The Assignment I Am Most Proud Of

            My favorite assignment that we did this semester was actually the last assignment we did in class, the Who Am I video, where we used our knowledge of photo journalism and took our own take on it as we made a movie about something that makes us who we are. At first I thought this project would be very easy, but after closely examining the questions I had no clue who I really was. This project caused me a lot of stress from finding what I would have my movie be about and why it was so important to me, but when I finally realized what I would make t about, the project became painless. I decided I would make my video about my fashion designing and modeling that I did when I was little, and it was great to look back at old photos of myself doing something I loved, and this project actually helped to inspire me for my design for this years fashion show. This was my favorite assignment not only because it was about something I love, but also because I overcame the stress that I had initially and created what I think is a great final project.

Memorable Experiences

         Throughout this semester I have had many memorable experiences whether or be playing pictionary or practicing my photoshop skills, but my favorites were going to the Cumberland County fair, learning how to use photoshop, and our numerous photo shoots around the school. My favorite memory is when we went to the Cumberland County Fair, not only because I got to leave school for the day, but because it was an amazing opportunity to take photos in a different setting and bond with my classmates. I also really enjoyed when we learned about photoshop, because coming into this class I had no clue how to use photoshop, and that is a skill I will always remember, although it was very frustrating to learn, I know it was worth it. My final favorite moment from this semester was our first photo shoot where we worked with the compositional strategies that I now know by heart. It was a super fun shoot because we all got silly props and took photos outside for the whole class. I know that I will always remember not only the skills we learned in class which I will continue to use, but the people who made the semester so memorable.

Who Am I Video

Pollution in China

I was really impressed that Lu Guang took some photos that showed the full picture, and some that showed very in-depth personal scenes. I think that the balance of both of these types of photos is what I think creates effective photojournalism. I am also amazed at how well he captured every part of the problem, not only showing the people who suffered, but the lands as well. Guangs work made me think and  gave me a very in-depth idea of the pollution problems in China using only photographs.

I enjoy these photos because they are very horrifying and really make you thing about the problems that most people try not to think about. These photos are amazing to me because they are so in depth and make you want to become part of the solution to the problem because of the dark and sad mood they give off. Before I looked at these images I had no clue that pollution was a problem and China, and when I found out I was really horrified. I think that the reason why photojournalism is so inspiring is because it informs people of current events in a more comprehensible and sometimes beautiful way than a text article.

Culture Clash

Going into this project knowing a basic understanding of photoshop I didn’t think that I would learn as much as I actually did. The first thing I learned and utilized during this project was how to create shadows, which I used on both the girl with the parasol in the front and the boat in the background. I also gained a deeper understanding how to change the colors and the levels of photographs, which I used on almost all of my photos. I didn’t actually have many issues other than trying to blend certain images together, which I fixed with creative problem solving. Altogether, I think I learned so much from the project not only about photoshop but also about computer arts as a whole.