Week 10 - Nothing

   This week the photo challenge is to take a picture of nothing. Shooting nothing seems so easy, but I was confused on how to make “nothing” look good. I brainstormed different ideas on how to shoot something that was nothing. I tried a couple different ideas but nothing really appealed to me. I then decided I couldn’t just shoot anything. I would have to photograph something. As I tried not to over think it I thought photographing a place I like to go where I can just sit and do nothing Red Rock came to mind.
    When I was smaller I used to go for hikes at Red Rock with my dad. Sometimes we would stop to take a break but all I wanted to do is keep going. I remember him laughing at me and telling me to slow down and just look around. Sometimes when I am stressed and need somewhere to go, I take a drive to Red Rock and just sit and look around. Red Rock is not “nothing” but it is a place where I can just sit and think about nothing.
    I took this picture on one of my “get aways” and the equipment I had with me were just my Canon XSI and my 18-55mm lens.

Week 10 - Financial Statement

     I thought the exercise was very helpful. I was definitely dreading doing it. The money side of photography is always a little intimidating to me. I have had sometime to play with excel but I'm not a professional. I had a hard time at first figuring out at first. Excel is a great program for creating a budget type spread sheet. It keeps the numbers neat and organized. I think doing this assignment just scratched the surface of what I will need but it was a great learning experience. 

     I like how the numbers automatically adjusted once I pulled them in. It made it really easy to see how things were lining up. Having to do it all manually would cause an error if not many. The program prevents you from making the one mistake that could ruin it all. When working with numbers and money, I like knowing that I can rely on the program to handle everything smoothly and effectively. Excel lists your information in various colors that made it easy to find what I was looking for.This makes it easy to see different sections and help stay organized. Color coordination is the best way for me to stay organized so that really helped.

Week 9 - Food

  

   This week the photo challenge is to take a picture of a food. I was so excited to hear that about this assignment because food photography is what I want to do. I love being able to style an edible artwork. Food photography allows me to combine both my hobby of cooking and my passion of photography. Well shoots I am able to engage all of my senses.
    For this image I worked with a student chef named Heather at the Art Institute. She prepared a pecan crushed sea bass filet over a bed of sautéed brussel sprouts and pan seared polenta triangle. The yellow sauce is pureed yam and the green is pureed parsley. For a decorative touch she also added bean spouts and toasted seeds. She made a totally of eight identical plates to practice her constancy.
    I had so much fun with this photo shoot but it got very hot in the kitchen. For the lighting I just used the available light. Unfortunately the only light that I had access too was the ugly fluorescent light from above. I also used my Canon XSI with my 100mm marco (my new favorite lens for food photography). Using the marco lens allows me to get in close and show those little details.

Week 9 - 40 under 40

     In Las Vegas there is an event that is called “40 under 40”. This event recognizes 40 people under the age of 40 in Las Vegas that have become successful and made themselves known in the community. I have been asked to explain where I will be professionally, personally and in the community when I am 40. Personally, I don't like looking that far into the future, it just makes me feel overwhelmed but for the sake of this assignment I will do it. I have a bit of time before I reach the ripe age of 40 seeing how I just recently turned 21. When I try to think of where I want to be my mind kind of goes blank. There are so many things I want to accomplish in my life.
     Professionally, by the time I'm 40 I hope to be well in the swing of things with my business. I want to have a great list of clients that keep a steady work flow. I want to have my own studio with all my own equipment to be able to do whatever whenever a client asks me.
     Personally, I want to be happily married with a family. I want to be financially stable enough that I won't have to continuously be in the studio. I want to be able to enjoy time with my family because family is the most important thing to me. I also want to be living somewhere both my husband and I enjoy and are successful in and I’m not quite sure where that is yet.
     In the community I want to be well known. I want people to know my name and my quality of work. 

Week 8 - News Worthy

"E String Host Benefit Concert"

     This week we had to produced a picture that is new worthy and also come up with a title for the news story and explain why it's news worthy. For my picture I documented a benefit concert that was hosted by a local bar called E String. The concert was to help a foundation called Candlelighters. Candlelighters is a nonprofit organization that raises money to help kids who have cancer. I believe it is an amazing foundation because if you can stop cancer in kids it will allow them to actually be kids instead of having to deal with the terrible sickness. The concert had a $5 cover charge at the door and had 3 different bands play in order to help get people to donate. That night everyone who attended helped raise more than $600 for the foundation.

     As for the equipment I used, I had 2 seperate cameras with two different lenses in order to be able to shoot quickly so I didn't miss anything. This particular image was shot was a Canon 7D and a fish eye lens with a Canon 580 EX II flash attached. I did very little editing to this image because I wanted to keep it as true as I could so you still got a feeling for the energy that was in the room.

Week 8 - Is She Fair Game?

     After watching the movie Roman Holiday I find myself on the fence when asking the question "is she fair game?" Normally I would say yes because anybody is has the freedom of press. I'm not going to sit here and say that I don't love seeing the news magazines about the different celebrities now a days because I do. I am just very confused on how to feel. One side of me is saying that with the status of being a celebrity you have to give up some things like privacy, but then anyone has a right to privacy regardless if you're famous or not. Normally I would say yes because anybody is has the freedom of press. I'm not going to sit here and say that I don't love seeing the news magazines about the different celebrities now a days because I do. I am just very confused on how to feel. One side of me is saying that with the status of being a celebrity you have to give up some things like privacy, but then anyone has a right to privacy regardless if you're famous or not.

     I enjoyed the movie. It was predictable though but its an older movie so I didn't mind it as much. The actor in the film had intent to use his opportunity to get the next best news story. After spending time with the princess, he lost sight of his work. He let his emotions get in the way of what he was set out to do. I liked the way that the film ended. It makes it more real I guess you could say. Today movies have the lovers run off into the sunset (very unrealstic) but this story shows what is the truth when that type of situation happens.

Week 7 - My Business Plan

     Business has never been my thing and when writing my business plan I feel awkward. I believe the hardest part of finishing my business plan is actually sitting down and doing it. I seem to get distracted very easily and since business is not my forte I tend to not want to do it. I believe the hardest part of finishing my business plan is actually sitting down and doing it. I seem to get distracted very easily and since business is not my forte I tend to not want to do it.

     I think it has to do something with the numbers and the fact I have to write several papers. I not good with words as you might have noticed. I can get my point acrossed just fine but I do not have a facy vocabulary like most do. I think it has to do something with the numbers and the fact I have to write several papers. I not good with words as you might have noticed. I can get my point acrossed just fine but I do not have a facy vocabulary like most do. I get nervous when writing because I feel like I could be getting my point acrrossed in a more elegant way.

Week 7 - Eye Reflection

 

     This week the photo challenge is to take a picture of a person's eye but have you in the reflection. This was actually kind of tricky. I first tried taking a picture of someone with light eyes and it didn't work very well. I then took a picture of my friend with dark eyes. This final image was probably the fifth or sixth image I did. It didn't turn out how I thought it would turn out. The colors of the image were way to saturated and looked awkward so I decided to make the image black and white. I first tried taking a picture of someone with light eyes and it didn't work very well. I then took a picture of my friend with dark eyes. This final image was probably the fifth or sixth image I did. It didn't turn out how I thought it would turn out. The colors of the image were way to saturated and looked awkward so I decided to make the image black and white.

     I had the pleasure of being able to shoot this with a Canon 5D Mark II. It was the first time I had ever touched one so it was a little weird. I have to practice my focusing. The lens I used on the camera was an 85 mm.

Week 6 - Ron Galella and the First Amendment

     I have seen a lot of documentary films and videos about different photographers that interest me; a documentary about a paparazzi photographer is the last thing I thought would give me insight to the photo business.

     Ron Galella exercised his first amendment right to the fullest. I think all photographers should go about their work with the same determination and attitude he did. I valued the fact that he did whatever he needed to, no matter the circumstances, to get the next best shot. After watching a documentary about paparazzo Ron Galella, I was inspired. I have seen a lot of documentary films and videos about different photographers that interest me; a documentary about a paparazzi photographer is the last thing I thought would give me insight to the photo business. Ron Galella exercised his first amendment right to the fullest. I think all photographers should go about their work with the same determination and attitude he did. I valued the fact that he did whatever he needed to, no matter the circumstances, to get the next best shot.

     It amazed me on how he slipped out of every sticky situation by exercising his first amendment right. In the eyes of the law, everything thing he was doing was technically allowed by law. Although some of the measures he went to to get a better picture were a little over the top, and sometimes menacing.

Week 6 - Paparazzo

     This week we had to take a picture inspired by the documentary of Ron Gallea. We were supposed to photograph someone famous. At first i had a hard time thinking of who to photograph. I don't know many famous people let alone have access to them. At first I was just going to take a picture of my boyfriend because he is well known around our school but he is very busy with getting ready to graduate I didn't want to bother him. Then I remember the concert that my friend's band was performing in. Their band is called Crash Kit and they have been becoming more and more popular around the Vegas valley. I decided to photograph their lead singer Ashley. She has great energy and always is a blast to shoot.
     For the equipment I used a Canon 7D with a fish eye lens. I used a fish eye lens because I wanted to get that "rock and roll" type feeling to it. I also made the image black and white to stay in the feeling of Ron Gallea's work since he shot in black and white film.

Week 5 - Racehorse not Unicorns

     The business I would like to have is one that focuses on commercial and food photography.  I have always loved to work in studio. Having to tinker with every little detail, there is just something about it that makes me feel like I can truly be creative. However, commercial photography is not all about still life, I will also be shooting portraiture, architecture, really whatever the clients requires.
     As far as how big my company will be, I would like to maybe have no more than 4 people (including myself). Obviously one of the people would be myself, and then I would have my person who handles all the business stuff/money, and then maybe one or two assistants. The assistants are not necessarily set in stone but I do need someone else there to help me with the numbers side unless by some miracle I start to understand how to be organized with my money.
     I would like to have a storefront. First I would start small but then progressively expand. I still am debating on the location of my studio. Las Vegas is not a very big town for food photography (as of yet) so I would probably have to move to either New York or California. I don’t really like moving but I think if I stayed in Las Vegas I wouldn’t be able to make enough money to support myself but I have to also keep in mind my family. Hopefully by the time my business is up and going I will be married and have a family started.
     I see my clients mostly being restaurants. I would take pictures for their menus, promotional usage, really anything. Also I see myself shooting up and coming chefs (or established chefs) who are publishing cookbooks.

Week 5 - Who Won the Super Bowl?

     The beginning of February is always an exciting time for both football players and their fans. Why you might ask… Super Bowl. More than 100 million viewers were expected to watch the nail-biting game between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots, broadcast on Comcast Corp.'s NBC. Nationwide football fans gathered around the TV screen to watch this thrilling game. The final score was 21 to 17. Giants won Super Bowl of XLVI. But were they the only ones who won? Think of all the commercials you saw, the ads on the field, the sports memorabilia. I think the true winners of Super Bowl are those who do the advertising but more specifically the auto-industry.

     According to Wall Street Journal, the auto-industry won over audiences for the second year in a row. This year I lost count of how many car commercials I saw, all nicely done. I remember saying after almost every ad “Ooh that’s a nice car! I want that!” Several of the car commercials had celebrities who we all know and love. My favorite car commercial was probably be the Acura commercial with Jerry Seinfeld being one upped by Jay Leno. Not only was the car beautiful and I want it really badly but also it was hilarious.

Week 5 - Comparative Analysis

     I want to do commercial photography so that’s where I started on Google. The first website I found was Mark DeLong Photography. Mark is based out of New York and does more work with people than I would think a commercial photographer would. The look of his site is simple, just a black site with little color. The simplicity of the website really makes his work shine. I think that is one of his main strengths. One of his weaknesses I think is the fact you can’t see thumbnails of all the pictures. In order to view the pictures you have to continuously click the arrows that appear over the pictures. I feel like his website is more of a glamour site than a business site. I don think it is a real business but his site is more glamour.

 

     The next website I found was a local man named Jeff Green. Like Mark DeLong’s website Jeff Green’s is also very simple. His website has a white background which also makes his pictures pop. I love how he has food photography on his. But unfortunately like Mark DeLong’s website, I couldn’t find a way to view all thumbnails. I did like how there was a scroll bar for the pictures so I didn’t have to click and click. His images are amazing and I will be contacting him to see if he takes interns. I think his website is also a little bit more of a glamour site because there are no prices or business things on there but I do believe it is a business.

     The next website I found was by Eric Raptosh. Eric is based out of Los Angeles. I think I like his website the best. Yet again it’s a plain background on white. The tabs are neatly displayed and the pictures are good quality. I like how he breaks up the different categories more in depth. However Eric’s galleries do not have an option to see thumbnails. I really liked how he had the layout of his studio on there. I haven’t seen that in the other website but I don’t think his site is a business forward site but I think it is a real business.

 

     The last website I found was by Mark Robert Halper. I have to be honest, I did not like his website at all. I like the simple layout of the site but it was so confusing to navigate. Everything is square on the search and the text is so small. I don’t even know if he’s considered a commercial photographer. I couldn’t find his picutres so I have no clue how to critique his work. I do like how his name is biggest thing on the page but I don’t know how to navigate his site. I don’t know if it is a real business or not because I don’t understand the website. The little thumbnail on the main page are nice looking but I would like to see more. I just don’t know where to go or what to click on.

Week 5 - Painting with Light

     This week the photo challenge is painting with light. I love painting with light. I feel like a little kid again but instead of using paints or crayons I use light. This final image was probably the fifth or sixth image I did. When I first started I was trying to light up my boyfriend with my flashlight app on my handy dandy iPhone. The picture came out really cool looking and it was kind of creepy looking. Then I started thinking of being more playing. I wanted to have color in my picture but I had not colored light that I could easily maneuver. So back to my handy dandy iPhone, I looked in the app store for something I could use. I found a strobe light app that was very annoying. It was perfect.

     It was kind of difficult to paint with my phone though. In order to change the color I had to swipe my finger on the screen but I also had to tap the screen to make it flash. That is why my spiral looks like a dotted line instead of a fluid line. I would have liked to have a few more colors in my final image but just changing it that much was a pain. The reason I picked this image is because for one it was the only picture that I liked the spiral. Also the colors reminded me of a fruit roll-up. For the equipment I used were my usual Canon XSI and the standard 18-55mm lens.

Week 4 Photo Challenge - Wedding

 

     For this photo challenge we were to take a picture of something that read “wedding”. This challenge was kind of difficult because when I was trying to plan my shoot I didn’t know of anyone who was getting marriage so I had think of something else.

     So I took to my favorite time wasting website, pinterest. I started seeing picture after picture of adorable couples looking in love. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy. I said thinking about possibly staging a couple shot. I tried to contact some of my favorite models but unfortunately they were not able to help me. I had to go back to the drawing board (back to pinterest).

     I started seeing pictures of detail shots, like pictures of tables, rings, cake, shoes, the dress, etc. I thought to myself, “I could do that.” I decided to do the “ring” shot. I looked around in my costume jewelry for the perfect wedding ring and I found the one in the picture and a simple silver band. I wasn’t sure how to place the rings at first so I continued to brainstorm. On pinterest I saw pictures of the rings laying on the wedding invite and several other poses. I saw one picture where the rings were on top of the bride’s bouquet. I decided to use that because it looked classy. I used a bright yellow (fake) rose because yellow is a very happy color. I think my picture turned out exactly how I pictured it in my head; I just wish I had more light.

     For the image I used my Canon XSI with an 18-55mm lens and a 10x marco extender. For my lighting I just used my bedroom light. I had to clamp the rose to my desk so that it didn’t move and had to continuous reposition the rings.

 

Week 4 - Scary Legal Issues

     I'm not going to lie; business stuff scares the crap out of me. There are so many different little things to think about and have to remember. It all can be overwhelming. There are contracts, insurance, releases, permits, copyright, and publishing, just to name a few things that make me nervous. I’ve heard that majority of businesses end up going out of business, which so also very intimidating very someone new like myself.
     One of the biggest issues I'm afraid of is taxes and the money side. Each year when tax time comes around I always get nervous. What if I fill wrong and get audited? My parents have gone through so crazy IRS stuff and I see how much that stresses them and I do not want to put myself in that situation. That's why a good accountant is great to have. “If you are operating a business, you need an accountant.” (Best Business Practices for Photographers by John Harrington Pg 155) Numbers always fly over my head anyway so an accountant is extremely important for me personally.  Accountants can save your life by helping you make sure you are making money and not losing or having to owe money. Make sure you keep all your receipts that have anything to do with your business. Stay organized. For me this could a bit crazy. I can hardly keep my room clean; just think of having to keep all recipes and paperwork organized. I think I will have to hire not only an accountant but also a very OCD assistant.

Week 3 Photo Challenge - Action Sport

 

     For this photo challenge we were supposed to capture sport type action like how Bob Badalucco does. I had a hard time thinking of what to do because I don’t know of very many sports that play in January. First couple days I just tried to wander around the park to see if I could find something but no luck. Then my boyfriend told me about this soccer league that his acquaintance’s son plays for. It is called Shining Star and it is a soccer league that helps autistic children interact with one another and get some exercise while still having fun. I decided to tag along and snap some pictures.
     Unfortunately unlike Bob Badalucco most parents didn’t want a stranger taking pictures of their children so I was focused to do an “in the moment” type shot. The team I was cheering for was named The Pumpkin Seeds and are the wearing the orange shirts in my image. Luckily the day I decided to go it was a little overcastted so that made the natural light very soft and diffused making very little harsh shadows.
     For the equipment I used, I just had my Canon XSI with an 18-55mm standard lens. Nothing fancy. Like I said before I wanted to go for that “in the moment” type action shot so I got close to the sideline and followed the action the whole game. I had it in my mind that it was going to be a bright sunny day so I didn’t bother bringing any extra lights but good thing there was a nice quality of light due to the overcast. I did edit my image slightly using Photoshop CS3 (sad I don’t have the new version). I toned down the brightness of their orange shirts and added a little bit more contrast to the overall image.
 

Week 3 - Where are you now and where are you going?

     Where am I and where am I going? That’s a very good question and I’ve been trying to figure it out for sometime now. As of right now I have a somewhat of a good grasp of who I am. I am a young age of 20 (almost 21) and still have a lot to learn. I am currently in school to try and become a well-rounded and more knowledgeable photographer. Since I don’t get many freelance gigs lately I work part time at Old Navy as a sales associate.  I enjoy working there. I have meet several people who are willing to model in my many school assignments.

      Where am I going? In September of 2012 I will (hopefully) be graduating with my Bachelors Degree. Hopefully by then I have a solid entry level position at a local food and commercial photography studio where I can learn more to perfect my craft. However if I don’t get a photography related job right away I do see myself working at Old Navy for at least the couple years just to insure I have a form of income. I do not want to work in retail my whole life though. I love people, don’t get me wrong, but I cannot stand folding and refolding the same shirt over and over again. In a perfect world I see myself assisting for at least 2 or 3 amazing photographer and then after building up clients starting my own studio. Talking to some of my photography teachers here, most of them say that assisting and interning is where you learn the most. In ten years I see myself having my own studio, married, with at least one kid, but of course that’s in a perfect world and we all know this world is far from perfect.

Week 2 Photo Challenge - Crime Scene

     This week the photo challenge was to take a picture of a crime scene. I was actually very excited to do this shoot. I started thinking of different ideas and getting the creative juices flowing. It was kind of scary and morbid how many ideas I came up with and how excited I was to actually do this assignment.

     My original idea was a lot different than the final outcome. I wanted my model to be female and shot in an alley but unfortunately my model cancelled and I was unable to find a new one in the amount of time provided. My other idea was to have a female be the victim of domestic abuse and strangled in the bathroom, but yet again complications occurred and I did not find a big enough location for my idea.

     For my last idea I was thinking of an old crime scene photo that you see in history books. I made my image black and white to get the feel of being old fashion. Plus I also used on camera flash to try and achieve the same quality of light that they had.  I wanted the picture to be in the kitchen as if there was a dispute against husband and wife. I wanted to have a huge puddle of blood on the floor as well but unfortunately the fake blood I was using started to stain so I had to quickly remove it. It wasn't exactly how I pictured it and I would like to change some things but overall I like my image. 
     The equipment I used was simple. I used my boyfriend's Canon 7D with a 50mm f1.8 prime lens. Like I stated earlier, I used on camera flash as well. As for the model, well that is my lovely boyfriend. Unfortunately the fake blood wasn't as washable as I thought it was. He was such a trooper.

Week 1 Photo Challenge - Self Portrait

     Let me start off by saying, I hate self-portraits. I am no Cindy Sherman. I do not like being in front of the camera. I tried to think of how I could take a picture that is reveling enough without showing anything scandalous. Also I started trying to think on how am I supposed to show who I am just with one picture? When I think of an intimate self-portrait I think of something close up and just of your face, so that’s what I did. I also kept my hair messy because that's how I am on everyday. I did my makeup like normal. I didn't do anything special. I wanted to keep my portrait as natural as possible to try and capture me, which is very hard to do.

     I took a picture of myself in the studio with a single strip light from my right side. I wanted to try and achieve a rembrant light pattern because I feel like that lighting pattern is one of the most beautiful. I placed myself in the thirds because that’s where I usually place my portraits.

     I don’t like showing my teeth when I smiled so I gave a simple smile. I believe that you can see the awkwardness on my face. I also edited my image to be sepia toned. I feel like I am a friendly and warm person so having a little bit of color I think it helps a little bit. But I do believe I achieved a nice portrait.

     The equipment I used was just a camera and a flash. I used my Canon XSI with a 35mm portrait lens. Like I stated before I also used one strip light on top of a Speediton 400w flash pointed at me then I also used the same type light on the background.

Week 1 - Haute Couture

     What does haute couture even mean? Haute Couture comes from the French phrase, "high fashion." The word couture means dress-making, sewing, or needlework and the word Haute means elegant or high quality. It's basically highly impractical, completely unaffordable and often unwearable high fashion clothing.

     In the book Best Business Practices for Photographers, John Harrington states, "What you do for your earned revenue is your choice as well. However, over a period of time, what you earn must exceed what it costs to earn it-- not just now, but projected into the future as well". What’s the big deal about haute couture? I think what’s so special is the fact that it’s so different from the norm. The bold color and unique shape is nothing like I’ve ever seen before. It’s like a piece of great art that can be worn (somewhat). Also the materials used in making haute couture are superior. In our 'wear it once, throw it away' society, buying haute couture might be seen by the super-rich as an investment. So not only are haute couture outfits one of a kind but they are expensive.

     Also haute couture sells a dream. Almost everyone I know dream of being rich and famous. Haute couture is known for being expensive and one of a kind. Owning a piece of haute couture would prove that you have money. I guess that’s why they are so appealing.

Week 1 - My Voice

     My name is Allyson Limon and I am based out of Las Vegas, NV. My passion is photography, more specifically food and commercial photography. One of my best hobbies is cooking so loving food and photography for years I naturally turned his lens on food photography. For my work in food photography I use unique and imaginative lighting techniques, both with natural lighting and artificial lights, I create tantalizing works of edible art. My aim is to create the most authentic food photography images as possible. I use the freshest foods from location that are local to get the best result in my image. Currently I am working with on my collection that I’m titling Sinfully Sweet, the name to play off of Las Vegas’ nickname “Sin City”. In the collection I will be using unusual and more gothic type background and take pictures of different types of sweets like cakes, candies, cookies, cupcakes and other delicious I use the same attention to detail, visualization, and planning with my commercial photography.