A-Z Photo Scavenger Hunt

We recently had an assignment called the A-Z Photo Scavenger Hunt. How it works is you take pictures of  different things and the titles of the photos are each a different letter of the alphabet. You end up with 26 really neat photos. The photos followed the rules of composition, some followed just one, and some followed several! Here are some of my favorites:

3. Only One- I like this photo because the blurred background makes the leaves look almost like flowers, also the pink really stands out against the green. I titled it Only One because it was the only flower on the bush.

2. Gum Tree- This picture is literally its name, this is a close up of the gum tree at our school. This is a favorite of mine because of the different colors, and the repetition. Not to mention the fact that it makes you look twice to figure out what it is!!!

1. Aback- Aback is another word for backwards, and that is exactally what this picture is, backwards! Instead of blurring the background, I blurred what would normally be the focus and let the tree and bush frame her.

Until Next Time!

Alex

Faith!

Recently we made photo essays and I wanted to share a couple of the pictures with you! My topic was faith so my pictures are of people who are practicing faith, or of things that represent faith.

The first picture is a picture of an altar. This is so representative of faith because of the cross and the Christ Candles. I also like the light reflecting from the altar, to me it is symbolic of Christ being with us.















This is a really neat picture because it is off center and really close up. I like the fact that the focus is the Cross, but it still has other details to balance it out.







When I took this picture I wanted to get a creative angle and still be able to display my point clearly. I think that the little hands give the picture a stronger emotion. Also, I changed the color to sepia to create a quieter scene, therefore bringing out more emotion.

Start Snapping!

RULE OF THIRDS

This technique is called rule of thirds. When you use this technique you line up the focus points of your pictures on the intersections of a grid. I really like this photo because his knee, foot, and elbow all line up  on the grid.

FILL THE FRAME
This technique is called fill the frame. It is pretty self explanitory, all you do is zoom in on your subject either by moving really close or using your zoom, and photograph only your subject. I really like this photograph because of the color and how well the lighting is.

WORMS EYE VIEW

When you take a picture looking up you are using a technique called "worms eye view." Taking pictures from the worms eye view gives pictures a neat effect. I picked this picture to share with you because I like the angle it is taken from.

Photography Tips 9 and 10!!!

Photography tip nine is to watch your lighting. Depend on where the sun is in relation to you, your subject, and your camera, your picture could turn out really dark if there is too much sun. The way to prevent this is, if  you take a picture and it comes out too dark or too light, switch places with your subject. This way the lighting will look better in your picture!















Photography tip ten is to be a picture director! This is a really fun tip. When you are taking group pictures you want everyone to be seen right? So, instead of leaving gaps in between the people's faces, arrange them where they are closer together and in a neat pattern!

















Until Next Time!
Alex

Photography Tips 7&8!!!

Tip seven is "Move it from the middle." This is something that is really easy to do, and it takes very little effort. When you are about to take a picture, all you have to do is move the camera an inch or two to the left, so that your subject is not centered. This draws the eye to the picture,  and is more pleasing. It also creates dynamic photos. I live this tip because you can use it all the time, and it is very simple to do.

Tip eight is "know your flash." Although it is more of a reminder than a tip, it is important to know your flash when taking pictures. Because flash has a limited distance, there is no use to use your flash when your subject is far away. Check to see what your flash range is by standing ten feet away from your subject, in a dark room, and take a picture. Then step forward a foot and take another until you get a well-lit picture. And remember... KNOW YOUR FLASH!!!




Until Next Time!
Alex

The Burning Monk

This picture is of the self immolation of Thich Quang Duc. On June 11, 1963 in front of all of his fellow monks, he poured lighter fluid over his body, lit a match, and dropped it into his lap. It took 13 minutes for his body to burn. He sat in the lotus position the whole time, never moving a muscle or uttering a word. All of his fellow monks were at the highway intersection in Saigon Vietnam, to witness this spectacle. Thich Quang Duc did this in protest of discrimination against Buddhists, he was also the first of several monks to burn themselves.

This picture was taken by Malcolm Browne of the Associated Press.

Until Next Time!
Alex

Photography Tips 5 and 6!

Tip five is to take vertical pictures. This us useful when you want to get rid of excess space of the sides of your focus. It also helps create a different look to your picture. I use this especially when I am taking pictures of people who are standing up because it enables me to get a head to toe picture! So, when you are snapping thoes photos, be sure to remember to turn your camera up and down!!

Tip six is to lock the focus. I really love this tip and once you learn how to do it I know you will find it very easy and useful! Locking the focus creates very artsy pictures, and also is great to use when you are taking portraits. Another great time to use lock the focus is when you have a busy background and you just want to focus on your subject! Have fun with this excellent tip!









Until Next Time!
Alex

Tip Review!

As I was looking through pictures on flickr, i saw pictures that followed the rules that I have previously posted. I decided to share a  few of these! These picture s are not pictures that I have taken, they are pictures off of the Flickr site.
This photo is an example of getting on their level. I really liked the way the photographer captured the look in the cat's eye. By getting down on the cat's level, the photographer is able to capture the perk in the cat's ears, and its whiskers.


 In this photo, the red really stands out against the plain background, making this a really interesting shot. By using a plain background, the photographer is able to better capture your attention and get you to look twice and think about what is going on in the picture.

From the light casting on the brown wall, you can tell it was sunny when this picture was taken, therefore because there is no shadow on, or under the bike, you know that the photographer used flash. This is great for this shot because it allows you to see more of the bike and it's details.

This last picture I really like for several reasons, first of all, it follows the rule of getting in close. For this picture especially, it is a good technique because it makes you feel like you can reach out and pick up the leaf, also you can see the sand on the leaf and that creates a really neat effect. Secondly it is really artsy, the color contrast is really neat with the bright yellow on a neutral.

Untill Next Time!

Alex

Photography Tips 3 and 4!

The third tip is "use flash outdoors." This tip is useful when it is really sunny outside and you are trying to eliminate a shadow on your subject. It is also useful indoors when you are trying to eliminate shadows or luminate your subject. In this picture, i was able to eliminate the shadow that obstructed the view of her face.









The fourth tip is "get in close." By getting in close you can capture greater detail and it also makes for a  more artsy picture. In this picture i was able to get close enough to the football to be able to read the message written to the former player by his coach. While a picture of the whole football is great, getting the comments made by the coach makes for an even more spectacular and memorable picture.

Until Next Tip!

Alex

Photography Tip Two!

Tip two is to use a plain background. This helps eliminate distractions in the picture and focus on the subject. As you can see in the picture, the background is black, which helps the viewer to focus of the cuteness of the little boy. The plain background also helps highlight the subject, making it much easier to tell what the photographer wants you to look at.
Until Next Tip!

Alex

Photography Tip One!

As you have probably noticed, this picture was not taken from above the flower. The first tip is to get at eye level, and this is exactally what i did for this photograph. In order to capture the small details and the true essence of the flower, or any subject, sometimes you have to get down low so you can get the full effect!
Until Next Tip!
Alex

All About Me!

As you know... I am Alex! But, I want to tell you a little bit more about me, so this a collage that i made in photojournalism! A lot of the pictures are of family and friends because i am very people oriented! I also love watching football which is great because being on the Color Guard i get to go to all of the games! I love the country and music! Country music is my life! And so is Jesus. :) I also love hunting and my my dog lucky.

Until Next Time!

Alex

Im Alex!

Hey!! I am Alex and this is my new blog. I just wanted to post this to tell you a little bit about me and what my blog will be about!!! I am in high school and i am taking photojournalism. I love taking pictures and writing, which is why i chose to take photojournalism. This blog is for photojournalism and I will be posting pictures for it. I hope you enjoy!