The Final Project

The final project was turned in yesterday. I received some generally positive feedback on the pictures I presented from both the rest of the class and the instructor. Of course, the instructor's opinion matters the most and she will apply the final grade based on a more in-depth analysis of the project.

Without further ado, here is my statement and photos for this semester:

It's easy to want the latest and greatest in everything. We all want the newest car, the bigger house, the ultimate computer, to name a few things. For some who are into photography, this includes the latest and greatest in camera equipment. With all of the sophisticated selling points that accompany the new products, being sucked into wanting the latest and greatest can sometimes be hard to avoid. I myself have been stricken with technolust on a few occasions, but the reality of the checking account balance proves to be an effective cure for that malady.

It's easy to forget that the camera is merely a tool. A photograph begins and ends in the mind. The camera itself is only the first tool used to provide a genesis to the photograph. It matters not whether the camera is a homemade black box with a pinhole aperture or the latest Hasselblad 48 megapixel medium format digital - without the inspiration, the image never gets created.

That's not to say that the camera is not important. Every camera has its capabilities and faults that the photographer can exploit to his or her advantage. Each camera in my personal collection has a purpose based on their capabilities. The Olympus, for example, is a waterproof camera that allows me to do things I can't do with my Canon 7D. The Pentax 645 uses medium format film, which gives me the ability to take shots that can be enlarged to a much greater degree than can 35mm. They all have something to offer.

Each pair in this series is a testament to the abilities of each camera and the fact that it doesn't take a Canon 1D Mark III to create a beautiful photograph. The black and white camera photographs attest to the fact that I feel no camera in my collection is more important than the next, and when taking shots each camera is considered based on what is in my mind.

Work Has Begun

My final exam project is due on Monday, 6 December 2010. The guidelines are as follows:

6 rolls of film shot (24 or 36 exposure or 120 film) or an equivalent number of digital
6 high quality prints which can be presented in any creative manner

The themes can be chosen from the following:
1. Joiners
2. Documentation of a story, either real or made up
3. Photographic illustration of a poem or song

It's a pretty loose set of requirements, but the themes do require some thought. I had originally decided to go with option 3, but the person I asked to assist recently joined the ranks of the employed and thus is unable to help at this time. It's ok, I'm just glad she was able to find a job. At this point I'm going with option 2 and going to tell a little bit of my own story.

Work began earlier this evening. So far I have 43 digital shots split between 2 subjects. The story can go 1 of 2 ways, and at this point I will let the photographs develop the story for me. Wish me luck as I begin this journey. Since the Texans are playing on Thursday this week I should have pretty much all day on Sunday to figure out how I'm going to present my final shots.