Movie Review

So time to write movie reviews… it’s been a very long time since I have written anything for my blog so here it goes.

For shoot week on top of all the shooting and assignments the other students and I had, we got to sit back and watch a few photo related movies. During what would normally be class time we were issued movie passes and set out on some popcorn popping and movie watching. We were told that 3 movies were the minimum to see, so with no question I chose I Am Cuba, One Hour Photo, and Manufactured landscapes.

The movie extravaganza started Tuesday with “I Am Cuba”. Sitting in the DT room not sure what to expect but excited to see what it would entail because it sounded quite interesting and I was looking forward to seeing it. So it started, I thought to myself hmm its in black and white that’s cool. The movie is set in Cuba around the early at 60’s, it focuses on four short stories about different peoples lives and their reaction to the war that is going on in their own home towns. The first short story is about a young female named Betty (Luz María Collazo), she has a unique life style to say the least. The setting was very tiki, lounge, and music…as what the 60’s were all about. You get a sense that the war was there but not at all on the top of her mind at the time. The other short stories to follow, you would get the feeling of war and wanting a better life; a farmer wanting a better life for his kids, a male student fielding for liberty, and by the last one you see there is a revolution that is happening and everyone trying to secure a happy place for their future. The movie all and all was wonderfully done, this film didn’t have to be in color to justify it, the tone, the expressions, the mood, it all worked together to create a breathtaking movie.

It was a double bill for Wednesday, as I was seeing One Hour Photo and Manufactured Landscapes after that. So to start off the morning I had already seen One Hour Photo but I thought why not see it again as odd as it was the first time…why not!! It stars the amazingly funny Robin Williams but for this movie put on the serious role. I didn’t take this movie too seriously it was the fun movie out of the three, I did find it interesting and had a straight urge to work in a photo lab after seeing it. Lol as well as not taking my family photos to a one hour place. The part of the movie I think I found most interesting was near the end where you could see the films color was getting darker and more serious in a way, the tones were getting richer and richer and the movie was getting more suspenseful.

Last but not least Manufactured Landscapes I really didn’t get this one, it had its interesting moments and it wasn’t bad considering it is a documentary. I thought it would have been quite different though. It was about I believe Chinese workers who were working in factories, ship-breaking yard in Bangladesh and stone quarry in Vermont. The documentary was about Photographer Edward Burtynsky travels observing changes in landscapes due to industrial work and manufacturing. For what it is a documentary it is fine work and it documents the events well and shows Burtynsky’s talents and work considerably well but it wasn’t one of my favourites.

IS3- Internet Research

There are a few genres of photography that I would be interested in learning more about but one in particular would have to be night photography. I have tried before to take great pictures at night but have not really been able to so I would like to try and master it. There are many interesting ways of using what available low light you have around at the time of taking the shot, there are also many factors you have to think about as like the time of exposure, the lighting you are given, using a tripod helps, you’re ISO, shutter speeds and apertures have to be controlled all have to be considered to take a great picture and you have to master it and know the technique cold, thats what i would like to do.

Here are some images and information about night photography:

http://www.blackphoto.com/tutorials/lesson_night.asp
http://www.schoolofphotography.com/night/night.html
http://www.hoursofdarkness.com/Home.htm
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/night-photography.htm

Image 1
http://www.blackphoto.com/images/lessons/night/header_photo.jpg

This is an example of low light or night photography, i like this one because it shows what you can do with motion and light. I also like how the lights bring out the picture they are vibrate in color, nice contrast from the dark background.

Image 2

http://www.edwud.com/photos/450/china_town_light_trails_manchester.jpg

This is a photo of how having a longer exposure time can make the lights pull across the frame making your point of focus where you want the viewer to look.

Image 3

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/7129/mt8xz.jpg

I really like this one because you still have contrast and texture and the color of the sky with the stars is amazing it is not your standard almost black and white looking night shot. I am not to fond of the arangment of the shot but the example of night photography is what makes this image a good example.

http://www.mbakerphotography.com/
Megan Baker is a young photographer from the U.S., she is about 17 years old and is an amazing artist with a mysterious skill to capture an image and hold the viewers eye with the intense color and texture of each of her photographs.

Lines

Hey all!!
well first off i have to say doing this assignment was a journey downtown for me and i found some pretty interesting new places that i have never been to before so i was fascinated. It wasnt that hard of an assignment to do i think, it was getting into it and finding "lines" and photographing them in an interesting way that was the challenge but after i got into it, it wasnt that hard because there are lines all over but just capturing them is challenging at times.

Blog #2

Photography has been an interest of mine for many years now and I cant pick out one single moment that was the life altering moment but it has always just been there photography and music I always say is my life, if i didn't have either I wouldn't have a clue of what I would like or be doing. I have always been interested in art and crafts so I have always tried new things in the artistic realm. I think the real attraction to photography would be the differences that it can have its not doing the same thing its always changing and you are always seeing things in different ways or in a different light then you had before.

What I am hoping to learn this year from the course would be more about my cameras and to be comfortable using them as well as anything more I can. I would also like to be able to happily use photoshop as I tend to become frustrated with it at times, I am more of a Corel user by choice.

If I could go back in time and meet anyone it would have to be Elvis Presley. I am a huge fan and would have loved to have met and talked with him if he was still living because he seemed to be a very interesting person with i'm sure a lot of stories to be told.
It would also be interesting to meet River Phoenix, he was an actor from the late 80's early 90's most famous for his role in the movie Stand By Me. He was was all about the environment and animals, trying to protect them or do whatever he could to help out, he was involved with many organizations over his years but died tragically of a drug overdose at the age of 23. He will always be someone I look up to and would like to become minus the drug overdose of course :)

first blog sept 9 2008

I am interested in many types of photography, I try to take pictures of whatever I can but mostly nature, Scenic, concerts, festivals, flowers, animals things of that nature. Haven't taken alot of pictures of people but would like to do a little more of that in time.
















Photo by Duncan McNairnay