American Soldier

A. I think the most powerful images were either the one of him getting his head shaved or the one of the three boys on the bed hugging each other. I think the one of him getting his head shaved is powerful because it shows that this experience is real and it's really happening to him. Also because his face portrays a lot of emotions through the lens. The one of the three boys is powerful because it shows that the boys are in this together and that they've bonded and have become brothers.

B. Set 1 - At home - Image #1 to Image #3
Set 2 - Basic Training - Image #4 to Image #7
Set 3 - Iraq - Image #8 to Image #26

C. I think the set of images that was the most powerful were Set 2, the ones taken at the Basic Training Camp. These images were especially powerful because it's the transition from a normal life to a life of an American Soldier. Also he is still learning how to cope with everything, so there are a lot of emotions throughout the set.

D. The images work together to tell a story of a young boy becoming a man. They go from his normal everyday life to him working hard and making sacrifices for his country. At first the pictures are happy and youthful, but as the pictures progress they become darker and more realistic.

E. The photos with Ian as the subject have captions in present tense.

F. The captions enhance these photos because they show a new perspective of these photos and provide background information that the viewer might miss to give the full impact of the photo. 

G. Ian Fisher announced his plan to enlist in the army on his 17th birthday. Once he arrived at the basic training camp, he began questioning his intentions, but he stayed. He faced a few difficulties while he was in training including an injured elbow and a bad heat rash on his back and neck. Ian visits his dad, and his dad shows his concern for the amount of pain medications he's taking, but Ian brushes it off and says he's fine. After he returns back to his post, he confesses to having a drug problem and is close to getting kicked out of the military. Fisher is then deployed to Iraq where he's faced with bombings and Iraq citizens. Ian returns home and celebrates with his family and new girlfriend Devin. He goes to get a marriage license with Devin and they get married in a court room hours later.

Self Portrait and Portraits Part One

The three portrait tips I liked the most were

• Experiment with Lighting : Another element of randomness that you can introduce to your portraits is the way that you light them. There are almost unlimited possibilities when it comes to using light in portraits. Side-lighting can create mood, backlighting and silhouetting your subject to hide their features can be powerful.
• Focus on One Body Part - Get Close Up : Get a lens with a long focal length attached to your camera – or get right in close so that you can just photograph a part of your subject. Photographing a person’s hands, eyes, mouth or even just their lower body… can leave a lot to the imagination of the viewer of an image. Sometimes it’s what is left out of an image that says more than what is included.
• Settings - The Other Subject : The settings in which you make pictures of people are important because they add to the viewer's understanding of your subject. The room in which a person lives or works, their house, the city street they walk, the place in which they seek relaxation—whatever it is, the setting provides information about people and tells us something about their lives. Seek balance between subject and environment. Include enough of the setting to aid your image, but not so much that the subject is lost in it.

Environmental Portraits

 I picked this photo because the  man looks so happy to be in the cranberry field. It shows his passion for it. I liked the colors and how the red really popped out. Also the lighting creates kind of a homey mood within the photo. It's also a great example of the rule of thirds and the photo creates depth. 

I picked this photo because the man is staring out of frame and makes me wonder what he's looking at. I also like the casual say he's sitting and thinking on the boat. The background is beautiful and creates a lot of depth. He's also in the third of the frame.

Photography Self Portrait

I chose this photo because I love the vulnerability and emotion in this photo. Her pain translates through the photograph. I also like the smoke coming out of her mouth because it shows a story. 

I picked this photo because I thought it was interesting how he was holding the camera up like a gun. I thought it could symbolize that photography has taken over his life and he'd die without it, or it was a play on words with the word "shoot." I also like his emotion he has on his face.

Casual Portraits

I picked this photo because I thought it demonstrated the rule of framing very well. I also like how she's kind of like the light at the end of the tunnel. I think the way that the tunnel is dark makes the colors behind her pop more.

I picked this photo because I like how everything behind him is blurry, but he's in focus. It shows rule of thirds very well also. I like how he's in a public and realistic setting.

Portrait Assignment Plan

For my portrait assignment I plan on taking pictures of someone on my softball team. I want to take them at the softball fields. She would be wearing her uniform and would be at the pitchers mound. She would have a softball in her right hand and her glove in her left. She'd be facing the back, but her face would be tilted more to the front so the viewer can see it. She would be looking down at the softball in a casual way and she would be a little backlit. To make this photograph successful, I'd need to do it on a weekend so it wouldn't be too dark outside while we do the shoot.

Love and Loss Warm-Up

1. These photographs made me feel a lot of different emotions. The first few made me feel happy and giddy for the two. They made me smile to look at them. When she first had breast cancer in the beginning you can see the hope in her face, but you could also see the pain she felt. Her pain was translated through the photos. The more pictures I looked at, the sadder I felt. I wanted her to make it through so badly for them. The last three pictures made me tear up a little bit. They made me feel really sad.

2. I totally agree with the photographer's quote "These photographs do not define us, but they are us." I think that's true, especially these photos. The photographer said this to show how much those photos meant to him. Photographs have the ability to let other people see inside your life.

3. I think I would try to take photos like this if I were in that situation. I would probably be very upset while taking the photos though. I would feel guilty that I was spending our time together with a camera. I'd want to be able to enjoy those last few moments together. At the same time, I'd want to take the photos to be able to have that connection forever.

4. If I could write Angelo a letter, I'd tell him that his photographs are outstanding. The way he was able to portray their emotions through the lens is amazing. I'd also tell him that I'm so so sorry for his loss and to stay strong. Losing someone is a tough thing to deal with, but at least he has those photographs to look at when he gets sad. She'll be with him forever now.

Rules of Photography Part Two

Theme : Cats, of course

Rule of Thirds

Balancing Elements

Leading Lines

Symmetry and Patterns (Repetition)

Viewpoint

Background

Create Depth

Framing

Cropping

Mergers and Avoiding Them