Sontag Camera vs. Gun Comparison

Susan Sontag makes a metaphorical statement of a camera being compared to a gun. When you think about it, both are capable of ending a person's life. While a gun is more literal and violent than a camera, a camera is capable of showing events that could ruin the integrity of a person (or as many would say, ruin their life). Examples of this would be perhaps catching a cheating spouse, bringing incriminating evidence of criminal activity against an honorable person, or showing someone's actions they aren't particularly proud of. Both a camera and a gun are very powerful in their own right.

Symbols of Christmas

For my Photo Essay I decided to take advantage of the holiday season, especially around the Black Friday time period. I went around and photographed objects and symbols that supposedly represent Christmas. The objective of this subject is to make the audience think about how much do today’s so called symbols of Christmas really have to do with the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas is meant to celebrate Jesus' birth. So how do reindeer, or elves, or snowmen tie in with that? Has the true meaning of Christmas really become so diluted over the years that we've forgotten what it's truly about? Why is Christmas the only holiday so intensely prepared for by stores and consumers months in advance? How many people don't really believe in God let alone the birth of Christ, but still receive gifts, and celebrate Christmas every year because it's more about the gifts than the meaning?

Candid Portraits

For this set, I took a couple pictures of my friend while driving trying to use the moving background and mirrors to make the photos so interesting. The rest of them I took of various stranges of all different ages and characters. From the elderly, to children, to young adults.

Guitar Set

I wanted to see if I could capture the type of music my friend and I were playing just by photographing each other. My friend was playing soft, relaxing acoustic music while I was playing heavy, intense metal and hard rock. I was hoping to capture this by expressions, body language, and playing style.

Light Set

I took several photos using no flash with light being the focus. I have a close up of water in a fountain with light hitting it. I like how the light shows how chaotic the water's movement is. The next photo is of the fountain itself. I like how the sun cuts through on the left. I wouldn't have been able to capture this shot at any other time of the day. The next photo shows a massive tree in front of a building. The light hitting it makes the tree's presence more known. The next photo shows the linearity of industrial design. The steps, rails, windows etc. And the natural lines guide your eye across the picture. The last photo shows light cutting through the houses in a neighborhood and gives it a warm tranquile feeling.