Ethnic Project

This is Sachiko representing Japan. I took this in her back yard. I also set the f-stop at 3.5 to make her seem like a ghost. I don't know if you can tell, but she is wearing a kimono, the traditional dressings of Japan, and holding a fan. Her house and a couple of bikes are in the background actually, and I'm kinda glad that it is blurred out receptively.

For this picture, when editing, I saturated it and sharpened it. I also darkened that shadows. I didn't want to do too much to the picture because it wasn't going to look natural, like how it was originally.

I am Japanese, so I'm glad I did this project. But I'm also Mexican, Spanish, Irish, Polish, and Russian, but Sachiko, a japanese, was easier to access with a kimono.

Fine Art

I didn't really enjoy this project because I don't think of myself as a fine artist. I tried my best in the amount of time I had. This picture has to do with anorexia nervosa, or beings who are just not happy with there body. Sachiko, my model, does NOT have anorexia, she was the only skinny friend that would do this photo shoot. I just told her to pop out her bones as much as she could. The elbow thing on the far right is all her. Her elbow can bend past the average limit, so can mine, but not as much as hers. I really like the shadow it creates in the background. I also tried to group the pictures together so it resembles somewhat like a body.

There were other pictures that I took that I liked, but didn't go along with this project.

Still Life Project

I couldn't decide between these two photos. These are my juzu beads and my book that teaches Nichiren Buddhism. For the shadow, it is the logo of the Soka Gakkia International (SGI), a Nichiren Buddhist organization. This two objects are important to me because they have taught me to be a better person and fight through any obstacle. I have also found friends in SGI.

I desaturated the bottom picture while warming up the top. I like the top one because it empfsizes the words "myoho-renge-kyo" or daimoku. It is used in chanting to attain perfect and complete awakening (enlightenment). I like the second picture because you can see more of the shape and the objects as a whole.

I really enjoyed doing still life because you don't have to direct anyone other than yourself.