Picturing the "Other"

This is the first image I took for this assignment. I found this assignment fairly challenging. I am usually a pretty outgoing person who likes to meet different people, yet I had a hard time with this assignment. Therefore, I first began taking photographs of people from a distance, like the girl on the left. She was vastly different from me in age and perhaps ethnicity. I wanted to show the fairy tale, wondrous side of childhood and capture a certain magical spark.





This photograph shows the relationship between father and daughter. However, it also illustrates a different dynamic that, at first, I did not realize. The father is Caucasian and the daughter is Mexican. I discovered this when I watched two families enjoying the park, both of which included Mexican ethnicity's and realized that the father of one was Caucasian. I did not realize this before because the importance, for me, was on the relationship between the father and daughter, not what skin color either had. I chose to photograph this relationship because I have definitely not yet experienced a relationship with my own kid. In general, I had wanted to go up to the families and ask to take a photograph, but I was honestly too shy at first and didn't get the chance. Once I was brave enough, the families were already leaving. I wanted to take a photograph of these families because I feel a sort of connection and kinship to the Hispanic culture (as you can tell by reading my blog).








This young woman is the first person I asked if I could take a photograph of. I knew that once I began asking people, it would be much easier. She seemed sweet and was with her husband/boyfriend?, walking her mother's poodle. Originally, I was going to take a photo of her husband but was delayed by a phone call. I saw how the light was hitting her and realized it would be a good picture, so I got out of my car, where I had been waiting to find someone to take a photo of (I had already been out in the freezing cold looking for subjects so I had decided to stay in the car for a while) and ask her if it would be ok to photograph her. She was very friendly and sweet. I took this picture to show the relationship and love between a girl and her dog.

This other photograph has a different emphasis. I placed emphasis on the girl the most, trying to show her beauty and the way the sunlight was illuminating her hair. This photo is more about the girl than the girl with a dog. I used Photoshop to smooth out her skin, a technique I tend to use for most portraits to make them look more glamorous.

To help me gather courage, this is one of the first pictures I took of the second subject I asked. At first, I was shy and so I took a photo far away; therefore, I did not feel like I needed to ask permission. I felt drawn to this particular man because of the way the light was hitting him and the serenity he seemed to radiate while reading in the park.

As you can see, I was gradually getting up the nerve to ask this man if I could photograph him. He seemed nice, a different gender (so fitting the description of the "other" according to our assignment), and my intuition told me that he would be good to photograph. I was already a lot braver since I asked that one woman if I could take her picture. It was kind of exhilarating. Therefore, after this picture, I finally asked this young man if it would be ok to take some photographs.

I finally got the nerve to ask him if I could take his picture, and he was very nice and said that would be fine. After taking this picture, I asked him what book he was reading, and it sounded fascinating although I can't recall the title right now. We then started talking about cameras, and he actually had heard of my camera, the Pentax K10D. I was impressed. It was refreshing to meet someone who knew about photography and cameras, since I have a strong passion for both.

I took this photo as we continued talking. After taking photos of him, he gave me his email so that I can send the photos to him, and he can send me the name of the book he was reading. He had mentioned that he had traveled a lot and that he read this one book every couple of years because of that. Overall, this was a very exciting and good experience. My intuition led me to meet someone like minded and kind.

On a side note, I could not decide if I liked this photograph more in black and white or color, so here are both.

I discovered something interesting in the way I approached Photoshopping images of this individual. Typically, I smooth out imperfections, but for some reason, I did not want to smooth his skin because the lines added character.

I had only one person decline to be photographed, but he was very polite and even mentioned that I did not have to ask but thanked me for being courteous. I already knew that you technically do not have to ask someone to photograph them, but I wanted to be nice.

I also realized another important aspect about myself in this process. I still love photography, portraits, and people in general. I found out that it was not as hard as I thought, and also I realized it was easier for me to approach people because I have a likable personality. It is in my nature to be friendly and outgoing. Also, I love to meet people and communicate.

This is My Guanajuato

Buildings of all differrent colors

European architecture

Mountains

Sky

Trees

Ahh....mi amor (my love)! This is Guanajuato. This is the place I spent my summer, grew in more ways than I can ever possibly describe, and where I want to eventually go back to with one of my best friends and her boyfriend. Most people romanticize their experiences in other countries and neglect to mention that everything was not always all roses and happiness.  While I had my share of trials and tribulations, I feel ready to take on much more in my life now and would not trade my experiences for the world.

Now back from my tangent, I will seek to analyze this photograph. This shows the incredible amount of houses and colors in Gto (Guanajuato). I literally find this images gives off the vibe of a sea of houses nestled inside green cascading hills. I feel like the sky does draw your eye to it since it is so bright, but the buildings draw your eye the most because of their increased saturation. Absolutely breathtaking, this photograph uplifts my spirits as well as my heart.

Visual Critique I: Week 4

Blur

Yellow

Green

Brown

White

Light Purple

Light Blue

I have chosen to comment on this image because it is an unusual photograph. I took this photograph in Lithia Park for fun when I was experimenting with blur. This photo seems to have a low contrast hue since the colors appear to blend together (not just literally ;) ). I enjoy this photo since it gives the illusion of waves, especially the way the camera was panned (moved) when I took this photo.

Visual Critique II: Week 3

Hands cupping water

Reflection of a palace in the water

Lake

Reeds

Dark, smeared border with a painterly effect

This photograph is absolutely amazing. It effectively uses simplicity while incorporating Photoshop to add fantasy, creating an image that is visually appealing and beautiful. The dark border helps the viewer draw himself into the image and also mimics the water in the scene. Overall, I found this photograph a wonderful use of reality with manipulation.

Visual Critique I: Week 3

Carousel

Girl on carousel horse

Blue flower mandala that appears to also be part of a tower in background

Bright color

Snow covered trees

Snow covered mountains

Water

This image has an excellent use of color and curved lines that add to create a magical, fairy tale scene. Essentially, this image uses lots of images from childhood fantasies. For example, the carousel is not an ordinary carousel but is extravagant with lots of brilliant lights. There is a tree present on the right hand side that has Christmas lights on it, adding to the feel of magic and childhood. The one thing that is a puzzle to me is the mandala-like flower. I know about mandalas because one of my friends is a mandala artist. I think this flower was added to the image to create further peace and wonder to the image. Perhaps the young girl is looking at the flower in order to get some kind of spiritual awakening or trying to discover who she is.

Visual Critique II: Week 2

Humpback whale
Snowy mountains
People holding tarp of the ocean
Ocean floor
Sky with clouds

This picture is fascinating. I believe the significance of it is that oceans and ocean life, such as whales, are under human control to an extent. Humans can choose whether to pollute ocean waters or help save animals within them. The humans are holding a tarp because they can choose to save the humpback whale and protect it in its environment.

Visual Critique I: Week 2

Labrador puppy

Red Bow

Text

I recently saw this movie quite unexpectedly. One of my best friends, Kate, and her boyfriend, Carlos, invited me to see this movie on Sunday night. Kate and I both had lots of homework to complete but (as usual) did not really want to do it. Of course, since I had been doing Spanish which seems like a never-ending pile of homework, I jumped at the chance to get out of the house and see this movie. Originally, I did not really want to see this movie, although it is based on a true story. I knew about the ending, and do not like to watch sad movies. I ended up enjoying the movie, particularly the beginning, but will not watch it again. The ending was heart-wrenching. Everyone in the theatre cried. The poster is simple and yet somewhat deceiving. One sees a cute, little puppy and automatically assume it's going to be fun and light, throughout the entire movie. While there were parts that were comedic and light, the movie had such an intense and serious ending that my friends and I had to watch a comedy after seeing this movie, the movie "Step-Brothers."

Alphabet Soup

Visual Critique II: Week 1

Sunset
Palm trees
Tropical landscape
Sunset
Girl in skirt
Balloons
Words

I enjoy how this picture seems almost contradictory with the quote that is on it. The girl appears to be rather light in subject matter and mood, although she is in shadow. The balloons help add to this light mood. However, the quote shows a deeper meaning, "Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same." The artist appeared to do this for some irony, but I also question whether it is also because of a certain energy attached to the picture. Perhaps the artist wanted to show that although the hard thing and right thing are the same, making this distinction and acting on it will eventually lead to a feeling of lightness and FREEDOM. There's a feeling of freedom to the girl with the balloons, with the sunset. She seems to almost be whimsical, without a care. I believe this piece has a certain serenity about it that allows the viewer to understand the quote and draw further conclusions about what happens when one makes right yet hard choices in life. Eventually, freedom and peace will come.

Visual Critique I: Week 1

Pink Light

Guy

Girl

Pearls

My eye is drawn to the lips of the woman. What is interesting about this photograph is that the focus appears to be on the woman because the woman is in more of the pink light than the man, who resides in shadow. I see an upside down triangle between the way the man and woman are positioned. The lighting is very well done and helps capture the mood of romance. This image, obviously, exudes sex appeal.

I chose to comment on this image strictly because it irritates me right now. I have had it with the over-dramatization of love, kissing, and all in between. I feel there is way too much emphasis on romantic relationships in our society, and this does not help ANYONE. I am just tired of the whole emphasis on love and would like society to focus on something positive but something else entirely.

Scratch Assignment II

This is my second piece for the Scratch Assignment for Digital Media Foundations. I have never really created a piece like this, something so abstract and modern. I feel like it was dragged out from my subconscious somehow. 

The word, transitions which is in the left hand side of the piece, refers to my life right now. I have been currently making many changes in my life, including possibly changing schools and going to the University of Oregon, social, academic, and personal changes. Also, I went through incredible transitions this summer, when I went to Guanajuato, Mexico for study abroad. I came back a different person. My blog title, Una Werita en Exploracion, refers to Mexico and means A Little Blond in Exploration. One might find it funny that I refer to myself as a blond, but in Mexico, there was a sort of identity associated with being blond. This identity and characteristic was not negative, as being blond is associated as in the US but rather something admired. 

The black and yellow moon also symbolizes the word transitions. Moons go through phases and shifts, similarly to a person. I feel like I am like the moon, going through shifts and transitions in a myriad of ways that will ultimately benefit me.

Scratch Assignment I

Here is my first scratch assignment for Digital Media Foundations. I was inspired to create a sunset and sea-like background since this particular background is something I drew frequently as a child. I have also loved drawing this particular flower, which is similar to a combination of a rose and lotus. Overall, I wanted a soft, watercolor mood that was delicate yet colorful.