Portobello road, Portobello road.

Join me on my adventure in Europe!

July 21, 2011 8:39 am
Photography Portfolio It is hard to believe I have been studying abroad for 5 weeks. In many ways it seems as though I have been here for longer but in other aspects it seems as though I just arrived. The trip has now come to an end and I must present my best works of photography in a final portfolio. I easily took over two thousand photographs during my time abroad, choosing a mere 10 photographs out of these was quite difficult. I do not believe that my photographs have a resounding theme, other than they are all photographs that document my travels abroad with the majority of them being taken in London. I have, without a doubt, grown tremendously as a photographer. Practice makes perfect and 5 weeks of taking photographs daily has given me hours upon hours of practice. Not only has practice made me a better photographer but being given the opportunity to view photographs and works of art by others has given me insight into why they were successful as an artist. Without a doubt, my favorite concept that I have learned in this course is depth of field. I have always viewed photographs with bouka in the background and have wondered how the photographer achieved it. My first attempt with depth of field was during the pre-flight assignment and since then I have been working hard at perfecting shallow depth of field.  My favorite quote from our textbook is by photojournalist, Robert Capa who said, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough.” I strongly agree with this quote and think about it every time I am taking photographs. I believe this quote will stick with me for as long as I continue to photograph.  I still need a lot of work to continue to become a better photographer but I am quite pleased with the photographs I have taken on this trip. Many of these photographs cannot truly express how beautiful the places were that I visited but they are great memories that I know I will cherish for years to come. 

Photography Portfolio

It is hard to believe I have been studying abroad for 5 weeks. In many ways it seems as though I have been here for longer but in other aspects it seems as though I just arrived. The trip has now come to an end and I must present my best works of photography in a final portfolio. I easily took over two thousand photographs during my time abroad, choosing a mere 10 photographs out of these was quite difficult.

I do not believe that my photographs have a resounding theme, other than they are all photographs that document my travels abroad with the majority of them being taken in London.

I have, without a doubt, grown tremendously as a photographer. Practice makes perfect and 5 weeks of taking photographs daily has given me hours upon hours of practice. Not only has practice made me a better photographer but being given the opportunity to view photographs and works of art by others has given me insight into why they were successful as an artist.

Without a doubt, my favorite concept that I have learned in this course is depth of field. I have always viewed photographs with bouka in the background and have wondered how the photographer achieved it. My first attempt with depth of field was during the pre-flight assignment and since then I have been working hard at perfecting shallow depth of field.  My favorite quote from our textbook is by photojournalist, Robert Capa who said, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough.” I strongly agree with this quote and think about it every time I am taking photographs. I believe this quote will stick with me for as long as I continue to photograph. 

I still need a lot of work to continue to become a better photographer but I am quite pleased with the photographs I have taken on this trip. Many of these photographs cannot truly express how beautiful the places were that I visited but they are great memories that I know I will cherish for years to come. 

July 20, 2011 3:45 am
I haven’t been updating my british/english word list that I started earlier in the blog. Here are more: Rubber = eraser Plaster = band-aid Jacket potato = baked potato Pants = underwear Trousers = pants Holiday = vacation Telly = television Lift = elevator Stone = 14 pounds Quid = 1 pound (money) Row = an argument Prawn = shrimp Ice lolly = popsicle

I haven’t been updating my british/english word list that I started earlier in the blog. Here are more:

Rubber = eraser

Plaster = band-aid

Jacket potato = baked potato

Pants = underwear

Trousers = pants

Holiday = vacation

Telly = television

Lift = elevator

Stone = 14 pounds

Quid = 1 pound (money)

Row = an argument

Prawn = shrimp

Ice lolly = popsicle

July 19, 2011 1:53 pm
(Extra)Ordinary Assignment July 19, 2011 1/50, f/14, ISO 200, 28mm I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Hampstead Heath Park, today was my favorite field trip and assignment thus far. People often go to parks to feel free and closer to nature. Often times when you visit a park multiple times you tend to overlook how beautiful it truly is. Since this was my first time visiting Hampstead Heath Park I was really able to appreciate the beauty of the park. One of the best things about parks is the wild flowers that grow sporadically in them. Courtney spontaneously picked a flower and I thought it would make a good prop. Flowers are often symbols of purity, innocence and simplicity. In this photograph one thing I like is that Courtney has a certain mischievous gleam in her eyes, which is a contrast to the simplicity and innocence of the flowers that she holds. This photograph was cross processed in post-production and a vignette was added. The original photograph was a little too dull for the feeling that I wanted to convey. I like the cross processed effect as it made the colors in the photograph more vibrant.

(Extra)Ordinary Assignment

July 19, 2011

1/50, f/14, ISO 200, 28mm

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Hampstead Heath Park, today was my favorite field trip and assignment thus far. People often go to parks to feel free and closer to nature. Often times when you visit a park multiple times you tend to overlook how beautiful it truly is. Since this was my first time visiting Hampstead Heath Park I was really able to appreciate the beauty of the park.

One of the best things about parks is the wild flowers that grow sporadically in them. Courtney spontaneously picked a flower and I thought it would make a good prop.

Flowers are often symbols of purity, innocence and simplicity. In this photograph one thing I like is that Courtney has a certain mischievous gleam in her eyes, which is a contrast to the simplicity and innocence of the flowers that she holds.

This photograph was cross processed in post-production and a vignette was added. The original photograph was a little too dull for the feeling that I wanted to convey. I like the cross processed effect as it made the colors in the photograph more vibrant.

1:47 pm
(Extra)Ordinary Assignment July 19, 2011 1/40, f/5, ISO 100, 24mm Today I visited East Highgate Cemetery, there are over 53,000 graves located in Highgate with many notable people buried there including Karl Marx. When I started walking around Highgate Cemetery I noticed I was being followed by a black and white cat. I thought he would only stay with me for a few minutes but I was wrong and he spent the majority of the time next to me. He would often walk ahead as though he wanted me to follow him and would stop at certain graves and meow. Cats are very loyal to their owners just as this particular cat seemed to be loyal to certain graves at this cemetery, almost as if he was visiting them. The grave that he is sitting on in the photograph he sat on for a couple of minutes allowing me to get some good shots of him. Usually cemeteries are a place of peace and tranquility but the presence of the cat added a certain amount of vitality. I like this photograph because I like the contrast of the life vs. death. The colors of the background in this photograph were boosted in post-production, however, the colors of the cat were left alone. This effect was added as I wanted the photograph to portray life rather than the feeling of death that cemeteries tend to convey. A slight vignette was also added to the photograph.

(Extra)Ordinary Assignment

July 19, 2011

1/40, f/5, ISO 100, 24mm

Today I visited East Highgate Cemetery, there are over 53,000 graves located in Highgate with many notable people buried there including Karl Marx. When I started walking around Highgate Cemetery I noticed I was being followed by a black and white cat. I thought he would only stay with me for a few minutes but I was wrong and he spent the majority of the time next to me. He would often walk ahead as though he wanted me to follow him and would stop at certain graves and meow. Cats are very loyal to their owners just as this particular cat seemed to be loyal to certain graves at this cemetery, almost as if he was visiting them.

The grave that he is sitting on in the photograph he sat on for a couple of minutes allowing me to get some good shots of him. Usually cemeteries are a place of peace and tranquility but the presence of the cat added a certain amount of vitality. I like this photograph because I like the contrast of the life vs. death.

The colors of the background in this photograph were boosted in post-production, however, the colors of the cat were left alone. This effect was added as I wanted the photograph to portray life rather than the feeling of death that cemeteries tend to convey. A slight vignette was also added to the photograph.

July 18, 2011 8:30 am
Sunday I went to Dover, United Kingdom. Dover lies along the English Channel and faces France. The tiny town is famous for its spectacular white cliffs. The view was absolutely amazing. When we arrived in Dover a young British man asked us where we were heading, when we told him he was shocked that our final destination was Dover. I guess that goes to show you that when you live in a place that is beautiful you tend to take it for granted. Even though it was a quite rainy, windy and cold day I could not have enjoyed myself more. It was great to escape the fast paced life of London for a day and just bask in the glory of nature. Dover is by far one of my favorite places I have visited thus far in Europe.

Sunday I went to Dover, United Kingdom. Dover lies along the English Channel and faces France. The tiny town is famous for its spectacular white cliffs. The view was absolutely amazing. When we arrived in Dover a young British man asked us where we were heading, when we told him he was shocked that our final destination was Dover. I guess that goes to show you that when you live in a place that is beautiful you tend to take it for granted. Even though it was a quite rainy, windy and cold day I could not have enjoyed myself more. It was great to escape the fast paced life of London for a day and just bask in the glory of nature. Dover is by far one of my favorite places I have visited thus far in Europe.

8:10 am
Saturday I spent the day in Paris, France. We woke up bright and early and took the Eurostar which is a high speed train that travels under the English Channel. After arriving in Paris our first destination was of course the Eiffel Tower which we climbed to the top of. The view from the top was quite spectacular. From the Eiffel Tower we bought tickets for Les Cars Rouges which is a hop on/hop off tour bus that takes you to all of the main attractions of Paris. On the tour we saw: Champs de Mars, Musee du Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, Musee d’Orsay, and Avenue de Champs-Elyseese. We ate lunch at a delicious patisserie called Paul. The food in France was 100 times better than anything I have had to eat in London. Unfortunately, later in the day the weather turned quite nasty and it started pouring. The rain did not stop us from getting a fraise et chocolat crêpe (strawberry and chocolate crepe), it was one of the most delicious desserts that I have ever tasted. I knew that the language barrier would be difficult but I didn’t realize how much of a difference it would make. I suppose I take studying abroad in London for granted, sure everyone has a different accent and at times I’m not positive what people are saying but nonetheless they are speaking English. I do not remotely understand French. I tried to say common French words such as bonjour and merci but at times I found myself wanted to say “si” instead of “oui.” I suppose because Spanish is the language that I know the best besides English.

Saturday I spent the day in Paris, France. We woke up bright and early and took the Eurostar which is a high speed train that travels under the English Channel. After arriving in Paris our first destination was of course the Eiffel Tower which we climbed to the top of. The view from the top was quite spectacular. From the Eiffel Tower we bought tickets for Les Cars Rouges which is a hop on/hop off tour bus that takes you to all of the main attractions of Paris. On the tour we saw: Champs de Mars, Musee du Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, Musee d’Orsay, and Avenue de Champs-Elyseese. We ate lunch at a delicious patisserie called Paul. The food in France was 100 times better than anything I have had to eat in London. Unfortunately, later in the day the weather turned quite nasty and it started pouring. The rain did not stop us from getting a fraise et chocolat crêpe (strawberry and chocolate crepe), it was one of the most delicious desserts that I have ever tasted. I knew that the language barrier would be difficult but I didn’t realize how much of a difference it would make. I suppose I take studying abroad in London for granted, sure everyone has a different accent and at times I’m not positive what people are saying but nonetheless they are speaking English. I do not remotely understand French. I tried to say common French words such as bonjour and merci but at times I found myself wanted to say “si” instead of “oui.” I suppose because Spanish is the language that I know the best besides English.

July 16, 2011 6:30 pm
Host Gallery Assignment July 15th, 2011 1/200, f/5, ISO 100, 26mm On Tuesday, we visited the Host Gallery in London. They currently have a summer show exhibition going on that includes over 100 photographs from all over the world. The photographs were absolutely great and it was neat to find out that this is a contest that anyone can enter. Some photographs were small while others were huge. I found that I was immediately drawn to the larger images. One of my favorite photographs is entitled,“Enal with Pet Shark”. This photograph was taken underwater. In the photograph, there is a little boy around the age of 8 holding onto the tail of a shark and it looks as though the shark is just pulling him around. He has the biggest smile on his face and looks as though he is having the time of his life. There is just something that is so surreal about this photograph. I’m very interested in other countries and cultures and the description states this photograph was taken in Indonesia. It is hard to imagine a culture where the parents allow their young children to swim with sharks let alone play with them, but that is their culture. Our assignment was to examine portraits closely and attempt to imitate the feeling that the photograph portrays. The photograph that I chose is entitled, “Ruby’s Spoon” and is by Chris Frazer Smith.  In this photograph, a young woman is standing by a bike, her body is facing a bridge but her face is turned and her eyes are looking directly at the camera. This photograph was one of the larger prints in the gallery and instantly caught my eye for a number of reasons.  I love the vibrant colors and the background scene of the bridge and water in the photograph. Another reason I loved this photograph is because you are not sure where the young woman on the bike is going, only that she is heading to some unknown place. The feeling I get from the photograph is isolation and desperation to find an escape. In my photograph, I tried to replicate that feeling. I was luckily able to get my subject, Laura, alone on the pathway to the bridge which helps convey the feeling of isolation. I like that her feet are turned away from the camera as that can symbolize the beginning of a new journey.

Host Gallery Assignment

July 15th, 2011

1/200, f/5, ISO 100, 26mm


On Tuesday, we visited the Host Gallery in London. They currently have a summer show exhibition going on that includes over 100 photographs from all over the world. The photographs were absolutely great and it was neat to find out that this is a contest that anyone can enter. Some photographs were small while others were huge. I found that I was immediately drawn to the larger images.
One of my favorite photographs is entitled,“Enal with Pet Shark”. This photograph was taken underwater. In the photograph, there is a little boy around the age of 8 holding onto the tail of a shark and it looks as though the shark is just pulling him around. He has the biggest smile on his face and looks as though he is having the time of his life. There is just something that is so surreal about this photograph. I’m very interested in other countries and cultures and the description states this photograph was taken in Indonesia. It is hard to imagine a culture where the parents allow their young children to swim with sharks let alone play with them, but that is their culture.
Our assignment was to examine portraits closely and attempt to imitate the feeling that the photograph portrays. The photograph that I chose is entitled, “Ruby’s Spoon” and is by Chris Frazer Smith.  In this photograph, a young woman is standing by a bike, her body is facing a bridge but her face is turned and her eyes are looking directly at the camera. This photograph was one of the larger prints in the gallery and instantly caught my eye for a number of reasons.  I love the vibrant colors and the background scene of the bridge and water in the photograph. Another reason I loved this photograph is because you are not sure where the young woman on the bike is going, only that she is heading to some unknown place. The feeling I get from the photograph is isolation and desperation to find an escape. In my photograph, I tried to replicate that feeling. I was luckily able to get my subject, Laura, alone on the pathway to the bridge which helps convey the feeling of isolation. I like that her feet are turned away from the camera as that can symbolize the beginning of a new journey.

July 12, 2011 10:58 am
Financial District Photograph #3 Missionary  July 12, 2011 1/200, f/9.0, ISO 100, 35mm St. Mary’s Axe, the building that can be seen in the background, is one of the most interesting buildings I have ever seen. After seeing it I knew that I wanted it to be in one of my photographs. I believe it tells us a lot about the architecture of our current time period. I chose to position this older church in front of St. Mary’s Axe to show the amalgam of old and new. This contrast between new and old is quite extreme. The church seems to be an older church, which at the time it was built was probably the pride and joy of this part of town. St. Mary’s Axe is an enormous egg shaped glass building that almost looks futuristic. 

Financial District Photograph #3 Missionary 

July 12, 2011

1/200, f/9.0, ISO 100, 35mm

St. Mary’s Axe, the building that can be seen in the background, is one of the most interesting buildings I have ever seen. After seeing it I knew that I wanted it to be in one of my photographs. I believe it tells us a lot about the architecture of our current time period. I chose to position this older church in front of St. Mary’s Axe to show the amalgam of old and new. This contrast between new and old is quite extreme. The church seems to be an older church, which at the time it was built was probably the pride and joy of this part of town. St. Mary’s Axe is an enormous egg shaped glass building that almost looks futuristic. 

10:56 am
Financial District Photograph #2 Financial July 12, 2011 1/40, f/8.0, ISO 100, 35mm The Financial District, as the name suggests, is surrounded by every imaginable bank. The Bank of England is also located in the Financial District. The building that can be seen behind the statue may very well be a bank. Instead of taking a shot of a bank, as I do not particularly like shots of buildings, I searched for a statue with some financial ties. This statue is of George Peabody (1795-1869). He is known as the father of modern philanthropy.  His banking actions in England helped create U.S. credit abroad. He amassed a fortune through his endeavors, most of which he donated to charity and other philanthropic works. 

Financial District Photograph #2 Financial

July 12, 2011

1/40, f/8.0, ISO 100, 35mm

The Financial District, as the name suggests, is surrounded by every imaginable bank. The Bank of England is also located in the Financial District. The building that can be seen behind the statue may very well be a bank. Instead of taking a shot of a bank, as I do not particularly like shots of buildings, I searched for a statue with some financial ties. This statue is of George Peabody (1795-1869). He is known as the father of modern philanthropy.  His banking actions in England helped create U.S. credit abroad. He amassed a fortune through his endeavors, most of which he donated to charity and other philanthropic works. 

10:54 am
Financial District Photograph #1 Colonialism  July 12, 2011 1/80, f/9.0, ISO 100, 55mm This photograph shows an older building with a compass and weathervane on top of it being overshadowed by skyscraper office buildings in the background. I chose to edit this photograph and make the older building sepia to give it an antiquated feel while leaving the new buildings their natural color. I believe this photograph shows great contrast between old and new and the juxtaposition allows the viewer to compare the buildings. The older building is made of brick, concrete and many other materials. It also seems to have a bell at the top and it has a Roman numeral clock on the front of it. These last details are a stark contrast to the gigantic buildings behind it where every floor is identical to the one below it.

Financial District Photograph #1 Colonialism 

July 12, 2011

1/80, f/9.0, ISO 100, 55mm

This photograph shows an older building with a compass and weathervane on top of it being overshadowed by skyscraper office buildings in the background. I chose to edit this photograph and make the older building sepia to give it an antiquated feel while leaving the new buildings their natural color. I believe this photograph shows great contrast between old and new and the juxtaposition allows the viewer to compare the buildings. The older building is made of brick, concrete and many other materials. It also seems to have a bell at the top and it has a Roman numeral clock on the front of it. These last details are a stark contrast to the gigantic buildings behind it where every floor is identical to the one below it.