The Bokehs
I was trying to go for a dramatic deep shot. but the depth of field wasn't working too well since it was so dark, and this one turned out a little soft. What I did like is the array of vertical lines, from the door frame, walls, and the contrast with him against white. The bokeh lights in the back also made a nice vertical line, so that was cool.

Vertical Horizon 

I was mostly playing with vertical lines. I tried to get the boards, the subject, the flag, and the beams on the wall all contrasted to get the vertical feel. His white shirt goes well against the dark beam, and the blue lines on the flag also work well. Sadly its a bit overexposed in the back, and the back boards aren't too contrasted against the white. But, his headlight is legit. 

"So He's Just Gonna Chase You"

This was overall a happy accident while we were filming Michael's chase scene. I really liked the intensity built through diagonal lines and depth. The depth mostly by the hallway, also creating diagonal lines. Then the diagonal lines by their eye sight and heads. It's all a cool contrast to the seemingly flat portion of the left side of the frame with more vertical lines as well. Cool stuff. 

Old Fashioned. (9/25)
I took this one in conjunction with the last one, trying to go for a nice contrast between the separation from yesterday's photo, to a sense of union with this one. The expressions were priceless, so i hurried to snap what i could and this one popped out. It was a good experiment with line, but also actors. Fun stuff.

Modernity. (9/24)
Again playing with lines, i was going for separation between the two characters. The cell phones add a nice touch. My goal was to place them within their own white 'mini-frame' and use that as a contrast between the two. The very dark doors on the side also confine the space just from the get go, so it worked out well.

Checkered (late for 9/23)

Naturally I was playing for a lines and confinement in this piece. I used a wide lens, 18mm, to give it a fish bowl effect, but also flat against the back walls. I tried to line the subject up in the middle of the bright, contrasting white, trapped by the darker tones all around him. The feeble position helps a little too.

Milk?

I was trying to go for the super intense deep shot, like in the book. Since the last one was a little serious, i tried to go for comical here. I focus on using limited lighting (iPhone is the fridge light) and just trying to tell a story with deep space. Her light in the background was a little yellow compared to his, so thats something i would have tried to correct. Other than that, i like it. 

The Boy and--
This was actually a happy accident. I knew what i was going for, and worked to expose right for the darker house light, but it turned out really well. I think the focus is a little fuzzy on him, and he has just about a foot of too much head room--but that allows for the whole door to be seen in the background, so it worked out. I was playing with the deep space and trying to tell a story between both the use of space and expression, I am satisfied. :)

This video was an experiment mostly on imagery to convey the childhood aspect. I really wanted to play with tone and space to create different feels throughout the piece: predominantly a golden hue for the past memories and a bluer tone for the future/moving on sequence. I also tried to incorporate flat and deep space motifs where i could too. I learned a lot from this activity as far as trying to express your thoughts through someone else (both DP and actor). I've learned to try and keep the whole project (as far as how i want to edit it) in mind for each step of filming. This will help me achieve a greater sense of success when all is said and done.

Autumn Sun

I was playing around outside with white balance and exposure technique and this cool thing happened. I was going for a solid green and a rich sun to peak through. I really like how the sky is white (so on a white background the only visible element). Other than that I actually tried to get a blue sky, but couldn't figure it out... so, maybe, any tips? How to get an exposure like this with the blue still visible? Im sure an ND would do wonders, any other thoughts?

Movie Depth

The Camera quality is lacking a little bit, #iphone life. I was going for some of the concepts we covered earlier this week on depth perception and all. I thought it would be fun to do with movies since they are such an important part of my life. So, while this is not an intended glorification of Owen Wilson, I hoped to get a gradual switch from light to dark through the color tones... Anyway, fun experiment.  

Every Journey 

I took this photo using an i-phone, which actually helped with the super wideness of it. I was really just going after a deep space feel, along with the vanishing point stuff we talked about in class. Ideally, it is trying to say that every journey begins with a first step, very cliche, I know. I tried to mix it up using empty shoes to go a for a universal idea--everyone, and anyone, will make this type of journey; life is difficult and it takes balance to try and juggle everything together. Yeah, deep. 

The Road

This is a photo I took several days ago, but that I really liked as it relates to our discussion between flat and deep space. Originally, I was playing around with some different focus effects on the camera, and tried to get a deep space contrast tempting the board on flat space. The tree is a little bright, and the focus isn't as soft as I wanted but overall it wasn't too bad and I like the composition of this shot.

It's a Long Way to the Top...

This photo is most inspired by several other black and white, overexposed shots I've seen over the past few days. I really wanted to just take a simple, everyday plant life object and just try to see it from a different perspective. I wanted to focus on the texture of the bark, but also have the sky out of focus and over exposed to emphasize the texture and difficulty of life's journey, and our hopes that seem some how off in the distance--muddled and confusing, but real and ever watching us grow.

The Game.

I actually learned a lot from this picture. I wanted to go for a darker, 'game-gone-wrong' feel, but I realized how a crappy kit lens can effect the style of picture in low lighting. So, I wasn't able to go for a silhouette exactly, or an intense focus on the Super Smash in the background because the lens wouldn't open passed a 5.6. Note to self, get nicer lens next time.

The Apple.
This photo was mostly an experiment with the camera. I was trying to get a good, portrait style set up outside with a few different objects, using the sun as a back drop. Artistically, I really enjoy the color hues. I was going for a golden tinge, and it turned out pretty well, especially using the grass as an exposure balance for the rest of the picture. Hopefully the combination of the two objects speak enough for themselves.

10 Cool Things

http://video.ted.com/talk/podcast/2015/None/GaryHaugen_2015-480p.mp4 
1: This is one of my favorite TED talks. Gary Haugen is a civil rights lawyer who also led the UN's genocide investigation in Rwanda in 1994. He details his experience in civil rights cases, explaining the simple impact that everyday compassion has had on curing poverty. He clearly explains the depth of poverty and how the real reason it exists is due to violence. As Gary details, none of the traditional anti-poverty programs will stop the most common factor of poverty because they simply aren't designed to.    
2: Likely one of my all time favorite movies. (500) Days of Summer was one of the Sundance films directed by Marc Webb who went on to direct both The Amazing Spider-Man 1 and 2. I enjoy this film mostly  because of its realistic portrayal of how our expectations of love meet the reality of love life.

3: One of the truest, best books I think I have ever read. Naturally, C.S. Lewis is amazing, and this book is particularly phenomenal. Lewis describes the journey of a man who upon finding himself in Hell, takes a trip to Heaven. He learns the reality of why humans deny the privilege of being in Heaven, or in other words, he is taught how we must overcome our human nature to become Heavenly beings, worthy of being in the presence of God. It is amazing. 

4: I am also a huge fan of spending time with family, particularly through board games and other types of social interaction. Quelf is a hoot all in itself. The game requires you to 'obey the card' which often translates into crazy impressions and Snapchat worthy videos of your formal uncle walking around like a mummy with a face covered in toilet paper. Its good stuff.

5: I think i am safe to say that Honduras could easily be considered the second best country in the world. Naturally, I hold it such esteem because I served my two year mission there. The landscape is gorgeous, the people are humble, nice, and very loving. The food, which includes fried banana and cow stomach soup, is somehow amazing. And, the Roatan island has some of the best beaches in the world.     

6: Lets be honest, Lord of the Rings is really what inspired me to be a filmmaker. There's not much I feel worthy to say about the Trilogy, that hasn't been said before. These were the some of the first big films I with my father in the theater, and will always hold a special place in my childhood. 

 7: I love Christmas. Again, my love roots back to strong ties with family and simply spending time with others. I also just enjoy the excuse to waste money and time on those around me. What else can you say about Christmas? It's just great. 

8: Believe it or not, I actually really own these shoes. My sister bought a brand-new pair of them for me just recently too, having seen how much I loved the the $2 ones I bought from the DI in high school. It just goes with my off-beat, granola style I guess, and they are pretty comfy too, so that's a plus. 

9: Im a huge fan of long boarding, and this is my actual board. I picked on the 'sport' about a year and a half a go, and have used it for most of my in Provo transportation needs. I also enjoy long boarding down Provo canyon, usually at night, which is all an adventure in itself. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PzzkeZVDto

10: This is a really cool video that was done a year and a half ago about my adoptive family. I enjoy this video because it details to some degree the odd situation that I called my childhood. The video is shot documentary style and includes interviews from both my mother and step-father, in which they explain how they got to the point of 20+ adopted kids.