In this photo I adjusted the brightness and contrast to higher settings in order to make up for the poor lighting. This effect also brightens the skin and makes the face look better. I also changed the vibrance and hue to give the picture a warmer glow. I went around using the spot heal tool to erase epidermal imperfections. The quality of the photo was worse than I had anticipated so I used the sharpening tool on the lips, eyebrows, and parts of the eyes in order to make them pop a little more.

In this photo I also used the spot healing tool to clean up the skin. I played around with the clone stamp and changed the shadows on my face. I also sharpened and enlarged my lips and ear quite a bit. I changed the hue on the irises of my eyes to a lighter green.

While walking around campus I came across the CSE building. The building sits up on a hill and is overpoweringly tall. I got down on the ground and attempted a ground level shot. While editing I warped the picture which distorts the natural lines and geometry of the composition. It almost looks like I was using some type of fish-eye lens.

This building is just southeast of the Oval. The main floor is elevated quite a bit above ground level but I still attempted to get an eye-level shot. While editing I went in and changed the lighting of each room and window. The different color scheme really gives the building a different feeling. The light was a harsher white light that gave it a colder more office or laboratory vibe. The pink light is almost inviting. It gives the building personality and an aspect of mystery.

Overexposed

Underexposed

After navigating different levels of exposure, I have found that I prefer underexposed photographs as compared to overexposed pictures. Overexposure seems to highlight areas of deep contrast by increasing the intensity at which light reflects off the piece. More of the piece is visible causing the eyes to wander. Underexposure seems to dampen harsh contrast which allows the eyes to explore the piece without the distraction of loud/eye-catching areas. Underexposure can also drown out the background which may or may not work to one’s advantage. In this case my subject was white; and as a result the overexposure took away a lot of the form of the subject. If my subject were of darker tones, the underexposure would have posed a similar issue.

Temperature holds a lot of influence to my interpretation of a picture. I can look at the same photo in different temperatures and have different feelings about subject of the photograph. Certain colors have been found to illicit certain responses from the brain. Cooler colors have more of a calming effect and warmer colors tend to excite. I don’t believe that I have a preference toward warmer or cooler pictures. This picture of Tokyo’s skyline is a very urban, cold, and bright photo. When I look at the warm filter I imagine a city like Las Vegas. When I look at the cooler filter I imagine a city like New York. My personal experiences have influenced these comparisons but the point is without having been to Tokyo, those two pictures are leading me to expect two different realities.

Normal

Warm

Cool

This weekend I helped my father clean out his childhood home. It was an emotional end to a 50+ year relationship with the house. He is the youngest and final remnant of their tight knit five-person family. As we entered we were welcomed with familiar scents that transcend my lifetime and trace back to a time where my father was taking his first steps. A wooden spoon and empty cabinet is all that is left of my old kitchen floor drum set. The house felt empty and the air was still.

He sees the reflection of a younger self and a living room full of familiar faces. (Thirds Composition)

Looking out the window where he remembers seeing the neighborhood kids on bikes insisting that he come out and play. (Symmetry Composition)

One final proud look at the back porch he and his brother built one summer in their twenties. (Open Composition)

Every stair groaned as we walked up to his room. He pulled out board games, flipped through composition books, and took a step back admiring the wall that had all his friends’ names on it. He reminisced of parties, sneaking out, and all the fun times had.

Leaving behind his bedroom of nearly twenty years. (Closed Composition)

A house is so much more than boards and nails; it is the backdrop of one’s life, the string that sews families together, and a beacon of comfort. It is not easy to say goodbye but it is time for this house to serve another family for lifetimes to come.

One last look at a life left behind. (Closed Composition)