Our next assignment in digital is to create a cd. Travis randomnly assigned us the songs that we will create the cover for as well as a completely random word to include in the title. I got 4 Garth Brooks songs!!(couldn't have picked better songs, well U2 was there too) And my word is Faux pas. I am still thinking of ideas and trying to find some good examples. I'll post those later. Not much has been going on lately, just working and school. I am keeping busy but I like it!!

I figured since I randomnly vented a few posts ago about things I hate I would balance things out with random things I love!! So don't laugh too hard:

I love peanut M&M's particularly holiday ones. I love driving. While driving I love being the first car on the line at a red light so I can race! I love macaroni and cheese shapes. I love looking at pictures. I love having the hiccups. I love reeses peanut butter cups, holiday shapes are the best!! (eggs, hearts, pumpkins they are all great) I love jamming to music in my car and rocking out than looking at the people around me to see if they react. I love blowing bubbles with my gum. I love being right. I love riding in the carpool lane(usually). I love playing games, especially the would you rather game. I love the color brown. I love singing in the shower. I love constantly changing the background on my computer. I love Gap & Anthropologie. I love old things, that look vintage. I love cowboy boots.

Okay that is enough random about me. Here is a sign I took a picture of in Lehi, I kind of like it. I thought it might be cool to do a series of the alphabet around town.

I also did some engagement pictures for Shanna with Jess I think we got some pretty good ones. I'll post those later though.

Photo shoot with Jess

So our next assignment for lighting was Quality of light. Had to do 3 pictures

1. shoot one with a mix of cool temperature light and a warm light

2. hard light

3. soft light

I did some shots of Jess last night I feel like we had some fun, well I did, and things went pretty smoothly (at least when the gel was practically glued to the light and it didn't sound like the ceiling was going to collapse on us!!). I felt much more comfortable with her because she was super patient and she could help me when I needed it. We ended up laughing our way through the whole shoot and I was super nervous at the end because the assignment was due today but they all turned out GREAT! I had a hard time choosing the ones I wanted to use. So basically Jess is my new designated model haha, I bought her Cafe Rio to bribe her and I am willing to do it again.................

Anyway here are the pictures from the shoot that I turned in today, we shall see how this grading goes. I gave myself a B+.

relief

So I gave my talk and I am glad it is over!! I think it went pretty well, especially considering I put off the actual writing part until yesterday! I love sitting up on the stand and watching everyone and talking to Cal.(he is the 1st counselor and my 2nd dad) The lady who was doing the musical number today pounds on the keys so hard, its pretty distracting and so LOUD even from the pews. So she came up to play today and Cal leaned over to me and said "This can get pretty loud, so be prepared." He was dead serious about it too, I was laughing really hard. So I was like oh should I lean forward than? We were cracking up all sacrament about stuff, so it is probably a good thing I don't sit up there every week with him. I spoke on the vitality of scripture study and read some pretty interesting talks about it. I will say it is a relief to have it over though, I wasn't really nervous at all up there giving it I just had the hardest time starting my talk. (The only bad thing about knowing Cal so well is how often I have to give talks, he actually called me once on a Saturday at 4:30 and asked me to speak the next day, he says well I know I can count on you, you are just so reliable, haha great!) But now it is back to homework and the dreaded portfolio. I just want to get in to the BFA program SO bad. The deadline is nearing and I am kind of really starting to freak out. (for those who don't know I decided to get my BFA instead of just my BA in art and visual communications. this requires that I apply with a portfolio of 16-20 of my best works and since I wasn't really planning on doing this I pretty much got rid of all my begining class work. The drawings that I still have are, well, Simon said I should probably draw some more haha) Anyway its back to that!!!!

Speaking of deadlines my friend, Josh is coming home on Friday the 22nd, I honestly can't believe it has been 2 years. I am super excited for him to come home! It should be interesting to see him, I still wasn't even graduated from high school when he left. Here are some pictures he has sent me, he is the cute one on the left. The botttom picture was the most recent I just got it last Wednesday with one last letter! It should be fun to have him home again.....................

Hope everyone has a nice relaxing weekend, I get all out of wack when I don't have school or work, but hey I can't complain paid holidays are always great;)

Shanna

Photo shoot with Shanna!!!

B&W image

Here is the image that I chose to convert to black and white. It is an old blues club ( I am assuming) in downtown Salt Lake. I will post the image in color, its first conversion and the final stage, although I may still make some minor adjustments I feel it is pretty close to complete. So enjoy....Okay I lied its too much work to post all 3. So above is the original shot in color and below is the image black and white and pretty close to complete.

Black and white conversion

Apparently I am on a blogging role. So our next assignment for digital has been to convert a color image that we shot to black and white. I thought of three effects I would like to represent through a black and white image.

First it can make an image more meaningful. This could be just another bridge if it was in color, however the use of black and white makes the image stronger and more provoking. (as does the long exposure, etc.)

Next it can create a romantic mood. Again I feel this image is strengthened and much more interesting because it is black and white.

Lastly it can make an image more mysterious and intriguing.
I am going to try and emulate these three aspects in my photo.. I am kind of struggling starting this project. I have it narrowed down to 2 images but can not decide which would benefit more from being presented in black and white.

Pet Peeves

So I have been sitting here thinking about random stuff...... amidst my concentration I started laughing really hard as I recalled an event that occured earlier this week. 2 friday's ago I left work for the weekend and shut down my computer as I do every weekend. On Monday when I got back to work I turned on my computer, weirdest thing as it was loading I realized my background was back to the green hill that is the default for most pc computers. I was kind of in shock wondering what had happend to my computer, frantically I looked for my documents and tried to get in my email. Sadly I could not get in my email so I redirected the email to my computer and still couldn't find my spreadsheets. Tuesday an IT guy came and looked at my computer he found my documents so I dragged them to my new 'documents' folder. I was trying to ask the man what had happened to my computer and was getting slightly frustrated when he didn't know what I was talking about. Emily later informed me what a jerk I was being. So now whenever I am irritated she just reinacts me being a twirp and sure enough it makes me laugh everytime. Than I got to thinking about things I can not tolerate!! Here are just a few:

I hate when people say anyways, its anyway look it up! As well I hate when people say alls, it is all. I dislike sweats in public VERY much. I hate people going slow in the fast lane, freak its the fast lane. (particularly when the middle lane is wide open and there is no one in front of them) I hate when people turn left so they can turn right or turn right so they can turn left. I hate when someone thinks they are right all the time. I don't like being told I have road rage although I may have a small case of it haha...... I don't like when people don't follow through with something they say. I hate exercising in front of the Flash d-league team. I don't like when people don't respond to a text or an email, unless of course it isn't there fault. I also hate when it is a one sided text conversation. For example someone writes: hey how are you? I respond: good how are you? they say: I am fine. What do I say next? Seriously drives me crazy, especially when they start the texting.

Those are some super random things that drive me crazy!! But I also wanted to tell what happened on Saturday, I went to Salt Lake to see if I could get some cool pictures and some reference pictures for some drawings I am working on. I was walking down the street not trying to attract much attention just taking pictures here and there (I was semi scared because I am a chicken heart like that) And suddenly this guy in front of me turns around and starts walking toward me I was taking a picture at this time so I didn't really notice or think anything of it. Suddenly he is right in front of me and I am kind of worried, he says hey how about I bend over in the street and you take a picture of my ass. I said uh no thats okay thanks though. And he says oh come on it will be great for your pictures, and I said I actually don't think it will thanks though. He says come on I'll give you a dollar (I was thinking freak dude you could use the dollar more than me) I politely said no again and just started walking again, he walked the other way. I was laughing but at the same time I was thinking what a creepo. Anyway it was fun to walk around and see some stuff up there. Here are some pics I liked alright. They might be cool to do a hockneyesque photo with.........

Hockney

This week for digital imaging we have been working on David Hockney images. So here are some examples that I looked to while creating this photo.
When I started thinking about this project I really liked the grid look that is shown on the first of the three images. I also really liked the polaroid look but I wanted to recreate a tree that I love at the American Fork amphitheater. Thinking about my subject I decided it would probably be best to try and mesh them all together to create a new unique tree. As a result I created my first image, it turned out okay very geometric and shapey (Im sure that is not a word, oh well) so I guess fragmented would be a better word.
I kind of like how it turned out. But after seeing others pictures and getting ideas from class and thinking about it more I decided to start from scratch. Here is the completed version I will turn in on Monday.
So I am pretty pleased with the way it turned out and super excited to play and create some more pictures this way!

Tribute

On Sunday during fast and testimony meeting a guy told us about an email he had received suggesting a tribute for our beloved leader President Hinckley ; As a tribute to President Hinckley we are going to read the Book of Mormon in 97 days. Anyone who wants to join in feel free. I am planning on starting tonight and will finish on the 10th of May. You will need to read about 5.5 pages a day. So join us in celebrating a wonderful mans long, productive life who we love and will miss dearly!

Mom-portrait

So I reshot the portrait of my mom and came up with some better pictures to choose from. I decided to go with this particular portrayal of my mom. In creating this picture I attempted to show my mom sewing because that is something she LOVES doing as well as tried to convey how she is always concentrating, contemplating something. I had a little problem with the focusing factor. I guess either she or I was wiggling a bit too much for my camera. I attempted to fix that in photoshop and I think I was somewhat successful. (the only problem I have now is that I went to the lab today to print and Melanie (the TA) said Simon had not given her the okay to print with the ink jet printers, the lab doesn't open til after class on Monday, if we are even able to print on them by than. I called Travis and he said that I should have been able to print. So at 1:30 I went back to the lab and there were not any TA's so I couldn't have them call and talk to Travis. My next best thing would be Costco but seeing how they close at 6:00 on Saturday's and it is now 6:30 I am basically screwed:(

Well here is the picture anyway.

Picture 1, the less fuzzy one and the one I will turn in if I can find a way to get this baby printed!

Image 2, the original picture that is blurry particularly in my moms face.

lighting

Today was the first time I was in the studio alone. It was semi, alright kind of super nerve-racking but a really good experience. I took my little brother Nick in to model for me and help me out, things went pretty good for one of my first times..... no broken lights or tripping over cords. Here are some of the pictures I liked best. Luckily I have finally learned to take TONS of pictures so I always have options and back ups. So I managed about 100 shots for this particular shoot and its a good thing!!

Broad lighting :

Butterfly lighting: (by this time we figured I should put a gel on to make Nick look more tan!!)

Back lighting: (one of my personal favorites but I'm not so sure it is correct)

Another butterfly:

I learned its pretty hard to get your model to pose and get the right emotions. So for the next shoot I plan to have my poses and emotions pre-planned so both I and my model can know exactly what I want. I fixed backgrounds and such on photoshop but I don't know how I feel about turning them in to Simon.........