The final assignment is to create a Personal Learning Portfolio (PLP), which serves as a collection of our best work from the semester that shows our progress and understating of the concepts taught. For my final portfolio, I chose both images submitted for assignments and photos that didn’t necessarily make the assignment criteria, yet they were some of my favorites.
A morning glory’s tendril at dusk. Taken in Brookline, MA, on Wednesday, October 14, 2020. f5.6 (1/400s ISO400) Lens: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (EFL 49mm) Photo by Marie von Kampen
Pride Crosswalk. Taken in Brookline, MA, on October 14, 2020. f5.6 (1/80s ISO 400) Lens: EF-S18-55 f/3.5-5.6 IS (EFL 48mm) Photo by Marie von Kampen
Fake flowers above the "Slavery in Brookline" inscription at Walnut Street Cemetary. Taken in Brookline, MA, on Saturday, October 31, 2020. f8 (1/250s ISO 400) Lens: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (EFL 55mm) Photo by Marie von Kampen
Small accumulation on branches. Taken in Brookline, MA, on Saturday, October 31, 2020. f8 (1/250s ISO 400) Lens: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (EFL 55mm) Photo by Marie von Kampen
Extra signs on the crosswalk. Taken in Brookline, MA, on Saturday, October 31, 2020. f8 (1/320s ISO400) Lens: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (EFL 28mm) Photo by Marie von Kampen
Layers of a commute. Taken in Brookline, MA, on Saturday, October 31, 2020. f16 (1/160s ISO 1600) Lens: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (EFL 49mm) Photo by Marie von Kampen
Vanitas Selfie. All items that are owned by the photographer composed together to create a still life in the Dutch style of Vanitas. Taken in Brookline, MA, on Saturday, November 14, 2020. f8 (0.6s ISO 100) Lens: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (EFL 36mm) Photo by Marie von Kampen
After I wake up and head to the bathroom, this is often what I find. Since I am the only female tenant, I put a note up, but it doesn't seem to help. Taken in Brookline, MA, between Friday, November 20 to Sunday, November 29, 2020. f5.6 (1/1000s ISO 400) Lens: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (EFL 23mm) Photo by Marie von Kampen
Reflection on a Thanksgiving walk. Taken in Brookline, MA, on Thursday, November 26, 2020. f5.6 (1/25s ISO 800) Lens: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (EFL 55mm) Photo by Marie von Kampen
Note from the landlord and double reflection of the neighbor's porch. Taken in Brookline, MA, on Monday, November 23, 2020. f5.6 (0.4s ISO 1600) Lens: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (EFL 43mm) Photo by Marie von Kampen
FINAL REFLECTION
Even though I learned how to control photography settings through shooting film, I was not comfortable making the same manipulations when transitioning to a digital camera. I stopped using my DSLR for a long time. I could not get the shots I wanted because I was dependent on automatic settings. At the start of the semester, I felt gear-imposter syndrome because I wondered if my 14-year-old camera and one lens would be enough to get me through this class.
By starting over and learning each of the technical parts of photography, I started to reinforce the foundation I had from film photography. I realized I didn't need the newest camera or lenses, as long as I understand how to use and control what I had in my hands. Once I felt more comfortable with the technical aspects, I found that they helped me be more discerning with the compositional elements of taking a photo. While I still need to continue working on this, I can tell my ability to assess a scene is more discriminating than in the past. I will notice light, angles, and miscellaneous objects which I would not have necessarily seen in the past.
As a student, unfortunately, due to the pandemic, I feel like I missed out on exploring both landscapes (no travel) and portraits (social distancing). I appreciate that these topics were covered in lectures, and I know that I will need what I learned from this semester because my preconceived notions about either could be completely incorrect.
I found it challenging to learn Adobe Lightroom, but I have discovered it is a valuable tool. I thought photographers used Photoshop for editing, but now I know better! Understanding how to use Adobe Lightroom will also be a useful tool for the long-but-not-so-forgotten project of scanning negatives and prints. I found Adobe Portfolio a helpful resource for a free website but lacks some other platforms' customizability. As I continue to learn as a photography student, I may eventually move my site to another resource with more customization.
Now I feel comfortable manipulating the settings I used to with film, and I do not even want to go near the automatic settings. While I still need to keep shooting, I have learned new technical and artistic components to translate what I see into a digital medium. There has been a lot of growth, as I can tell by various levels of uncomfortableness throughout the semester. I have been reunited with the angst I used to have when I'd spend overnights in the darkroom lab, trying to get the photo to look like how I saw it. My success in images or styles that I would have never attempted prior, like still lifes or darker light scenes, was the biggest surprise. The VIP this semester was my tripod! My favorite photo of the semester was the Vanitas still life, and knowing what went into making the image, helped boost my confidence that I could produce images that I imagined in my head.
One of my favorite photographers has always been Brassaï for his low light and night photography. I want to explore more of these types of compositions as I continue to take photos and explore my photographic interests. I would also like to try to incorporate digital photography into my printmaking and my alternative processes exploration, either as a tool to help better plan or find a way to combine them in such a way that enhances both. Connecting my past photographic history with the new digital photography skills has been a great point of growth for me during this semester.