Okay so... IAU is the best! And I'm NOT just saying that.
I'm in one course this term - photography. And I absolutely love it! I've always loved taking photos/videos with my iPhone. But now I know the difference between a good image and a GREAT image! Oh, and I've learned how to actually use my - well, my mom's - Canon too! Between the lighting, ISO, aperture, and shutter speed; there are lot of things that go into preparing a photograph. Then, once the photograph has been made (not taken), there's the editing, sizing, and printing (but I won't bore you with all the details!).
I'm in one course this term - photography. And I absolutely love it! I've always loved taking photos/videos with my iPhone. But now I know the difference between a good image and a GREAT image! Oh, and I've learned how to actually use my - well, my mom's - Canon too! Between the lighting, ISO, aperture, and shutter speed; there are lot of things that go into preparing a photograph. Then, once the photograph has been made (not taken), there's the editing, sizing, and printing (but I won't bore you with all the details!).
My class is pretty small. There's my professor, Leslie. She is super cool and artsy and so much fun to be around! Then there are four other students; Megan, Meghan, Cameron, and Ian. Small, right?! But, because it's so tiny, we all know each other really well and it's like we're just hanging out - not going to school. During class, we either have a lecture, photo shoot, critiques, or time to edit/print upstairs. The photo shoots are split up between the six assignments over the course of three weeks (light, line & pattern, texture, portraiture, street photography, and still life).
Because of this class, I can no longer walk down the street the same way. Wherever I look, I'm now saying to myself "That has great repetition!" or "This would be a really cool angle" or "That's PERFECT lighting!". I just can't help myself.
Yesterday, my class (minus Cameron) had a field study in Arles, where a huge art exhibition (Les Rencontres d'Arles) is happening. My class and I went to several different exhibitions, but my favorite was one with photographs by Miguel Ángel Rojas. Much of his work incorporated areas of poverty, and had a darker tone. As my class and I looked around at the many images, my professor pulled me aside to look at one in specific. During our first photo shoot as a class, I shot an image of a little boy taking his shoes off at a fountain from the waist down (it's illegal in France to take photographs of faces without permission). Well, right there in the exhibition was a photograph very similar to the one I took! I guess you could say my inspiration came from Miguel Ángel Rojas, unknowingly!
After viewing many photographs by various photographers, Megan, Meghan, Ian, and I ventured up to the amphitheater. We could see the whole city of Arles from way up there! It was breath-taking!
We also stumbled upon the very cafe that Van Gogh painted in his piece, Le Café la Nuit!
I have one more week of class and plan to make the most of it! If you wish to see more of the images I've *made* these past few weeks, there's a separate blog for the photography class! Just click on the link below to view them :)
http://www.photographyinprovence.blogspot.fr
<3
http://www.photographyinprovence.blogspot.fr
<3