Inauguration Photo

My favorite photo is one from the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball. I really like the background and think it's a beautiful photo, but the main reason it's my favorite is because of the look on the president's face. He looks very happy and in love.

The photo is #38 in the Inaugural Balls section of the photos, it is also the thumbnail for that section.

ASSIGNMENT: Favorite Photo

Later this evening, you'll get an email inviting you to join this blog. We're going to try doing the clips assignment online, so to speak, and see how it goes.

Let's start with the assignment, then the mechanics of doing it. Find what you think is the most amazing photo from the inauguration last week. It can come from the ceremony, the pre-event festivities, the parade or even from somewhere outside of the capital area. Give us a sentence or two on why that's your favorite - be it the moment, composition, etc. This needs to be up by 7 p.m. on Sunday evening. (Feel free to come back after that time and look at what your class mates found.)

As to how to do it ... once you've joined, log in to the site and create a new post. Give it a title, a few sentences and the link to the images. Please do not upload copyrighted material to this blog. 

To link the photo, just above the area where you're typing you'll see some standard formatting tools. One of them looks like a little piece of chain with a green dot behind it. Highlight/select the text you want to be the link, then click on that button and paste in the web address. 

In the lower right corner of the entry field, there's a box marked, "Labels for this post." If you click on "Show all" (to the right of the box), you'll see text for 3610-AM and 3610-PM - click on your class, double check your entry and then click PUBLISH POST. 

And you're done.

ASSIGNMENT: 30 More Faces

Time to finish this up ... for Monday, February 2, you need to shoot 30 more mug shots. Ten each at 75 mm, 50 mm and 28 mm. Keep an eye on your focus and exposure, as well as your backgrounds. Collect all the info as you did for your first set. 

We'll download your cards in class on Monday.

Lab Hours for the Spring Semester

We may adjust as the semester goes on, but these will start today:

Tuesday: 12:30-2:00, 4:45-7:00
Thursday: 12:30-2:00, 4:45-7:00
Friday: 12:15- 5:00

ASSIGNMENT: Six (of 36) Faces

For Monday, January 26, you need to shoot the first six of your 36 Faces. You need to find six people you do not know somewhere on or near campus. You need to shoot a simple head-and-shoulders vertical mug shot of them.

The first two people, shoot with your lens zoomed in to 75 mm, the second two should be around 50 mm and the last two at 28 mm. Pay attention to your backgrounds, your focus and your exposure. Shoot several frames of each person so you'll have a choice of expressions.

From each person you'll need their name, age, hometown, major (or job title) and one piece of contact information from them - phone number or email address.

Bring your camera and card to class on Monday, and we'll start the workflow process of moving images from your card to the computer and then to CDs.

You can shoot as much as you want, but make sure you don't kill your battery before completing this assignment. You can shoot more than the required six, but remember you're just learning - you may pick up some tips next week that will improve your shooting.

Let me know if you have any questions.

ASSIGNMENT: Read the Manual

It'll help, trust me - between now and Monday, you need to read the manual for the Canon Digital Rebel. Then email me three questions - by 7 p.m. on Monday - you have about the camera. 

Merlin Mann on Accepting the Learning Curve

Merlin Mann is one of my favorite bloggers - he's kind of a hero. He writes about a lot of things, including efficiency, getting your email box down to zero and general creative stuff. I know of no one who's as creative writing about being creative.

In early December, he posted a piece on getting better at photography, something he wants to do. "Photography, and the Tolerance for Courageous Sucking" is all about how the only way to get better at something is to do it. A lot. 

I love this line:

I think finding your own comfort with the process (whatever that process ends up being) might just be the whole game here — being willing to put in your time, learn the craft, and never lose the courageousness to be caught in the middle of making something you care about, even when ... you might look like an idiot fumbling to make it. What’s the worst thing that could happen?

I apologize for the language in a few places, if it bothers you, let me know and I'll generate a synopsis for you to read. 

(I wrote about this on my blog, as well, back in December and what I'll be doing to deal with my own acceptance of failure.)