Project 6: Documentary Photography
For this series, I was capturing the daily lives of those old Shanghainese, as well as the traditional and nostalgic part of Shanghai that was little known by people, using films. I documented the fruit store, breakfast cart, and those antique historical buildings that were important for the older generation. Even though I grew up and had lived in Shanghai for 18 years, I still discovered something new and some aspects that I didn’t notice before about the city. The traditional Shanghainese knew how to utilize everything to its extreme: they always try to make their lives as comfortable as they can through utilizing every possible space in the house, given the limited amount of space to live as the housing price is insane in Shanghai. Unlike my Northampton trip, I was not able to shoot a lot of pictures of people because the Shanghainese are really cautious and they always try to avoid getting into troubles. I really enjoy how I am able to discover so much more about the city and the culture through this photographic experience.
Project 5: Overlays
Project 4: Outdoor Studio
My first experience of shooting in an outdoor studio is fun and inspiring. I like how I am able to utilize natural light while shooting and would definitely want to do it again. I tried to create clean and neat negative space to emphasize detail in the flowers that I'm shooting.The editing process went well, and I enjoyed experimenting different saturation and exposure to achieve a vintage feeling in all my images. If I were to shoot in the studio setting again, I would still like to shoot in the theme of nature, but include some people as my subjects to give a more vibrant feeling to the whole project. Overall, I like my final series and is satisfied by the antique but vital vibe of the pictures.
Project 3: Spooky Series
"They leave all hope behind who enter there:
One certitude while sane they cannot leave
One anodyne for torture and despair;
The certitude of Death, which no reprieve
Can put off long; and which, divinely tender
But waits the outstretched hand to promptly render
That draught whose slumber nothing can bereave."
From the City of Dreadful Night by James Thomson
One certitude while sane they cannot leave
One anodyne for torture and despair;
The certitude of Death, which no reprieve
Can put off long; and which, divinely tender
But waits the outstretched hand to promptly render
That draught whose slumber nothing can bereave."
From the City of Dreadful Night by James Thomson
Project 2: Depth of Field and Landscape
I took this series of pictures in the garden of my house. Usually, I am only able to stay at home during the breaks so I did not have chances to pay close attention to the flowers in my garden. Thus, with this rare opportunity to stay at home for the whole fall term, I decided to focus on the minor beauties in my garden with mostly a shallow depth of field. All the images collectively reflect nature in my garden in my unique perspective.