confessions of a shutterbug

Raccoon Creek

2012-02-06T22:01:00.000-06:00

I really enjoyed the trip to Raccoon Creek, Frankfort Mineral Springs that my nature photography class took last week. It was a lovely warm (for this time of year) day with lots of great subject matter. Some of my friends and I wandered through the woods until we found an old abandoned building. It was basically a small, two room house built into a hill, with lots of windows. The windows were good to use as frames for the outside, and I've posted one such image above. The roof was falling apart, so the trees above were visible. The outside of the roof was covered in moss, which was also really fun to photograph, and was great for both close ups, and for showing more of the roof.

After we explored in and around the house, we made our way down the hill to where most of our classmates had congregated around a waterfall. Although it was small, the waterfall was really pretty because it fell off a cliff over a small cave area, and it had been cold enough recently that there was quite a bit of ice under the overhang. After photographing the water from many angles (including from under the overhang), my friends and I followed the creek back through the valley. There was a lot more moss and some cool mushrooms and such growing on fallen trees.

Overall it was a fun trip, and challenging to try to get photos that would look unique compared to the rest of the class. I like a lot of the images I made, and chose these four to post first because I think they work really well together as a set, not only because of the subject (nature) but also because the colors are consistent. But I will post some more later this week! I especially want to put a few of the moss covered roof I mentioned and more of the waterfall, so check back soon!

presque isle state park

2012-01-31T08:17:00.000-06:00

On Saturday I went to Eerie, PA with my nature photography class. We photographed at Presque Isle state park, which is right on the lake and a very beautiful place. Unfortunately we were unlucky with the weather, and it was an unexciting overcast day, with some rain and snow. This made most of my pictures turn out with low contrast. It also made the sand, water and sky shades of gray, and so difficult to make look interesting in our pictures. So I tried to focus on textures, patterns, water-drops, and any visually stimulating subjects I could find. Because I could not take beautiful beach with snow photographs, I hoped that by eliminating most of the bleakness and monotone I might make more interesting pictures. What do you think?

downtown nature

2012-01-25T21:27:00.002-06:00

That the arrow points North was about the extent of my knowledge on how to use a compass before yesterday. But in my nature photography class, we learned how to navigate using a compass, degree directions, and landmarks. I worked in a group with my classmates and friends, Karen and Amy (also fantastic photographers). We got very confused several times, but since we were navigating downtown Pittsburgh, Point State Park, and the North Shore, we managed to follow the directions given by our instructor.

Unfortunately, it was an overcast day, so it was difficult to get good lighting. There was also not very much nature along out path, or within the city. Patches of moss, a few trees, grass, geese, and a few other random bits of foliage were just about our only subject options.

In some of the images I took I tried to incorporate the city, and show urban nature. Others I composed the photographs so as to eliminate buildings, parking lots, cars, and other city objects. My favorite pictures from this walk were the ones in which I excluded the city, either through framing, angle, or focus. I picked these three photographs because I like the shapes and simple colors. I converted the image of the dried and cracked dirt to black and white from the original browns. The image of the tree branches and seeds was already mostly monotone, I only increased the contrast and black a little to emphasize the curving lines of the branches and eliminate distracting details. I barely edited the photo of the red branches. I really like the simplicity of the single leaf, the lines, and the bright color on the soft background.

What do you think of these photos, and urban nature photography?

Pittsburgh Food Not Bombs

2011-12-15T06:54:00.000-06:00

Pittsburgh Food Not Bombs is a non-profit organizations that strives to help the hungry and raise awareness of the enormous waste caused in the current system.

Marshall Mangler

2011-11-27T12:57:00.000-06:00

Participants in the Marshall Mangler 50k, 22.5k, and 8k, races run and walk through North Park. The races began early in the morning of Sunday, Nov. 13 and continued through the afternoon.

election day, nov 8 2011

2011-11-08T21:29:00.000-06:00

Natalie & Larry Kaplan voted in Shadyside on Nov. 8, 2011. Larry, who has voted for 62 years, said “I would like to see things improve, I do not like to see the two parties fighting, I wish there would be more consensus.”

Chris Weis, who voted in Shadyside on Nov. 8, 2011, would like to see more large corporations actually pay federal taxes instead of getting money from the federal government. He would also like more people to vote, and said, “voting is our civic duty, I have never missed election day.”

Andy Parker has been voting since he was 18-years-old, and voted in Shadyside on Nov. 8, 2011. He hopes to see change in the library tax after this election, but think voting is always important, and said, “it’s important to be engaged with the voting process, it is every citizens duty.”

Michael A. Della Vecchia, a common pleas court judge, and his wife Elizabeth Della Vecchia voted in Shadyside on Nov. 8, 2011. “We vote in every election, it is the greatest right you have in a democracy, everyone should vote,” Michael said.

Christopher Hahn, who voted in Shadyside on Nov. 8, 2011, was born in South Africa and came to the U.S. in 1981. He was most concerned with the funding of the library, and said, “I always vote, it is important. How else can you ensure how you are governed?”

Alfred Blustein voted in Shadyside on Nov. 8, 2011. “I think it is everyone’s obligation to vote, I have been fulfilling my obligation since I was old enough,” he said. “It is important to have a say in who runs our government.”

Environmental Portraits

2011-10-31T18:11:00.000-05:00

Stephen Grebinski, media specialist at Point Park University, familiarized himself with the school's darkroom during his first day of work, on October 24, 2011. He began his undergraduate degree, from Pitt, as a film major, but because of the “defining moments” and “time relationship” he became more interested in photography.

PPU concert

2011-10-17T20:20:00.002-05:00

Jazz singer Carolyn Perteete performed in the Point Park University ballroom on Thursday, October 13, 2011. There was free food for students, and other fun activities including caricature drawings. This events was part of Point Park's weekly concert series.

Occupy Pittsburgh, oct 15

2011-10-17T13:14:00.001-05:00

Citizens rally in Market Square on Oct. 15 in the first movement of the Occupy Pittsburgh movement. The crowed chanted about equality, change, and "love everyone."

Pittsburgh Public Market

2011-10-09T19:00:00.001-05:00

Dylan Zehr chopped apple slices for customer samples at the Pittsburgh Public Market on Sunday October 2. Zehr tended the Clarion River Organics booth, selling a large variety of produce.

Shoppers drift through the indoor Pittsburgh Public Market on October 2, 2011. Produce, craft, baked goods and many other vendors set up throughout the week on Smallman St. near 17^th St.

Cynthia Hill, founder and president of Third Day Organics, explained her newer products such as candles. She started making soaps in 2003, a few years later she started a business, and now she and her son work together to grow organic herbs which they use to make bath and body products.

Debbie Maier Jacknin, of Jenn's Jems, explained how she and her daughter make jewelry and other accessories and sell them together, at the Pittsburgh Public Market on October 2, 2011. Debbie said her daughter started the jewelry, and “she taught me. She'd make them, and I'd make little mommy suggestions,” adding that her daughter left for college and passed a lot of it on to Debbie although it is still a team effort.

Little Italy Days

2011-10-03T22:12:00.001-05:00

Craig Quatman showed customers Steeler themed jewelry on Saturday, during Little Italy Days. He has been making jewelry since March, and he said “getting ready for this [Little Italy Days] I had to work 11 hours a days for two weeks.”

People strolled through Bloomfield, along vendor-lined Liberty Ave on Saturday afternoon. Food and craft booths were set up, and musicians played for Pittsburgh's Little Italy Days this past weekend.

Bocce Mafia members played a match on Saturday, during Bloomfield's Little Italy Days. The stage was set up just off Liberty Ave, and passers by crowed to watch the game.

Donald Keiper, employee of Mobile Mountain Inc., climbed the rock wall they set up for Little Italy Days, in Bloomfield. This was Mobile Mountain Inc.'s first year at Little Italy Days, although Keiper said they attend a lot of fairs, festivals, carnivals, and airshows.

2011-09-11T21:00:00.003-05:00

Intimacy

2011-06-23T11:42:00.000-05:00

All spring I worked on a photo project about intimacy. I did several photoshoots in the studio of couples and one girl on her own, and I plan to continue this project. I want it to include all different forms of intimacy.
Here are a few of the images, along with quotes from some of the models. My artist's statement is below.

“Someone knowing you intimately means they can also tear into you. It's pretty scary.” - Emma

“It's great having someone to spend time with, just to have them there. I really feel the best significant other is your best friend, that way you can do everything you do with your normal friends, but it's always acceptable to pull them close and steal a kiss.” - Jesse

“My favorite part of the relationship is Julia. She is the most incredible person that I have ever met!!!” -Glen

Intimacy has many aspects and many meanings. I wanted this project to capture as many different forms of intimacy as I could, and to convey its meaning as completely as possible. This project is more personal than most photography and multifaceted. Inevitably it will evoke distinct and varied definitions of what intimacy is from the perspective of my models, the photographer's, my own, viewpoint, and that of the audience.

Portraits are my favorite photographic genre. I decided to take a step beyond pure portraiture and attempt to photograph not only people, faces, and personalities, but also a specific emotion and the beauty of the human body engaging in that emotion.

I consciously tried for artistic images with some sophistication. I also wanted to take the viewer beyond the actual image, to include an element of mystery, leaving the viewer attempting to fill in a missing piece, as it were. My goal was also to make viewers slightly uncomfortable, without showing anything objectionable. I wanted my audience to feel that they should not be seeing such intimate moments (whether sexual or not), but also to draw the viewers into the story of the picture.

I shot all the photographs in the studio because I wanted to use lighting intentionally and artistically. I also wanted to control the background, keeping it clean and free of distractions.

I intend to continue this project and make it more complete by encompassing more forms of intimacy. I hope that this is the first installment of photographs which, viewed as a group, will form a visual definition of intimacy.

First photography exhibit!

2011-06-13T14:35:00.000-05:00

I just had my first photography exhibit! It is at Zenclay, a coffee shop- art gallery in Morgantown, WV.
My show is called "Seeds to Stew" and is an artistic view of the process of food production. Below are a few sample images, and the rest will be on my Flickr soon! (www.flickr.com/photos/artaldona)

logo and gif

2011-04-18T19:32:00.001-05:00

I just designed this logo and animated gif as part of a design package for my design class. What do you think?

studio portraits- sylvester

2010-04-25T00:34:00.000-05:00

Sylvester and I also took some more standard headshots and full length. Are these or the shadow photos better?

shadows

2010-04-24T00:27:00.001-05:00

I took these photos of Sylvester in the photo studio at school. We had a lot of fun playing with the shadows.

2010-04-21T00:26:00.000-05:00

I really have picked up some new editing skills from watching these... what do you think?

learning

2010-04-20T23:43:00.000-05:00

Hey, you can't say it isn't educational.

WV panoramas

2010-04-15T13:20:00.000-05:00

Another assignment for my digital photo editing class was to create two panoramas. I learned to stitch panoramas in Photoshop, but this time they worked more easily, and I'm really pleased with the results. I like making these, and am always looking for interesting and different subjects... Do you know any I could try?

photography promotional card

2010-04-14T13:13:00.002-05:00

One of the assignments in my digital photography editing class was to create a promotional card. This is what I came up with first, but I'm working on a few more, with different looks and styles. What type of photography promo card would catch your attention?

timeline

2010-04-11T22:31:00.004-05:00

I created this timeline of the early history of photography. I am no expert, but I'm currently taking a history of photography class, so if you have any questions let me know, and I'll do some research, and do my best to answer them! (click on a date or the matching image of a little more info on that development.)

that look

2010-04-11T19:31:00.003-05:00

I love taking portraits, and I love capturing those little looks people make... the goofy, sad, serious, mad, gorgeous, etc.
When I did a photo shoot of my best friend Karen, I got a lot of good photos. The two below aren't my favorites, but I love them because they capture two of her expressions that I know very well...
The first is how she looks at me when I say or do something dumb... it is her "Really?!?" look.
The second is her expressions when she says something ridicules, or something that she knows I won't like, but is hoping that by being pretty and cheerful, I'll agree.

promised slideshow

2010-04-08T15:39:00.002-05:00

Here is the slideshow I promised! It was my first time photographing a pregnant woman, so let me know what you think, I'd love some critiques and tips for next time.

baby bump

2010-04-07T21:29:00.005-05:00

Last week I photographed a pregnant woman in the studio. Her name is Erin, and she is one of the cutest expecting women I've seen. These are my three favorite photos from our shoot. I will post more in a slide-show tomorrow, so be sure to check them out, and let me know what you think of my first attempt at photographing a baby bump!

funny photo-bunny

2010-04-06T21:03:00.000-05:00

Perfect catch.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

photos of spring

2010-04-06T00:38:00.000-05:00

Spring is erupting with a burst around the Steel City... here are some images to prove it.

form

2010-04-03T20:56:00.001-05:00

Sometimes it is useful to focus simply on lines, shapes, and forms when composing an image. The resulting image often does not tell a story, carry deep meaning, etc., but it can be visually pleasing, and I enjoy using this technique because I think it improves my eye by sharpening my compositional awareness. What do you think of these photographs, for which I made a conscious effort to capture simple forms?

funny photo- my own

2010-04-02T21:20:00.004-05:00

Saw these as I was walking from school to Point State Park.

Because one sign wouldn't have gotten the message across?

posing- angles

2010-04-01T13:28:00.000-05:00

Continuing with posing models...
The angle of the sitter is very important. As I said in the video, it is not as flattering to be facing straight on to the camera, and is usually better to be slightly angled. Sometimes though facing front gives a different look, and can be interesting.
This is an example, the same pose, but she turned a little for the second image. Which do you think is better?

posing women

2010-03-31T00:27:00.003-05:00

I think the two most important things to consider when posing a model, especially a girl, in the photo studio are angle of the body, and position of the head. I have developed some tried-and-true poses and lighting set ups which I like to use, and then branch off of.
I made this video to explain the basics of what I like to do in terms of the two above mentioned elements of posing. If it is not clear, or doesn't answer some questions you have, about modeling or posing a model, please let me know, and I'll try to make a more clear presentation.
Over the next few days I will post some of the studio portraits I've taken to give you some ideas for actual positions, rather than just techniques.

how I often feel

2010-03-30T00:52:00.001-05:00

I'm posting this because it shows exactly how I feel right now.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

photojournalism-costumes

2010-03-27T16:49:00.007-05:00

I have been working on a photojournalism multimedia presentation for my reporting class. The subject is the making of costumes for the Point Park University Pittsburgh Playhouse productions of Light in the Piazza.
These are some of the photos from the night of dress rehearsal, when all the actors were getting into their costumes. I really enjoyed taking these pictures because theater types are always fun to photography. They see a photographer, and pose, lovin the camera! It makes for fun and easy pictures. Actors are also fun to photograph in the studio, because I don't have to worry about posing them, since they have so much fun modeling.
Due to the lighting situation I had to shoot on a high ISO (meaning the photographs are grainier and less sharp). I am considering converting some of them to black and white, which could make the grain in the pictures look more natural. Do you think it would take away from the message of the images?

portrait editing

2010-03-23T16:06:00.000-05:00

In my digital photo editing class we learned how to edit portraits. Since portraiture is my favorite type of photography, I taught myself some basic techniques prior to this lesson, but some of the methods were new to me. While the effects are subtle, they really make a difference in the overall photo.
Here are both the before and after pictures, so you can compare. I blurred her skin slightly, to decrease blemishes and to make it look glowy, and brightened her eyes by lightening some areas, and darkening others. The edits needed on her photos are rather minimal, because her skin was already clear, and there wasn't much to fix overall. But the little things still make it a better photograph.
One of the topics brought up in class was the ethics of editing portraits... Is it moral to remove some zits? How far can you go in making a subject look better/perfect?

look like a model

2010-03-20T12:06:00.000-05:00

I am working on putting together a little video on how to pose women models in the photography studio. So I asked one of my sisters if she would mind coming in to sit for me. Of course she didn't mind, and actually loved it. I have photographed her more times than I can count, and we really know how to work with each other now.
After a bit, I didn't feel like directing her anymore, so I just said "act like a model," and she did. These are a few of the resulting images.

photo illustrations

2010-03-19T08:24:00.003-05:00

One assignment in my digital photo editing class was to take photos with a theme or concept during class, then next week to bring the images, and edited them into a photo illustration. I took photos of the melting snow, and all the debris left behind in it (you can see some of those photos in earlier posts).
I found that these were really hard to combine. I was feeling goofy, so this is what I came up with. Hopefully it fulfills the assignment!
I have to do another, and am stumped as to what to create. I've looked through my photos from that day, and feel they are better as single images... I'm sure a brilliant photo illustration could be made from them, but I can't figure out what.

funny photo- subject

2010-03-17T09:31:00.001-05:00

Sometimes a great subject is all a photo needs.

see more Epic Fails

podcast

2010-03-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

This is a podcast about photography as art... I was sick when I made it, so please excuse the awkwardness of my voice. The students I interviewed, in order, are
Andrew Woehrel, junior English major
Ana Bird, senior global cultural studies major
Chris Dettore, junior sports, art, and entertainment management major
Gabrielle Mazza, junior photojournalism major
The Pensive Oil Painter, sophomore global cultural studies major

podcast sound bite

melting snow-trash

2010-03-13T14:58:00.005-06:00

These are a few of the snow debris pictures I took as the Pittsburgh snow melted away. I was editing them in my photography class, and my friend who was at the next computer kept looking over, and saying loudly "eeew, gross!" to each one. I have to agree with her.

spring emerging

2010-03-12T11:18:00.007-06:00

It feels like Spring! The snow is melting, showing grass, shrubs, and lots of trash. I went on a photo walk and took lots of pictures of all the debris left by the melting snow. Most of them are disgusting. Here are a few that are nice, and show the changing of seasons.
Tomorrow I'll post some of the grosser ones.

funny photo-kitten

2010-03-10T22:35:00.002-06:00

As well as being a completely cute, this photo is well composed. I especially like it because when we had kittens, they would crawl into our shoes like this.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

cemetery slide-show

2010-03-02T10:04:00.002-06:00

Here is the slide-show of my freshmen/sophomore cemetery photos as promised.

2010-03-02T09:06:00.005-06:00

My photography teacher, Chris Rolinson, once mentioned in class that taking photos of a cemetery was something all college freshmen did, trying to be cool and original... This made me sad, because I had been planning to go photograph a beautiful cemetery near where I live.
So trying to fight the norm, and not make typical freshmen pictures, I didn't take photos of that cemetery as a freshman.
When I was a sophomore, it was fall, and the grave stones looked soooo pretty in the sunset I couldn't resist anymore. I was teased relentlessly by my friend Karen Bullock, and for awhile after that she would ask how my freshman photos had turned out.
Although I took the pictures, I never put them on flickr, or showed them to anyone. As I was sorting some images I came across them, and decided it was time. Here is one of my favorites, and I will put up a full slide-show tomorrow.

incredible detail

2010-03-01T16:12:00.008-06:00

I really admire macro photography, or any close-ups that have crazy sharp detail, but have not tried to do it much myself.
During a photo critique in class last week I saw one of these photos, was really impressed, and am inspired to try some myself. I won't have as fantastic a subject, but maybe I'll be able to create some nice, detailed, close-ups.
I'd like to do something different and unusual. What subject would be good for this project?
These photos are by Travis Mitzel

video-photo tips

2010-03-01T16:08:00.005-06:00

This is an interesting clip on photography tips, and how to tell a story through a photograph. It pretty good advice, and it is put into a nice format.
It's a little long, but has a nice summery at the end.
Do you find it useful?

flowers

2010-02-28T12:54:00.006-06:00

Lately I've been in a bit of a photography slump, taking mostly portraits or snapshots... So I decided it was time to do SOMETHING!
I grabbed my camera, and looked around my apartment for a subject to photograph. These are the results.
While they are pretty pictures, I'd like to start a project... something longer and more meaningful.
What else can I do to be creative, in a different way, and get back into making good photographs daily?

snowy pets

2010-02-28T09:20:00.000-06:00

These are a few photos of my pets in the last snow storm. The dog's name is Claude, the black can is Tux, and the gray is Fluffers. Claude loved the snow... the cats not so much.
We also have three other cats (and some chickens), but they did not venture out enough for me to get good photos.

funny photo- the right moment

2010-02-27T11:29:00.001-06:00

Wow! There is a lot to be said for timing... And the photographer of this photo has it!
I love this picture because it is both a good image and funny. The composition, tone, and subject are all great.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

snow storm slide-show

2010-02-27T11:05:00.000-06:00

With another storm coming, I thought this would be an appropriate time to publish some photos from the last snow.
These are mostly from my home in WV. Tomorrow I'll post a slide-show of my cats and dog.

snow storm

2010-02-22T21:28:00.000-06:00

The snow storm of a few weeks ago was a fantastic photo opportunity. I was at home in West Virginia when it hit this area. Our valley looked like a beautiful winter wonderland, our dog loved it, and our cats did not.
Here are a few pictures I took. I'll put a full slide show up soon.

studio portraits-what I learned

2010-02-19T10:24:00.000-06:00

Usually when I take studio portraits I stick with what I know works. I try little variations, but basically play it safe. I have photographed mostly girls in the studio, which also influences the style of lighting.
For this photo shoot I decided to try something new. I had an idea of what look I wanted (using shadows, a little edgy, etc.), and so attempted to work with the lights until I got it. It was a different process, but I think the outcome was good! I got pictures that I like, discovered some new types of lighting set-ups, and (best of all) practiced how to make experimenting work!
I want to keep trying new things, and learn new things in the studio... but I'm not sure what to attempt next. Suggestions?

funny photo- reflections

2010-02-17T22:00:00.001-06:00

Reflections can be a powerful composition tool. Water, mirrors, glass, etc., are all interesting to photograph and you can use them to gain cool effects of illusions. I think the photographer of this picture has the technique down!
More such photos can be found on the Fail Blog.

slideshow- two girls

2010-02-15T23:09:00.000-06:00

Here are some more images of the two girls I photographed in the studio! They are fun and light spirited pictures, and show the close friendship between them. How could I have made this photo-shoot more interesting?

quiz!!!

2010-02-15T14:38:00.000-06:00

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

photographing two- what I've learned

2010-02-14T22:15:00.000-06:00

I love portraiture, but I've mostly worked with girls, only a few guys in the studio, and usually just one person at a time. It is really different photographing multiple people, and poses vary depending on whether your model is a man or a woman.
I recently photographed two girls in the studio, which was a first for me, so I was a little nervous about positioning them, lighting, and getting good images that showed both to their best advantage.
The photos turned out well, and this is one of my favorites. They worked because the girls are best friends, and natural together. After I started posing and directing them they would get ideas, and it just took off!
I am putting together a slideshow of more images from this shoot, so check back soon!

art?

2010-02-12T13:03:00.000-06:00

snow photos

2010-02-11T13:49:00.000-06:00

A snowstorm came through Pittsburgh this weekend/week. It was a great photo opportunity, and captured well by a lot of talented Point Park University photographers. Here are three of my favorites. I like these pictures because they show the impact of the snow in very different ways and are well composed.

Photographs by Gabrielle Mazza, Camelia Montoy, and Amy Crawford.

Pittsburgh Pics

2010-02-06T15:32:00.000-06:00

These are some photos I really like by my flickr contacts. Credit goes to Chris Rolinson, Kelly Grigg, Karen Ann Bullock, Picsure Photography, and New End Productions. I think these are all different and interesting views of the city.

black&white editing

2010-02-04T08:05:00.000-06:00

In my digital photo editing class I learned that there are many ways in Photoshop to convert a color image to black and white, and each produces a different effect. These are a few samples of some studio portraits that I converted, and edited. I think that some of these are not only more artistic, but also have more impact than the originals.

flowerpots- what I learned

2010-02-03T11:33:00.000-06:00

My digital photo editing teacher, Chris Rolinson, assigned us a mission; go and photograph flowerpots in downtown Pittsburgh in different and interesting way. Did I succeed?

Photojournalism

2010-02-03T09:30:00.000-06:00

Photographs are powerful, and photojournalism can be a strong and compelling mode of communication. But, as with any media, there are ethics to be considered.
Some of the most famous photojournalistic images are those of people in horrible circumstances, often in great pain. Many of these pictures win awards, such as the well known Kevin Carter's Wanting a Meal, of a vulture waiting as a young child starves to death, which won a Pulitzer. If you do not know the photo, or the outcome, I strongly suggest looking into it, although it is a very sad story.
The code for journalists and photojournalists says that reporters and photographers are not supposed to interfere with the scene. But should this always apply?
After a photographer makes such a strong and powerful image, he/she has a human duty, in my opinion, to use it to help the situation, and cause awareness and improvement. But it doesn't seem like that is often the case. Instead, these photographs are awarded and given prizes.
Some examples of the type of photos I am talking about can be found at http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/ and http://bop.nppa.org/2009/still_photography/winners/?cat=OPY
I cannot look at most of these photos. They are too intense, and I'm not sure how much good has been done because of them. I also know that I could not create such a picture. As a photojournalist, is that wrong of me? Are these photos moral and ethical?

2010-01-30T20:51:00.000-06:00

My photography teacher, Chris Rolinson, talks about using juxtaposition as a composition tool. I think the photographer of this picture did an excellent job utilizing the technique.

2010-01-30T20:33:00.000-06:00

As the bather of pets in my family, I recognized the looks on these poor animals' faces, and thought it worth sharing when I saw this photo on http://icanhascheezburger.com/

What I can't figure out is how they had time to grab the camera...

Ice- Pittsburgh Pics

2010-01-29T15:15:00.001-06:00

Pittsburgh is a beautiful city. Each little neighborhood is unique in style and culture. The architecture of downtown is interesting because all the building are in a different style. Photographs of Pittsburgh are usually just as interesting. Here are some of my city images-

This is a photo I took recently of the construction of the extended T line under Liberty Ave downtown.

I think all four of these pictures show downtown Pittsburgh in a different way. Which shows the city best?

silver vs numbers- what I learned

2010-01-28T18:33:00.000-06:00

The argument over film viruses digital continues, and probably will as long as there are both darkrooms and iMacs. After reading fellow bloggers' opinions on the subject, it seems to me that the debate has come to a truce, with both sides agreeing that the two are good for different things, and are different media ( see some opinions http://www.markcassino.com/b2evolution/index.php/film_vs_digital_photography , http://www.dlcphotography.net/Digital%20vs%20Film.htm, http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/filmdig.htm, etc).

This semester I am taking a history of photography class. The instructor, Nancy Zielinski of Pittsburgh Filmmakers, mentioned a very interesting point which I had not thought about before; digital images are made on a light sensitive chip, which computerizes and converts the photo to a series of numbers. It is simple a numeric record of a scene. When a photograph is taken on film, the light reflecting off the subject chemically alters the silver on the film strip leaving a tangible imprint.

So when I take a portrait on my digital camera my camera records the pattern of light, as I said before as numbers. But when I use film and my 35mm camera to take a portrait the light reflecting off the person's skin directly changes the film. In a sense, a part of that person remains in the silver salts, a captured part of him/her.

(These are two photos of my sister. The color is a digital photograph, and the black and white is a scanned 35mm negative.)

So, taking that into consideration, which is better?

introducing me

2010-01-28T18:18:00.000-06:00

Hi, and welcome to my blog!
I am a photojournalism student at Point Park University, in downtown Pittsburgh. I love photography in all ways. I love taking and editing images (especially portraits), looking at and critiquing photos, finding funny pictures, and recently I have found that I really like learning the history of photography.
Through my confessions of a shutterbug I hope to share my love of photography and hopefully some knowledge and tips. Please participate in my blog! I love discussion, and to learn from other people.

welcome

2010-01-20T11:11:00.001-06:00

Welcome to my blog!