Final Photo Essay

Mother Sclerosis

MOTHER SCLEROSIS-- Pictured here is Jennifer Mclellan, mother of two who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when she was 25 years old. She has shaky movement and can no longer walk with outside the assistant of a walker though she mostly uses a wheelchair. "It really sucks not being able to do all the things I used to, but I'm just grateful I don't have a brain tumor or something worse. I was diagnosed at the same time as my friend Adonna and we had the same symptoms, and she had a brain tumor and sadly passed away" Said Jen.

BRAIDED BACK--Daughter Jacqueline Mclellan has just french braided her mom's hair back to get it out of her face and make it easier to brush her teeth. "It's funny because I used to braid her hair and now I'm too shaky to do it, I guess the tables have turned" said Jen. 

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY- This photo was taken on December 11th Jennifer's 39th birthday and here she is seen pictured holding balloons her mother sent her. As another surprise her mom also sent her an edible arrangement because she unfortunately lives in Geneva, Illinois where Jennifer grew up and couldn't be there. "I love being able to go back every summer and visit my family but sometimes it sucks that they're not here all the time" Said Jen. 

BAD HABITS-- Here is Jennifer leaning out the back door to smoke a cigarette, a nasty habit she developed a long time ago. Although she has quit before it's a tough addiction to kick though she is not a heavy smoker at all. "It's a disgusting thing and I really would like to quit but I'm not really that concerned with it" said Mclellan.

FAMILY FUN--Here is Jennifer along with son Duncan, husband Michael and brother in law Scott along with his three dogs who Jennifer loves. Every year on any of the family's birthdays Scott brings over Hey Cupcake and his dogs for a small celebration. "I really wish we could get a dog, but there too much work and Michael doesn't really like them, neither does Jacqueline" said Jen. 

UNBOXING-- Here Jen is unboxing the Chirstmas ornaments to decorate the tree. It took Michael a really long time to find them in the extremely cluttered garage but he finally did even if it was only one box out of many. "Christmas is my favorite time of year, everyone is so happy and the kids are home cause they're on break even if they do get annoying after a few days"Said Jen. 

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES-- This is a christmas ornament made my Jennifer's grandmother Marty who sadly passed away a few years back.  Marty made these little mailboxes for everyone in our family although the Mclellan's seem to have misplaced all except this one. "I love our christmas tree because I see so much of my grandma on it, she made half the ornaments which is so special. I miss her so much" Said Jen. 

GOODNIGHT-- This is Jennifer and Michael trying to sleep and being bothered by their daughter. Michael a few days ago hung up the christmas lights and had some extra and strung them above the bed. "I think its hilarious how he made them go across the bed and not just on the wall, but he said he just used the tacks that were already there (hahaha)" said Jen. 

STUDYING HARD-- Jennifer helps daughter Jacqueline study for her upcoming spanish final using the abundance of flash cards she made. "I think other languages are so interesting and I wish I knew one, my friend Bayatreece can speak like five languages which is just insane to me" Said Jen. 

STAN THE MAN--This is my cat Stanley, who was found inside my best friend Dilynns moms tire in 2012. He mostly enjoys being outside and only comes inside to eat or sleep which he enjoys doing in the plushy wheel chair. "The dang cat is always in my chair and I feel bad making him move cause he's so darn cute." Said Jen. 

Sports photography

http://digital-photography-school.com/introduction-to-sports-photography/

http://gizmodo.com/the-inside-story-of-how-olympic-photographers-capture-s-1521746623

http://photo.net/learn/sports/overview

Although I like all three of these websites, the one I found the most helpful and informative was the 2nd one or the Olympic photos. The site not only features beautiful photos of exciting moments from throughout the Sochi Olympics but also gives the stories behind the photos  and tips on how to achieve photos just like the ones they took. The primary tip I found repeated through all the sites I looked at was fast shutter speed so you can really capture and freeze the moment. In sports you want to see what's happening more than you want an artistic photograph. It also says that since there is probably many other photographers photographing the exact same thing be creative to produce the best and most exciting image. I really thought this website was useful cause it showed a variety of ways to capture the event while still adding compositonal techniques and producing beautiful images not boring ones. 

Photo mission 4-- Family

CHANGING THE CHANNEL-- This photo is my dad, Michael watching TV in the hotel room after a long day of hockey. We stayed in Plano for four days and literally did nothing except eat, sleep and play hockey. With the exception of a little black friday shopping but I did that solo. The break was monumentally uneventful, although the hotel was very nice. 

ICY TIME-- This photo is my mom Jennifer and my dad Michael at my brother, Duncan's championship hockey game of his Thanksgiving tournament at the Doctor Pepper Center in Plano, Texas. Duncan plays for the Texas Junior Stars and they placed second in the tournament. Fun Fact- Hockey sort of runs in the family, our grandpa played for the Detroit Red Wings until he hurt his knee and couldn't play anymore. It's a smelly and time consuming sport but my family loves it.

SITTIN AROUND-- This photo is my mom Jennifer Mclellan sitting on her hotel bed over Thanksgiving Break. My brother had a hockey tournament so we had to spend Thanksgiving Day in the car for four hours driving. It wasn't fun at all and my mom and I spent a lot of time sitting around because he ending up having five games. Since his team won the semi-finals we had to stick around for another game.

 ON THE ROAD AGAIN-- This Photo is my brother Duncan playing phone games on our ride home. My family and I drove for about six hours home to Austin from Dallas on sunday night. The drive took unusually long because of the rain, the construction and the fact that it was the sunday after thanksgiving so everyone was driving home. We were in Dallas for my little brothers hockey tournament. He plays for the Texas Juniors stars and they got second place in the tournament loosing the championship game 2-1.

These pictures were taken with an iPhone 6s and my family isn't very interesting I know.

Publication 2-- Choir Cabaret 11/12/15

 VERY CORNEY--Senior Max Corney performs "My Favorite Son" from the musical "Will Rogers Follies" along side the Tenor Bass choir and the Chamber Treble Choir during their opening night of the annual Choir Cabaret. Cabaret is a McCallum tradition and this years theme was "From Books and Beyond to Broadway". The show runs from November 12-15. 

ALL OVER CABARET--The Chamber Treble Choir peforms "All Over the World" from the musical "Xanadu" during their opening night performance of McCallums annual Choir Cabaret. The song featured soloists Atley Brown, Hannah Cooley, Miranda Vandenberg, and Ellie Zambarano. The show featured a variety of songs from a variety of Broadway musicals. 

BEHIND THE MASK--Front row seniors Hannah Cooley and Marley Chilton hold down their fans as the full cast performs their first act closer "Point of No Return" from "Phantom of the Opera" during opening night of McCallums annual Choir Cabaret. The show featured all levels of choir from beginning to chamber as well as a variety of songs from a wide range of musicals. The show runs from November 12-15 and takes place in the MAC theatre. 

Publication 1-- Boys Basketball 11/17/15

THROUGH THE (DEL) VALLE-- Senior co-captain Jesse Levy-Rubinett guards Del Valle Senior Kareem Chever-Moore during the Knights season opener tonight (11/17/15). The Cardinals beats the Varsity Knights 73-55, but the JV Squad won their game 57-55 in the final moments of the game. 

 ARMS UP-- Freshman Andrew Alvarez and Emmett "swisha" Sweeney attempt to block Del Valle players from scoring during their Friday contest against the Cardinals . "Even though we lost we played hard and I'm excited for the rest of the season." said Sweeney.  In the end the Knights lost 70-23 but they play again Monday, (11/23/15) against the Anderson Trojans.

HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES-- Freshman Andrew Alvarez shoots the ball for a two point shot on Tuesday in the Knights season opening game against the Del Valle Cardinals. "The best part of basketball is playing the whole game and seeing my fans in the stands. I'm really glad I get to play for the Knights this year." Said Alvarez. The Knights lost to the cardinals 70-23. Their next game is Monday, November 23, against the Anderson Trojans.

White Balance

white balance AUTO f/6.3 ISO 6400 shutter speed 1/4000

white balance Tungsten f/6.3 ISO 6400 shutter speed 1/4000

white balance DAYLIGHT F/6.3 ISO 6400 shutter speed 1/4000

white balance FLORESCENT f/6.3 ISO 5600 shutter speed 1/4000

white balance SHADE f/6.3 ISO 5600 shutter speed 1/4000

white balance CLOUDY f/6.3 ISO 5600 shutter speed 1/4000

white balance CUSTOM F/6.3 ISO 5600 shutter speed 1/4000

PHOTO COMPOSITION GALLERY

1.  SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD

The main compositional rule in this photo is its shallow depth of field which isolates the focal point. Part of the snow is also in focus allowing you to clearly see some foreground besides the focal point making it more interesting. I think the parallelism of the trees and the foxes legs provide a calming affect. This photo also uses rule of thirds and a fast shutter speed to freeze the action of the fox jumping. The clear white portion makes a chilling affect and actually makes me feel cold.


2. RULE OF THIRDS

The primary compositional technique in this photo is the rule of thirds placing the small fox animal thing in the right third of the photo. This photo also has an excellent shallow depth of field, blurring almost the entire background creating a simple one colored area. The brown blurred branches and the foxes ears create small diagonal or leading lines through that section of the photo. 


3. BIRDS EYE VIEW
 

The primary compositional technique used in this is birds eye view, the angle of the camera is straight over head. The yellow lines also create parallelism as well  as a frame for the subject. The flat background against this 3D person, with many levels, creates dimension. 

4. BACK LIGHTING

The primary compositional rule in this photo is the back lighting, creating the silhouette of the person and the camels. This photo also has a simple background and overall color scheme. This back lighting also creates an ombré effect through the background color of orange to black.  The silhouette creates an obvious focal point and creates drama. 

5. PERSON IN ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAIT

This photo primarily is an environmental portrait, including the one person allows it to not just be a mountain but to have action and some secondary interest. This photo also has a long depth of field and a  simple color scheme of blues and whites. The snowboarders rope creates a pop of color along with a leading line that drags your eye to the person.

6. VERTICAL CROPPING

The primary feature of this photo is the way it is vertically cropped to include the entirety of the subject. It also features a fast shutter speed to freeze the moment. The short depth of field eliminates the busy background and highlights the focal point.

7. LONG DEPTH OF FIELD








The primary compositional aspect of this photo is the long depth of field allowing you to view the entirety of the photo in focus. Aside from that it also was shot with a slow shutter speed, showing motion and creating a small story of the people and their busy lives rushing through the city. The colors of most of the photo are dark, then the bright signs create more color interest and dimension.

8. LEADING LINE








The main compositional technique used in this photo is the leading line of the jeep assembly line dragging your eye across the photo. It also includes parallelism of the girls. Being black and white shows how old the story or photo is and allows for a more obvious contrast than if the photo were in color.

 9 . CLEAR FOCAL POINT








The main compositional point of this photo is how clearly the focal point is. The only thing clearly in focus is the very front girl. The short depth of field allows you to have a primary subject while still seeing the whole story of the photo just secondary to the focal point. The yellow of the dresses also establishes a clear focal point. The main girl is also using the power of the gaze to tell a story and add to the photo.

 10. PARALLELISM/REPETITION

The primary photo compositional rule in this photo is parallelism and repetition throughout the fore and backgrounds. First with the red panels repeating vertically creating stability and a calm vibe and secondly with the two trees. This photo is also a type of environmental portrait that features one person.  The side walk also creates a horizontal line that walks you through the photo. Lastly this photo includes a long depth of field.  

EV BRACKETING

EV 0, F/16, ISO 3200, SHUTTER SPEED 1/15

EV +1, F/16, ISO 3200, SHUTTER SPEED 1/6

EV +2, F/16, ISO 3200, SHUTTER SPEED 1/4

EV -1, F/16, ISO 3200, SHUTTER SPEED 1/30

EV -2, F/16, ISO 3200, SHUTTER SPEED 1/60

( I realize they're not very visually pleasing photos but, you can see the difference between each EV setting)

View and Respond 8

I chose to write about the photo of the people on paddle boat with their four dogs moving down the street after a Halloween flood in Garfield,Texas. I think the dominant photo compositonal rule is rule of thirds, the placement of the boat is in the far right side of the photo. This photo also has a short depth of field making the only thing in focus the boat and part of the water. The depth of field creates a more visually pleasing photo, but still allows you to see the underwater mailboxes to show the situation. The people are also parallel to each other and the mans paddle creates a diagonal line affect drawing your eye across the boat. The photographers shutter speed also allows you to see the glistening water and the movement of the boat through the water. I think this is effective photojournalism because you can see the distress on the people's faces and the act of them getting their dogs to safety, it effectively tells their story. I also think the bright yellow color of the boat provides a nice focal point.

Publication 2-- Freshman Football vs Reagan 10/22

MOVING ON UP--Freshman quarterback Deron Gage, waits on the sidelines as the McCallum defense takes on the Reagan offense during their face-off on October 22. Gage scored both touchdowns during the game for a final score of 14-0. "I love the feeling of leading the team week in a weak out knowing that the outcome of the game could fall on my shoulders" said Gage.  Gage along with fellow freshman teammate Tino Depaz have now been moved up to varsity for the remainder of the Knights season.

FRESHMAN OF STEEL--Freshman defensive end Cruz Escobar (25) and linebacker Ryan Bonesteel (5) pushes a Raider offender to protect their winning score of 14-0 to shut out Reagan. "I felt like we could've done better but a win is a win and that's all I could've asked for" said Escobar. The Freshman Knights are currently ranked 3rd in their district.

AROUND TO THE TOP--Linebacker Ryan Bonesteel (5), defensive end Cruz Escobar (25) and defensive tackle Duce Rosales (52) block the Reagan offence from scoring resulting in a 14-0 shut out and a win for the Knights. "I like football a lot and I'm really glad I get to play for the knights this year, the team is really working hard and kicking some butt" said Rosales. The knights record is currently 4-5 with their last game of the season this Thursday vs Cedar Creek at Noack Field.

Photo Mission 3

Short Depth of Field ISO 100 Aperture f/4 shutter speed 1/60

Long Depth of Field ISO 320 Aperture f/22 Shutter speed 1/40 

Frozen Action ISO 320 Aperture 3.5 Shutter Speed 1/4000

Showing Motion ISO 100 Aperture f/4 Shutter Speed 1/30 (motion in Joseys whip and milas flailing and foot falling)

Pulitzer Prize

       The photographer I chose to research was Damon Winter who won the Pulitzer Prize in 2009 in the feature photography category. Winter won the award while working with the New York Times though he has also worked for The Dallas Morning News, Newsweek, Magnum Photos, The Ventura Country Star and The Indianapolis Star. He specializes in editorial, travel and documentary photography.
        Winter was born on December 24, 1974 in Elmira, New York and grew up in St. Thomas in the US virgin islands. He earned a bachelor degree from Columbia University in environmental science. In 2005 his photo essay on sexual abuse victims was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and was featured in a portfolio that earned him the National Journalism Award for Photojournalism that same year.
       The collection of photos that won Winter his Pulitzer Prize in 2009  was his coverage of current president Barak Obamas' 2008 presidential race against John McCain. It was extremely hard to choose just 3 photos from his photo essay because they're all so beautiful and I feel really capture and embody the American spirit. He photographed not only Obama and his campaign but the  people attending election events such as rallies and speeches.
         Winters photos display not only the enlightening and warm hearted side of American politics and the election of our first African American president, but the rainy cold days and the deep emotional side. "I wanted to look for interesting moments during the campaign" said Winter. (source-digital journal interview)
       The collection was taken all across the fifty states and features what I think is a well rounded and real life view to a presidential campaign.



     

This photo was taken during a rally Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania. In this rally Obama addressed points about the war in Iraq and why he would be a good choice for president even through the rain. I really like how there is a short depth of field so just Obama is in focus but a slower shutter speed so that the rain is blurred out. I also like the position of the subject, how even though he's in the middle, he's looking off into a different direction. It gives the affect that there is an audience and he's speaking to someone. This photo is effective photojournalism because it tells a story through the image and that's what good photojournalism does.



This photo features Obama supporters crying and cheering on election night in Grant Park in Chicago when they knew Obama was going to win. I really like the short depth of field, how the main subject of the photo is in focus and the background people are blurry but you can still see the expressions on their faces. I also really like the blurred flags, it shows that people are cheering and jumping around and it's an exciting movement filled event. I think the tears and the facial expressions really tell a story about what's happening. The details like him Obama button and American flag really allow this photo to effective photojournalism.

This photo is secret service agents pulling at the hands of an Obama supporter giving him a hug at Legend's Field in Tampa, Florida. I really like the simplicity of the color palette in this photo. Obama, being the focal point in wearing a bright white shirt and everyone around him is wearing black or dark colors. I also think its interesting how there is a long depth of field. So instead of just taking another pretty picture of Obama, it really tells the story of people trying to hug him but being pulled away for safety. This long depth of field allows this photo to be effective photojournalism.

extra photos because I like them :)
Shadrick Johnson age 6, outside of the Columbia Convention Center in South Carolina before an Obama speech.


Obama after meeting with veterans in San Antonio, Texas.