Phase Three Personal Assignments

Upon returning home yesterday, although you were excited to see me, you were waiting for something else. Like a kid on Christmas morning, you sifted through my leftover prints and rummaged about my bag for the one picture I took of you. Well baby brother, I purposely did not print an extra of you to find. Because I wanted to share just how much you meant to me first.

Connor, you have most certainly grown up since I have left. No longer the short, slightly overweight boy I left for college knowing. You have transitioned into a tall (taller than me even), deep-voiced, dare I say it, man that continuously surprises me every time I come home. It is as if we have switched roles, you've become quiet where I no longer know what it means to have an "inside" voice. I know I have been short with you at times, but this year has made me lose quite a bit of the patience I once had. Just know I love you just the same. And most importantly, I am proud of you. You don't even have to do anything for me to feel that sense of pride. Just seeing you standing up straight, towering over your mother makes me realize just how amazed I am at how much you've changed. Continue to change, don't allow anyone to quiet your now-timid voice. I cannot wait for you to really explore the world. Whatever it is you end up doing, you will do well and fly past anyone else because I have never met anyone with a heart bigger than yours. You make up for the one I don't have I sometimes think. Don't you dare give up on anything you love (unless it's a girl that I don't like, of course), and you will eventually find just what it is that you're passionate about.

Here is the picture that got me such a strong reaction from the crowd (not to mention the people that believed you were 16/17, HAH.) I love you Connor.



And then a few more, because I made you wait. :)







You can find the rest of my Phase Three final on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CassidyJeanPhotographicImagery

A Quick Mention

Although photographing for our environmental occupational was the last image I had scheduled before my phase three final was due, it was most certainly not the least important. It ended up being one of the most special images in my portfolio. This woman is someone I hold very dear and has recently been someone I could lean on when it seemed as if I was on my own. During some of the darkest points in my teenage years, she has been the light that keeps me going, moving forward to become the person I am now. The same one I would have never been without her gentle words that have had a profound impact on my way of thinking.  Loving me unconditionally like one of her own, and letting me know at every opportunity she gets, I am proud to call this woman my dearest Aunt Sue. Thank you for every encouraging word you have offered forth as well as time you have taken to make sure I always have a smile on my face when I finish talking with you.

Ladies and gentleman, I present to you Sue Barrett Sayers.

You can find the rest of the images from my Phase Three Mandatory here: https://www.facebook.com/CassidyJeanPhotographicImagery

Phase Two Final

For our Phase Two final this time around, we only had to shoot four images. Here are the final cuts!

1. Seventeen Magazine Cover

2. Environmental Still Life

3. Environmental Portrait

And finally, one of the images we had to create was a self portrait. Ideas swirled around in my head now that I had full use to the studio bays as well as knowledge of basic lighting. I'll do something raw, dark, and maybe a little weird I thought. Gathering up my materials, I happened upon a set of butterflies in A.C. Moore that seemed just right in a way. I wasn't sure how, but they did. 

The time came for me to finally set up my self portrait so I brought the butterflies along, just for kicks. The image I was originally modeling my picture off of was a lot darker, so they delicate little things wouldn't make sense. Trying the original dark image, I was unsatisfied. It just wasn't what I was envisioned. Then I saw the colorful little wings sticking out of my bag and figured, why not? Weaving them through my hair and around my collarbone, I took a quick look in the mirror to see this was what I was looking for. The image we had to hand in had to be in color, but I think converting to black and white silenced the distracting color. The image instantly became one of my favorites. 

It was strong, raw, and emotional in a sense. Mostly because it had meaning to me. More meaning than any crazy conceptual image I've ever created. It was simple. Less was definitely more. So Mama, I hope this image will be one you'll be proud of showing off. I love you Ma :)

Perspective- Week Three

On our way to week three, we start to learn perspective, the differences between focal lengths on a lens, and how they connect. You can see the difference between getting in close with a short focal length (1st picture at 24mm) and a long focal length at slightly further away distance (2nd picture at 70mm)





The second set of assignments were to shoot a backlit image as well as a product shoot with a sense of the environment. Random, but proved to be quite challenging in-between all the rain

Contrast- Hallmark Week 2

As I make my way to week two at Hallmark, we begin to learn the difference between high and low contrast. In between learning to look for soft tones in pictures, we head out on another field trip to Brattleboro, Vermont to find those. On a gloomy Thursday morning, I pack my bag up and head out. Driving there was pretty simple, but there was so much fog!

Once getting there, the conditions didn't improve until later on when the sun came bursting through the clouds. It proved to be quite useful for our high contrast, full-length image

For the low-contrast assignments, one had to be an abstract object with shape, while the other was a simple portrait with a reflector to fill in the light.

Here's a few more that didn't pertain to the assignment, but I really liked