Final

This is probably my favorite photo taken during this class, for my select color portraits assignment.

1. I am proud of this photo for multiple reasons: first, I am proud of it because it was one of my first experiences with using Photoshop, and editing my images beyond the options in Photos. I am proud of how I edited the colors myself and chose which colors I wanted to stand out to make the photo more engaging. I am also proud of how I took the image: it took a while to figure out how to help the camera stay up on the table while also pointing down at me, and to position myself to that the camera would get all of my ballet costume in the photo, etc. There are some things I could have done to make it better than it is but I'm overall happy with the result. I'm proud of how I learned to make edits that would improve the photo, and how even now, after I've had some experience after taking that photo, I could find things to improve. The color I chose to highlight was relevant to the rest of the image and was not an afterthought or a choice made simply because I had to choose. I'm proud of the things I did well with this image, and in this project I learned many useful Photoshop skills as well as settings with my camera I hadn't explored before. In this photo I also used angle down as a compositional technique, which usually I didn't try to use for things such as portraits.

2. In the year before taking this class I had always known that photography was something of interest to me, and I discovered a love for engaging photos with unique techniques without really realizing it. In taking this class I got to much further explore that interest and got to fully immerse myself in the world of photography while learning all of the compositional techniques I never knew I had been noticing. It has made me more aware of the time, thought, and enjoyment that goes into well-done photos, and also introduced me to a more professional world of photo editing. I now think of photography as something a lot different than I did, simply because I now understand the process. This class has only fueled my interest in photography, and lessons I've learned from it have improved my photos immensely and also given me the confidence to take unique images and try new things, so I can keep improving. Now as I look at other images I see in everyday life, I can better appreciate the compositional techniques, editing, and other factors that go into a photo. It makes me happy that I understand more and can apply that to the world around me, even if it simply benefits my own personal thoughts. I hope to keep taking photos, even if not for assignments, and take the time to create images I like outside of class for others to enjoy.

3. As for ways the class could be improved, I really liked the class overall. There is really only one thing that made me stressed out: during the digital photography unit, photos were often taken outside of class. Of course I liked that we were free to take photos throughout the world around us for these assignments but mine often ended up being in my yard at home for one reason—a busy schedule. My dance schedule as well as other homework assignments from other classes often left me scrambling for photos, and considering that each class brought a new digital project, it was a little crazy. That's for my personal experience with after-school activities, but I understand that to fit a lot of things in in a short amount of time, the class sometimes has to move quickly. And one thing I did like about the fast-paced projects is that I was focusing on something different every time and constantly exploring new ways of taking photos. My only concern is I am a person who likes to take my time to create quality photos rather than take a lot of random and rushed ones, and with everything else in my life going on, this was sometimes difficult.