Digital Photography final

[Alan Gage]

I'd kind of gotten out of taking pictures the last year or so and decided to take a digital photography class at the local college to jump start my interest again. I knew that every week we had to take 100 pictures to turn in and I thought that might be just the ticket. In a way it worked and in some it didn't. There were plenty of weeks I only turned in 5 or 6 images just because I didn't feel like taking any (and I still shoot much the same as when I shot LF and MF). It turned out to be a very basic class (which I expected) but it did get me back into taking photos and got me to try some new things.

Anyway, the final is due today and I finished it at 2:30am this morning...nothing like procrastination. I kept putting it off thinking I'd get some good ideas but they never really came....so I just had to roll with it.

The assignment was 5 8X10 images. One each of a building, macro, a person, picture of our choice, and a can of soup. I'm not thrilled with any of them really but I'm happy over all and was curious what everyone else thought.









The soup needs a little explanation. I didn't take the picture unitl about 2am and my brain was pretty much shut down. I couldn't think of anything creative to do with it that wouldn't keep me up for another couple hours so I decided to make it as dorky as I could. I gotta tell ya though; the more I look at it the more I like it....don't ask me why. I think it's definitely going on the wall. Maybe not the living room wall...but somewhere.



Alan

[nelsonfoto]

Chicken noodle soup is an indelible reminder of childhood in this society. For me, it makes me think of grilled cheese sandwiches and bowls of steaming soup - I hated it, to be honest, but it was cheap and easy meal for a poor family with growing boys when times were toughest.

Your image communicates well to me.

[connealy]

It is worthwhile to let someone else give assignments as a way of exploring ideas and techniques you might not come up with on your own.  Seems to have worked well in your case.

The self-portrait and the soup work most effectively, I think.  The portrait has nice graphic impact which derives from the partitioning of the image space; I think you might crop the top a bit to give nicer proportions.

The high key lighting and the grass work well with the soup.  Not sure the sun is needed, though it also seems appropriate.  The basic idea certainly worked for Warhol.

[sandeha]

There's pressure in an assignment like that and time for reflection is a good investment.  But you have a range of distinctive images.  Rest easy.

[Major Black]

It will be good for you even if you do flunk.

Just kidding! You should do very well. I'd give you high marks.

I like the Ansco shot best.  The top shot seems like it's a bit tilted to one side.

[connealy]

Did you catch the NPR piece this morning on the Warhol soup can?  The reporter had an actual Campbell's can signed by Andy Warhol.  She was disappointed to learn that its value was mainly as a signature of a celebrity, and that it had a minimal collector's value.  It was mentioned that the first of Warhol's soup can paintings was purchased by Dennis Hopper for $75 and that it later sold for many thousands.  At an upcoming auction, one of the Warhol paintings is expected to get bids in the millions.