24 Blocks public link

Here is the public (view only) link for our 24 Blocks slideshow:

http://bit.ly/24Blocks

24 Blocks class Google document

Here is the link for editing access to our 24 Blocks Google document:

https://docs.google.com/a/oneonta.edu/presentation/d/1diGjpzsnz1SDfswmS4etG6EiIIBs3mnytUmrHAE6QWI/edit?invite=COuXorQK

Instructions are on slide #4.

All photos are due uploaded by 9 pm May 8. I'll be locking it after that so Roger Hecht and I can do some final text formatting.

Thanks!

Content Aware fill

Here are two cool demonstrations of using Photoshop's Content-Aware fill:

Photoshop CS5 Sneak Peek
Content-Aware Healing Brush

creativity and photography

"Many pictures turn out to be limp translations of the known world instead of vital objects which create an intrinsic world of their own. There is a vast difference between taking a picture and making a photograph." — Robert Heinecken


Here are some photographers especially known for their creative approaches:

Keith Carter website
David Hockney website
Sean Kernan website and blog
Richard Mosse website and article discussed in class
Cindy Sherman photos
Jeff Wall photos and NYTimes review

24 Blocks: links to photos

Here are links to all the 24 Blocks photos posted as of May 1.

2. Hunt Union and athletic fields: street photos, portrait photos, more portraits, poem response

     Photographer: Erin O'Hern

     Writer: Amber Dushensky

3. Bugbee Childcare Center and nearby: school photos, portrait photos, poem response

     Photographer: Jenna Gangel

     Writer: April Mante

4. Center Street School: (photos coming 5/8 - will be posted here)

     Photographer: Hartwick students 

     Writer: Douglas Doolen

5. Upper Hartwick campus: classroom buildings, gym, athletic fields, Table Rock: street photos, portrait photos, 2 extra photos here

     Photographer: Michele Vena

     Writer: Tyler Kuznia

6. Lower Hartwick campus: classroom buildings, Dewar union, dorms: street photos, portrait photos

     Photographer: Hartwick students (photos posted here)

     Writer: Imani Dunning

7. Exit 13: water treatment plant, bus barn and Susquehanna river park: street photos, portrait photos

     Photographer: ______ (none)

     Writer: Conor McElhearn

8. Chestnut St. West Oneonta commercial strip: street photos, portrait photos

     Photographer: Kara Olney

     Writer: Gregory Rothstein

9a. Antique mall and Nick’s Diner area on Chestnut: street photos, portrait photos, poem response

     Photographer: Alexa Xerri

     Writer: Stephanie LeClerc

9b. Railroad yard area off Fonda Ave. and Roundhouse Rd.: street photos, portrait photos, poem response

     Photographer: Krista Henry

     Writer: Katie Bulley

10. Chestnut St. from West to Church commercial and residential: street photos, portrait photos, poem response

     Photographer: Sam Germano

     Writer: Laura Savastano

11. Public library, Huntington Park, church, commercial and residential near Chestnut: street photos, portrait photo, more portrait photos, poem response

     Photographer: Colleen McGovern

     Writer: Rachel Hoffman

12. Main St. north side, from Chestnut to Ford: street photos, portrait photos, poem response

     Photographer: Erin Evans

     Writer: Kate Pattenaude

13. Main St. south side down to Market St.: street photos, portrait photos

     Photographer: ______ (none)

     Writer: Zina Dennis

14. Main St south: City Hall, Grummons funeral home, graveyard, stores on South Main, residential: street photos, portrait photos (not done)

     Photographer: Jake Nuccio

     Writer: Candice Velez

15. YMCA, Wilber Mansion, commercial on Ford and Main: street photos, more street photos, portrait photos, poem response

     Photographer: Tomoyo Tanzawa

     Writer: Stephen Henke

17. Residential blocks between Walnut and Center: street photos, portrait photos, more street photos

     Photographer: Kara Zingale

     Writer: Andra Greer

18. Residential blocks between Center and Cedar: street photos, portrait photos

     Photographer:  ______ (none)

     Writer: Michael LaPenna

19. Fox hospital, Fox nursing home, Red Door church, Friendly’s: street photos, portrait photos, poem response

     Photographer: Kacy Boburka

     Writer: Daniel Keefe

20. Glenwood cemetery, pet clinic: street photos, portrait photos

     Photographer: possible: Shaun Kaminoff (Hartwick student) photos not certain.

     Writer: Jamie Secor

21. Neahwa Park: street photos, more street photos, portrait photos, poem response

     Photographer: Matt Kaufmann

     Writer: Brandon French

22. Home Depot and Hannaford area including Susquehanna river: street photos, portrait photos

     Photographer:  ______ (no one assigned) but 2 photos by Jesse here

     Writer: Adam Tobey

23. Neptune Diner, Denny’s, Susquehanna river dam, abandoned house in woods: street photos, one portrait photo, more photos, poem response

     Photographer: Pat Capriglione

     Writer: Kayliegh Knapp

24. Railroad Ave hidden industrial area, factories and houses mixed together.: street photos, more street photos, portrait photos, poem response

     Photographer: Jesse Hayward

     Writer: Kailyn Welling

25. Walmart area and trailer park behind it: street photos, portrait photos

     Photographer: (none assigned), extra photos by Kara Olney

     Writer: Hillari Patschureck

New blogger interface

Blogger has introduced a new interface for posting.

Here is a text introduction.
Here is a video intro.

Let me know if you have questions.

Sing loudly and badly

Here is the quote I read you guys after making you sing in class.

It comes from Visual Poetry by Chris Orwig.

"When we younger out imaginations were limitless and unfettered by practicality and qualifications. Once when I visited my wife at the local elementary school where she teaches, I asked her class, "How many of you can draw?" The entire class raised their hands. Then I asked, "How many of you can sing?" Jubilantly the entire class raised their hands and they all began to sing different songs. It was a chaotic and wonderful sound.
     When I am teaching, I ask my college-age students the same questions. In each class, sadly only a couple brave people raise their hands. You see, the students have added a self-imposing qualifier to the question. While I asked, "How many of you can sing?" they heard, "How many of you can sing well?" Picasso said it: all children are artists. The problem is to remain one when you grow up."

Thanks for the cacophony. Please go sing loudly and badly in your photos this week.

24 Blocks - updated map

Here is the updated 24 Blocks map with changes as of April 5.

24 Blocks - site assignments

Here are the assignments for our 24 Blocks final project.

Note a few changes on the map. There are 2 sites we are not using: #1 and #16. Site #9 is divided up for two people.

The following sites are not claimed (as there are more writers than photographers). If anyone wants extra credit, you can do this assignment a second time at one of these sites: 6, 7, 13, 17, 18, 20, 22, 25. Tell me beforehand — first come, first served.

1. College Camp
Erin O. 2. Hunt Union and athletic fields
Jenna 3. Bugbee Childcare Center and nearby
Hartwick student 4. Center Street School and nearby blocks
Michele 5. Upper Hartwick campus: classroom buildings, gym, athletic fields, Table Rock
______ 6. Lower Hartwick campus: classroom buildings, Dewar union, dorms
______ 7. Exit 13: water treatment plant, bus barn and Susquehanna river park
Kara O 8. Chestnut St. West Oneonta commercial strip
Alexa 9a. Antique mall and Nick’s Diner area on Chestnut

Krista 9b. Railroad yard area off Fonda Ave. and Roundhouse Rd.
Sam 10. Chestnut St. from West to Church commercial and residential
Colleen 11. Public library, Huntington Park, church, commercial and residential near Chestnut
Erin E. 12. Main St. north side, from Chestnut to Ford
______ 13. Main St. south side down to Market St.
Jake 14. Main St south: City Hall, Grummons funeral home, graveyard, stores on South Main, residential
Tomoyo 15. YMCA, Wilber Mansion, commercial on Ford and Main

16. Three churches and gas station, Main, Elm, Walnut, Maple
______ 17. Residential blocks between Walnut and Center
______ 18. Residential blocks between Center and Cedar
Kacy 19. Fox hospital, Fox nursing home, Red Door church, Friendly’s, residential
______ 20. Glenwood cemetery, pet clinic
Matt 21. Neahwa Park
______ 22. Home Depot and Hannaford area including Susquehanna river
Pat 23. Neptune Diner, Denny’s, Susquehanna river dam, abandoned house in woods
Jesse 24. Railroad Ave hidden industrial area, factories and houses mixed together.
______ 25. Walmart area and trailer park behind it

Street photography readings and links

READING Assignments:
Each group is responsible for doing one of the following readings. You need to be prepared to summarize the main points for class on Thursday. Be ready to explain:

• How photographers capture the Decisive Moment.
• What are some elements of good street photos?
• What are some key tips for creating them?

Group 1. Cartier-Bresson, Henri. Study the photos in a book by HCB.

Group 2. Howarth, Sophie. Street Photography Now. Pages 9-15 plus excerpts. (This reading is in the class pickup folder on SpaceInvaders. Or read the book in Fine Arts 221.)

Group 3. 2Point8. Ways of Working: http://2point8.whileseated.org/wow-footer/

Group 4. Recent discussions from the Street Photography Now forum:
http://2point8.whileseated.org/2006/05/18/the-phylums-of-street-photography/

http://www.flickr.com/groups/instruction21/discuss/72157626093596558/

DUE DATE: Thurs. 3/29 in class.

PHOTO IDEA Assignment:
Browse some contemporary street photography. Post 1 photo on your photo idea page. Here are some good sites:

1. http://www.in-public.com/
2. http://www.flickr.com/groups/onthestreet/
3. http://jpgmag.com/blog/2010/05/best-of-photo-challenge-inspired-by-henri-cartier-bresson.html
4. http://www.flickr.com/photos/latitudes/galleries/72157622386738788/
5. http://streetphotographynowproject.wordpress.com/project-archive/
6. More links here and still more here.
DUE DATE: Every Thursday.

Samples of photo series

In class this week we will talk about 3 types of photography series:

Catalog or Typology:
Bernd and Hilda Becher
Penelope Umbrico
Jonathan Blaustein

Photo Essay:
Doug Dubois
Craig Walker

Sequential Narrative:
Elliott Erwitt. His new book Sequentially Yours is a great example.
Markku Lahdesmaki

Suzanne Szucs
Calhoun County Journal. Although it shows chronology, I'd say this one is not very well done. What do you think?
Find more examples and ideas in John Ingledew's book The Creative Photographer, pages 90-91.

You can take a sequence of photos and put them together to create a stop-action video:
Eyal Landseman
Mickey Keinetz

Lighting homework for 3/1

Hi all,

Here are your assignments for Thursday.

READING Assignment:
Krause, Jim. Photo Idea Index. Pages 254-269.
DUE DATE: Thurs. 3/1 before class.

PHOTO IDEA Assignment:
The theme this week is light.. Look for photos with interesting lighting. Especially pay attention to the direction of the light and how hard or diffuse it is. Add at least one picture to your photo idea page. Include the source, photographer’s name and your comments.
DUE DATE: Thurs. 3/1 before class. Be ready to explain the lighting in class.

READING Assignment: for next week:
Hobby, David. Strobist.com. Lesson 1.1 - Light Position and Angle.
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/06/lighting-102-unit-11-position-angle.html
DUE: Tues. 3/6.

What is photojournalism?

The Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University has a strong photojournalism program. The photo department has a Facebook group that may interest you.

Currently in the FB group they are having a discussion about the difference between photojournalism and documentary photography. Thought it would interest you all.

Original discussion 2/14: Permalink

Conversation continues 2/15 on: Permalink

The FB group also has good announcements about internships and other opportunities.

Lightroom contact sheets

Here are some further instructions for printing your contact sheets in Lightroom.

In the Print module:
Choose Contact Sheet/Grid.
Do not select Zoom to Fill.
In the Layout tab, set the Page Grid to Rows 5, Columns 4.
Adjust the Cell Spacing and Cell Size to fill the page.
In the Overlays tab, select:
Page Options: Page Numbers,
Photo Info: Filename.
Page Setup is in the bottom left corner. Format for: Adobe PDF 9.0
Print or Print One and save a pdf.

Is that clear?

Pictures of the Year competition

Laura Boushnak won a POY Award Of Excellence for this photo of prosthetic legs in a Lebanese refugee camp.

Here are links for POYi, the Pictures of the Year international competition:

Homepage: http://poyi.org/

Live streaming of judging: http://univofmo.adobeconnect.com/poyi/

2012 winners so far are on homepage.

2011 winners: http://www.poyi.org/68/winners.php

Previous winners: http://poyi.org/69/archive.php

What makes a good photo?

In class on 2/9 we brainstormed what makes a good photo? Here is the excellent list we created:

1. composition: the arrangement of subjects in the frame
2. lighting: direction of light (and other qualities)
3. clear focal point (this can be done with focus, color, contrast, etc)
4. there is a clear purpose: the photo conveys the goal/message of the photographer
5. the subject is interesting
6. unique perspective
7. creativity
8. depth of the image, multiple layers
9. emotional response
10. technical skill

Memorize this list. We'll discuss this more next week.

Lightroom tutorials

In class today I will give an introduction to Lightroom. You can find many useful tutorials to Lightroom on the Adobe website:

• Main tutorial page: http://www.adobe.com/support/photoshoplightroom/gettingstarted/index.html
• Main help page: http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Lightroom/3.0/Using/index.html

• Overview tutorial: http://bit.ly/hkwgm2
• Metadata tutorial: http://thelightroomlab.com/2008/11/working-with-metadata-presets-in-lightroom/
• Full manual: http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Lightroom/3.0/Using/lightroom_3_help.pdf

• Training videos: http://tv.adobe.com/show/learn-lightroom-3
• Video on importing: http://tv.adobe.com/watch/learn-lightroom-3/be-organized/
• Video on editing: http://tv.adobe.com/watch/learn-lightroom-3/select-rate-and-prioritize-your-images/

Photo Idea galleries

It is valuable to always keep looking at the work of other photographers. I save a copy of any photo I find intriguing, and shots that gives me ideas I will want to try later.

Your photo idea galleries will serve this purpose. Each week you'll copy at least one photo to your Photo Idea gallery. I want you to include some specific notes detailing what in the photo interests you.

Where to look for photos? Here are a few sites to get you started:

• a photo a day
• flak photo
• Fraction magazine
• Image, deconstructed
• NYT's Lens Blog
• National Geographic
• NPR's Picture Show

You can also choose a keyword and search in:

• Getty Images Archives
• flickr
• Google Image

Photographers discussed in class 1/31/12

I talked about photographer Chase Jarvis who uses cell phone cameras to take great photos and says "the best camera is the one that's with you. Here is his "Best Camera"web page.

The book I chose for my monograph is "...all the days and nights" by Doug DuBois.
(This is the photo I described for you.)

Your homework reading is by Freeman Patterson.

Welcome

Welcome everyone to a new semester.

This class blog will have information about assignments, links to extra readings, and other announcements.

In the right side column are links to your blogs.

On your own blog, you'll post your homework assignments, your photos, and photos for your idea file. Also feel free to share any items that you think will interest us. I expect you all to read and comment on each other's blogs.

Thanks
- Mike