GIMP Assignment 3: Panoramic Photos

This week we were asked to take a series of pictures and then edit them together to make a panoramic photo. By using a stable base we could rotate the camera to take 3 or more pictures of a scene. Then in GIMP, we brought the photos together and edited out the lines and differences in color. We could also use the scale tool, perspective tool, and shear tool to move the pictures and make lines line up.
I really liked this assignment because it was really cool to use more of the editing software. I liked how we could bring photos together and make them look like 1. This assignment was really hard because there are lots of little things that can make the pictures stand out as individuals. The perspective also had to be right or else the editing process would be VERY difficult.

Still Life

For this week's photo assignment I decided to do still life. I took pictures of the decorations my mom put up for Halloween, as well as my pool table, flute, and volleyball. For my flute and volleyball, I used a black skirt as a background. The green of the pool table served as a good background, and some plants in our yard served a a good background for the decorations.
My best photo is a picture of my flute. I really like it because of the angle that I took it. I also like how the flute is is focus more toward the head joint, and the music notes are the same. I used a small desk lamp to highlight the front of the instrument.
This photo was taken with a shutter speed of 1/125th of a second, an aperture of 2.6, and an ISO of 800.

Gimp Assignment 2: Photo Retouching

For our second GIMP assignment, we were asked to edit a photo that a student took at an auto show. By using the cloning tool, selection, paint and some others, we could enhance the look of the photo. We removed the background- which consisted of a person, a sign and some lights- as well as reflections of light on the car. We also darkened the windshield, and added text to recognize who took the photo.
This assignment introduced me to some really cool features in GIMP. I am really looking forward to editing some of my photos on that software! (Top: original photo, Bottom: Edited photo)

Animals

This week, I decided to take pictures of animals. I took pictures of my dog, as well as my neighbor's dog. It was a lot of fun trying to get the dog's to look at the camera and watch them play, but it was also very frustrating. It was difficult to get a good picture of the dogs with good lighting and no blur on their faces.
My best photo is of my dog jumping to catch his ball in our driveway. I liked how the motion was stopped and we can see how he is trying to catch the ball. I also like how the ball is in the picture. I took a lot of pictures similar to this and in most of them, the ball is out of the frame. I also like the background which is some of the bushes and trees in our yard.
This picture was taken with a shutter speed of 1/500th of a second, an aperture of 6.3, and an ISO of 400.

Gimp Assignment 1

This assignment introduced us to Gimp and helped us to feel more comfortable with using the program. We were to take a portrait of someone and then turn it into an "Andy Warhol" like image. By changing the filters and colors, and using 4 copies of the picture were were able to get our picture to look like "pop-art". I really liked this assignment, and it was really fun to see what the pictures would look like.

Nature

For the second photo assignment, I decided to take pictures of nature. It is mid-October, so many of the trees have changed color and begun to lose their leaves. For the assignment, I went to Curtiss Park with my family and took pictures of the trees, flowers and river.
My best photo is of an interesting tree I saw in the park. I really liked the lighting in the picture and how the sky was split in half - blue and white. I also thought the perspective was interesting because many pictures of trees are taken from the side not up the trunk.
This picture was taken with an ISO of 80, an aperture of 8 and a shutter speed of 1/100th of a second.

Patterns, Shapes and Textures

For this assignment, I focused on the patterns, shapes, and textures of the world around us. I shot photos both at school and around my house, and most of my pictures were taken outside.
My best photo is of a daisy on the deck at my house. I liked how the bright pink of the flower popped out and is the main focus of the frame. The detail in the picture shows the shapes of the petals, and the texture which is smooth. The petals are in a pattern around the center, overlapping each other. I feel that this picture shows off these three elements of composition.
This picture was taken with a shutter speed of 1/100 of a second. The aperture was 3.5 f-stops, and the ISO was 64. Although it was cloudy outside, the small aperture helped to let in more light and create a good exposure.

Photo Assignment Inspirational Photos

For this week's photo assignment, I plan to take pictures of patterns, shapes, and textures. I hope to work on finding photos that have lighting to emphasize the subject of the picture. I also want to work on using aperture, and ISO and using them both together to improve my pictures.
Some photos for inspiration that I found are by:
Georgio R.
Grant MacDonald
Karaku
Mocachip

I love how each of these photos uses light to emphasize and draw attention to certain parts of the photo. Texture was the hardest for me during our Composition assignments, and I plan to work on that aspect of photography as well as patterns and shapes.

Composition Assignment 2

For this assignment, we explored 5 more elements of composition: Space, Perspective, Balance, Color and Framing. To show space, I took a picture of a defibrillator with a white wall as a background. To show balance, I took a picture of the Commons up on a balcony. I use the darker wall and rail of the balcony to balance out the white walls and bright lights of the Commons.
My perspective picture is grapefruit sitting on my kitchen island. By taking a picture from below, I could show a different angle of looking at the fruit rather than straight on.
Finally, my picture for color was the "Dig For the Cure" sign. It shows color because the background is green and has some trees, and then there is a splash of pink near the middle. Color was difficult to show because there are not many bright colors that standout and depict a mood in the school.
From this project, I learned that it takes a lot of work to take quality pictures. I also learned how ISO, aperture, and shutter speed work together to make a picture better. I was able to learn how to use these functions in more ways on my camera.