Wordle

Wordle your BLOG!

Goto Wordle .net and create a "word cloud" of your current blog.  It will increase the size of words you use more frequently and arrange them in a random fashion.  Feel free the change the colors, layout, font once the cloud is created in Wordle.  When complete, print to Adobe PDF and we will turn it into an image file using Photoshop.  Make sure the use the following for the title: Wordle Blog 10-19-09

Photograph Alphabet

Where do you see letters?  EVERYWHERE!  Use your camera to take pictures of every letter of the alphabet.  Feel free to take additional pictures of repeat letters if you find cool and unusual ones.  Create your own blog entry and include a photograph of your favorite letter that you find.  Feel free to add additional entries when you find additional letters...

Experimenting with Aperture

Aperture - f-stop - Depth of Field. 

A more advanced mode on the digital camera. 

Below is an example of a small f-stop (Shallow Depth of Field).  Notice how the words on the bottle are in focus, but the map in the background is not.  (Taken with D100, "A" mode, f-stop 4.5)

Here is an example of a large f-stop (greater Depth of Field).  Notice how the words on the bottle are in focus, but NOW the map in the background is in better focus.  (Taken with D100, "A" mode, f-stop 29)

Your Challenge:  Find a location and take your own picture, forcing a small f-stop and large f-stop.  Aim for an artistic photo, not just a snapshot.  Post them both on your blog and include the camera, settings and the f-stop setting. Also, describe what you liked (or disliked) about your photo and if there was anything you could do to improve it.

Margaret Bourke-White

1904-1971

Margaret Bourke-White was a forerunner for women in photography.  She was the first female photographer hired for FORTUNE magazine (in 1929) as well as the first female photojournalist hired at LIFE magazine.  She was the first female war correspondent and covered World War II, the Indi-Pakistani conflict and the Korean War.  She was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in the 1950's and spent the final year's of her life in Darien, CT.

History of Photography

So what did you think of the History of Photography? You had a short exposure (pun intended!) to how the whole thing started. What did you find most interesting? Was it the importance of chemistry in the whole process? How difficult do you think it was for early photographers such as Matthew Brady? What was the biggest hurdle you think he had to overcome? Respond to this post or make the first entry on your own blog. Due: Thursday, September 17

Welcome Back!

An exciting year is ahead of us -- I look forward to seeing what you see through a camera lens.

Over the semester we will use this blog to post your photographs and read comments from your peers across the United States. I think it will be interesting and worth while.

Doc