What did you learn about photography that you did not know before?
I learned various methods of composition and development, such as the Rule of Thirds and image editing techniques used in Photoshop. The pinhole camera project, though incredibly simple, was an excellent way to learn about the workings of a camera. I recall seeing a movie some nine years ago that had an old shutter camera where the picture printed upside down, and though I neither remember the movie nor the context, that scene came back to mind when I finally learned why in this class.
What did you learn about yourself this semester?
Mostly that I have the least steady hand out of anyone in my family. While I didn't really learn anything new about myself this semester, I did confirm an preference I suspected I had about photography; that I am more inclined to photograph outside the subject of humanity.
What do you wish we had done that we did not?
Landscape would have been ideal, though possibly impractical, though photography that strictly forbade the interaction of other people with the camera eye. Several quotes this semester have been about the beauty of humanity above all else, though I often find myself at odds with these quotes. A personal philosophy about photography isn't about composition so much as content. I see other people every single day; I'd rather my photography be about something else.
What was your struggle?
General sense of vague misinterpretation when doing assignments. I will admit to not having a very art oriented mindset; rather, when taking photographs, I spent too much time looking for a system or method of approach instead of agreeing with whatever spontaneity I possessed. I spent far too long trying to prevent or predict surprises rather than letting them, well, surprise me.
What did you conquer?
Trepidation regarding this class. Since I had very little experience with photography before this class, I came under the impression that I would be hard-pressed to meet expectations of composition. This proved to be untrue, both in that my fuzzy understanding of photography was cleared up and that learning about composition turned out to be a lot simpler than I thought it would be.
