Sally Mann, Famous Photographer's Movie

This is a link to my famous Photographer's movie, "Sally Mann".

Hobbies and Interests

When I went down to my brand new basement to take this photo, I was tripping over boxes and random things laying on the floor. I was used to everything being in a certain place and now I had to look for all of it which was a pain. I could feel the cold floor on my bare feet, smell the dust everywhere, and hear the footsteps of people walking upstairs on the ceiling. I finally found our foosball table and one of the things lying on top of it was the darts board. It was really dark because it was around 9 at night and the light switch wasn't working. I used the flash, and after a few attempts I got this photo and fell in love with it. I really like how the flash brightly shows all the colors and the small details, like the dust on the board and shadows on the picks.

Food

When I took this photo, it was a Sunday night and everyone in my family was getting ready for another school week. I heard my parents cleaning and my sister packing her backpack. This drink was laying on the counter, so I photographed it. I saw the drink really closely because I zoomed in a lot, and I could smell the strong, fruity flavor. I love the way it turned out, the way I zoomed in made it so you can see a lot of small details. I like how as the cup goes down the color changes from light pink to dark pink, and how the ice looks underwater, covered by the glass. Finally, I like how the bubbles floating around are easily seen for a fun touch.

Portraits

When I created this image, I was in my room with my sister experimenting with different poses and angles, and I think everything about this one turned out perfectly. I like how she is the main focus and takes up most of the space, but there is still the blurred bowling pin in the background to add something else. I also really like the contrast of the light and dark - how her skin and hair are relatively light, and the rest of the background is dark.

Selfie

For this assignment we got in groups and took selfies with each other. Even though I had some selfies with people where we were both using the same phone, I like how Jillian is looking at her phone but still smiling and Chris makes it funny in the background.

Portrait Techniques

1. Alter Your Perspective
Some of the most interesting and intriguing portraits I saw had a different perspective. They experimented with different angles instead of just looking at a person at eye level.

2. Introduce a Prop
It was so much fun to use the props in class and they were another point of interest that enhanced the shots. Even though there is a risk of taking the focus away from the main subject, the props can give the person an extra layer of depth.

3. Experiment with Subject Expressions
The look on someone's face can completely change the mood of the portrait. The subject can experiment with different moods and emotions, whether it's an extreme expression or a serious shot.

4. Find an Interesting Subject
Looking at portraits, some of them stood out because of their uncommon subject. Using simple props today in class made the subjects way more interesting. I think people will look closer into a portrait if it is not the type of person they usually see.

Famous Portraits

Richard Avedon

Dorothy Horan, best known as Dovima, with elephants (1955)

Avedon is known to express the essence of his subject and his photos give people a more intimate view of celebrities. I also learned the people posing in his pictures almost always appear to show no feelings and appear totally inward. I think being in front of animals like elephants made Dovima look even prettier. I especially love her dress, but I don't know if this was one of Avedon's fashion photographs. 

Annie Leibovitz

Cate Blanchett (2004)

This is a photo of actress Cate Blanchett and it seems to be one of Annie's less edgy pictures. She is using the rule of thirds and movement. I think it was taken at the perfect time, and even though it is probably set up for a shoot it looks really natural. My favorite part is her big smile which makes it a happy photo.

Arnold Newman

Robert Moses, New York, NY (1959)

This is a great example of Newman's pictures showing the physical world around us. Where Robert was standing immediately caught my eye, and the picture became even better when I saw the beautiful ocean and buildings in the background. I like his point of view where Robert is in the front, but there is also an equally as good background included.