I got a chance to do a little more work in the darkroom last week. I made prints from some negatives I had not used for previous assignments. We needed a total of 15 prints for our final portfolio. It turns out that I had 15 prints that I was willing to have critiqued. With a couple of minor tweaks, I earned an A on my final portfolio. I realize this just means that I am making excellent progress considering where I am at in the process. However, there were times not long ago that I doubted whether I could progress to the point I have currently. So, I am proud of what I have accomplished.
There were times that I was very frustrated with the time requirements of my photography class. However, all of the time I have put in paid off handsomely. I built a great foundation with skills I can build on to improve my photography and chemical processing skills.
I have been offered the Graduate Assistant position in the Photography lab at the University of Wisconsin-Stout for the 2010-2011 school year. The duties include keeping inventory, mixing chemicals and supervising other lab assistants. I look forward to not only taking care of the day-to-day tasks necessary to keep the lab running, but also the opportunity to help the undergraduate students who will inevitably approach me for help.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Underexposure
I have used three different cameras to shoot the work for my weekly assignments. One thing I have noticed is that different cameras will meter "normal exposure" differently. There are some things I like about each camera I have used. The camera I am using now has an aperture priority mode. This is suitable for the majority of my shooting.
I am having problems with exposure now that lighting conditions are so much brighter. I had gotten used to shooting in low light and low contrast conditions that are common in the winter when there is not much snow on the ground. I am going to have to experiment a little bit to overcome this problem. I am assuming that I am getting some shots that are underexposed because the brighter areas in a scene are telling the camera to use a faster shutter speed.
As much as I prefer the way the camera I am currently using feels in my hand, I may go back to using my Pentax K1000. In bright conditions, I cannot even see the shutter speed the camera is choosing, as displayed in the viewfinder.
On the other hand, I may try changing my Exposure Value on the camera I am currently using and see how I fare. I really do like some of the features of the camera. If I can solve the underexposure problem, I am willing to live with some of the camera's other shortcomings since I like the way it feels in my hand, prefer the auto wind and auto advance, ability to uses aperture and shutter priority modes, etc.
Some of the nuances of photography dictate that a little bit of one-on-one instruction out in the field could go a long, long way. Unfortunately, we do not have that opportunity in the class I am taking. Sometimes, all of the explanation and discussion in the classroom has less value than firsthand experience. I have learned quite a bit by going out and shooting myself. I guess I will have to continue with some of the experimentation and see what conclusions can be drawn from my results. Assuming I REMEMBER to compensate with EV the next time I go out shooting, I should be able to document the results in next week's post.
I am having problems with exposure now that lighting conditions are so much brighter. I had gotten used to shooting in low light and low contrast conditions that are common in the winter when there is not much snow on the ground. I am going to have to experiment a little bit to overcome this problem. I am assuming that I am getting some shots that are underexposed because the brighter areas in a scene are telling the camera to use a faster shutter speed.
As much as I prefer the way the camera I am currently using feels in my hand, I may go back to using my Pentax K1000. In bright conditions, I cannot even see the shutter speed the camera is choosing, as displayed in the viewfinder.
On the other hand, I may try changing my Exposure Value on the camera I am currently using and see how I fare. I really do like some of the features of the camera. If I can solve the underexposure problem, I am willing to live with some of the camera's other shortcomings since I like the way it feels in my hand, prefer the auto wind and auto advance, ability to uses aperture and shutter priority modes, etc.
Some of the nuances of photography dictate that a little bit of one-on-one instruction out in the field could go a long, long way. Unfortunately, we do not have that opportunity in the class I am taking. Sometimes, all of the explanation and discussion in the classroom has less value than firsthand experience. I have learned quite a bit by going out and shooting myself. I guess I will have to continue with some of the experimentation and see what conclusions can be drawn from my results. Assuming I REMEMBER to compensate with EV the next time I go out shooting, I should be able to document the results in next week's post.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Ready to Go!
One thing that improves photography is getting out and taking photos. Busy work does little to improve photography. Blogs, Twitter and all of the other BS is a waste of time and energy. I'm quite tired of having it shoved down my throat, thank you very much.
I am glad I have the summer off. I will be taking time to go out and shoot and make improvements in my photography skills. I have made a good bit of progress up to this point. I am confident I will earn an A on my final portfolio. Goal accomplished.
I am glad I have the summer off. I will be taking time to go out and shoot and make improvements in my photography skills. I have made a good bit of progress up to this point. I am confident I will earn an A on my final portfolio. Goal accomplished.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Looking Forward
Although, in many ways this week has been uneventful, I have made some decisions in regard to my future. Initially, I had my mind set on taking Photography II at UIS. I had gotten permission to enroll in the tutorial from the instructor. I decided that since the course does not include any classroom support that I am going to take a pass on that opportunity. Considering by the time I pay tuition and fees, it will cost me upwards of $1200 to go out and shoot photos on my own, it makes more sense to just get out and shoot the photos without lining UIS' pocket.
I am not going to worry about getting a Visual Arts Minor. The great news about this is that I can move on to graduate school without having to jump through any more of the hoops at UIS. It is a great weight off my shoulders knowing I am done here.
I am going to attend the University of Wisconsin-Stout. I will have many opportunities to expand not only my photography skills, but actual skills that can be used in the real world. A change of scenery has been much needed for a long time. Unfortunately, once you start attending a school and accumulate hours you are stuck like prey in a spider's web. If Universities were forced to accept transfer credits from other accredited Universities, schools such as UIS would actually have to serve the students rather than the other way around.
Not every aspect of my experience here at UIS has been bad. Fortunately, I have met a handful of people that have been helpful in mentoring and encouraging me along the way. My path may have been quite different were it not for those individuals.
In the meantime, I am going to continue to practice and improve my photography. I will take advantage of having the summer off by going out and shooting with some more experienced photographers. I will be able to spend more time exploring online sources that can help me to learn and improve myself. I have built a great foundation and can continue to learn and develop (pun intended) from there.
I am not going to worry about getting a Visual Arts Minor. The great news about this is that I can move on to graduate school without having to jump through any more of the hoops at UIS. It is a great weight off my shoulders knowing I am done here.
I am going to attend the University of Wisconsin-Stout. I will have many opportunities to expand not only my photography skills, but actual skills that can be used in the real world. A change of scenery has been much needed for a long time. Unfortunately, once you start attending a school and accumulate hours you are stuck like prey in a spider's web. If Universities were forced to accept transfer credits from other accredited Universities, schools such as UIS would actually have to serve the students rather than the other way around.
Not every aspect of my experience here at UIS has been bad. Fortunately, I have met a handful of people that have been helpful in mentoring and encouraging me along the way. My path may have been quite different were it not for those individuals.
In the meantime, I am going to continue to practice and improve my photography. I will take advantage of having the summer off by going out and shooting with some more experienced photographers. I will be able to spend more time exploring online sources that can help me to learn and improve myself. I have built a great foundation and can continue to learn and develop (pun intended) from there.
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