PORTFOLIO
DOZEN PHOTO CHALLENGE
CRITIQUING PHOTO CHALLENGE
MULTIMODAL ASSIGNMENT
For my multimodal assignment, I explored the work of photographer and filmmaker Lauren Greenfield. Her photography focuses on themes like beauty, youth, wealth, and the pressure to be perceived as perfect. Within this presentation, I focused on three of her major projects: Girl Culture (2002), Thin (2006), and Generation Wealth (2017). Each project touches upon the major theme of how society influences the way people, especially girls and women, see themselves and how we as a society try to live up to unrealistic standards. Greenfield’s work is both visually powerful and socially aware. Within her photographs, she tells stories that make people reflect on their own personal values as well as the culture we live in.
Before learning about Lauren Greenfield and seeing her work, I thought photography was mainly about capturing beautiful moments or aesthetically pleasing imagery. After reviewing her different projects and understanding the different but equally important social themes associated with each of them, I was able to see how photography can also be a way to explore serious issues and can be used to start hard conversations, further challenging how we think about society and ourselves.
PHOTOGRAPHIC VOICE –
EMULATING A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER
COURSE GOALS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
At the beginning of this course, I set three main goals for myself: to get comfortable using my camera manually, to find my own photo style, and to give helpful feedback to others. Over the course of this class, I went from only knowing how to use an easy one-click digital camera to being able to learn and adjust key settings like shutter speed, AV mode, and ISO on a much more professional-style camera, and I now feel much more confident shooting in manual mode. I also became more familiar with the general functions of my camera and how to use it more efficiently while shooting in different lighting and settings, since I basically started from scratch. For my second goal, I wanted to discover my personal photography style, and through the assignments, I realized that I’m drawn to capturing bright colors, sunsets, flowers, nature, and scenes from everyday life. These subjects make me feel the most inspired, and I’ve found that my favorite images are the ones that reflect a simple moment or natural beauty in a vibrant and eye-catching way. Lastly, I stayed consistent with the weekly critiques, making sure to give thoughtful feedback to peers each time. I used the photo terms we learned in class to explain my comments clearly. Overall, I achieved all of the goals I set for myself and feel like I’ve really grown as a photographer throughout this course.