Midterm Portfolio

Midterm Portfolio Nhan nguyen

My name is Nhan Nguyen, I attend Serra High School and am in my senior year. Intrigued with photography and its multiple variables and intricacies, I took the first year photography course my freshman year, and was ecstatic to take the second year course to further my knowledge and improve my composition skills. I enjoy balancing the multiple variables at play when taking a picture; adjusting the aperture and ISO in lower light conditions, or cranking up the shutter speed to capture fast motion clearly etc. In doing so I am able to benefit in my problem-solving abilities, a trait applicable to further aspects of academic work and life beyond school. I also enjoy the socialization involved in working collaboratively on group projects or while taking portraits. Overall I enjoy the multiple aspects of photography, and am interested in exploring more deep and intricate parts of photography this semester.

Revisited: Float

I chose to revisit and redo the Float Magic Realism project because of the super cool example images that were shown off in class. However, in actually attempting the project, I realized the amount of work required behind those images. I got close to a million blurry images, wasted a lot of water, and multiple failed Photoshop attempts. In my new attempt at it, I made sure to take multiple pictures of the background when Photoshopping the float image, rather than capturing it in the camera itself. The use of a tripod the second time around was also extremely helpful. I learned that above all, patience is required to attempt a complicated project such as this, and taking the same picture multiple times eliminates any chance of messing up later on.

Day In a Life

Challenges I faced during this project was finding something unique or special in the routes I take on a daily basis, since the repetitiveness of the routes have caused everything to seem stagnant and boring. Ultimately, I went for angles in this project. I never noticed how the lines and textures come together to form something that actually seems cool, even if it is just the corner of a building. I choose the picture of the bike wheel because I like the shallow depth of field I was able to get, and because I dream of leaving school in any means possibles. I chose the pictures of the 200 building and the security camera behind the fence because these objects/scenes are things that I pass by everyday without even glancing at them, but when portrayed in a unique way, actually seems interesting and makes for a cool subject.

Spirit Poster

Taking a single picture to represent word in the Spirit Poster project was extremely difficult and required a lot of innovative thinking. I ultimately went with a more abstract approach, and represented the term "respect" with a picture of Aaron putting a book back onto the shelf in the library. Taking pictures indoors is always difficult, so I was happy with how crisp the picture turned out. I went with Aaron tossing up a pencil for innovation because it is unconventional and "innovative."

Classmate Portraits

In my opinion, a good portrait has genuine emotion, and making the model feel comfortable and not forcing artificial smiles and poses is extremely important. I like the portrait of Joey because it has a good balance of goofy, which portrays his personality, but also looks sharp and clean. I like the portrait of Jacob because of the use of the ring light. Having the ring light brings attention to the individual's eyes, and adds a uniform light to the face. I like the detail in the picture and the bright smile.

Home Project

The two most challenging aspects of the project was taking pictures indoors, and thinking of a creative way to portray what home means to me. Remembering to adjust the white balance was also tricky. Some good topics to base future homework assignments off of would be neighborhood views, or local sports events (just something outdoors).

Extra Pictures

Taken during the Photo360 event.

Taken at the beginning of the year.

Taken at the Photo360 event.

My Year (1st half)

I thoroughly enjoy the class, and as a senior it is one of few classes in which I haven't developed senioritis in. I think I have furthered my photo-taking techniques, and integrating composition techniques into pictures as opposed to just pointing and shooting. It has also allowed me to break out of my shell a little, since the class requires a lot of interaction with the instructor and peers. A few goals I have for the class is improving my Photoshopping skills, and being aware of lighting situations. I'd also like to dedicate more time to taking pictures outside of class, particularly in nature photography.

Appreciate

Credits:

Created with images by davebloggs007 - "Bridge hunting Canmore Alberta Canada"

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