Thursday, October 28, 2010

Composition Assignment

Rule of thirds



Framing the subject



Leading lines



Point of view and Perspective:

Straight on





Thursday, October 14, 2010

Progress Report




























Progress on my final report is coming along but I still have a lot to do. I have finalized my idea and now just need to go to the Jewish Quarter in Prague and ones around Europe to complete my series. My final project is going to be a series of photos that show the changes in the Jewish communities throughout Europe and how they have changed over the years. For example, the Jewish Quarter in Prague used to be a slum and now it is seen as a tourist attraction with museums, souvenir shops, and one of the wealthiest shopping places in Prague. I have chosen a few pictures out of the ones that I have already printed and know they will be used for my final. This past week I went to Budapest and took pictures of a few synagogues. I have a lot of work ahead of me but I know what needs to be done and have an idea of what I want.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Lighting Assignment

Front Lighting


The quality of light is soft and the picture seems to be warm. This picture was shot at 4:15 pm.

Backlighting


The quality of the light is hard. This picture was shot at 4:52 pm.

SIdelighting


The quality of light is hard and warm. This picture was shot at 12:35 pm.

Toplighting


The quality of light is hard and neutral. This picture was shot at 2:40 pm.

Diffused Lighting


The quality of light is soft and neutral. This picture was shot at 3:20 pm.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Prost to Oktoberfest

München, Germany is where Oktoberfest is held each year and has been for the past 200 years. I happened to be in Europe for the 200th anniversary and attending the festival on the closing weekend. Where do I begin with talking about it? Well let me start of by saying that was probably one of the best weekends I have ever had. Left on Friday morning with a bus full of Americans studying abroad in Prague and stayed at an Australian run campsite. The campsite was a continuation to Oktoberfest with party all night long with a dj and unlimited beer. We slept in two person tents which were quite cosy but bearable. It was freezing cold at night but thankfully we came way too prepared. With a little complaining here and there about the bugs, hygiene, and camping in general,it was a really fun experience. Arrived in Munich, which means monk in German and they are the ones that invented beer, and headed straight to Oktoberfest. Let me just tell you that Munich normally has a population of 1 million, but during Oktoberfest it increases to 3 million. It is the largest festival in the world! Once in Oktoberfest, the grounds are divided in half, one side for beer tents and the other side is more festival like with rides, kiosks, and lots of food stands. Some of the beer tents hold up to 10,000 people! Basically it is a huge "tent" that is themed after the beer halls throughout the city which serve different beer. Inside the tent are many, many tables along with a band that plays American classics along with German ones as well and some chants. Later on in the day people usually get on the benches and dance the night away but are not allowed on the tables. That is pretty much the only rule for the weekend, no dancing on the tables because you will be kicked by security in a matter of seconds. I managed to get into 3 tents on the first day, Hofbräu Festhalle, Armbrustschützen, and Ochsenbraterei. Friday night was probably my favorite because around 5ish they start kicking you out because reservations start but we somehow managed to get into a tent but had no table and the only way to get beer is if you are sitting at a table. We met some really cool Germans. The thing with Oktoberfest is that people are so friendly and friends are made so quickly. It is like a huge happy family is a probably the best way to put it. Woke up before the sunrise to get to the grounds early to get a table and hung out at the festival all day before heading into Munich for dinner. After dinner, I toured the city at night and saw the actual Hofbräu beer hall. Munich has some beautiful buildings mixed in with newer ones as well, because a lot were blown up and rebuilt. Sunday was another day of exploring the city and English Gardens. We were walking in this pretty little neighborhood off the main street and there is a river and pond and beautiful gardens that are bigger than Central Park. OKtoberfest was a success.