Process Blogging part 1: First three pictures

How I got the first three Images: How I got the first out of my 10 three images was by using the flash on my camera. By looking at Weegee's pictures I saw that he took his pictures during the night because that's what he specialized in, in his photography. By taking the pictures during the night and by using the flash, I got perfect contrast between light and dark and the pictures had much more detail than others because there was no light to wash out the picture.
The process: For the first picture of my mom, I got this image because we went downtown and as we were getting back into the car I snapped the picture while her guard was down and I loved how it came out.
For the second and third pictures I had my sister go out into the drive way and lay on the ground. I then decided to squirt ketchup around her and took a kitchen knife and positioned it next to her and started photographing.
When i was uploading the pictures, I had to make them black and white because Weegee photographed in black and white. I liked how the pictures looked with the black and white and I loved how by using the flash on the camera, when I made them black and white the detail came out and made the pictures amazing. I think that color really took away the urban and darkness to the photographs so making it black and white was really nice.

The Big Project: Frist Three Pictures

For my Big Project I attempted to take pictures as the photographer Weegee. He was a very urban photographer who photographed New York and Its people and I realized that I took on a big task. I decided to go down town and photograph the closest thing I could get to the Big City.

Post Natural Light Portrait

While doing this assignment, I found that this was one of the hardest assignments I have had to do I struggled with the amount of light that was in my picture between having to much and not having enough, I just couldn't seem to get it right. Most of my pictures were ether washed out or to dark. There were nothing in between. It was really aggravating for me and hard but I managed to get a few good photos. Though they are not my favorite, I still think that they are pretty good through my struggle in this assignment. I took a few good pictures of Ally and Even though most of the pictures I took of her were washed out or to dark I got a few good ones and I think that they look nice. If I were to do this again I would have tried to find a better light source that wouldn't wash out the picture but would give enough. Over all I found this assignment very challenging but It taught me how to keep trying till I get the right image.

Pre Natural Light Portrait

In this assignment we have to photograph our subjects by using natural light. No light bulbs or lights can be used during this assignment. You want to get the sun hitting the person on the side of their face. Not a harsh, bright light, but a soft light that brings out their features. You also want to hold a sheet of white paper or card board to the other side of there face so its not to dark and illuminates their face without giving it as much light as the other side. I think that this assignment will be fun and I cant wait to do it.

The Photographer I Choose: Weegee

Weegee was born June 12,1899 in Zolochiv Ukraine. When he emigrated to America in 1909, his family settled in New York. He then changed his name to Arthur and worked various odd jobs.  Weegee was a street photographer know of his dark and somewhat rather disturbing images of the violent, dangerous, and deadly urban streets, but he was also an amazing street photographer. Weegee went out onto  the streets photographing through out bars, party's, street fights and group gatherings. He named got his nick name from the Ouija board, because he was always showing up at crime scenes, fires and emergency's before the authority's arrived. He was the only person other than the police and first responders to be allowed to have a portable police-band short wave radio, allowing him to beat the police to the crime scenes in time to take the photographs. Weegee was a self-taught photographer who had basic equipment and a homemade dark room in the back of his car so he could easily develop his photographs anywhere and quickly. In 1945 he published his first photography book called Naked City. In 1946 he started working for Hollywood and was an uncredited special effects consult. He worked in Hollywood till around the 1960'. Between the 1950's and 1960's, around the time he worked for Hollywood, Weegee started taking many pictures with a plastic lens that purposely distorted the pictures. One of his more famous distorted pictures was of Marylin Munroe. When he left Hollywood he traveled throughout Europe, and started taking nude photos of models (probably because of the culture of Europe that gave him the idea) In 1966 Weegee starred himself in a pseudo-documentary called The 'Imp'probable Mr. Wee Gee. Weegee died two years later on December 26th, 1968 at the age of 69. Weegee captured the dark and hidden truth of the city while also capturing the light and energy of bars, clubs and social gatherings. He was the eyes of the city and photographed the things not many people want to see or don't think is going on. He shows the violent, dangerous and dark side of the city while also showing the fun, bright and energetic part of the city that is brought to life by thousands of people. To capture both sides of New York is what made him an excellent photographer.

 

These three pictures are three very different types of photography taken by Weegee. The first picture is women at the Metropolitan Opera. This picture has been said to have been staged. I like this picture the best out of the three pictures because it isn't one of his dark pictures. It is one of the photos that he would take in group gatherings and big events that show the city brought to life.  I also love how the shadows bring his photos to life and bring out the hidden details. The contrast with the white coats and the drakness of the back ground is really pretty. 

The second photo isn't exactly dark but I shows a transgender man getting out of a police car. I think I shows the real city. The uniqueness of the people in it and how some of them live. I think though the picture has a dark concept, by smiling the subject makes the picture warmer and I like that about this picture. The contrast between getting out of the police car yet hes smiling makes an amazing photograph and I really like this photo. 

The third picture is the darkest and most disturbing. Weegee was known for getting to crime scenes and taking pictures of the dead body's before the police got there. Weegee took many of these types of photographs. Though they are violent and dark, he showed that New York isn't just a beautiful and bright place but that the city has its secrets and darkness to it. He took the photos of the crimes because its something that people want to know about and find a interest in. Now the gruesome and bloody part but if someone died would you want to know who? Would you want to know how? Weegee just took the pictures he thought were important and he expressed the city better than most people could.

Sweater Weather: Fall Images

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