Half Past Autumn Part 3 and 4

1. What is your definition of successful?
1. Being both self-sufficient and satisfied, if not happy, with one's social and financial standing.
2. What have you given up to become successful?
1. I had to give up my previous grade-school friends when my family moved to Fremont to attend this school (chosen for its high success rate of its students)
3. What did Parks give up to become successful?
1. He gave up his family life for his work.
4. Who was Genevieve Young's father?
1. Claurence Kuangson Young
5. How much was Parks advanced to write his first book (and eventual best-selling autobiography)?
1. $10,000
6. How much money did Elijah Muhammad offer Parks to do a story on The Nation of Islam?
1. Elijah Muhammad offered Parks half a million dollars
7. Why did Parks refuse the money?
1. He didn't believe he could do a good job - their thoughts didn't align, and he would have to be influenced by Muhammad.
8. What was significant about the movie The Learning Tree?
1. First movie directed by a black director
9. What was significant about the character Shaft?
1. He was a black hero - the first of its kind.
10. What reason did Genevieve Young give for the divorce?
1. sudden divorce - "it was like living in a washing machine" => never knew what was going to happen day to day
11. In 1984, Parks directed Solomon Northrup's Odyssey. What recent feature film told the same story?
1. 12 Years a Slave
12. Who was Gordon Parks, Jr?
1. Very good film maker - directed Super Fly. Died at 44, plane crash
13. What is your favorite Gordon Parks photo?
1. Toward Infinity, 1995
14. What will you remember about Gordon Parks in ten years?
1. He was an enormously successful black photographer, author, and filmmaker while still having a strong moral character despite personal issues. He took the picture American Gothic, and directed Shaft.

Elements of Art - Line, Shape, Form, Space, Color, Texture

Following the definitions from Getty.edu's "Elements of Art", I took pictures that exemplify each artistic element:  Line, Shape, Form, Space, Color, and Texture.

Line

Color

Form

Shape

Texture

Space

Half Past Autumn: Movie Notes #1 and #2

1. On the day Gordon Parks was born, how did the doctor save Gordon's life?
1. He put Gordon in an ice bath, and Gordon soon started crying afterwards.
2. Where was Gordon born? (what state?)
1. Kansas
3. What did Gordon's college adviser, Ms. McClintock tell him about college?
1. He was told it would be pointless and a waste of money - "you'll end up as a porter"
4. How old was Gordon when his mother died?
1. 14 to 15
5. Where did Gordon move after his father die?
1. His sister's household, in Minnesota
6. Did Gordon graduate from college?
1. Yes, much later in life.
7. How did Gordon begin his fashion photography career?
1. He walked into a big-name fashion studio and asked for an opportunity. He was given it.
8. What is a "double exposure?"
1. Overexposed; the images came out too bright
9. Who was boxer Joe Louis?
1. He was a heavyweight boxing champion, whose wife Martha Louis suggested to Gordon to move to Chicago after seeing his fashion photography.
10. What instrument did Gordon play?
1. Piano
11. What was the purpose of the Farm Security Agency?
1. Educate Americans on the American public's state.
12. When Roy Stryker hired Gordon for the FSA, what was Stryker's first assignment for Gordon in Washington, D.C.?
1. Go around and visit three places and ask for service: a top coat, a seat at a restaurant, and a movie ticket. At all three he was turned down or stopped at the door.
13. Who was Ella Watson?
1. She was the janitor in Gordon Park's "American Gothic"
14. What was the inspiration for Grant Wood's American Gothic?
1. Gordon Park's photo "American Gothic," of Ella Watson was inspired by Grant Wood's painting titled with the same name. Grant Wood's painting was inspired by Carpenter Gothic architecture and Flemish Renaissance styles.
15. What did Gordon learn from Stryker about photography?
1. He learned how to approach people and take a photograph that was true to the people depicted.
16. When did the FSA shut down?
1. 
   
17. After Gordon moved to New York, what magazine did he shoot for?
1. 
   
18. Who was the picture editor of Life Magazine when Gordon walked into the Life Magazine office?
1. 
   
19. What was the first major story Parks covered for Life Magazine?
1. 
   
20. Who were some of the artists that Gordon Parks mentioned influenced his work after he moved to the Paris Life Magazine bureau? 
1. 
   
21. How did Parks shoot fashion when he lived in France?
1. 
   
22. Where was Parks' concerto performed?
1. 
   
23. Who was Parks' second wife? (Who was her father? What did she do?)
1. 
   
24. How old was Flavio de Silva when Parks met him?
1. 
   
25. When did Parks meet Flavio?
1. 
   
26. Where did Flavio live when Parks first met Flavio and his family?
1. 
   
27. Who is Gloria Vanderbilt? Who is her famous son? Who are her ancestors?
1. She is 
28. How did Vanderbilt describe their relationship?
1. 
   

Photo Picks - "An Embedded Photographer Empowers the Poor"

Top Five Photos for the Lens blogpost "An Embedded Photographer Empowers the Poor"

1. Picture 27
2. Picture 22
3. Picture 17
4. Picture 24
5. Picture 1

Multimedia Poster #2

This is our second multimedia poster. The primary difference lies in the readability and image cropping and placement. The color scheme is also more organized, giving the poster a clean feel.

I also developed an alternative in case we didn't finish the first one on time. I turned it into a "joke" poster after the first one was completed.

Multimedia Poster 2015

This is our first multimedia poster. Photoshop work done by our brilliant and inspiring Vina Kong.

Period 1 - Semester Final

1. What is your favorite photo from this Lens slideshow? Provide three reasons that it is your favorite.
   My favorite photo is the first one, depicting a Tomahawk missile flying through the air. The simplicity of the photo appeals to me, as its background is uncomplicated and the subject is clear. At first glance, the light grabs the viewer's attention, causing one to not notice the lack of focus in the lower and left part of the photograph. Despite this, the scenario remains clear: the trail of smoke lets one know that the light isn't from a flare, and instead from the burning fuel of a rocket.
   This also gives the photo a sense of apathetic detachment and inevitability, as the rocket fired will inevitably hit a target somewhere far from its launch location. The gravitas of the photo depends on this understanding.
   The light also symbolizes the possibly conflicting view of "justice" and "truth," as the missiles are launched to combat soldiers who threaten the safety of civilians in Syria.
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   From a technical standpoint, the photo does an excellent job using rules of thirds, leading lines, and background control, which all come together to provide a stunning photograph that feels strangely detached.
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2. Which photo is the best? Provide three reasons.
   The second picture of the series, of a family escaping Syria, is the strongest of the photoset, as it holds a stronger contrast of emotion and is vaguely reminiscent of the photojournalism of Dorothea Lange and Robert Capa. The fear in the children depicted strongly contrasts with the almost apathetic determination of the mother to bring her family to safety.
   It also contrasts this subject with its background, which shows only men, most of whom are preoccupied with other things. The mother stands out as the only visible woman, and her children as the only visible children. This gives her presence strength, as she and her family has to go through environments where mainly men preside, once again emphasizing her determination to survive.
   The photograph also shows technical skill, as the shot is perfectly positioned to make use of the Rule of Thirds, and some leading lines, through the arms of bystanders. The lighting and depth of field further emphasize the focus on the mother and her children.
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3. What is your best work this semester? Include the blog link. Give three reasons why this is your best work. If you had more time, how would you do to improve the project.
   I find my Depth of Field assignment is my favorite work, as it uses the rule of thirds and background control well. 1) The background serves as an important part of the photograph, as important as the subject in focus. 2) All three people within the photo are involved and interacting with each other. 3) The rule of thirds is followed, with all the subjects and the phone oriented along at least one axis, and the location of each individual balances the photograph.
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4. You chose three rules of composition. What are your three rules?
   My three rules of composition are the Rule of Thirds, Diagonal and Leading Lines, and Background and Depth Layers. The post on my blog showing them can be found here.
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5. Select one of your own photos that illustrates your ability to apply at least two of the three rules. Insert the photo into the post and label the picture. Clearly include the two rules of composition that you are using.

   

   Second Photo Assignment: Diagonal and Leading Lines
   Illustrates 2 of the 3 rules

   This photograph makes use of the Rule of Thirds, as well as leading lines. The fences and benches in the background point towards Michael and Anish, and the positioning of the two versus the other person in the background balances out the photo by having significant "objects" at opposite ends of the photograph, along the lines of the Rule of Thirds.
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6. I have three rules of composition. I have explained one already. What is my first rule?
   Your first rule is to "get close" to the subject, both physically and mentally, in order to make photographs more honest to the mood of the subject and his/her/its environment.
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7. What are the benefits of working in groups? Provide a list with five benefits.
   a. We can provide each other with constructive criticism and identify issues better
   b. Peers can make sure we stay on task, and don't spend too much time on one thing
   c. We can help each other break complex tasks into individual steps
   d. We can encourage and help each other find our interest
   e. We can teach each other and develop our understanding of the topic at hand.
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8. What are the difficulties of working in groups? List five difficulties.
   a. May allow individuals to shirk work and rely on the group.
   b. Conflict over different opinions can arise.
   c. Organization may be chaotic, necessitating voluntary effort from each member to avoid
   d. Misunderstanding can set back plans as the misunderstanding may take the entire time to resolve
   e. Easier to lose focus on goal.
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9. What is your favorite project produced by another person in this class? Provide the link to their work.
   I really like Vina Kong's Second Photo Assignment, as it illustrates her rules well while giving a dual sense of dilapidation and cleanliness. The locker doors appear slightly disfigured and bent, but the bright green paint with no chips shows how the school has tried to keep up appearances.
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10. You studied a master photographer and reproduced his or her work. Who was the photographer? What did the photographer contribute to the field of photographer? List one significant contribution.
My master photographer is Gordon Parks, an African American photographer and film director. His primary contribution to the field of photography is his work on depicting segregation, and by breaking the color barrier in photography.
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11. What is Dorothea Lange's most popular photo? (Does the photo have a name?) Where was the photo taken? When? What agency employed Dorothea when she took the photo?

His most popular photo is Migrant Mother, taken in Feb. 1936 in Niporno, CA. She was employed by the Farm Security Administration (FSA) at the time.

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12. When did Life Magazine begin publishing?

1936

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13. When was Elvis born?

January 8th, 1935

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14. Robert Capa was a founding member of what organization? When did it start?

He founded Magnum, in 1947.