undecided

I shot this with the intention of keeping it simple, and allowing a singular element for the viewer to focus on: the red leaf.

At the same time, this project is also about improving on past ideas and techniques. This sunset cloud is a more refined picture than the previous ones from the first photo.

I noticed a lack of the somber in sad in past projects, so this is an push towards that inclusion.

I also seem to miss the humor and fun in past projects. I feel this makes up for it. Never change, Stony Brook.

Lastly, much like the author’s foreword at the end of a book, I wanted a closing that reflected myself.

I decided to change topics, the closest definition of which is still life. My main focus will be on composition and mood – these photos should be quiet, something that could be framed and enjoyable to look at inside a rainy day.

To Heart
I wanted a very simple depiction of self-appreciation, without the usual smiles and posture. I went for the simplest image I could think of.

I did, however, want a portrait with some recognizable human aspect. This came pretty naturally.

Bamboo
This is my friend Kenny. Suffice it to say he was ready to have his portrait taken; my role as a photographer her was a supplementary one. The portrait is meant to be a bare reflection of him, so my only influence here is the composition. Everything else is attributed to his person.

Cloudy
Continuing from the previous caption: he also wanted a somber, landscape photo. As this project continued I began to notice he had a sense of composition as well, and so that made my life much easier.

Desk
This is the stranger’s portrait, and one will notice that there is no human part visible here. I was visiting a friend’s dorm, and asked one of his suite mates for the photo – he requested a “portrait” of his desk, assuring me that it was enough to tell more about him than his own self could.

Desk, continued
I then asked him for his favorite one, to which he responded to the one above. When asked why, he replied that he essentially had that look on the majority of the time. I didn’t ask further.

1/10, f5, ISO 800, WB 5000.
To begin, this image was taken at night, right in front of the library. The “horizon” of green contrasts nicely with the pitch black sky.

1/200, f2, IS) 3200, WB 5000.
I recall Levitt’s work in Mexico City – how she managed to capture a feeling of endlessness by having the streets converge into an intangible point. The light in front is almost an artificial sun, and there is not a soul in sight.

1/60, f1.8, ISO 3200, WB 4350.
I also wanted to create an eerie yet calm mood, reflecting the natural unease of night. I especially like how the convergent point here is just a void, like the world ends after that road.

1/125, f2, ISO 3200, WB 5000.
At night, the entrance to the Career Center is, to put it bluntly, creepy. The lighting here only supports this mood.

1/200, f4, ISO 3200, WB 4350.
I wanted to reflect the classic “door at night: picture, but this also had a personal note. I was headed home after a long night out – and looked at the door to my apartment a little differently this time.

1/80, f10, ISO 800, WB 6200.
I made the background black and white, and changed the color of the plant. This was actually taken in the greenhouse some weeks back. I chose red because it painted a different mood than its otherwise natural color: more somber and less warm.

1/80, f10, ISO 800, WB 6200.
Some fiddling with black and white and color selection. First draft for the next project, Altered Perception.

1/50, f8, ISO 800
          This is the first image of the pair of still life images. It is not an orange, but the exposure plays with its color and makes it seems so (It’s actually more reddish.). The theme tying this image and the other is a “quiet” mood – I could have easily included something like a cactus of overgrown palm tree, but those didn’t fit at all.

1/30, f9, ISO 1008.
          This is the second image of the pair, and follows the theme of “quiet.” I centered this photo because the plant (I failed to jot down what it actually was) was white, which contrasts well with the cooler background. Centering it created a point of focus, dependent on the colors of the entire image.

1/30, f6.3, ISO 800.
          This is the first of the pair of images for landscape, and the theme tying these together is “mystery.” Light colors create the background, and darker ones the front. This is actually my least favorite image out of the four, as it was hard to find an image to create cohesiveness.

1/80, f11, ISO 800.
          This is the second and last image, and my favorite. Taken on a walk from Port Jefferson Village and Stony Brook, I think it captures the intrinsic mystery behind nature perfectly.