Masters of Photography - Gordon Parks

1. I edited the picture by decreasing the contrast to add variety to the degrees of light and shadow. I also decreased the saturation to make the photo black and white.










http://mangolandia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/gordon-parks-herbert-gehr.jpg









2. I increased the highlights and decreased the contrast. This made the subjects appear gray-ish, instead of stark black and white. Highlights helped increase the brightness in the background.
https://thegenealogyofstyle.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/bettina-graziani-e2809cbettinae2809d-models-fall-college-clothes-for-vogue-photographer-frances-mclaughlin-gill-across-from-new-york_s-hunter-college-pho.jpg?w=562&h=574

3. I edited the picture by removing saturation completely and increasing highlights. You can visibly see the effect of shadows that play together, focusing minute details.





http://timestylelife.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/06_00757353.jpg

4. I removed saturation and increased contrast  to highlight Amandi's face.




http://theredlist.com/media/database/muses/icon/iconic_women/iconic_women/eartha-kitt/005-eartha-kitt-theredlist.jpg

5. I removed saturation, decreased contrast, and increased highlights to add a mood of contemplation.



http://imgfotki.yandex.ru/get/9814/74257169.da4/0_cedae_a328e419_XXXL.jpg












About the Photographer 
Gordon Parks

Gordon Parks was a brilliant photographer, creating inspiring art from 1912 to 2006. He was born in Kansas, but his love for photography led him to travel frequently. At different points in his life, Parks lived in Chicago, Washington D.C., and even Hollywood. His camera and interests focused primarily on people. He shot pictures of people from a variety of backgrounds, including fashion models, children, and black folks like himself. Gordon Parks distinguished himself through his photography style. He chose to take pictures of mankind, up close and personal. Every subject gave off a distinct emotion, conveyed by the eyes or the body language. His most famous photo features a women holding a broom and mop with the American flag in the background. The subject has a solemn expression, but she also looks proud at the same time: proud of her country and her hard work.

I chose Gordon Parks because I have an appreciation for emotion. His subjects often look contemplative or deep in thought, whether putting on make-up or standing at the bus stop. His photography brings out the best within us, what truly makes us human. Parks inspires me to look deeper, beyond outward appearances in photography. I realized that, in order to take photography, you need to understand your subject.  

Second Portrait Assignment

Due: October 28th
Portrait of Sharon Hsu, my pair for this assignment.

Edits:

• Temperature +9 and Tint +60 to highlight the light and dark  of the photograph.
• Exposure +1 and Contrast +40 in order to 
• Clarity -15, Vibrance +30, and Saturation +15 to make the colors stand out boldly.

Composition Review Assignment

Due: October 21st
Before:

After:

(I transferred into class the day the third rule was due, so I don't have the 3 Rules Assignments.)

Three Rules: 

• Golden Ratio
  (http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/3372/18-composition-rules-for-photos-that-shine/)
• Viewpoint
  (http://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/10-top-photography-composition-rules)
• Texture
  (http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/3372/18-composition-rules-for-photos-that-shine/)

This photo uses my three rules the most. The texture of the grass and the ratio of the photograph comply with the rules of Texture and Golden Ratio. 

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/21/revisiting-unhealed-wounds-in-chechnya/#slideshow/100000003187209/100000003187228

Portrait Assignment

Due October 17th
This is a portrait of my group member Vina, in the two-story P-wing Building.

Edits:

• I adjusted Temperature to +10 and Tint to +40, to give the window of light a warmer feeling to imitate natural light. 
• Contrast +10, Highlights +30, and Shadows -50 to emphasize the difference between the dark hallway and the brightness of the balcony.
• Clarity was set to -30 to give the light a bit more blur.
• Vibrance was changed to -40 and saturation to +20 to infuse more color and liveliness into the photograph.

"What would you say if there was one thing you could tell to a large group of people?"
Vina: "Enjoy life to the greatest extent."

"Have you been taking your own advice?"

Vina: "No, because I'm stuck at Mission."

Self-Portrait

Due October 10th
Edits:

• Changed Tint to +11, Highlights to +27, out of personal preference.
• Adjusted Whites to +60, and Blacks to -40. This highlights the dark parts of the picture while simultaneously adding more light to the misty background.
• Vibrance +30 and Saturation +16 to emphasize the colors.

Shallow Depth of Field

Due October 10th
Edits: 

• Adjusted temperature to -27 and tint to +15, out of personal preference. I like the foreground and background's contrasting colors.
• Decreased clarity to -20 to make the photo less stark.
• Changed both vibrance and saturation to +5, in order to slightly amplify the colors.
• Set Highlight as -100 to make the background more visible.

Transferring

To explain the lack of posts prior to the Shallow Depth of Field Assignment, I transferred into class the day the Third Rule of Photography was due. That's why I don't have any of the assignments before October 10th.