Sports Portfolio

Part 1

1. Watch 4 of the 11 Runner-up videos, and answer the following on your blog for EACH:
a. Name of photographer - Jordan Murph
b. General focus of portfolio (photoj, sports, stories, etc.)- Sports and radio
c. List three problems that the judges noted with the portfolio - The "stories" that the photographer tried to incorporate into their portfolio didn't go with the theme and didn't show the actual full story. Two pictures in a row with the same color, composition, and lighting. The judges said that they were"hitting the same notes"- needs to expand their POV.
d. List two things the judges like- They really liked the individual sports pictures, the photographer had well lit pictures. The photographer had a variety of sports shown.
e. What is your overall impression of the photographer? What did you like or not like? I really liked the individual sports pictures as well. I also didn't think that the stories conveyed as much as the photographer had wanted. I noticed that there were a lot of merger problems and the portfolio started to be less interesting as the video went on.


a. Name of photographer - Josh Birnbaum
b. General focus of portfolio (photoj, sports, stories, etc.)- Arrival of spring, story about a guy in a wheelchair
c. List three problems that the judges noted with the portfolio - The humor was the only good part of one of the pictures. Had some missed opportunities, distracting to have more than one person in one picture.
d. List two things the judges like- Good detail, "different"
e. What is your overall impression of the photographer? What did you like or not like? I didn't really like any of the pictures in the first part of the portfolio, I thought that the photographer could've chosen different angles. In the first story about a guy in a wheelchair, it didn't convey anything besides the fact that he was on a basketball team. The third part of the portfolio was about a wheelchair basketball team, which only had 4 photos in it. The first 2 were really good in the POV, but the others had no focus.


a. Name of photographer - Justin Mott
b. General focus of portfolio (photoj, sports, stories, etc.)- Pacific countries in poverty, mental disorders
c. List three problems that the judges noted with the portfolio - Wished things were more in focus. Work on portfolio building.  There were pictures that didn't add anything to the story.
d. List two things the judges like- Intentional, good composition and good light.
e. What is your overall impression of the photographer? What did you like or not like? I liked how the photographer was able to capture the pictures that they did. There was a lot of variety and the pictures did help to communicate to the viewer about life as someone with a mental illness or in poverty.


a. Name of photographer - Nick Adams
b. General focus of portfolio (photoj, sports, stories, etc.)- Sports, family
c. List three problems that the judges noted with the portfolio -  Focus is off. Didn't like the main focus of one of them. The picture was cropped too close to the person's body.
d. List two things the judges like- Professional and good framing.
e. What is your overall impression of the photographer? What did you like or not like? I didn't really like the portfolios that they had. I thought that it was pretty boring and that they could've made better composition choices.
   ______________________________________________________________________________

2. Watch the winning portfolio critique (Dustin Snipes), and post the following:

a. What did the judges note as strengths as they were critiquing it? Good compositions, everyone does something, interesting, good focus, creative,
b. What do you see as strengths? he had good pictures, they were interesting to see and were nice to look at. He had a good point of view.

Do you see any weaknesses? Too much photoshop

   _______________________________________________________________________________

3. Watch the contest recap video at the very bottom.
a. Briefly describe the process the judges went through in deciding the winner. They relooked at the portfolios and they talked about when they didn't like. What stood out and what seemed unique or artistic. What the judges valued. Awarding diversity and the person that can photograph the best thing. Who put together a good portfolio. No blanks, all good pictures.

   _______________________________________________________________________________

Part 2

1. Describe one photo that you agree with the judges on. Explain why you and the judges do or do not like it. I agree with the judges on the image that is of the man boxing with the referee in the background. I do think that the photographer could've cropped closer to the boxer, but I also agree with the judges, who think that the referee helps to add a sense of dynamic to the fore and back ground. There is a repetition of form between the referee and the boxer, which adds more interest to the image.

2. Describe one photo that you DO NOT agree with the judges on. Explain why you think the judges are wrong. I disagree with one of the judges about the photo with the red sled in it. I think that the picture has a really cool effect in the center due to the speed of the sled. One of the judges thought that the picture had nothing aesthetically wonderful and that the image wasn't dynamic. I thought that the lines created by the speed of the vehicle help to bring the viewers eye from the upper middle to the sled. I think that the contrast between the bright red sled and the off-white of the ground helps to create an aesthetic. I like that its not something that had been shown previously.

Car Raid Preview

1. Who will your do your car raid with (who is your subject)? I think that I might interview my friend Zoe's mom or I could ask my neighbor.

2. When will you do this car raid? This upcoming Saturday or Sunday.

3. Write 4-5 questions you can use to start this interview?

• What type of car do you own?
• Where do you usually drive to during the week?
• I'll ask Zoe about the family of ants that live in their car
• What made you chose to buy this car?
• What is unique about your car? (Does one of the windows not roll down, does something stick, is one of the doors permanently shut?)

4. What kind of details should your expect to write down to help advance the story line? Anything interesting that answers the above questions, particularly the ant one.

Merger Preview

1. Lining up the pictures and not having the camera move.
2. Something with a blank wall and not in front of trees or plants because they could move a lot.
3. I could stand on a chair or lie down. Moving closer to the camera helps to create depth.
4. I could wear bright colors to distinguish the edges of my body to edit it easier. I could also put my hair up to avoid frizzy hair.

Merger Shoot

Hero Shoot

Landscape Review

1. Where is one place on the internet you might go to better prepare yourself for the location you are shooting at? Google Maps, you can look at the different trails and places to shoot.

2. What is one app you might download to help you when trying to pick the best angle to take landscape photos? The Photographer's Ephemeris.

3. What is the biggest problem shooting with a zoom or telephoto lens? You don't get as many of the details that it is possible to capture.

4. Instead of using the HDR method you learned in my class, what is another technique the website suggest would be acceptable for compensating for sky and ground? You should use SLRs, it is easier to reclaim highlights and shadows through the processing software.

5. List three things you should always carry in case of bad weather. A strong water proof bag, cleaning cloth for the camera's lens glass and filters, and a microfibre towel for drying off the lens.

6. Why would pre-scouting help you when shooting? It helps to determine which viewpoint provides a better picture. Pre-scouting also helps with finding new areas were people haven't shot a lot before. 

7. Is subject or composition more important in landscape photography, WHY? It is better to stick to subject because if you stick to composition, then all of your photos look the same, which gets boring. Nature also doesn't follow the composition rules, which also is something that would make the subject more important.

8. What is the suggested procedure to create simple, yet striking images? Figure out what is essential to the scene. Then when you find the main subject, use that to determine any other features that would be cool to add to the composition.

9. Why black and white? Black and white helps to set the tone of the image. There are two weather and lighting conditions that produce monochromatic results anyways, such as a rain cloudy sky and a bright, blue sky.

10. Why would you want to go back to a location you have already been? You already know some of the "loopholes" for shooting in the location. You are able to determine the locations that get you the best shots, and the second time you can base your newer locations off of that. You can also learn more about the how the lighting and weather contribute to creating a different landscape.

11. Find three landscape images that you like and post them with this blog.

HDR Photo