Assignment #5: mimicking a Portrait

For this assignment we had to pick a portrait from someone else and try to mimic lighting and model as best as possible. I chose a picture from a photoshoot of Jennifer Aniston, took by Alexei Hay for Elle Magazine (Sept. 2009). I must say I am not satisfied with my results. I didn't get as close as I wanted to the actual picture; it is too dark (the black seamless didn't help), I didn't have much time  and my model wouldn't smile, but here's what I got:

 

Here are some other shots that are worth showing:

Assignment #4: Enviromental portrait

Assignment #3: Song/artist

For this assignment I had Chris as a model because I thought he was perfect for the song I picked.

The song is called "Dark Side", by Kelly Clarkson, where she talks about how everyone has their own personal dark side and how that makes them who they are, but that that's not all. The lyrics are below:

There's a place that I know

It's not pretty there and few have ever gone

If I show it to you now

Will it make you run away?

Or will you stay

Even if it hurts

Even if I try to push you out

Will you return?

And remind me who I really am

Please remind me who I really am

Everybody's got a dark side

Do you love me?

Can you love mine?

Nobody's a picture perfect

But we're worth it

You know that we're worth it

Will you love me?

Even with my dark side?

Like a diamond

From black dust

It's hard to know

What can become

If you give up

So don't give up on me

Please remind me who I really am

Everybody's got a dark side

Do you love me?

Can you love mine?

Nobody's a picture perfect

But we're worth it

You know that we're worth it

Will you love me?

Even with my dark side?

Assignment #2: Opposite emotions

I've chosen the top 3 pictures I liked for each emotion.

Walter

- Friendly (soft box)

- Unfriendly (snoot)

Caprice

- Friendly (snoot)

- Unfriendly (snoot)

Assignment #1: The Self-Portrait

Hello there. I'm Melissa, I'm 25 years old and I'm brazilian. I've been in the US for four months, working as an au pair, which was actually an excuse to run away from my life back home and explore other places. I have this urge of getting to know the world, so I'm sure I'm not stopping here. Not that my life isn't good in Brazil, but I live in a city that I think got too small for my ambitions. I think of myself as a cheerful person, always trying to see the best in situations and people. I am a biologist and I was once a scout, a combination that made me grow an absurd love for nature, which is probably why I love photographing landscapes and capturing beautiful sunlight. Photography is also what keeps my creativity awake, since Science is full of rules and doesn't let me go too crazy about things.

The whole thing of taking portraits is new to me, especially when it comes to taking pictures of myself, something that I'm not yet very comfortable with (I'm not a fan of "selfies"). I'm hoping to learn a lot over the next few weeks.

I have to say I'm not completely happy with my portraits, I didn't have as much time as I wish to take good ones, but some are pretty good.

Time is a big part of my life as an au pair. Sometimes there's too much, sometimes it's not enough.

This picture came out more melancholic than I expected, but I love the fact that my red glove stands out when compared to the very gray and white that are predominant on the photo. 

This is a very intimate picture when you see it on its original size. You can see all the marks in my face, even parts where my skin in peeling from being so dry. You can also see the trees reflected in my eyes. I just love it.

I did not expect my head to be cut off of the picture, so this was a pleasant surprise. I'm not sure what impression you can have from this picture, I just really like it.

This was also not planned, I thought you would be able to see me looking at the camera, but my eyes were out of the frame. I kind of like it better. What does it say about me? Well, I'm playful, look at my slippers. But with my face cropped you can also see that I'm shy and not everyone gets to see my funny side.

I love this one. It's winter, there's snow, I'm happy. It just makes me so amused to see everything white, the frozen trees shining against the sun, the impeccable snow on the ground, just waiting to be stepped on. Winter back at home is not fun anymore. 

Reading is one of my favorite things to do when I need to relax, specially if I can be on my pajamas.

This is a portrait of me without me in it. There's a lot you can tell about me just by looking at this picture (there would be more if I had gotten the focus right on the books).

Took this picture on my mirror, trying to show intimacy with the camera. Photography is a part of what makes me who I am.

This is my favorite. It was taken around 7am, which provided me with beautiful lightning from the sunrise. It gives me an impression of curiosity, expectation and the wish for liberty, like I want the light from outside to reach me, since it's so dark inside.

Portraits

Other people's portraits

I don't have a favorite photographer or someone I admire in particular because I'm not good at following people, so I chose a few pictures I have in my computer, taken by people I know (except for one). I love them all for a particular reason, and maybe they're not perfect, but they're special to me.

This picture was taken by Laíza Negrão, a friend of mine. What I like about it is that it was a very spontaneous look I gave her and captured it. I remember exactly where we were and what we were doing. It's like a frozen moment.

Taken by my host dad, Marc Levy, the day after this year's blizzard, Juno. It was my first time sledding and me and Talia (in the picture) were walking back up the hill, laughing and having fun. Marc accidentally caught my big laugh. 

Another one by my friend Laíza. This was in 2013, we were visiting a friend that just had a baby a few months before. Here you see me holding Livia, trying to register this moment, but she just wouldn't look good for the camera. She was clearly bored, because she yawned at me. But I fake-yawned back, which made the perfect moment for a picture.

I have no idea whose picture is this, but it's one of my favorites. I don't know if it was an accident, but the sloth being out of focus makes it look like it was, which is why this picture is so awesome.

Also taken by my friend Laíza Negrão. It was the middle of fall, we were at the Storm King Sculpture Park, NY. Everything was yellow, orange and red, like the maple leaf in my hand. Pretty exciting.

My portraits

I'm not great at portraits. I love traveling, so I usually snap pictures of beautiful landscapes. I'm also not very creative to take pictures of people and I don't know the techniques. But I did make some attempts, mostly not planned, that came out actually good. You can see a few of them below.

Took this picture a day before the last Halloween. I was walking across Central Park with a friend and we saw this person dressed in a Big Bird costume, with Cookie Monster in a box on his lap. A kid got closer to talk to him, but otherwise he was alone, just seating there. We thought it was such a funny and sad scene at the same time, so I had to take a picture. 

This was taken at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, CT. The girl with her hand on the glass is one of my host children, the other is the daughter of my host mother's friend. Is this even considered a portrait? I don't know. But I love it because it express their curiosity (the hand on the glass helps) and the lightning is so beautiful. It was a special day.

This is Tailicie, my friend's girlfriend. We were having a picnic in the middle of the cherry trees, at a park, in São Paulo, Brazil. I had my camera to take pictures of the beautiful trees, they were full of gorgeous pink flowers. I ended up taking a non-official photoshoot of the couple, which resulted in this picture, one of my favorites. They were playing with the flowers of the floor, putting them in their hairs, as you can see. I love the lightning here, and the way she's looking at the ground (not posed). The contrast between her hair and the flowers is also why I think this portrait is successful.

Here's Tailicie again, now with Daiane, my friend and her girlfriend. They were talking and looking at this big pound, so I just stood behind them and took some pics. I love how Daiane is looking at Tailicie and smiling, and how her hand is on her back. Daiane's tattoo also stands out very nicely. This portrait feels like a painting to me, like I've actually captured their love.

These are my host children, Maddy (L) and Talia. We went apple picking last October, it was a warm day and we were all having a good time. I snapped this picture when we were walking back, Maddy had her hands full of apples. This is not the original color, but it makes me feel like it was a day to remember, something you could frame and hang on your wall.