My Students, All Grown Up (Maternity Portraits)

I love that sometimes my students become my friends :)  Thanks for letting me be a part of your special photos.

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Karolyne and Arturo, class of 2011.  High school sweethearts that just welcomed baby Scarlett.

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Manuel and Victoria, class of 2014. Proud parents of Angelo, and baby Aria (coming soon.)

Geometry

It's portraits time of year in beginning photography.  I like to try new things, so this year I'm having the students combine geometric shapes and portraits.  I've done something similar for the past two years, but I gave them a very specific project and most ended up looking very similar.  This year I'm giving a few options that will come with my own tutorials on how to create them.  Additionally, for my more advanced students, if they would like to totally do their own thing they're welcome to do that--but they'll have to find or create their own directions.  One of the styles I'm encouraging is based on the work of artist Anthony Gerace.  He selectively removes geometric portions of a portrait to create a new message from the magazine photos he chooses.  I was making the Photoshop tutorial for this project last night and this is the photo I created.  The original photo is from a photo shoot I got to do a couple years ago with a friend of mine who owns Image One Camera and Video in Riverside.  He brought in a professional photographer (Shaun Michelsen), a professional model (Jordan Hampton Michelsen), and a rented vintage car for a day of learning and shooting.  Here's my original post about the day.  So, last night I busted out an unedited image of Jordan and began to use it for my Geometric Portrait tutorial (HERE.)  This is the final result.  If I were to do this again I'd like to start with the concept and then shoot the picture and then edit it.  I think it'd make the image work so much more.  It'd have a better "story."  For now, here's my geometric portrait.

Becca & Solange

Eyelashes and Freckles

Inspired today while sitting near our living room windows with Ansel.  I've been overwhelmed by the massive amount of photos I shot this summer, so I've been sort of avoiding shooting, editing, or much less posting anything.  But I couldn't resist capturing his sweet face.  I hope some day I can convince him to love his freckles as much as I do.

My Homework - Thanks Class of 2016!

I haven't taken any pictures with my real camera or spent much time editing the ones I do take.  One of my students brought this to my attention, so I asked my TAs to give me an assignment.  They came up with about the most complicated thing possible--surrealism.  While I did do a few surrealistic photos, I'm not super excited with how they turned out.  Actually, I'm more disappointed with how my brain refused to get surreal with the pressure of a deadline looming.  It was helpful, however, to gain some perspective into what my students (especially those doing the AP portfolio) are feeling.  Below are some photos that I took over the last week (only one that follows the assignment guidelines, sorry Alec.)  The first few are from the YMCA circus in Redlands.  I am absolutely stunned at these kids' talent!  They were so young and up there doing flips and looking all cirque du soleil!  The light was absolute junk, but I just worked with it and did long exposures and explored the movement of the performances.

 Here is my surrealism attempt.  The cup is a new photo, and inside it are two older ones--one of two dolphins from a whale watching trip in Dana Point, and the other, an HDR sunset over a lake in Wisconsin.  I don't like how it cuts off so close at the wrist.  I'd like my arms to lead into the picture more.

Finally, I've been wanting to try this thing I saw on Pinterest when searching for concentration ideas for Ana.  It involved cutting up multiple portraits and piecing them back together in a weird way.  Looked super easy, but turned out not to be.  Still, though it's not AT ALL what I was going for, it turned kind of cool.  The edit is inspired by one of my student's style--Marek, you know I'm a fan.  The subject, though you can barely see her, is Ana.  Ana, I hope you approve!

The final photo is a test shot of Alec that I took while setting up my lights.  I ended up really liking it so I kept it.  Alec, thank you for giving me the assignment, and for making me so proud this year!

Anza Borrego State Park

MLK Extra Credit

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

I gave my students an extra credit assignment which was to take a photo that relates to Dr. King and what he stood for.  In an attempt to show that this is not extremely difficult I created a sample picture of my own... the evening before the assignment... shot and edited on my cell phone. It literally took me five minutes. Fingers crossed that many took advantage of this project.