Thursday, May 7, 2009

Review of the Canon Rebel Xsi

For Christmas this year, I received a new Canon Rebel Xsi digital camera, and I am proud to say I am very happy with it.

The camera has an assortment of settings, from portriat to sports (very quick frame by frame shots), to close up, and so much more. The camera also has a very easy to use interface, making it very simple to adjust the setting to your desires.

The software that comes with the camera is also very easy and user friendly, and offers a quick way to download your images from your camera to your computer.

Overall, I'd give the Canon Rebel Xsi a 9 out of 10.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

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Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Annie Leibovitz

After looking through a book of Annie Leibovitz's photography, entitled "A Photographer's life", I've come to the conclusion that she is a very talented photographer who has a great eye. I would like to try and take some portraits similar to how she does.

I liked her portrait of Jack Nicolson, depicting him in his bathrobe, smoking a ciggarette, in what looks like his backyard, as it was not only a good picture of Nicolson, but it also said, without words, how he doesn't care about other perceptions of him.


Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Photoshop


Before & After photoshop image (Click to enlarge)

Recently in class we discussed the program Photoshop and how it is often used to retouch photos for magazines and other publications(http://video.nytimes.com/video/2009/03/09/opinion/1194838469575/sex-lies-and-photoshop.html). We also discussed how due to this, the photos are often retouched to such an extent that it changes the way a person looks completly. With the retouched photos being printed in magazines, a new beauty standard has been formed, that is unatainable. Due to this, self esteem among many people has dropped, and a large sum of people now have a negative thought of their body and image.

While photoshop is used in that context, it is also a good program for photographers, since it allows them to change the lighting, desaturate, and do many other things to their photos which would take hours of work if it was film. Photoshop is a great resource becasue of this.

So, while photoshop is used to distort orignal pictures into unatainable standards of beauty, it is also used for many other projects, and becasue of that is an outstanding resource.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Harlem Renaissance



1. The Cotton Club was one of the major venues for music and dance during the Harlem Renaissance. Literature, art, visual art, sociology, and philosophy were also expanded upon by the Harlem Renaissance.

2. Dancing was a large part of the Harlem Renaissance, and became very popular. The “Lindy-Hop” and the “Charleston” were very popular dances.

3. There were often dance contests, where someone would judge what couple were the most talented dancers.

4. The Cotton Club was also home to Cab Calloway and his orchestra, a very popular and innovate Jazz group.

5. Calloway played at the Cotton Club constantly, and grew to have a major following.

6. Known as “His Hi-De-Highness of Ho-De-Ho”, Calloway became known for his unique way of singing.

7. Calloway became popular for his songs like “Minnie The Moocher”, recorded in 1931,and “The St. James Infirmary Blues”

8. Calloway’s music was also used in Betty Boop and other cartoons, where Calloway was animated into the cartoon.

9. Calloway was one of the most important musical figures of the Harlem Renaissance, and greatly impacted the world of music.

10. Calloway continued to perform music until his death from a stroke, in 1994.

Friday, February 13, 2009

What I'd like to do in the Digitial Photo 2 class.


^Photo I took.


I'd like to spend the time in the digital photo 2 class eiditng pictures I've taken or brainstorming new ideas. I'll often take pictures while I'm outside, or at an event, and I feel like this class period would be a good time to edit the photos.