Photos By Emily

Emily Harsch Quarter Portfolio

Photo FoundationsPeriod 4

Talbot

Create a meaningful image using the

Talbot Box Camera.

High Outlook

For our first project, I chose to take a picture looking up through a tree. This photo shows strong contrast with the light sky versus the dark branches and leaves. It has

an interesting perspective looking up through the branches instead of looking straight at it. The leaves and branches add nice hard and soft textures to the picture

as well.

Nature

Create a meaningful “Nature” image. This photograph

should illustrate a detail of the outdoors.

Frozen Berries For the nature

project, I chose to shoot a close-up of a frozen bush

with berries. The branches against the snow have opposite textures and

contrast color-wise, making an interesting foil in the picture. The berries also provide a relief from the branches and snow as

something unexpected.

Still Life

Create a meaningful “Still Life” image by positioning inanimate

objects into a pleasing composition. It should focus on good composition and lighting.

BreakfastFor the still life project, I chose to photograph a series of breakfast items: soymilk, apple jacks, and a cereal bowl of apples. It has asymmetrical balance with the objects offcenter. It has nice contrast with the light sheet and dark lettering and apples. The outlines of each item is unique, the box’s straight edges versus the smooth curves of the apples, bottle, and bowl. The placement of each item creates interesting depth in relation to each other, the shadows also help with this.

Choice #1 – Shadows

Shadows of an object can be more interesting than

the objects itself and are often overlooked. Capture the

unnoticed details and shape.

Shadowing Monk

This photo represents the rule of thirds quite nicely. The Monk bobble head is in the far right third, while its shadow takes up the last two-thirds. It also has nice shadows

that lead the eye away from the bobble head and across the snow. The shadow is an elongation of the figure, making an interesting contrast between sizes. The

hard ceramic figure and the soft snow have contrasting textures as well.

Self Portrait

Create a meaningful self-portrait image to represent you and promote you as a person.

The self-portrait must be taken by you using a tripod, remote release and/or timer.

TruthThis photo shows good composition, with the positioning of the tree around the chair and I, like a frame. It has good contrast with the white skirt and the tree’s shadows as extremes, the shadowing and sky adding to this. It also shows very clear textures in the tree and grass, making the picture feel touchable and real. Most importantly, it represents me as a person, chilled and surrounded by books and nature. I feel it makes the viewer wonder about why I’m staring into the distance, bringing the viewer in even more.

Deep Depth of Field

Create a photo using deep depth of field where all or most of the picture

is in focus from front to back. This photo should also show perspective.

Big DreamsThis photo shows deep depth of field because the chair is really only about a foot tall and my brother in the back is around six feet. The perspective shown in this photo makes it funny and interesting as an eye trick. The contrast in this picture is good, the lines of the chair really pop out against the white sky. The shadows under the chair also add to the photo, giving depth. The grass is really in focus as the background is, too, because you can see Jon looking up.

Shallow DOF

Create a photo using shallow depth of field where the foreground or subject is in focus

and the background is blurred creating a stronger center of interest. For an interesting change,

reverse the shallow depth of field and focus on the background leaving the subject out of focus.

GrahamFor this photo, I used reverse depth of field where the focus is on the center of the guitar instead of just the front of it. This is more interesting on a picture like this with lines since lines usually lead to the focus, it tricks the eye to another area. This photo’s composition is good, the guitar fills the frame and the diagonal lines are visually interesting. The blurry parts are also interesting because of the bokeh from the shiny parts of the guitar, like the strings instead of a flat, boring element.

Stop Action

Create an image that is freezing a subject while in motion. The moving

subject and the background should be in sharp focus.

NicoleFor my stop action, I choose to shoot my friend Nicole as she was jumping. The movement is apparent through her hair and cardigan in the air. This picture displays the rule of thirds both vertically and horizontally, making the picture visually appealing. There is also a reflection of the trees in the picture in the water of the parking lot, adding to the composition. The contrast of the picture is also good shown through the sky and parking lot lights versus the midsection’s darks.

Panning

Create an image displaying panning. The photograph should show the subject of the

photo to be moving and in sharp focus while the background is blurred.

Fast CarThis photo shows panning because the car is driving fast, but is still focused while the background is blurred. The moving car has room in front of it, so the motion can continue through the picture, appealing to the eye. This picture also uses the rule of thirds, dividing by the pavement, the car and the upper part of the house in the background.

Choice #2 - Portrait

Create an image of another person that represents the person accurately and has good

lighting.

NickThis photo has a more relaxed feeling, which represents Nick accurately. The contrast between the sky, lines, and ball versus Nick’s shirt and the trees in good, the white breaking up the darker tones. This picture also shows interesting perspective by Nick being larger than the trees and the car. It also respects the rule of thirds with the horizon in the upper third and the cropping allows headroom for Nick, allowing the picture to be more complete.

Final Photoshop

Using a new, original photograph (taken by you), adjust the photo to perfection

using Photoshop. The changes should create a more interesting and perfect

photograph.

Giraffe in the Junction

To put a giraffe in Valley Junction, I used the Quick Selection, Refine Edge, Free Transform, and Auto Adjustment tools in Photoshop.

BiographyEmily Harsch lives in West Des Moines and just completed her Sophomore year at Valley High School. She took Photo Foundations with Ms DeVries.

While not in photo, Emily enjoys singing, reading, playing guitar, listening to music, and hanging out with her friends. She in involved in jazz choir, Valley Drama, IHSSA individual events and group IHSSA.

Her future plans include majoring in English at hopefully Northwestern and joining the Peace Corps to teach children reading and writing skills. She also wants a dog very badly.

Emily hopes to continue her photography through taking advanced photography classes at Valley High School.

La fin

Music – “Glory” by Radical Face