Introduction
In the explorations project, we got to choose any project in our elective class that we wanted to learn more about. In English, we read the book Range, which showed that having a range of skills is more beneficial in the long run than being very specialized in one specific topic. We were given full control over our projects and I chose to make my project about street photography. I chose this topic because I was inspired by the power of candid photos in photojournalism and the many cases of moving images that led to movements for change throughout history. Below are some of the most famous and powerful images.
Process
Since street photography is so impulsive and you have to think on your feet, there was not a lot of setup involved. I shot in manual, so I adjusted the settings according to the lighting of my location. I kept the shutter speed very short because I was walking around and I didn’t want blurry photos. I tried to compose my photos of interesting visuals. After I got home, I loaded all my photos onto my computer and picked out the ones I liked. Then, I used both Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop to edit them. I had a few photos that were exposed so badly that I couldn’t save them in post production.
Final Production
Reflection
Overall, I am happy with the results of my explorations project. Going forward, I want to continue doing street photography and I will be able to get better with more time and practice. I also want to practice editing more so my photos can look better. Through this experience, I learned how to compose shots quickly and trained my eye to notice what could make pictures. This will help with my overall design eye and intuition.
Experimental Music
For this project, we made songs using virtual instruments in Pro Tools. The goal was to learn how to use the virtual instruments and make our own music. I went for a cheerful feel and a heavily sustained piano.
I had a hard time figuring out how to use Pro Tools, but once I got the hang of it the process went more smoothly. Looking back, I think I should have added more background instruments for a fuller sound because this song sounds very basic with only a few instruments. Overall, I am happy with the sound, but I wish I tried experimenting more instead of repeating melodies.
pro tools screenshot
