is quite an accomplishment. The project was to do one low key portrait and one high key portrait. For those of you who don't know, "low key" means primarily dark tones and "high key" means primarily light tones. So without further ado here are the two portraits I turned in for my grade.

For fun I'll show you one that didn't really work.

Well, that's all for now. I'll post again after project number three.

Guess What!

I am divorced! The now ex-husband is moving out this week. Things are looking up. I'm happy to be moving on to the next chapter of my life. That is all. For now.

Guess Who's Back!

Hello to one and all who have stopped visiting my blog due to inactivity. My last post was a heavy one, and since I know you all want an update I'll give you just that. Shortly after writing my last post I definitively told my husband that I wanted a divorce. Things have been super tense since then, because he refuses to move out of the house. The good news is that I am only about two weeks from obtaining an official divorce and there is nothing more awesome in my mind than to be free of this dysfunctional relationship. My hope is that he will move soon, and give me the space I need and deserve. Let's all keep our fingers crossed for that.

I also have one major personal achievement to report. I actually got my butt in gear and lost some weight. I am relatively happy with the 23-25 pound loss (since September!). I guess I wouldn't be sorry to lose more, but I think I am liking the healthy curves I have going. Plus, if I'm being really honest the fact that I have breastfed 5 children has taken quite a toll on my breasts, and I'm not sure I want to lose any more fullness in that area. *ahem* Okay so maybe that was TMI, but I am being more straightforward these days.

In just a few days I'll be starting two more classes. I am happy to report I received an A in my color and composition class. I am less happy to report the B I got in my drawing class. I think I should have been graded on progression. I really hadn't worked with charcoal at all beforehand, and by the end of the class I had begun to like it and show a good amount of mastery. C'est la vie. I think the grading was actually done on the body of work presented instead of progression. The thing is that compared to some people in class my work may have looked like complete crap.

My new classes will be Writing 101 and Lighting for Photography I. I am actually excited about both. I definitely want to brush up on some writing technicalities, and the Lighting class is not just about studio lighting but light itself. The class is so popular that I almost lost my chance to get in by not registering the day registration opened. I feel kind of bad about the way I got in, because it was that students were dropped out of the class for non-payment and I swooped in on one of their spots. Is it strange to feel bad about that while still feeling totally excited?

In case any of you wanted to see some of my work from my art classes here it is, but keep in mind that this is the first time I have actually worked with paint and with charcoal. If you think my work sucks eggs I understand completely.

Well, That's it for now folks. I hope you all enjoyed this little update, and I think it is safe to say you'll be hearing from me more often, because I finally got a new keyboard.