Assignment 3: Symbolic of the Sun

This is the final image for my Symbolic of the Sun.

Personally, to me nothing is more symbolic of the sun than an umbrella. The umbrella has multiple purposes. For some it aid as a walking stick, to most of us the umbrella is used to shelter from the rain as well as the sun.

Therefore the image was taken from under the umbrella to show the bright sunny day. This represents the view of the umbrella user, this common everyday life event is sometimes overlooked but it is simple things like this that is significant of living. This, to me, is symbolic of the sun.

Symbolic of the Sun

Aperture: f/32 Shutter Speed: 1/160 sec ISO: 800 Focal Length: 60.0 mm

These few pictures are the latest cropped versions for the final portfolio.

The Dragonfly (Close Up)

Aperture: f/14 Shutter Speed: 1/160 sec ISO: 800 Focal Length: 60mm

Totem (High Key)

Aperture: f/29 Shutter Speed: 1/20 sec ISO: 200 Focal Length: 38mm

Assignment 5: Emotions (Retake)

So I went to Chinese Garden today and it was eventful. Took a few good shots and these are some of the shots taken. However I'm unsure which of the following is more Serene/Calm/Peace.

Do let me know your feedback. Even if they are not at all Serene/Calm/Peace inducing pictures haha.

Ok this first picture below was taken vertically. I wanted to to depict Serenity or Calmness. But some of the feedback I got back was the color is too intense to be calm. And furthermore the portraiture of the image makes it less serene/calm than a horizontal one.

Aperture: f/16 Shutter Speed: 1/80 sec ISO: 200 Focal Length: 17.0 mm

Therefore I cropped the first picture into a landscape picture. However the image looked to cluttered.

Aperture: f/16 Shutter Speed: 1/80 sec ISO: 200 Focal Length: 17.0 mm

Therefore I decided maybe I can use another picture I took horizontally and see if the image is less clutter and more calm.

Although less clutter, I'm not too sure if it is serene enough. I need your feedback please thanks!

Aperture: f/16 Shutter Speed: 1/80 sec ISO: 200 Focal Length: 17.0 mm

Oh and I edited the previous Progression picture. So here is the new edited one. I am much happier with this picture than the previous one because of the color.

Aperture: f/22 Shutter Speed: 1/40 sec ISO: 200 Focal Length: 20.0 mm

Oh I'm not sure why also but the colors do not seem to be as strong here. The images in my folder are much stronger compared to these.

Assignment 6: Insecurities (Take 2)

After last week's attempt, the feedback was it was very straight forward. So after much thought, I decided to use shadows to conceptualise the series. The theme would be the same 'Insecurities' but the portrayal is now different.

Past Haunting You

Society Pressuring you
Society Judging You

People Grabbing You

Society Pressuring You

Drowning In Insecurities

Trapped by Your Insecurities

Due to the space constraint, I was not very satisfied with the product. I'm even more disappointed after viewing the rest of the tutorial's pictures. Therefore I decided to redo my entire concept. But the tutor said she likes this week's pictures more than last week's because this week is more conceptual and original. She is also worried about the time constraint I might face if I were to redo everything from scratch.

If I were to stay with this concept, I would use the shadow puppet method to get a sharper image.

However, I think I might resume back to my Disney Princesses idea. Generate 6 pictures based on consumerism or insecurities. I shall think about it.

Assignment 4: Surrealism (Take 3)

Version 1

Version 2

This is my third attempt at Assignment 4.

Basically this time round I want to portray that the fabric of reality is weak. But we as humans do not wish to break out of the save state we are in and wish to be deceived by it. However there are the few that do break away from the fabric of reality but they realise that reality is indeed scary and hence they are now at a loss what to do with the new found enlightenment.

The blue fabric represent reality and I use fabrics instead of chains, is because I wish to portray that the way to get out of the pseudo reality is actually quite easy. The person in the middle has struggled out of the binds and is now struggling to take in everything the new world presents to him. Whatever he do now is up to him, he can either go back to the pseudo reality and do nothing or he can change the way other people perceive the world or he might be too overwhelmed by the new world that he falls to his death.

This is basically what I wish to say with my picture. Hope it works feedback please thanks!

Assignment 5: Emotions (Take 2)

Progression

Aperture: f/22 Shutter Speed: 1/40 sec ISO: 200 Focal Length: 20.0 mm

Loneliness
Aperture: f/32 Shutter Speed: 1/5 sec ISO: 200 Focal Length: 85.0 mm

Blog Assignment: Ethics

•What are the ways readers can judge the credibility of an image even in this era of digital manipulation?

In this period of digital manipulation, the advancement of technology has blurred the line between a true event and a pseudo event. Credibility of an image is now questioned even more than the past. However there are still several ways to check on the credibility of an image.

First the source of the image is always important. For example s prominent or reputable source would most likely hold more credibility than those from a less reputable source. Next the viewer might want to check for some flaws in the image, such as the head might be superimposed badly onto the body. Such small details might be overlooked so these are just some tell tale signs of digital manipulation.

Unfortunately these are the few things I know to judge the credibility of an image. I mean the news can only be taken with a pinch of salt. However I’m not trying to say everything is falsely reported to make news sell. But I mean news is just merely a way for us to know more about the world, and images are just a way to further bring out the image in us readers. Therefore I suppose a little manipulation here and there is fine since pictures sometimes speak more than words. However if the photos are manipulated for the wrong purposes then it is wrong.

So what are considered ‘wrong’? I guess it would mean defamation of a person’s public image (such as superimposing a person’s head onto a naked body), exploiting the young (such as the incident of using a young lady’s picture from Flickr on an advertising campaign in Australia), and misusing another person’s work and claiming ownership, as well as tweaking the image to make the subject more vulnerable.

However in cases such as making the subject more aesthetically beautiful is fine with me, since who likes to look flaws when there are so many in our daily lives? Photo manipulation is necessary to sell in this society where the preconceived notion of beauty is already warped.


•Imagine yourself as a reader representative for a newspaper. What would you tell a reader who complained to you about a picture of a car wreck that was particularly upsetting?

Personally I would explain to her the purpose of using an image to convey the message. She might be violently against it, so I would have to be empathetic as well. However I would not agree to remove the picture unless it has a more personal affliction on the reader.
So first I have to understand where the reader is coming from then act appropriately.

Assignment 6: Insecurities (Take 1)

AchievementsSmile

Muscle

Makeup
Crowd
Brands

These are my series of pictures for Assignment 6 and also the Final Assignment for this module. The aim was to create a series of 6-10 pictures with a common theme according to this concept of 'Looking into the ordinary'.

Basically my concept is to convey people's insecurities. How people hide their insecurities behind material objects. The colors are used to depict the elements.

The comments received are that the pictures are not exaggerated enough. Especially so for the 'Makeup' one.

However, I intend to change all the pictures. To improve on it. Maybe it would be done much better. Currently right now I intend to use shadows to portray the concept of insecurities. Maybe it might be more conceptual and ordinary in that way.