Ex#7: A Study Of Light Contrast

 
The human eye simultaneously registers a wide range of light intensity. Due to their limited latitude, image sensors (ccd's) are unable to do this. The difference in the level of light falling on or being reflected by a subject is called "Contrast". 

When harsh, directional light strikes a subject the overall contrast increases. Indirect, diffused light produces soft, shadowless images with low contrast. Understanding this behaviour of light and the effects it creates makes a huge difference in photography / cinematography. But you still have to make sure that the camera records it accurately, and that’s where an understanding of contrast comes handy.

Contrast is the range of tones between pure white and pure black. Low contrast images have a wide range and appear soft to the eye, while high contrast images have a small range and appear stark. 

For this exercise, I want you to take two photographs using the black and white mode on your camera OR, reducing saturation/colour using photoshop or any such program after you have taken the photograph.

Choose your subject (animate or inanimate) and take one photograph in high contrast light and another one in low contrast light. Post both photographs together with NO written word.
Enjoy! - Ajay

Rememeber :

Your name in "Post" and Name, Contrast in Lables.
Deadline: Sun 5th Oct 6pm.

Ex#6: Dream On!

 
Fed up with SCM and all it's assignments, etc?! Here's your chance to tune out n let your dream world overtake you :)

The celebrated editor Walter Murch has this to say about dreams -
 "Well, although 'day-to-day' reality appears to be continuous, there is that other world in which we spend perhaps a third of our lives: the 'night-to-night' reality of dreams. And the images in dreams are much more fragmented, intersecting in much stranger and abrupt ways than the images of waking reality - ways that approximate, at least, the interaction produced by cutting. Perhaps the explanation is as simple as that: We accept the cut because it resembles the way images are juxtaposed in our dreams."

For this week, I want you to sleep with a notebook n pen by your bedside :) Write down your dreams each night or any night that you remember your dream. Write in as much detail as possible. Choose any dream (or part) that you'd like to share with us here on the blog. If you don't end up dreaming this week, feel free to include a daydream, fantasy, nightmare recurring dream, or any altered state.

Write in an evocative manner, in a way where we can "see" your dream. Choose one that intrigues you! Enjoy. - Ajay

Remember:
- Your name in the "Post"
- Your name comma Dream in labels.
- Deadline: Sunday 5th Oct 6pm

My Favourite 'Back to Roots' post

Firstly, I would like to thank you for posting. I appreciate the fact that most of you dug through your closets, physical space and minds to symbolically represent your memories.

I like the thought behind the photos of Tanmayee, Vanessa, Valencia, Srishti Singh, Farah, Aparna, Mamta, Amanda, Saloni, Nakita, Tejaswi and Arushi. Of these, I liked 2 posts the most. 

One is Srishti Singh's. Her second photo simply steals the show. It made me smile and told me a story even before I read the explanation. The fact that she included the shadow just adds to the nostalgic feel. In the third photo, the angle, the lighting/filters and positioning of the objects gave me a very dreamy, fairytale like feeling. I didn't quite like the first photo.

The other post I liked is Nakita's. The way the first and last picture is taken and the filter used truly invoke a nostalgic feel. I also liked how the bright area at the left is contrasting with the staircase in the third picture. It's very dreamy.

I liked Aman and Sameer's posts the least since they look like they are/they are taken straight from the internet. I liked the thought behind Shobha's photo but I think she could have represented it better.

Well that's from me. If you didn't notice it already I'm quite liking the judging part of this and other subject assignments - appreciation and constructive criticism :-) 

Shivangi Srivastawa

This teddy always makes me remind of my childhood. I got this on my 7th birthday.

Sameer Panchasara

This game Need for speed was very popular when I was a kid. This game always reminds me of my childhood. I cant play this game at present on windows 8 because it does not supports this game. When I was kid I have played this game a lot. I use to play this game for 7-8 hours sometime when.

This is a hand game. When I was in 1st std. i got this game on my birthday. I played this game a lot. This game runs with batteries. When I play with this game for so long time the batteries got over and I have to put new batteries, but my mom does not give me new set of batteries for a long time. 

When I was a kid the only thing I do is sit in front of TV and watch cartoon. I never miss Scooby-doo. I watch it all the day. If this comes for whole day, I watch it for whole day. 

When I was in 7th std. there was a big trend of beyblade cartoon, and beyblade toys were out because of this cartoon. I was having more than 10 sets of beyblades and its battle ground. Me and my friends always had an get together for beyblade battles. Beyblades always makes me remind of my childhood days.

Ex#5: Audio Photographs

For this one, I want you to work in learning pairs, that is, two of you will do this exercise together. Quite simply, Roll No.1 will pair up with Roll No.28, 2 with 27 and so on. (If at last, one person is left without a partner, I could pair up with you).

Think of the ONE place you gravitate towards. Something like your favourite space you like going to at the end of the day, perhaps. A place you like to go, to get away from it "all". A place you feel most comfortable being there. A place you can truly be yourself. Go there at different times of the day and LISTEN to the sounds. Do you feel differently at different times of the day? Write down a list of the sounds you hear each time you go there. Write at length why this space is your favourite place. Make a test recording on your mobile phone. Go into your phone settings and ensure you are at "best" quality.

I want you to capture the ambient sounds without any overt intervention. Meaning, if people are washing utensils at that moment and you don't want it, wait for them to finish. Capture it in a way that will communicate to the rest of us in class the essence of that space that you like so much. Almost like, we should be able to create a a mental image of that place.

Once you are ready to make your final recording, take your learning partner there and let her/him experience the space. Partners, listen carefully! We will be relying on you if we fail to guess the space. If for some reason you cannot go there just before the final recording, go at least once whenever you both can. Obviously, this is not going to be done in 5mins in one day, so please plan and enjoy the process as well.

The final recording needs to be of 60seconds MAX. We will not play back recordings longer than a minute due to time constraints, so please cooperate. I want you all to maintain a log of this exercise from the moment you start thinking of it.

Deadline: 6pm Sunday Sept 15th.
Remember: Only your name in the "Post" and "your name comma audio photo" in labels. All of you pls ensure you use any one name and edit all your previous posts accordingly.
Any questions/boubts pls ask in class tomorrow morning.
Cheers n have fun!
- Ajay

An apology!

Dear all,

Before I post another exercise, I want to say sorry to each of you, especially those of you who responded enthusiastically and posted your best effort and in time. I haven't been late in responding for a combination of reasons, ranging with my own struggle with you as a batch, to my work n travel. I do not say this as an excuse, but to acknowledge you.

I know we had a discussion in class and we all agreed to carry on with the blog and the last exercise has been a revelation. Most of you have posted in time and many of you have commented. I think we have overcome our initial hesitation or inhibition. Thank you, Brenna!

Today was a bonus off-day and I had to time to respond to every post. In case I have missed out any, please bring it to my notice. Onward we go!
Cheers - Ajay

Aman Sharma

This assignment reminds me and takes me back to my childhood memories.  Dragon ball z was one of my favorite cartoon. I imagined that i should have the same powers the characters had and i could rule the world.

Mc Donalds Happy meals, every child favorite and mine too. I visited MC Donald's only because i needed the Happy meal toys and this was the reason i bought the Meal .This was one of my favorite places of my childhood. Memories got refreshed thinking of those wonderful days. 

  

Hot wheels cars was from the list of things that remind me of my childhood. They were my toys which i never shared with anyone. They were very precious to me. 

Calling Brenna!

Brenna, it is time you let us know which post you liked the most and why. And, like Tanmayi did last week, take time and effort to elaborate on your comment bringing in all you have learnt in class so far.

Similarly, tell us which post you like the least and why it didn't work for you.

Thanks! - Ajay

Tanmayi Oak

Well, this is what reminds me of my childhood and I miss this a lot. In the busy world, I don't get a chance to play my favourite sport-Cricket. I love batting and that is why that Bat reminds me of my first bat that was gifted to me by my dad. I still remember how I used to hit balls into people's house with that bat. As children we were often asked to refer Oxford dictionary. Later I developed a hobby where I used to open random pages from the dictionary and read the words and their meanings. Drawing is another hobby of mine. And the game of marbles reminds me of how I used  to play this with my grandma. 

Aquila Khan

The Haji Ali Durgah brings back memories of childhood as I would visit this durgah very often with my parents.

Mango sweets- Reminds me of my school days. Everyday after school I would rush to buy a few of them.

Wooden chair- It reminds me of my hometown as my Dadaji would sit on a similar chair.