Semester 1 Reflection

Semester 1 Reflection

Quality of Work

   For the first semester of this class, I am satisfied with my work. I primarily focused on composition for most of the assignments, but other assignments lacked in quality as I did not prioritize other suitable principles of design. I fulfilled the requirements for the assignments I completed, such as the proper format and resolution, and I feel like I went above what was required for the Zoo Fashion Project in particular, in which I included a background as opposed to blank space that other students used. In just about all of my projects I went beyond my initial visions for my work product, though I fear that indicates a presence of perfectionism and self-doubt, which does prove challenging in a creative class. In terms of deadlines, it proved challenging to complete many of the assignments on account of my being absent for about nine weeks, so needless to say there is not much work to critique. Despite the backlog of work I have to complete, I am confident I can complete most--if not all--of the assignments within the time I am given.

Effort

   Unfortunately, due to being absent for an extended period of time during the first semester, just about every project I was present for was exclusively photo manipulation. As a result, I did not have many opportunities to challenge myself, and needless to say, photography was not my greatest concern outside of school. The only two projects I was in class for the duration of that required photography were the Spacey Transfiguration and the Semester 1 Exam. However, based on the photography I have done in class, I feel that my work product is acceptable. One particular example of my photography which I am proud of is the Semester 1 Exam. I experimented greatly with perspective, lighting, and contrast. In terms of planning the shots for the two projects, I admit that my photography methods are very improvisational, and I just shoot what looks best in the moment. Consequently, I take many different photographs, and I decide which looks best during the editing stage. I have a positive attitude toward my photography--though I am sure my methodology needs improvement--and gladly accept and provide constructive criticism.

Participation

   For the days I was present during the first semester, I feel that I was productive and an active participant in the class--for the most part. I will not deny that on a few occasions I got distracted from the task at hand, and I feel like it shows in a project or two. Generally, however, I worked throughout the period, stayed on task, and worked independently. Additionally, I was always on time to class.

Improvement

   Over the first semester, I feel like I have made palpable improvements in my photo editing and photography skills. I suppose I do have a sort of style as a photographer, though it may be because I improvise almost all of my shots. I usually have a visualized final product during the planning stage, so that vision influences the shots I take during the photography stage where the improv takes place. I did not experiment greatly with my camera in a technical aspect, though I am confident I have made significant technical improvement in photo editing. As a result, that improvement has an effect on the composition of my projects, and create what I hope to be more compelling images. By the end of the semester, I believe I have built more confidence in my photography skills. Moving into the second semester, I expect to continue to develop said confidence, as well as have stronger concepts for my projects.

Adjustment

   Moving into the second semester, I plan on completing all of my projects on-time and in an interesting way. I want to focus on developing a more concrete photography style, as my improvisational technique is flawed in that I cannot guarantee the result I want. Additionally, I feel like some of my projects in the first semester were a bit too generic and similar to the provided examples, so I wish to be a bit more adventurous with my design concepts and project subjects.

Suggest an assignment

I would like to see a project related to motion, or perhaps a project that involves using different blur effects.