First off, let me just say that choosing a Genius Project topic was very difficult for me. I wanted something that was simple yet complex, something that I would enjoy doing for six weeks and not get sick of, and finally, I wanted something that I would continue to pursue after the project is completed. I think that photography fits all of the criteria. It is a simple concept, yet I can take it in so many different directions that cater to my interests. I feel like my life is consumed by school and sports, so I'm really hoping that this project will allow me to take a step back and a deep breath, and look at things in a different perspective.
Motivation
I
took this pic during Spring break one year with my iPhone 4, but I wasn't really sure what I
was doing – I saw a flower so I took a picture of it.
See the resemblance? I thought it was such a cool and personalized gift. My photography had inspired such a cool piece of art.
This really opened my eyes to the greater impact photography has on
us. It inspires many things such as memories, social interactions, and even
art. We are able to share experiences with each other in a meaningful way. I have
always been inspired by the finer moments in life, and I want to be able to
bring back these moments with my photos. I don’t consider myself the artsy
type, so I want to push myself to go outside my comfort zone and try something
completely new. So, instead of just taking a simple picture with my phone, I
want to be able to take it to the next level – and understand what I am doing
and why I am doing it.
To do this, I have set up a schedule for myself. This first week, I will do some research, and maybe play around with the setting on my camera. Mr. Perlman gave me some amazing sources to help me get started. The Phoblographer and Digital Photography School are great sources with amazing tips and tricks.
Next week, I will begin taking nature/landscape pictures. I think this is a good starting point for me, because these are the types of pictures I am drawn to. I have never really looked into photography techniques, but if you were to look through the pictures on my phone, you will come across a lot of pictures of the places that I go. If I ever go somewhere cool, I like to take a picture. But, I just whip out my phone and take the shot, I don't really pay attention to lighting, lines, or any other things photographers look at. Here are some examples of pictures from my phone from my trip to Italy.
They aren't terrible (considering they were taken on an iPhone 4), but I don't think they are that good. I really hope that I will see improvements by the end of 6 weeks.
Goals
I will be creating an instagram to showcase my (hopefully) amazing artwork. I have already started following other successful photography instagrams for inspiration. Here are some of them:
I'll catch up with you later once I do some more research and take a few pics!
Side note: @worthathousandwords is already taken on instagram, so comment if you have any other suggestions!
Hey E Alb! I think that it's super interesting that you chose photography since it seems obvious, but it is definitely something that not a lot of people are actually good at. Have you thought about taking portraits? I am currently taking Photo I (don't take it if you haven't yet), and I find that whenever I take photos of people I love the way the emotions come through and the way everyone can create their own story for what they are seeing. Good luck and I can't wait to see what is coming in the future!!
ReplyDeleteYeah I'm doing different "techniques" each week. This week is nature, next is still life, and after that is portraits. I'm really excited for that one, because I think it's more challenging to deal with people rather than plants/objects.
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