Meera's Final

Sorry for the late post. Overall, I enjoyed this class a lot! I always had a huge interest in photography. Last semester, I had actually taken the position to be a photographer for our school newspaper. That was my first time actually working with SLR digital cameras, so I had a a chance to play around with the aperture and ISO settings as I was photographing. However, this semester, I really wanted a formal introduction to the camera and so I took this class. It was extremely fun and interesting to learn about the dynamics of how to take pictures with specific settings. It was sometimes a challenge in the beginning to set the right aperture and shutter speed depending on the setting of the photo I wanted to take. However, I feel like I quickly developed the skills of automatically knowing which settings to use. I specifically love using the low aperture setting so that one object in the foreground is in focus and the background is blurry. I also love taking photographs of people in their everyday lives. Capturing a moment when a father is playing with his son or a performance group is doing a group cheer is always special. One thing Serafino noticed about my pictures was that I tend to take vertical pictures with diagonal lines, which I thought was extremely interesting, considering I don't purposely plan to take my pictures that way. I really loved that I had a chance to develop my own style in photography. Now, when I'm walking on the streets, there's not a moment where I don't think the thought, "Hmm...that scene is photo worthy." Thanks so much Serafino for teaching us and inspiring me to discover and delve into a new hobby that I love and enjoy! Here are a couple of my pictures! 

Prints

Dear Students, I left yesterday all the prints in the dark room at Fiorentini. You can pick them up

Flavio's final

 Dear professor.

Since I've not been able to come to the meeting since I had a very important exam and I couldn't finish it earlier I've post some of my favorites pictures here.  These are some of the picture that I've used in my video. It was a great experience to post edit this pictures. In the one of the washington monument I needed to work on the lent's curvature. And as you see after a bit of editing it result a very nice pictures. During this year I've been working on my creativity and especially in post production especially on using photoshop- I used to work with lightroom which is easier than photoshop- but thanks to you and also with the help of Taylor I succeeded on realizing a very good video. The most important thing that I've found out in this class was the collaboration between students. Confronting my artistic style to other classmates style's was really helpful to improve my technique. It has been a great experience work with all of you.

I've chosen this pictures because these are my favorites on the video project.

Regarding the technique I've been using the maximum aperture with a the quicker shutter speed for all the pictures except for the second one that has been made with a very close aperture and a very low shutter speed and Iso speed. 

I hope you liked my project and the way I worked.

It was a pleasure Work in this class.

Regards

Flavio

Kirila Cvetkovska

Here are some of the pictures I took during this semester. I enjoyed the class and the whole process of learning about traditional photography. My pictures mostly include everyday stuff which people usually don't pay attention to. I like taking pictures of details, but not necessarily place them in the center of the photo- I like to catch details spread all over the photo and also cropped to some extent. In addition, I enjoy black and white photography, which I think adds some kind of a mystical effect to the photo, that in turn can't be achieved with color photography. I would love to continue with the film photoraphy and take pictures of much more details and unusual things.

Thank you Serafino.

Kirila

 

Allison Klein

Serafino,
I did not see your post about the final meeting until last night and unfortunately I am unable to come since I have to make up an exam during that time. However, I will post my final post here. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this class. I have taken many drawing courses at school but this was my first photography class. I came into this class not knowing anything about photography and felt that I have learned so much. I absolutely love the way a picture is developed; I was always curious how exactly it worked. I did not expect it to be all about capturing light on the paper and the fact that it all involves LIGHT, how the light hits the paper and how long its on the paper, is somewhat magical to me. Any little difference you make, whether with the filter or time, can result in an almost entirely different photo. Through this course my appreciation for photography has grown immensely and I really do plan on taking what I've learned back with me to the United States.

My favorite pictures I've taken this semester were in Paris and Rome. When I knew I was taking this course I knew I had to get a beautiful black and white picture of the Eiffel Tower, and I did. Unfortunately, the one thing I was not able to do in this course was scan my pictures onto the computer.

This picture was taken on my digital camera and wish I could have taken on my traditional but could not because I could not zoom in on the traditional.

This is also was taken on my digital camera but I was also able to capture it on my traditional. It came out perfectly and is one of my favorites.

Another picture I took that I really enjoyed was captured at the perfect time. While in front of the pantheon I tried to take a picture of the older man playing with what is assumed to be his granddaughter in the fountain. As he is looking into the fountain and holding the little girl she turns her head with her pacifier in her mouth right towards my camera and smiles. Thats when I snapped the photo.

Thank you so much for everything Serafino! I learned so much this semester and had so much fun! I always looked forward to coming to your class! Have a great summer and again thank you!

-Allison

Summary of My Pictures

I really enjoyed this class. As an art major we are required to take courses outside our medium, so I chose photography since I had always been interested in it. It was really fun to take an artistic eye into a different form of art and see the results. I tended to take pictures that played with the focus (how open the aperature was), and tried to capture the simple things in life that are beautiful. Most of my pictures were of nature or had a very natural feel to them. Near the end of the semester I tried to overcome my camera-shyness and begin to snap shots of people. Photography is something that I have become passionate about, and am planning on finding ways to incorporate this new medium for me into my sculptures and ceramic art. I am definitely buying a traditional film camera when I get home so that I can work with my pictures and come up with ways to create a successful transition to mixed media.

My favorite part of the photography process was definitely printing the pictures. I loved trying lots of different things with the same picture, and would stay in the dark room for hours just working on a single picture. I think that this was my favorite part of the process because it was so hands-on. Every tiny change you made to the light, focus, or cropping of the negative created an entirely different feel to the picture. I also love the personal feel and depth that is in pictures that are personally printed (as opposed to printed in a store). The mistakes that are made are what MAKE the picture. The tiny scratches, fading of light, or any other mess-ups tend to bring the photograph more meaning, and are almost more relatable to the viewer than those that are printed with no flaws. The sole black and white colors also contribute to this feel of authenticity, because we see the deeper meaning behind the picture since there are no fancy colors getting in the way. With only lightness and darkness, we are able to push past the external and get to the emotions that are buried deep within the figure or objects in the picture.

Thank you so much for an incredible semester! I am so excited to take home everything that I have learned in your class and see what I can channel that knowledge in to. I'll have to keep you updated on my new works that I come up with! Thanks for everything.

(not all of my pictures are scanned in, and most of them wouldn't upload for some reason, but here is one!)

Kelsey

Monica/Nicole/Taylor's Blog

Serafino,

As I previously stated in a comment, I have my biggest final today and am going to be unable to come to your posted final. I had thought that our final was on Friday (as that's what the school list says), but now that it has been moved to Thursday I am going to be unable to attend. I will post my Final here on the blog. Thank you.


This Film course was very influential to me. Although I have spent the last three years taking photos digitally I have never before taken a film course. There was a lot to learn when it came to cameras, developing, and printing. I really appreciated the way that the class was set up to help us learn. We were able to all lean at our own pace. We were also all allowed to do what we needed to do when we needed to do it. If we needed to develop for a day we were allowed to develop, if we needed to make prints we were allowed to do that as well. It was a very productive way of having class and I really enjoyed it. I learned a lot and now have a new found appreciation for Film Photography. I have every intention of buying a film camera and some film when I get back to the states. Through this course I was able to appreciate the beauty of capturing an image in black and white. We learned that through photography we are able to capture so much passion and emotion in just a single image. I think Film photography does that very well.

At the end of my course I had to showcase my work. Both my works in Digital photography and Film photography were transfered to either prints or digital images. It was very interesting to work with this form of post production process. I thoroughly enjoyed getting this chance to showcase my work.

I thoroughly enjoyed this class. Both the students and professor were fun, passionate, and all-around good people. There was so much energy and excitement in class, I truly loved it all. I really appreciate all that I learned and I can't wait to take my knew knowledge out into the real world and see what I can do!

Thank you so much for everything!

Taylor Hotter
(Nicole)

Here is a picture I took with my digital camera. I chose to post this one because it reminded me of the first picture by Cornell Capa I chose to post in January. The Cornell Capa photo was of a child who had just dove into a bucket of water. That picture was taken at the exact moment to catch the splashing of water, just before it disturbed a reflection on the floor. I really take the most pleasure in capturing moments like these. Pictures that you can look back on, and that bring back memories of that exact moment in time. I dont think I am strong enough to have done that with my black and white photos. This semester I photographed mostly objects. For example, below is the first picture I printed this semester. I like this picture because the contrast is quite strong, and the shadow is so strong as well it almost looks like a second object. 

-Anna

FINAL MEETING

Dear Students,

The final meeting, (exams) is taking place in Largo dei Fiorentini

THURSDAY - MAY THE 5th from 12:00 to 14:30

Please, in these days write your post with a description of a photos taken by you during the semester.

Nick and I have been working all semester on curating a group show of contemporary Roman artists work. It is going to take place next Tuesday evening in the Art building. We hope to see you there!
~Phoebe

Final Art Show Spring 2011

John Cabot University

Students, faculty, staff, and friends

Are cordially invited to attend

The end-of semester

Student Art Show

Featuring student work in drawing, painting, and photography  

Opening reception Thursday April 28, 2011

From 5 to 7 pm

    At the Largo dei Fiorentini Art Studio

Refreshments will be served.

Please join to celebrate the students’ hard work

and to visit the new photo and graphic design lab.

A traditional thing in Austria for Easter.

I took this photo with a digital camera. I like it very much because it has many different lines, and also because it has many shadows, that if you pay attention you can see on the wall, behind the tree!!

Maria Sole Monini

Outside of the Pantheon...

I took this photo outside of the Pantheon. Most of my previous photos were of scenery so I really wanted to  use my latest role to capture people and their interactions. The above is a picture of a dad and his daughter looking at one of the horses in the piazza. I really liked their body positions and the way that they created a visual triangle with the horse's head. The original snapshot was bigger but I cropped it to highlight the main features.

- Mara Schlanger

Photoshop

I've been working with photoshop since I accidently took a couple rolls with color film. Here is a picture I took in Morocco of a loom. I played with the contrast and the color hues some. By making contrast more of an s curve, that created a bolder look which made the colors pop. The eye is drawn to the brightest spot at the center of the picture. This is because that part of the loom is in focus, while around the edges are more blurry. Even so, the eye wanders around the picture in a counter-clockwise cycle, observing the colors and patterns. I am still learning to use photoshop, so I played with this picture and others for a long time but it still needs some work. Over all, I think the picture turned out successfully and I'm looking forward to working with it more.

this is the original picture

after photoshop

photoshopped with red tint

Kelsey

The Turkish Guard and the Schoolchildren

This is a picture of a guard keeping watch of the Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul, Turkey. The carefree and animated behavior of the little school kids in the background juxtaposed the rigid and expressionless guard that they were standing near. These school kids were there on a field trip to view the interior of one of the most important monuments of their national history. 


~Meera 

REMIND!!!

The Next class, April Monday the 18th, is the last class
 
PLEASE DO NOT MISS IT

Please bring back the camera you have rent.
The fare, as you know is 30 euro.

I took this photo during this last winter in Jackson Hole Wyoming.  The mountain's peak is 14,000 feet, and the temperature was 0 F.  The clouds sit over the valley, hiding the mountains almost completely.  Where the clouds let up and the mountain begins, there is a strong double-line that stretches horizontally across the top of the frame.  This complements the vertical shape of the frozen chairlift.  The singular pole in the center provides a strong vertical line that creates even further visual separation.

George 

Spoleto

I spent this past weekend in Spoleto with my parents. While there I gave my self daily objectives and "themes" for my photo taking. One day, while we walked around the antique market I decided to shoot close ups. I wanted to walk around and capture images exactly how I first noticed them, exactly what I first focused on and how I saw the object. It was truly an amazing experiment. It is truly lovely to be able to look back and see how I experienced the day. I believe that a lot of my images really capture how I felt about my day and my experiences.

Here are two images that I rather enjoyed. I purposefully put them side by side as a way of reflecting the two images. I think that you can truly pull a lot more imformation and emotion from a photo when you have other contrasts surrounding it.

- Nicole

(taylor)

The Photo I Wish I Took...

There were many photo opportunities during my trip to Prague this past weekend. The main photo I wish I had taken was of a little boy in Starbucks during one of my 1321039 coffee runs (had to get my fix before going back to Italy.)

The little boy was drinking a cappuccino and ended up getting a face full of foam after an attempted sip. He had the happiest look on his face despite the fact it was covered with frothy milk. Both of our tables were on the outside terrace of Starbucks located in the new part of town. The streets were really crowded so the juxtaposition of this happy and calm child with the bustling streets made for a great composition. I would want to use a small aperture setting to make the depth of field blurry in the background. The photo would be light (because it was sunny) and taken in a landscape orientation.

- Mara Schlanger

Unity

This is the picture that would not show up from last week. 

This is a picture taken in Placa Square in Barcelona. These people are a group of street performers who were doing their group cheer before the start of their entertainment. They were all dressed up in full zebra skin body outfits that covered everything except their hair. As you can see, I captured one of the performers in mid air as he was jumping up. The others were either on their way up or had already hit the ground after jumping. I really like this picture because it captures a sense of teamwork and unity. I could tell that this group was a tight knit group of friends who enjoyed working together. Muy bueno! 

Meera 

Florence Duomo Climb

These are two pictures I took with my digital camera on my way up to the top of the Duomo in Florence. The first is from inside, looking out through one of the small windows. I liked this shot because of the strong lines. I think the lines in the window make the city view even stronger than it would have been on its own. 

The second picture is part of which I described previously with the rain storm. I could not capture the full scene, but it was indescribable to watch. Farther and farther you look the city turns to hills, and the hills start to disappear behind the dark rain filled clouds. But to my other side you could see for miles and miles because the clouds had not yet taken over that side yet. The views from the top were breathtaking and this unique moment was amazing to see. 

At the Market

This is a picture I took at the market across the street from my apartment. I like bringing my camera to the market and capturing moments of everyday life.

Phoebe

My Own- Outside the Roman Forum

This is one of my favorite pictures I think I've ever taken.  It happened completely accidentally one night when I had first gotten to Rome.   In the background are ancient ruins lit up.  In the middleground are two people, one moving and one stationary.  In the foreground, you see the light captured from the cars rushing by.  It captures Rome really well I think. As everyone rushes by in the present day, we still have a reminder of who created this city for us hundreds of years ago.  This picture captures the evolution of the city and technology over the centuries. I've noticed that slowing down is the best way to appreciate the city.

Mary

serafino

I'm really sorry for today.

I'm seeing the posts. Really interesting.

It is so boring for me to stay at home!!!!

This is a photo I’ve taken in Rome, and it is divided in three parts, all of which display different shadows and light. There is a contrast between each part, in architectural style and also in the exposure to light. The left part is completely in shadow, the middle part comes out entirely clear, whereas the right part is only partially in shadow. However, there is also a segment of the piazza behind the building in the middle, which brings more vivacity to the actual photo. The left part comes out as interrupting the view of the piazza, while the other two parts are sharper and show clear degradation of color and shadow.

Kirila  

Photo Moment

This weekend I went to the Porta Portese market. I've gone a few times before and was somewhat uncomfortable with the amount of people there but yesterday's visit marked a new high in attendance (most likely due to the warm weather.) The market sells a variety of goods ranging from clothing, to accessories, to household objects. There were also cart vendors selling an assortment of food, drinks, and snacks.

The photo I wish I had taken was of a little girl eating a panini from one of the carts. The ratio of food to her mouth was comical, and she looked so peaceful in juxtaposition with the crowded and chaotic market. I would have liked the girl to be in the center, with the food cart behind her a little blurred, and the surrounding areas of the cart to be very blurry. I think changing the depth of field would create movement and help to illustrate the peaceful nature of the little girl.

Mara Schlanger

Prof Amato is sick!

Dear students

I',m sorry but I'm sick. I et something wrong.
I don't know what.

I think it is impossible for me to teach today. But I think you can work without me.
You can develop, to print, to post in the blog the elctronic files of the pictures scanned.

Phoebe and Nicole should help.
 I'll inform the JCU for a make up class.

Thanks


Mary need a film for her minolta. Please would you find one? 

 

Grazie!

Delphi's Temple of Athena in the Distance

file:///Users/divyarathi/Pictures/iPhoto%20Library/Modified/2011/Athens%20/IMG_2052.JPG

Another place I went to over spring break was Athens. This is a picture that I took, on our day trip to Delphi, of the Temple of Athena in the background with the focus on a daisy in the foreground. I like this picture because it minimizes the significance of the temple and strengthens the attention on a mere flower. The picture also gives the viewer a sense of how far away the temple is from the flower itself. It encompasses many vivid colors that make up shadows and greenery in the landscape setting.

~Meera  

Florence

Here is a picture I took in Florence. The page is divided into thirds, each section has a different visibility of the view in the distance. The left most side is a wall, the middle is an open window and the right side is a warped window pane. There are heavy verticals that intersect the horizontal landscape.

Landscape

I was sitting on a bench in a forest in Macedonia, observing the plain, green landscape contrasted with the blue sky and the admixtures of orange, yellow and red highlights of the sunset. The atmosphere was very peaceful, imposing warm and calm surrounding, affecting my own state of mind and bringing complete joy and freedom. Although the colors were contrasted, they were also harmoniously interrelated, creating a compact landscape full of different, flowing hues. The horizon line was interrupted by the arrangement of the trees, incorporating more dynamics in the actual environment and its components. In addition, there were a lot of shadows, actually covering the right half of the landscape in my imaginary framework. It was an ordinary forest view, but the special part was the complex interconnection and mixture of the various colors and their contrast and concord at the same time.

I would capture this photo in color, since there is a great variety of hues and sun highlights. I would use a normal lens and a very closed diaphragm, so that the focus would be the color and the sharpness of the landscape. Therefore, each hue would come out clear, adding to the completeness of the peaceful surrounding.

Kirila      

green, white, and red's Rocca Albornoziana.

This picture was taken later in the afternoon. people in Spoleto were excited for this event and spent the all day looking at it, i did it too. There's a contrast between the natural color of the sky and the bright green, white, and red (that seems pink here). Next to the "Rocca albornoziana" there's an impressive bridge called "Ponte delle torri" or better "Tower's bridge" recalled "The bridge of the suicide", because mentally ill people S.T kill themselves there.

Maria Sole.

Spoleto for the 150°

This is the most important monument with the cathedral and the bridge of the city of Spoleto. This picture was taken in occasion of the anniversary of the unity of the nation, and the city decided to put the color of Italian flag in one part of this beautiful and cultural city. Everything around is very dark, I think this to give more importance to the monument and specially to the day of the unity. Go to visit Spoleto, is an amazing place.

                                                                                                                                        Giuseppe Monini

Newlyweds in The Central Market

My missed photo opportunity came in The Central Market in Budapest, Hungary. The Central Market is a very large rectangular building with a lofted triangular glass roof. Inside the building are hundreds of market stands with people selling meats, cheeses, and produce. People swarm around the stands and within the halls of the market trying to make their purchases. While I was at the market, there was a bride and groom dressed in their wedding clothes posing for photos. The bride and groom were very peaceful, enjoying the moment together. In contrast, the market was very lively and frantic. The image of the serene couple set against the energetic market would have provided a very powerful photo. I would take this photo with a wide angle lens, a short depth of field, and t-max 400 black and white film.

-Jason

moroccan picture i wish i took

We were sitting in the Sahara desert on top of a dune. The dune was one of the biggest in North Africa. We climbed all the way to the top, and were exhausted from the hike. Everyone sat down in the sand and looked over the desert. The sand dunes in the distance faded into the sunset. On our right was the sun setting, but it was very dusty from all the sand. The sun was hidden behind the dust, so it almost looked like the moon, since it was not very bright. There was no moon yet, only the beginnings of stars twinkling behind the curtain of dust and sand. Our group leader asked me to teach him how to meditate, since he had heard that I teach yoga. A few other people listened in also. We sat in a line along the top of the Saharan dune. We were cross-legged with our hands resting on our knees in a mudra for meditation. The wind was blowing strongly since we were so high up. As I spoke to the others, I opened my eyes and looked around. Their faces were calm and happy. They were at peace with themselves, and with the world. I felt so connected with nature. The dunes rolled through the desert like an ocean, while at the same time looming over us like mountains. Everything was interconnected.

The light was very dull, because it was sunset and dust was everywhere. The contrast between humans and nature was interesting, because we were literally in the middle of nowhere. Nobody else was around except for the 9 of us sitting on top of the dune. Although there was the strong contrast between human life and the natural life of the desert, there was a unique unity between the two as well. I think this is because the emotions of everyone were so at peace, content, and genuinely happy with themselves and the world. I wish that I had gotten a picture of it! But that experience is something I will never forget.

To take this picture I would need an extreme wide angle lense because I want to capture clearly both the figures and the landscape. I would also need the diaphragm to be around a 2.8 so that I could capture the image clearly. It was dusk, so the shutterspeed would need to be 1/16 or 1/12 in order to get enough light in the photograph. I would like the picture to be very clear and contrasted to emphasize the contrast of figures/landscape, so Retinol film would be best.

Kelsey

Visiting a Mosque in Turkey

I had visited Istanbul during my spring break and almost every day, we would visit a different mosque that had its own unique qualities. Each time we would visit a mosque, there were many other tourists and prayer services would never be in session at the times we visited. However, on the last day we were in Istanbul, we came across a small mosque called the Little Hagia Sofia. Fortunately, we were right in time for one of the five prayer services that take place throughout the day. Since we were tourists and only observing their traditions and rituals, we were required to stand at a balcony one level above the main altar looking down at the service. Even though I took many pictures, both black and white and in color (to represent the brilliant colors displayed in the mosque), I was not able to quite capture a closeup of the calm emotions on the Imam and the Muslim devotees' faces. I only got a shot of their backs, whereas I would have preferred to capture their actual faces. Overall, I would label this picture as a depiction of religious dedication and unity, since the people who were praying prayed and bowed down to Allah in unison. It was very calm and serene inside the mosque itself and the prayers just seemed to be overwhelmingly powerful.

Because this picture would have been taken inside a mosque, my picture would have a lot of contrast due to the dark colored clothing of the Muslims and the lighter color of the walls surrounding them. Since I want the focus of the picture to be emotion, I would take this in black and white so that the vibrant colors of the mosque would not distract the viewer and the attention of the viewer would be focused on the people praying. I would capture a couple of shots, some using a wide angle lens and some using a telephoto lens. With the wide angle lens, I would capture the whole room of Muslims who were positioned in precise lines. I would stand in a particular corner of the room where it would make the lines in the photo seem diagonal. With a telephoto lens, I would capture one devotee's face and have the rest of the people in the background appear blurry.

-Meera

Quading in Corfu

My last day in Corfu, a Greek island, we rented Quads for the day to ride around and explore the island. It was getting later in the day, close to the time we had to return the Quads, and I realized I wasn't quite sure how to get back to our hostel. I led us in the direction I thought might be the right way, but was pretty stressed out that we would get lost. After navigating our way through this tiny, twisted town, the road opened into this beautiful landscape. The sun was low in the sky, preparing for sunset and we had come to this long straight away, with nothing but open road and mountains in the background. I was filled with an immense freedom that immediately cured my stress. It was a moment of not caring how lost I was or when I was bound to return. The light was vivid and I was comforted by the warmth of the sun. The view was one I never wanted to abandon. I wish I could've taken a picture, but even if I had I wish I could've done it justice. The vast, open land and endless road perfectly mimicked the sense of freedom I was feeling at that moment. I would've used a small aperture in order to have a large depth of field, so that everything was in clear focus, from the grass and road in front of me to the mountains in the background. I would have taken the picture in color in order to use the bring the landscape to life with vivid color provided by the light of the sun at that time of day.

Julia

The Photo I Wish I Took

I was in Rome for a majority of this break because two of my roommates from Rhode Island came to visit. This meant that for most of the week I was running around showing them all of the sights. One day in the middle of the afternoon me and one of my roommates were walking from the forum up the stairs of the monument to Vittorio Emanuele II. After climbing all of the stairs, we looked up and saw a beautiful bride in her flowing white dress and her proud new husband. Suddenly, a group of eight or nine year olds who were on a school trip turned around and started screaming how beautiful the bride was. I wish I captured the moment of the children surrounding the newly wed couple grabbing their hands and telling the bride how beautiful she was. One would think that this could make the couple upset because they were trying to get their professional photos taken, but they welcomed the little kids with open arms. It was a great moment to see and I wish I could have taken everyone in one of their happiest moments.

I would use a 5.6 or under for depth and I would have taken a horizontal photograph. I would have also had to use a a low iso because it was very bright out. My wide angle would have worked out really well.

Lisbon

This photo is an example of what one street in Lisbon looked like that I mentioned in class. The streets were colored with soft tones, but were highlighted through the streams of lights the hung over head. It was not nearly this crowded when I was there, but this photograph gives the idea of what the streets looked like during the night time.  The streets in Lisbon at night time were chaotic, but this photograph gives an exaggerated example of what it was like. 

Beaches of Brindissi

The sun cast a glare on the windshield, and filled all three of us with warmth. Driving along the sea, each of us from different worlds, backgrounds, coming together to find common ground. We laugh and listen to the Italian radio while the light sets a bright pink ball and gives us a satisfaction that this trip may be the only one of its kind. Pictures flash through my memory of the past three days, and how even if I tried nothing could have came together this perfect. The soccer player from the Netherlands, the bastard son of the King of Belgium, and I, an American girl in search of an adventure over Spring break. We rode in a 1980's model Ford van and cooked fresh fish on the grill. The sun set behind us on the beaches of Otranto, and then rose to see us, the first ones to see the morning in Italy. Boats from every point float on the seas in Brindissi, and we eat fresh clams and shrimp on the key. I have learned the art of doing nothing, fa niente. And as we go our separate ways, each holding visions of our experience together, we know we will meet again.

Riding in the van on the lungo mare to Brindissi I would have used a very wide angle lens, and open up the diaphragm to capture the driver and the inside of the van clearly, while allowing the colors of the sunset to come through the background.

Sarah

Photo I Wish I Had Taken

For Spring Break I went to Tenerife, an island off the coast of Morocco.  On our last day there, we rented a private sailboat to take us snorkeling and whale watching.  As the evening drew to an end, the sun began to set, casting a radiant blood-orange hue across the water.  Off to the east, in stark contrast, dark foreboding clouds sank over the island, luminous and sly.  The mountains rose upwards, swallowed by the impending rain.  The perfect photograph, captured by a wide-angle lens in color with a diaphragm of 8, would show both sides of this contrasting scene - the tranquil sunset in the west, and the coming storm in the east - with the glowing water acting as an indifferent, yet hypnotizing mediator.

George

The photo I wish I took

I was standing close enough to the stage to touch it, with Taylor Swift a mere two feet away from me-- just out of my reach.  I turned to my left to find a 15 year old Italian girl frantically asking me to take her picture.  I took the camera and she and her friend poised themselves for the 5 seconds it took to take the picture.  As soon as the flash went off, they turned to each other with tears in their eyes and jumped up and down while they hugged.  They were so overjoyed and full of emotion that they physically could not contain it.

Mary

OPEN DIAPHRAGM, WIDE ANGLE LENS 28, HIGH ISO, HIGH CONTRAST

The photo I wish I took ...

Over the break I went to the island of Capri. On a cruise around the island, we got to go into the Blue Grotto. Inside the grotto is complete darkness when you first enter but when you turn around you see the water glow a magnificent blue color. Thats all you can see inside is the glowing water; the light from outside the grotto comes in under the water causing it to 'glow'. I captured a picture on my digital camera, but even that can't describe what it was like. I would have liked to taken it with my traditional camera and seen how it would have captured the concept of the incoming light beneath the water in black and white, especially since the most important part of the experience is the blue. I would think using a wide-angle lens would have been the most beneficial.

-Allison

The Picture I wish I had Taken

The most memorable photo that I wish I took over spring break was from the top of the Duomo in Florence. The view itself was breathtaking, but what made it even more memorable was that on the left, you could see the dark grey clouds and the rain falling over the hills in the distance. But looking to the right, the rain had not yet came, and the city was still bright with sun and there were blue skies above the hills beyond. It would have made a great photo not only for the contrast of city to countryside, but also from dark to light due to the shifting weather.
I think the photo would have been most striking in color, because the different colors of the buildings of the city would have popped against the dark sky, and the same for the blue sky against the dark hills on the other side. However, the contrast in color was strong enough that it would have been present in black and white as well.
I would have wanted to use a wide angle to be able to capture both sides of the landscape. It was also low light so I would want high iso also to bring out the contrast of the sky as much as possible so that it showed up in black and white. 

-Anna

The Photo I Wish I Took...

I was in London for spring break and during my stay there were a lot of protests and riots about education, the government, etc. Thousands of people gathered the city in various locations including Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, and Covent Gardens. The mass influx of people caused a backup on the underground railway system. I took the tube during the peak of the crowd which meant that the station was packed and it was nearly impossible to move around. I wish I had captured the huge group of people because the variety of ethnicities, races, and genders present would have offered a unique and diverse composition of characters. The scene I am picturing is mostly people with little background to express how big the crowd was. I would have changed the depth of field to make the background blurry to indicate motion.

Mara Schlanger

The photo I wish I took

Over break I spent a few days visiting friends in Perugia. One afternoon they showed me around their favorite view points including a spot overlooking Assisi. I wish I had my camera to take a picture of the  landscape I saw. The hills went far into the distance and they were scattered with houses. From above the contrast between the reddish, brown rooftops and and the green hills below a warm blue sky created a quiet and peaceful image. I would have taken this photo in color.

I would have used a normal wide angle lens, large depth of field, 5.6 F-stop and 100 ISO. 


Phoebe

Micha Bar Am

This is a photograph of a young boy playing on the border between east and west Jerusalem. I really like that the actual subject of the image is very small and the furthest object away from the camera. He is placed on the horizon so it really feels like he's on the border of something, at the very last point before he drops off the surface. The hanging clothes serve to communicate setting as well as frame the subject, so that even though he is small, he is made visible to the viewer. Also, the two sets of hanging clothes provide depth, as one is in the foreground and the other in the background. The photographer probably used a small aperture to gain an extended field of depth, so that the small boy in the background is still clear.

Julia