The physical copy stand test was a bit tricky since my image came from a book. I tried, with the help of a partner, to get the image as flat against the glass as possible. The image was not directly against the glass on the right hand side; therefore a slight haze occurs on the right-hand side of the image. You can also see the reflection of my lens in the darker part of the picture. Perhaps next time I will try to position my lens over a lighter part of the picture.
For the “mood lighting” exercise, I chose to copy a fashion advertisement from Vogue magazine. I think the diffused light paired with the light colors and the pose of the model creates a soft, feminine mood. The picture works to create a sense of radiance and playfulness; perhaps the advertisers wanted to inspire a sense of youth and lighthearted beauty.
When I was shooting during the light exploration portion of the project, I did not get any good tungsten shots. I learned that the tungsten white balance setting, when used during outdoor shots, casts a blue tone in the picture no matter what time of day it is. Indoors, I took shots under both fluorescent light and incandescent light. The tungsten select that I submitted was shot under incandescent spotlights that create a direct warm glow above the subjects. Despite setting my ISO at 800, the limited lighting indoors paired with an aperture value of eight created problem with stopping motion. The next time I take this shot, I will use a smaller aperture value as well as a tripod.
My daylight shots were somewhat better than my tungsten shots. I selected a picture of a young boy at the traveling carnival, which is currently being held in Columbia. At the bottom of the “Ruins Slide” a young boy pops to his feet after his fun adventure. While this picture has some motion blur with his limbs, I think it is ok because his face is focused and the motion emphasizes his excitement for the ride. I shot this picture at dusk at 400 ISO, aperture value 8 and 40 for shutter speed. If I had quickened my shutter speed, I would have had less blur in the picture. I learned that the daylight setting works well outdoors during different times of day. If this setting is used indoors, however, the image takes on a yellowed tone.
As a whole, my daylight and tungsten shots did not turn out well. They are distant, not interesting, and do not convey much. This assignment was difficult because it required me to get back in the swing of photojournalism. I may have had a camera in my hand every day this summer, but I did not have to approach and/or find stories in strangers. I struggle with working with strangers. Of course, that’s what this profession is about, and I must overcome my fears. As I warmed up with this assignment, I kept farther from my subjects than I should have. My pictures are thus not successful.
