ashes and snow

One of my favorite photographers is Gregory Colbert. His photographs are so powerful and evoke such emotional senses. I was lucky enough to see his traveling exhibition (which has made it to four continents and attracted 10 million visitors!) in Santa Monica a couple years ago. The building that housed his pictures was made of train cargo, nomadic museum, and was steps away from the pier. I remember walking in, and the lights were dim. There was a soft, instrumental melody playing throughout the exhibit. The interior was set up according to Feng Shui design to give the atmosphere an "air of tranquility."

Gregory Colbert explores the peaceful relationship between indigenous peoples and wild animals, to portray what he calls the "common language" shared among all living creatures. In a decade, Colbert traveled to Sri Lanka, Kenya, India, Burma, Namibia, Antarctica, and Borneo to capture these rich images. His photographs are set in sepia tone. They illustrate wisdom, beauty, and innocence. Ah, his photographs are incredibly breathtaking and inspiring.

Colbert's Ashes and Snow ticket sales support a wonderful organization called Flying Elephants. This foundation awards fellowships to artists around the world who seek to work towards a better environment for us all to live in.

http://www.ashesandsnow.org/

time after time

THE SHUTTER SPEED.
I know how a fast or slow shutter speed affects an image. This is something that was always in the back of my mind. Before this class, I took pictures only in the program mode. I figured...my camera is smart, it will adjust everything for me, all I have to do is adjust the ISO. Yes, I am lazy--lazy enough to not read my camera instructional manual and too lazy to use the manual setting. I was just too excited that I got my DSLR for Christmas that I threw the manual aside and took pictures with no structure, all spontaneity.

Using a fast shutter speed, 1/4000 of a second to 1 second, freezes the motion of a fast-moving subject. It will capture every droplet of a waterfall. A slow shutter speed, while using a steady hand or tripod, will blur the subject to give the impression of motion. It is best to use a slow shutter speed on moving cars at night. Some of my favorite pictures that pertained to long exposures are of cars on a highway in metro Shanghai and, of course, New York bustling streets. In fact, when I was in NYC last summer I tried to capture cars on 34th, but my pictures didn't turn out as well as I had hoped (well, okay because I never read my manual and didn't quite know how to control my camera).

Here are my images for this project regarding shutter speed and motion:This image was taken from a moving car. I stuck my hands out of the window and snapped. It was also very windy outside, so the tree swayed a bit. I love the colors in the image. However, I don't like the two bright lights in the lower corners of the image.

This photo is *okay* in my eyes. It was very windy and cold outside that made it hard to focus just on the pinata. Professor Morales noted that the background is too distracting and could have been blurrier, which I can always manipulate via photoshop.

I really, really like this picture. The composition is eye-catching. I took the image from below. But Professor Morales noted that the colors, like the previous image, in the background are too distracting. Now that I look at this image more, I do agree. I just wish it weren't so windy that my camera could focus on the pinata only.

This image was taken via 1/125 second shutter speed. All the long exposure images were extremely blurry. I thought the colors looked too neutral (aka boring!), therefore, this picture looks 10x's better in black & white. I like the composition--although yes it's not perfect, I like how my friend is in mid-air and her legs are cropped off.

I am very happy with the way this picture came out. The colors are vibrant and beautiful. Her hands are in focus. No distractions in the background. "An 'A' image!"

change

I must say that being in this photography class brings a new perspective. It is very different for me because I have to follow certain guidelines and restrictions in my photography... I have my own style and like to stick with it. I don't like to plan what I'll be taking pictures of. When I see something interesting or beautiful (or ugly, whatever floats your boat) I want to capture it. However, this class will help me build my portfolio if I ever decide to go into creative advertising. And, I am forced to learn about my camera! Ever since getting my Canon Rebel DSLR, I've taken thousands of pictures--all of which I took randomly and did not follow a certain shutter speed or aperture opening. I never really read through the manual either. Yea, not a good idea.

a good start

My name is Lin, and I am taking a beginner's digital photography class. This blog will be a compilation for my mid/end-semester portfolio. It will consist of my random thoughts about photography, anecdotes of what I learned on a particular day, conversations I had with my professor and friends regarding my images or photography in general, and my photos taken for class.