Final Exam Extra Credit

I accidentally posted this on my Journalism blog instead of Photojournalism.  Oops.

Apologies.  I totally used all these questions and this situation to rant.

1).  The man, Ki Suk, had been pushed onto the tracks by a panhandler who was harassing people after trying to calm him down.  The photographer says he'd tried to help, but when he realized he couldn't, he started taking picture with his flash in hopes of warning the operator about the person in their path.

2).  To warn the operator about Ki Suk with his flash.

3).  No.  NO, he shouldn't have taken the photo.  He should have kept trying to help, even if he'd thought it was hopeless.  If the operator of the subway hadn't already seen the person, he wasn't going to anytime soon--people (such as tourist) probably take pictures of the incoming subway with their flash on all the time.

4).  I don't think he did the best he could in this situation.  Ki Suk was about to die, and the photographer got out his camera to take pictures with the illogical excuse that the operator would stop the train because he used his flash as a warning.

5).  I strongly disagree with the decision to use this photo as the cover of the New York Post.  This man, Ki Suk, is famous now--not because he tried to help the people being harassed by a panhandler, but because a picture was taken of him right before his death.  He's now famous for being hit by a subway train.  The cruelty of putting him on the cover of the New York Post is...unexplainable.

6).  Stopping bad things from happening should be more important to a photojournalist than capturing pictures of bad things happening.  This death might have been avoided if he'd just kept trying, instead of trying to take a picture of the event.  Photos and stories of terrible things wouldn't have to be famous and making people nationwide sick to their stomachs if they'd never happened in the first place.

7).  If something isn't going to end in death, a photojournalist probably shouldn't involve him or herself in the photos they're taking (such as, if they were taking photos of a presidential debate, or a person being interviewed for a news story).  If something completely serious (such as this) is happening, they shouldn't be taking photos in the first place; they should be helping.  I'm not saying they should have a reckless Harry Potter personality, throwing themselves into danger to help people--but they should try.

8).  There are circumstances in which a photojournalist should probably try to avoid influencing events as they happen (such as, again, a presidential debate), or something that involves an environment that they could somehow ruin with either their cameras or their bodies.  Something like this, though, isn't normal.  It's special circumstances, like when your orchestra director says you can't miss more than two rehearsals unless you're lying sick in a hospital bed or got lost somewhere over the rainbow.  With this, and anything like it, I find it almost disrespectful to the subjects of the photo if the photojournalist is taking pictures instead of helping.  Imagine how terrified Ki Suk must have been when the photojournalist gave up helping him--seriously???

9).  How does “taking pictures” tell a conductor to stop a train? Huh? Is this photographer guy a moron? Throw down your camera and run to help the guy. If you fail, at least you tried. Taking pictures isn’t trying. What conductor would think, “Oh, look, someone’s taking pictures…maybe I should stop the train.”

I completely agree with this (this was the point I made earlier).  I can't make myself believe anything the photographer is saying about helping with the flash, and if he meant it...I seriously question the intelligence of today's society.

Magazine Covers

Portraits and Self-Portraits

FASHION

1).  First off, the amount of makeup is astounding and transforming in itself.  After that, though, these things are changed:  they make her lips bigger, they give her more hair, they lengthen her neck, they lower her eyes and eyebrows, they reduce the size of her shoulders, they make her eyes larger, they cleaned up her hairline, they reduced the size of her jaw.

2).  Again, the amount of makeup is astounding and transforming in itself, along with the added hair.  After that, these things are changed:  they clear up her skin, make her eyes larger, they make her shoulder bonier, they reduce the size of her stomach and breasts, they lengthen her thighs, reduce the size of her calves and feet, they lengthen her calves, they lengthen her neck, reduce the size of her jaw, they make her hair more blonde, they making all of her skin more fair, they reduce the size of her thighs.

3).  They pretty much reduce the size of everything to start, but enlarge the size of her breasts.  And then they go on to reduce the size of everything even more, and then even more, and then even more. They lift her butt.  They lengthen her hair--a lot.  Seriously.  They make minute changes to her face (like lessening the size of her cheekbones), and then proceed to clean up the hairline and make hair hair fuller.

4).  I don't believe it's ethically acceptable to change a woman's (or even a man's) body or face in this way.  It's extremely offensive to women everywhere.  This is people telling us that we can only be eligible for covers of magazines or billboards until there's nothing left that actually us.

5).  Of course, if the person being photoshopped on doesn't know it's happening.  If this happens at all, they need to have the model's consent--because, seriously, everyone involved with the photoshopping would just be complete jerks if the model didn't know about it first.

6).  I think changes of lighting, in general, are okay, or highlighting a person's hair or something along those lines.  Everything else--it's just rude.

7).  Photojournalism is definitely more real than fashion photography.  Photojournalism is usually pictures that tell a story, or accent a story.  They don't need to be edited to be accepted by "society," they just are.

8).  I, personally, don't think they're tied to reality in any way except for the fact that they show blatantly how distorted our view of beauty is.  It's sort of an unwelcome truth revealed to the people who spend their time wishing they could look like the people on the fronts of PEOPLE magazines, or giant billboards.  I've probably repeated this ten times over,  but it's wholly rude and offensive, completely changing a woman's body to fit their view of beauty.  It's unethical, to the point where it's scary.

9).  To make me sick and angry and indignant..?

10).  It might be because girls are more pressured into looking amazing all the time.  I'm not saying guys aren't, but...it's more of a struggle for girls.  It's a long-standing stereotype.

Prompt Shoot (11/23)

Purple:

 Cold:

 Electric:

Magazines Part II

For the earliest magazine covers, it is said that they are modeled after the covers of books.  This in itself is an attribute (at least to me, because books are amazing).  They're informational, in place of the visual appealing-ness of more modern magazines.  For the Poster Covers, they're appealing because the pictures on them are very good at portraying a story or emotional without having to use words.  It's very simple, and makes the magazine seem like it wouldn't be cluttered with useless information.  For Pictures Married to Type, the background of the photo suits the subject/portrait of the photo almost perfectly.  It's appealing, and makes the magazine seem like it would be neat and organized on the inside, too.  The way something is always overlapping the title of the magazine is somehow extremely visually appealing (I honestly think having the magazine title over the subject isn't as appealing as the former).  For the Forest of Words...well, it doesn't look very visually appealing at all.  It makes the whole cover seem really scattered and cluttered, and it wouldn't compel me to pick up the magazine and spend my money on it.

My Favorite Cover

1).

Favorite

2).  Wired, September 2014, Edward Snowden

"Edward Snowden didn't want to be photographed. He wanted his actions--leaking classified NSA files--to be the focus of any story, not his face. But. But. Being shot by Platon, who has photographed world leaders like Dick Cheney, George Bush (both of them), and Vladimir Putin, puts him on the same level as those subjects, elevating his message. So out of complicated motivations comes a tense and compelling photograph. As Snowden holds the flag, his face and his hands convey both respect and hurt--a flickering combination of protectiveness and vulnerability. Words would tip the reader toward a single interpretation. So. No design. No cover lines. Just an image, however you choose to look at it." - See more at: http://www.magazine.org/asme/magazine-cover-contest/past-winners-finalists/2015-winners-finalists#sthash.ikvN7wmy.dpuf/

3). The lighting of the portrait in this magazine cover is...great.  It adds nicely to the mood of the portrait, which is somewhat sad, yet hopeful in a way.  The pose of the actor portrays how he feels about the flag--he's protective of it, hugging it to his chest in a way that shows how much he respects it.  The simplicity of the picture adds to the mood of the photo, along with the light of the background.  It gives a feeling of solidarity, the one single light right behind his head.  The magazine cover, as a whole, would definitely draw my attention if I were to walk by it in a store, and I would be compelled to look through it (I'm already curious as to what's inside this magazine).

Best Covers

formal- 1.  The Advocate, December 2014/January 2015, Person of the Year
formal- 2.  Wired, September 2014, Edward Snowden
informal- 3.  OUT, August 2014, Michael Sam
informal- 4.  Harper's Bazaar, March 2014, Lady Gaga
environmental- 5.  ESPN The Magazine, July 21, 2014, Venus Williams
formal- 6.  New York, February 17–24, Spring Fashion
environmental- 7.  FamilyFun, August 2014, Road Trip
formal- 8.  The New York Times Magazine, September 14, 2014, The Culture Issue
informal- 9.  Harper's Bazaar, September 2014, Emma Ferrer
formal- 10.  Vanity Fair, November 2014, Jennifer Lawrence
formal- 11.  Variety, October 14, 2014, Bill Murray
informal- 12.  New York, June 9-15, 2014, Health
informal- 13.  Men's Health, November 2014, The Ultimate Men's Health Guy
formal- 14.  Bloomberg Businessweek, April 21-27, 2014, Freeze Your Eggs, Free Your Career
environmental- 15.  Golf Digest, June 2014, Jimmy Fallon
environmental- 16.  Kinfolk, Spring 2014, The Home Issue
informal- 17.  ESPN The Magazine, October 13, 2014, Derek Jeter
informal- 18.  The Atlantic, November 2014, Why Kids Sext

Magazine Tips

1)  Familiar recognition from issue to issue (brand)

2)  Emotionally irresistible (image's appeal)

3)  Arousing curiosity (something to pull the readers in)

4)  Intellectually stimulating, interesting (promise of benefits from reading)

5)  Worth the investment of money and time ("What's in it for me?")

Self Portrait and Portraits Part I

1).  Heh...I like the "break the rules of composition" one.
For real:

1-  A. Looking off camera – have your subject focus their attention on something unseen and outside the field of view of your camera. This can create a feeling of candidness and also create a little intrigue and interest as the viewer of the shot wonders what they are looking at.

2-  18. Experiment with Subject Expressions

In some portraits it is the expression on the face of your subject that makes the image.

Get your subject to experiment with different moods and emotions in your image. Play with extreme emotions...But also try for more sombre or serious shots.

3-  Get Closer

The most common mistake made by photographers is that they are not physically close enough to their subjects. In some cases this means that the center of interest—the subject—is just a speck, too small to have any impact. Even when it is big enough to be decipherable, it usually carries little meaning. Viewers can sense when a subject is small because it was supposed to be and when it's small because the photographer was too shy to get close.

I like this one because of the vintage look, and the different colors.  It shows something about the guy's personality - obviously, he likes electric guitars.  A lot.

It stood out to me because it was unique - the rest were of people with cameras (probably taking them in mirrors, or something), or of a close-up picture of themselves.  It's clean and simple, yet...not?

The wind, and the expression.  I get contradicting ideas from the picture, and it intrigues me.

For one, she has a beautiful smile, and the picture really helps it stand out.  I also like how she's looking away from the camera, and in an environment she probably likes a lot (she's on a couch, bed?).

1).  The characteristics of an environmental portrait:  An environmental portrait should show the surroundings of the person, not just the person themselves.  They usually give insight as to what that person likes or what that person is doing, but shouldn't overpower the subject, either.
2).  Casual portraits aren't as formal or (I can't find the right word) eccentric? as environmental portraits are.  While both of them say something about the subject, casual portraits usually (in my opinion) give a little more insight.
3).  I honestly don't know.  I'm really bad at them.  Just keep trying, probably.  Take a million, and find the best one.
4).  I'd probably take the pictures of a member of my family (such as my older sister), or maybe one of my friends (which is less likely).  I'd go somewhere with lots of nature.
The plan for a quality picture?  Take a billion.  There should be a few good ones in there somewhere. But really, I'll try to focus more on what's going on in the background of the picture.  I don't tend to focus on that as much as I probably should.

Love and Loss Warm-Up

1).  All of these pictures, except the first one, made me extremely sad - but, at the same time, there was a kind of joy to them (which I'm guessing was the palpable amount of love displayed in them).

2).  I feel the same about the statement after seeing the photos as a did before:  that these pictures are of, physically, them, but they do not define the way they lived their lives, that they experience more than just what was in the pictures.

3).  If someone were to sufficiently convince me, I would - but I wouldn't if it was me deciding to take them.  There's a lot of pain going on in the pictures, and recording that with pictures would make me uncomfortable - like an invasion of privacy, of something that should be kept between people.

4).  It was brave of him to record these (which I would not be able to do), and that he's right - they don't define him, or his life.

American Soldier

1).  The most powerful image is the one of the soldier sitting alone at a table in the mess hall - with a shaved head, and looking somewhat sullen.  They're all so young, and it hurts me to think that these kids are already learning how to fire guns and handle themselves in extremely harsh environments, such as war zones.  It's a wholly emotional picture, with the fact that he's alone and everyone else is sitting in groups.  It shows how lonely things can be.

2).  At home - image #1 to image #3.
      Basic training- image #4 to image #13
      In Iraq- image #14 to image #26

3).  The third set of images were the most powerful - the boys in war zones, in helicopters of army vans.  It makes me really, really sad.  Like...really sad, and I can't exactly explain why.  They're so young.

4).  All the images together tell a story - them as normal boys, them in training, them in war, them back home.  It's a sad and triumphant story (because of the last picture where they're back in home Denver).  They flow.

5).  They're usually in present tense.

6).  The captions help explain the photographs, and once you're educated on what's going on and you look back up at it, it seems to make more sense.  They help with the photo's story.

7).  Ian joined, and things didn't go very well, at first. He had a girlfriend back home, and a dad.  During his training, he started using drugs (though they were prescribed) and smoking cigarettes.  He was deployed, and he was the driver of the Humvee they used.  Things happen, and a lot of responsibility is placed on Ian (and everyone else).

Rules of Photography Part II

Theme:  Birds

1- Rule of Thirds:

2- Balancing Elements:

3- Leading Lines:

4- Symmetry and Patterns:

5- Viewpoint:

6- Background:

7- Depth:

8- Framing:

9- Cropping:

10- Mergers and Avoiding Them:

Abandoned Theme Parks

1).  One of the places I'd really like to go is Lincoln Park in Massachusetts.  There's something chaotically beautiful about the demolished roller coasters.  Photos of ruined things inspire a lot of emotion in the people looking at the photos.

2).

3).  Five places I'd think would be interesting to shoot at are:  haunted houses, coral reefs, underground places (such as the London Underground, or the subways in New York), abandoned stretches of roads, and large, barren fields (although I would never do the last one myself).

4).  

5).  I think shooting in the London Underground would be fun because it's a challenge, and it's something kind of different.  The people are interesting, and there are lots of beautiful structures and colors there.  They could be of pretty much anything - the people, the architecture, the trains.

6).  Getting to the London Underground to shoot would be difficult for a lot of reasons.  First and foremost, it's super expensive getting from Texas to London, I'm assuming.  Second, you'd have to go through a lot of work to get into a different country in the first place.  Third, I'm pretty sure you have to have a permit to professionally take pictures in the London Underground.  Also, I generally don't trust airplanes and complicated equipment or fragile instruments (such as a camera or a viola).

Africa

1).  My first reaction to the picture first displayed was majestic.  The proximity to the animal is also somewhat mind-boggling.  A lot of these animals are known as dangerous to humans (and other animals, too).  The fact that he was willing to be in that sort of possible danger in order to get such beautiful pictures shows his dedication to his work.

2).

3).  This is a picture of an elephant strolling down wherever it is he is, with dust all up in his face.  It's beautiful and interesting - the dust is frozen, along with the elephant with its closed eyes and curled trunk, in the middle of taking a step.  I'm not sure where the dust came from, but that could be left to the imagination of the viewers.

4).  The rule of photography that's most evident here is simplicity - there's a simple background and there's a single, obvious subject.  Balance is also evident here.  There's a lot going on in each part of the picture, leaving no space out (except maybe the top, which I think was left in the picture as a result of the dust swirling above the elephant).

5).  He uses a 2003 model of the Nikon Scan 9000 (which he says is really loud, but the animals get used to it).  He doesn't want to use a telephoto lens because you can't "capture an animal's soul" from 100 yards away.

6).  He wishes to raise awareness for animal conservation in Africa.

7).  He hopes the local communities will help out Tusk and The Nature Conservancy with the work they do to help the animals of Africa.

8).  "Poaching of elephants financed by the Chinese has exploded once again in the last few years.  In 2005 ivory cost $400 a kilogram.  Today, it is $6,000 a kilo.  As a result, about 10 percent of Africa's elephant population is killed every year, about 30,000 elephants a year."

     He wishes for this to stop - he cares about these animals deeply.

Funny Captions

102-year-old Esther White celebrates her birthday on June 12th, 2015 at Party City.  She and her friends and family gathered at the to pretend they were back in high school - naturally, she was elected prom queen.

87-year-old Betty Lancaster challenges her grandson to a Dance Dance Revolution-off.  Her grandson had come into as a celebration for the 52nd anniversary for her hip surgery, and she wanted to show off how good her hips still work these days.

Meredith and Christine Plechardstein sit in the ocean, enjoying the view of the horizon.  They had been sitting by the shore when the stoppers of their chairs became dysfunctional and they rolled into the sea - they are currently still waiting for a professional to get them out.

Great Black and White Photographers III

1.  The first thing that caught my eye about these photos is probably the serenity.  All of them seem very calm, no matter what's going on in the picture.

2.    Photo 1:
I see water.  The reflection of the sky and hills in the water.  The sun hiding behind the dense amount of clouds.
I smell water.  The faint scent of the trees in the far-off hills.
I hear the water rippling.  The wind rushing in my ears.  The various noises of the wildlife nearby.
I taste the humid air in the presence of the lake.
I feel the wind (evident by the rippling water).  It's to too hot.  I feel calm.  The softly rippling water makes me feel serene.

       Photo 2:
I see an endless road.  Fluffy white clouds in the sky.  The earth around the road.  The white paint accompanying the one-way road.
I smell dirt and gravel.  Possibly fuel and oil, remaining from long-gone cars that had gone down this road.
I hear the ghosts of lonesome cars traveling the road.  I hear wind rustling the nature shrouding the gravel.
I taste air. ?
I feel the sunlight.  I feel calm - the sight of the endless, one-way road is comforting.

3.  A mural.

Mural Project

1.  A theme we could do is "spirit."

2.  We should open the camera options up to our normal cameras for the people would don't have cameras on their phones/don't have phones.

3.  One of the walls that are suffering from a serious lack of creativity could probably use a mural to brighten its mood - somewhere in the academic hall.

Academic Shoot Reflection and Critique

Pt 1:

1.  It was difficult to make the photos interesting, or have them vary.

2.  I found myself focusing most on holding the focus - though not because I was really worried about it.  It was very quiet in that class, and every time the camera focused or took a picture sounded like a cannon blast.

3.  I'd focus more on what's going on in the background, because some of those things can take away from the subject of the picture, or the picture in general.

4.  Kneeling down for a better perspective on the students is something I'd definitely do again - I took a couple pictures standing while they were sitting, and none of them ended up looking very good.

5..  Rule of Thirds - that one is usually the easiest, but it doesn't automatically make the picture amazing.

6.  Balance is usually hard to capture if you're actually trying to do it.  It calls for a lot more focus on what's going on the picture (such as the geometric shapes), and focusing only on the subject is somewhat of a habit for most people.  It's not until later they notice what's going on in the background.

7.  I'm still not totally clear on balance.  It seems that it includes a lot of different things, and it generally confuses me.  To become clearer on balance, I could go back to the "Guidelines for Better Photographic Composition" and look over it again, and possibly look for another place that I can understand better.

Pt 2:

http://abbyphotojournalism.blogspot.com

The photos are really clear and in focus.  They have clear subjects, too.
On the first picture, it kind of bothers me that the top of the pen is cut off.

Academic Post

1- Balance

2- The subject is the girl with the red sweatshirt, specifically her face.

3- The subject is moderately clear, but the girl to her left is kind of distracting.

4- I could've been a little more conscious of the person to her left, whose head and hand kind of distracts from the focus of the picture.

1- Rule of Thirds

2- The subject is him.

3- The girl in the back (or her water bottle) could be a little distracting, but it's okay.

4- I probably could have changed to angle a bit so the green water bottle isn't directly above his hand.

1- Lines

2- The subject is the line of four students, all working.

3- Yes.  The four students take up the whole frame, save for the top left-ish.

Aperture:

Aperture Setting F2.8

Aperture Setting F22

1.  We should relate the Aperture with the pupils of our eyes.

2.  The smaller the Aperture number, the higher the Aperture size.

3.  A smaller Aperture will bring the whole picture in focus, while a larger Aperture will make the background blurry and the foreground sharp.

Shutter Speed:

High Shutter Speed:

Low Shutter Speed:

1a.  Low Shutter Speed

1b.  Low Shutter Speed

1c.  High Shutter Speed

1d.  High Shutter Speed

1e.  High Shutter Speed

1f.  High Shutter Speed

1a.  High

1b.  High

1c.  High

1d.  High

1e.  High

1f.  High

2.  In "Shutter Priority" mode, the camera selects the Shutter Speed itself while you choose the Aperture.

In "Manual" mode, you set both the Aperture and Shutter Speed yourself.

In "Aperture Priority" mode, the camera selects the Aperture itself while you choose the Shutter Speed.

ISO:

ISO 200 (far left, if you couldn't gather):

ISO 3200:

1.  An advantage to using a high ISO at a sports game is that, when using a high ISO, the camera needs less time to take the picture.

2.  Use the lowest ISO on the camera whenever possible, because they produce the highest-quality pictures.

3.  A high ISO should be used when there is not enough light to capture a picture with a low ISO, or when you need to take shots quickly.

What happens when you mess with these Pillars of Photography:

The Aperture settings on this camera include 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, and 22.

The Shutter Speed setting on this camera include everywhere from 1 second to 1/4000 of a second.

The ISO settings available on this camera include 100, 200, 400, 800, 3200, 6400, 12800, and 25600.

Unusual and Interesting Photos

Part One:

1).  My initial reaction to these photos was confusion; it took me a second to figure out what I was looking at.  Once I had comprehended what I was seeing, I thought these pictures were really cool.  It's an interesting way of looking at the landmarks, and it looks amazing - it's visually appealing how the color is only at full concentration where all the images of the landmark converge.

2).  If these photos aren't photoshopped in some way, I have no earthly idea how he managed to take these pictures.  Maybe, though, these pictures are a bunch of separate pictures of the same landmark in different angles merged together.

3).  On my trip to Seattle, Washington a million years ago, the tower thing (I have no idea what it's called) with the needle point at the top would be a cool picture to do this with.  Since it's across the country, no, I don't have "easy access" to it, unfortunately.

Part Two:  Isn't working.
Part Three:

1).  The three suggestions I think are most important for photographers to remember are:
"Never stop looking for the right angle to take a photo."
"Photographers should always be on the lookout for when the environment lines up with what your subjects are doing."
"Before you think about composition, lighting, and technique, first have something you want to show someone else."
2).

3).  

4).  The suggestion under "Ancient of Days" says to balance inspiration and technique - and the photographer of this photo does that.  You can see the rules of photography here:  Rule of Thirds, Simplicity, Lines, Balance.  This person was also inspired, in some way, by the arrangement of the items in the photo.

5).  The style in "Ancient of Days" definitely influences me - it makes me feel something.  The message the photo somehow sends, combined with the juxtaposed simple-yet-not subject, makes a very heavily emotional picture.

Academic Shoot Preview

The Story:

Several students gather around a pole, holding hands - a sign of connection, of continuity.  They bow their heads in prayer, for those who believe in it.  The others bow their heads in respect.

Action and Emotion:

The boy is in the middle of administering a noogie to the teacher - who looks amused and completely done at the same time.  The girl is halting her work with the papers in her hands to laugh at them.  The picture generally gives off a sense of amusement and happiness.

Filling the Frame:

The picture is generally very busy, but instead of making the photo look cluttered, it give the photo a personality.  There are the students with their blue bags, handing the food to the homeless.  There are the homeless, holding the buckets out to gratefully accept it.  There are people in the back (homeless, probably), but enough out of focus to add to the photo instead of mess it up.  The very background shows that they're in some sort of lot or street, near trees.

PART TWO:

I chose the photo called "Third Time's a Charm."  Two guys are in the middle of a bear hug on a field.  The face of the hugging guys that you can see is smiling widely - pure elation, victory.  The crowd in the background are cheering happily, clapping, yelling.

1).  I picked this photo because I like the mood, and it makes me, somehow, feel the same as them - which is extremely happy.  It's a good photo, too - great focus, great background.

2).  One rule of photography that this photo shows prominently is the Rule of Thirds.  The two guys are in the left-ish side of the frame, leaving room to see the cheering crowd behind them.

"Finally..."

1).  I could take a photo like the one I described above at a football or soccer game, where people would hug in elation when they won, or scored.  The second photo on the blog could be taken in a classroom with a particularly fun teacher.

2).  I think an orchestra room would be interesting to take pictures in.  Maybe something fun like art. Mr. Flick's English class, too - he makes his students laugh a lot (at least for my class), which would make a good picture if it's taken well enough.

3).  I'll try to focus a little more on the background and how it's affecting the picture.  I'll also try to focus on the guidelines of photography, to make them more interesting or better in quality.  Also, I'll try and focus on the mood of the photo - I'd like to make someone feel the way I did when I looked at the photo of the guys hugging on the field.

Photo Manipulation and Ethics

1A.  Many different photographers attempt to alter their photos to how they would like them to be, instead of what was really happening as they were taking the picture.  One photographer took out all of the female members of a council and photoshopped them to be men; another added a missile to a picture when the real one misfired and didn't launch.  Photoshopping pictures can get (and often does get) people fired from their jobs with their newspapers or magazines.

1B.  In my opinion, this type of photoshop is extremely unethical.  One of them stands out in particular:  the one where the women are photoshopped out of a council and replaced by men.  It's very insulting.  Journalistic photos should represent the facts of what happened on the event, not your own opinions.

2A.

I find this photo to be the most unethical photoshop.  It's insulting to Oprah, and the many other women that have seen it.  It also says something about the opinions of the person that photoshopped it:  they seem to think that Oprah's body isn't thin enough to be on the front of a magazine, or that a woman cannot be beautiful without an Ann Margaret body.

3A.   

In this photo, the pyramids were photoshopped closer together in order to fit the vertical frame of the National Geographic cover.  I still find it unethical, but it's not as bad as the others.  It doesn't represent the photographer's separate opinion, and it's not particularly offensive (to me).

Great Black and White Photographers, Part Two

Ansel Easton Adams was born on February 20th, 1902 in San Francisco, California.  When he was four years old, an earthquake knocked him to the ground and broke his nose, leaving him, forevermore, with a somewhat disfigured nose.  He pursued music at a young age (around twelve) by teaching himself how to play the piano.  His intended pursuit as a career had, indeed, been to play the piano, though he eventually gave it up for photography.

      Adams, having grown up around, had a great fondness for nature.  He joined the Sierra Club, which was prudent in his early success as a photographer.  He had taken pictures and they had been published, and he soon realized that he could make a living off of the money he had gotten from them.  His fame rose in the 1930's, and it continued to rise.  He wrote many books, such as The Camera, The Print, The Negative, and many more.  After many years of success in this department, he died in Monterey, California on April 22nd, 1984.

Sources:
http://www.anseladams.com/ansel-adams-information/ansel-adams-biography/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansel_Adams