The Story - Studio Practices

For our final project we must tell a story, a visual story, with impact and interest, a story that might be accepted in a magazine.  I decided to tell the story of Pastor Faye Newman who ministers to the "Low Rider" community. For the past three weekends, I have spent some time at a "Low Rider event. The cars and all their "bling" are interesting, but the real story is about Pastor Faye and her interactions with the people she serves.

Super Bowl Cover - Redo

The assignment was to create an image that could be used for the Super Bowl program cover.  The image had to use light to show texture and have some free space where text could be inserted.   I was not happy with my grade and thought I would have time to re-shoot and submit for a better grade....  what was I thinking, the end of the semester is as harried as ever - finals, missed assignments, student show....  This image will have to suffice.

Campus Life

We each captured 10 images in the following categories: Campus Activity, Campus Beauty and Campus Architecture.  We each developed a Light Room Catalog with these images, placed images into appropriate folders, made selections, rejected images that did not meet our goals added keywords and other metadata.  We demonstrate Compare and Survey functions and assigned rating with the 1-5 star system.  applied adjustments to one image and then copies and synced to other selected images, placed 5 star images in a collection using filters and created a smart collections.  Finally we demonstrated the use of virtual copies, to make various examples by applying quick develop presets.

These images are the second part of the assignment:
 Select one image in each category, make three virtual copies and create four variations from the original.
Obviously I have to reprint Campus Beauty.

Panorama

Last week we were to capture images for a panorama, upload  the images to Lightroom and merge them into a panorama in Photoshop.   I have Lightroom 2 and  CS2  and wouldn't you know it - there does not seem to be an interface between LR2 and Photoshop for Photomerge.  I could have organized the images in Bridge - but I no longer have it and since I use LR most of the time I have not tried to reinstall it.

Although it was late at night, I was determined to get all my loose ends
tied up - so I can concentrate on the final and the magazine advertisement
assignment in the Studio Practices class.  I sent all 16  (yes I said 16) of
the images from Lightroom 2 into Photoshop and tried to open them in
Photomerge.

Slow as molasses and shut down PS2 a couple of times - finally got it done
around 3am.  Now I have to think about the best way to print it.  The
original size is 110"x11.5."  Roll paper is $110 for luster and $60 for matte
- will try to reduce the size so I can print it on the 13x19 paper I already
have.   Maybe I can cut it down, print it on two sheets and mount those
sheets together.  I have more images - if I can't get this down to a
reasonable size - will start over :(

Melt Down

I had a melt down at the end of the Studio Practices class last night.  It was a new assignment that sent me over the edge.  I was already miffed that we had been given a final project with less than a 1/3 of the classes remaining to complete the work.  It seems reasonable to expect instructors to develop the final project and provide students with the details of that project early in the semester so they can begin the necessary work for submitting a quality product.  Instead, we did not receive the assignment until the week prior to Spring Break.  Then tonight, we are given a very labor intensive assignment and asked to submit that assignment in two weeks.  I have never dropped a class before - and will try to get this work done  - but don't think it is possible.  We'll see.

O.K.  here is a second stab at the Warhol assignment.  Tried to use RGB/CMY colors but could not
get the right shades/tints in Lightroom.  Still color -but perhaps a bit more creative use - hope I can improve my grade.

Digital Workflow - Warhol

So distressed by the grade I received on my Warhol assignment, a B-.  I was so sure I had nailed it.  

                           PROJECT ASSIGNMENT
                           Your partner of choice has the need for a strong, graphic
                            image for their "Bio" type application.  Image should
                            have some mysterious, abstract, artistic theme.

                           Using a gray card in first image, capture images to card,
                           download to catalog in our normal workflow fashion,
                           applying corrections to the first image, and then syncing
                           to all the others.  As part of the process, create a preset,
                           which changes the image to the Warhol look.

                           I will be checking your workflow for all the components
                           (keywords, copyright file structure etc.  Complete as
                           much as possible in class today.  Submit final image,
                           before and after (on one page) in the public Drive, by
                           2 p.m. Friday.  Strength and character of image is the
                           essence of this project.

              Here is the original I captured.  Like all women over the age of 5 -
                  I needed to smooth and even out the color in Nicole's skin.  

                            

                            Here is the image after I worked on Nicole's skin and 

                                      brightened her eyes a bit.

I added a vignette and "Voila"  I thought I had a great artistic, Warhol look.  

                Instructor's comments to class:  Images appear to be grab images 
                without out much thought to composition or background 
                distractions.  


                Instructor's written comments to me: Apply effects beyond color.  


     I don't think his first comments apply to me, but so often the instructor 
     has one image in his head and I have another in mine.  He encourages 
     us to talk with him or email him to clarify instructions  - I may have 
     been closer to the mark if I had discussed my original idea with him.  
     This is one assignment  I should redo - it seems simple enough to 
      include additional effects.   

Resting Places

My final project in the Contemporary Photography class is a photo essay on Descansos - Resting Places. The memorials people build by the roadside to honor a friend or a family member who lost their life at that spot.

So far I have been able to find eleven:  Seal Beach, Anaheim, Torrance, Hesperia, Lake Los Angeles, and San Bernardino County.   Got a tip there is one in Riverside at Center and Iowa.  Will try to get down there this week - maybe Wednesday.  The deadline for completing this project is fast approaching so if you know of one of these memorials in the Los Angeles Area - send me a tip   cdugcyp@aol.com - thanks.