About a month ago, I got up and dusted off my hard copy of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. I had already read the book previously, but my interpretation of the book back then was taken from a perspective in which I was confused and therefore, making assumptions that most likely had nothing to do with Steve Job’s actual creative process with his development of Apple products.
Anyway, the book got me thinking of how, in the California Steve Jobs grew up in, technology most likely consisted of cord telephones, clunky(yet functional)desktop computers, and an array of other gadgets that were considered new even when computers were introduced before Steve Jobs created his.
But in the California I’m growing up in right now, it’s become the home base for massive companies and incorporations for computing and technology. Everywhere you look on the streets(globally), someone’s holding a device or has something plugged into their ears; or wrapped around their wrist. Apple or not, a lot of people have immersed themselves into the tech they decided to purchase in order to improve or add to their lives. It might be for medical reasons, education purposes, etc.
Technology has also become emphatically eminent in the study and documentation of nearly everything that has happened for the past few decades. It has escalated the way medicine and doctoring is done, and nearly everything we do now circulates with technology. Schools are using them as a basis for education, hospitals use computers and tablets to track patient history and record data, etc.
But we also use our devices in ways that aren’t just for practicality. But for our own little exploits and fun. Like gaming, drawing, creating music, there are so many opportunities to create things that you want to introduce, and maybe even share with others. And that’s what I find really beautiful with the constant evolution of our machinery, is that we can all find new things that we weren’t familiar with before. Like trying out a new program, or learning how to code. Or maybe creating your first digital art piece.
At the start of this year, on of my classes was Photo Arts, which dealt with how to shoot with a camera, edit images, and how to take good pictures by practicing and studying art principles and angles. It was probably one of my favorite classes and I really hope to take the advanced class in my junior year. It was always my dad who takes pictures in our family, on his phone, or a camera. So when I started taking this class,
I’ve started to appreciate the lengths people go to, to capture moments in ways that could be seared perfectly in your memory.
That metaphor sounded brutal, oh dear.
Photography has really changed my perception of art the more I learned about it, and I’ve found myself taking more pictures at times when I usually wouldn’t have say, a couple months ago. Taking pictures and editing them has unexpectedly become something that really helps me relax when I’m under a lot of pressure. For example, when I was still taking my classes online(the summer holidays have started), I was trying to finish all of my assignments, whilst trying to turn in quality work so I could receive full marks. And even though I still had to do work for Photo Arts, it truly didn’t feel like I was producing pieces for school.
Every time it came the time to send out a new set of photos for my class, it was always a topic that was really beneficial in learning, but could also be done in our current living situations. I enjoyed taking the time to dig deep into my subject and figure out angles and which placement looked best, or which type of lighting made the centerpiece stand out. It was these little mindless thoughts that calmed me and made me feel like I was actually creating art.
So, in honor of this random rant, I present to you a digital portfolio of a few select photos that I wanted to share with you all. Some were shot on my school campus with heavy equipment, while some others were taken and edited just on my phone while at home. There is a lot of improvement that needs to happen with my photography skills, and there is a lot I still need to know, but these are pictures that I’m still proud of because they were taken with passion and determination. So, please enjoy this mini collection produced by yours truly.
Due to some technical difficulties, I couldn’t download the document and turn it into a PDF file. So I’m going to attach the link below so you can view the presentation.
https://www.canva.com/design/DAD-hvjoXDI/Q6d1gwazKn9PpsSOV9ZnOg/edit