This Year I Feel Different.

Okay, so this is my early birthday cake. 21 this year! Having a birthday right next to New Year's and Christmas makes one a little too introspective.

But, I can say it was a good year, particularly the last half. I got my first C+ (Comm Lawz), and I survived. I've finally come to accept that grades aren't everything, and I am happier for it.

For the first time since I've picked up a camera, I feel like I am making images that are worth something. I owe this to my amazing photoj professors and classmates. You've all made me so much better.

And to my photo phamily: you made this the best semester I've ever had. I love you so much.

I can only imagine what this next year is going to bring :)

Not-Awkward Family Photos.

My family has a tendency to poseposepose everytime a camera is aimed, and the results are never as good as when I catch them off guard. Here are my attempts.

My Aunt Dianna.

Okay, this was posed. He makes this face all the time, I promise.

My little brother. Do you think we look alike?

She might as well be family. Shot this with my new 85mm!

My cousin Jordan, snoozin'

Boring Snow Photos from Missouri

Hey, did you guys know that it's winter time?

Hey Ma

Soft focus, I know. It's a BEAUTY shot!



My mom was talking about her wrinkles tonight and how old she is starting to look. I don't think she could be more incorrect. Just look at these photos!

My (Cat) Calling: Feline Photographer

I have a problem. Too much love for these kitties, Rupert and Oliver. I am so professional!

NoCoast Rap Battles, More Stills

More from Star Chapel.

Fill flash, I needed it.

It Only Looks Peaceful.

I stepped in cow manure and gouged my leg with a cornstalk. Ow. Ow. Ow.

Final Project-ish

I'm finally going through my take of the No Coast Rap Battles, and I like what I see!

Multiple Flash = Multiple Headaches

Needed some fill flash on the dude with the hat, need to get rid of the starbursts on the drums, too hot, etc. After shooting for about four hours, we were exhausted...these portraits almost didn't even happen.

Fill Flash

(November 11, 2009) Caretaker Tom Kennedy sits on the porch of the Imani Mission Center on Wednesday evening to do some people-watching. According to Kennedy, he knows just about everyone around the mission center, whether they use the facility or not. The center is non-denominational and provides food and shelter for those in need. Its annual dinner is November 21, and more than 600 people attended last year.

UGH FILL FLASH.

Multimedia Awesomeness: Common Ground by Scott Strazzante

I was to find a multimedia piece I either enjoyed or abhorred for my photo class. I chose this piece because the photographer was not lazy in the slightest when putting this together. This story spans over a decade of time, and the juxtaposition of the photos is just beautiful.

To view, go here

Excuses Excuses

Some play time happened in the studio this past weekend, but I didn't take very many frames at all. The box did not like my camera, I had to use a Nikon, I got performance anxiety, and pretty much just sucked it up.

BUT...I did use the beauty dish! I'd like to try it out again another time...I didn't feel like adjusting anything because my nerves were on edge. I just need to face that people are going to be watching me take photos, and I have to learn to deal with it.

Color Correction

(November 4, 2009) Jessa Glick is at Shakespeare’s Pizza in Columbia, Mo., but she isn’t there for the pizza. Glick plays a game of pinball every time she comes the restaurant, even if she isn’t waiting for her food. According to Glick, the Spiderman pinball is just “alright”. She misses the Lord of the Rings machine on which she earned her highest score of 60 million points.

Fall with Jackson.

Single Flash: Bounced

Jack Horrell and Tommy Goszewski work on their matching Chewbacca pumpkins at Bethel Park on Saturday, October 17.

Direct Flash: Take One.

(October 16,2009) Wesley White looks on as Jordan Parker tries to remove a dangerously low block from Mizzou After Dark's giant Jenga set as a part of tournament night at Memorial Union.

Metal and Glass

Coffee, the preferred fuel of hungover college students and office drones alike, has been an early morning essential since its introduction to the European market in the 16^th Century. Columbia, MO is home to more than five coffee shops within the 43 blocks of its downtown district, and that is not even taking into consideration the numerous coffee shops on the University of Missouri campus.

My lighting diagram.

An outtake. Not chosen because underexposure in camera. Sigh!

Baby Grace.

Oh, Grace. You are so cute, but you obviously hate having your photo taken. It's cool. I'm the same way.

Most of the shoot looked like this, but Grace had awesome parents that made it possible to get some great photos.

Like I said, great people.

How cool is this baby?! So cool.

Lookit that face. Doesn't look like the first photo at all, does it?

Classmate Portrait-Clint Alwahab

Photojournalism student Clint Alwahab, a self-described "old man", sits with his favorite pipe and a copy of the complete collection of Shakespeare's work during his classmate portrait in the studio at Lee Hills. According to his friends, he is a 60 year old man stuck in a 21 year old's body.

Two light set-up.

For my one light set-up, I set up a medium softbox at a 45 degree angle facing clint’s left side, with the intention of using the Rembrandt lighting. I shot at f/5.0 at 1/250 at ISO 100. Some of my images were quite underexposed because I moved Clint further back without compensating by moving the light or adjusting my aperture. For the first part of the shoot, I accidentally shot on tungsten, and switched to daylight for the latter portion. I am very glad that I wasn’t terribly fond of any of my first shots.

For my multiple light setup I had Clint sit in an antique chair. I used a larger softbox and placed a small light on the ground behind the chair. I used two gels, blue and green, dividing the light in half, and shot at f/11 at 1/250, ISO 100. The strobes were plugged into the A plugs and isolated. My goal was to create a definite division in the colors of the background and place Clint in the middle. Clint is colorblind, so I thought this would be a subtle way to illustrate that without resorting to props. Unfortunately the colors blended more than I estimated, so I have ended up with a bluish-greenish background instead of a blue-green. However, I am pleased with the results because I think the coloring provides for an interesting image.

My only qualm with the image I chose is that his face is slightly underexposed. I did not heed the warnings of my superiors by checking the histogram instead of just the image! Also, I did not realize that the 5D I was using had quite a bit of debris on the sensor. In my submitted image, I corrected the spots but did no further editing. If this is a problem, the rest of the images remain untouched.

An outtake.

My one light setup.

I was very close to submitting this for my final image.

Inspiring Portraits.

Here are a couple of portraits that I feel really capture the personality of the person being photographed. To be clear, these images are not mine, and I am just posting them for educational purposes.

"Matilda" by Robert Henriksson.

How will my life look like in a couple of years? Will I have a job i like? I don´t even know what I like. And that frightens me. –Matilda, 17 years from Uppsala, Sweden

What I like the most about this portrait is that it isn't glamourous. The face is shadow-free, and you can see every blemish. I know I shouldn't get all ooey-gooey about a portrait (sorry, Rita!), but just look at those eyes! This girl doesn't know where life is going, and you can see the uncertainty in her eyes (you can also see a softbox). I think it was positioned high above and to the left of the camera.

And for something a little less haunting...

June Carter and Johnny Cash, property of Annie Leibovitz (but just barely :) )

I want to say that this portrait uses natural light, but with Leibovitz, who knows? I think I see the tiniest catchlight in the upper left of Johnny's pupil. Natural light or not, I think she really captured that quiet moment Rita was talking about in class...that moment where the subject is just inside themselves (am I getting mushy again? Whoops!)

We start studio lighting soon! I think Eve, Naomi and I are going to play around in the studio a bit before we do our actual assignments. There is so much to learn so quickly!