John Patrick Photo Blog: 2013

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Monday, November 25, 2013

I’ve chosen to critique one of my own photo sequences from a previous assignment. I like the contrast between the two images; one mostly black and one mostly white. I also like the stopped motion of the gas flame and the contrast between the light from the flame and the artificial light reflected on the holding tanks. I like the contrast of the abstract shape of the flame in comparison to the hard geometric lines and shapes of the holding tanks. I think the images are full of contrast yet connected in a way.

While the photos are appealing in an aesthetic sense, I find the duality of the content more interesting. The left photo depicts a natural gas flare, where excess gas is burned off the ease the extraction of oil, and the right depicts holding tanks where the oil is stored until a tanker truck collects it.

For some people, these images represent the industry and resulting economic prosperity that Texas is most famous for – oil. It’s called Texas Tea for a reason, after all. It brings employment to thousands of people. It enriches the landowner, the local economy and provides a healthy stream of tax revenue for the state.

For others, these images represent how humans continue to destroy the environment with reckless abandon. The Earth is treated like a business in liquidation. We strip it of every valuable resource we can in the name of profit.

As a landowner, this duality is something I sometimes struggle with. The Earth is a limited resource that can’t be repaired very easily, much less replaced. As I’m sure you’ve heard, hydraulic fracturing is a much-debated issue. I tend to believe that hydraulic fracturing is mostly good, with a few isolated examples of bad side effects. And the exploding dinosaur-juice that’s buried down there is a great stimulus for our local economy.

On one hand I have potential damage to the environment, and on the other I have the potential for economic prosperity; selflessness against selfishness.

Put in those terms, I admit I feel a bit embarrassed about taking advantage of the natural resources underneath my feet. But it isn’t a black and white issue. Fracturing isn’t 100% bad, and leaving the oil where it sits isn’t 100% good. It deals is shades of gray that aren't entirely set in stone yet.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Motion & Sequence

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Critique of Ryan's Portraits

Ryan's Portraits

Photo 1: I like the off-center position of the subject and the contrast of the subject’s shirt against the background. The off-center positioning gives me the feeling that she is part of the scene, not just a subject against a backdrop. It creates a feeling of wholeness. The exposure and depth of field are good, and the cool colors of the background contrast well with the subject’s pink shirt. The empty area of the courtyard to the right of the subject creates a subtle feeling of balance.

Photo 2: I like the lines of the parking structure behind the subject. When I initially looked at the picture I spent only a split second looking at the subject before I switched to looking at the diagonal lines created by the shadows on the I-beams behind him. A shallower depth of field would bring more attention to the human subject instead of drawing viewers into the background. The subject doesn’t have a visible shadow, unlike everything else in the frame. This made me wonder if he had been edited into the photo. The picture is well exposed, with bright areas in the reflections on the subject’s face and dark areas in the shadows of the trees and light post.

Photo 3: Again, the subject is somewhat overpowered by the backdrop. My eye was immediately drawn to the reflection of the building. The contrast of the reflection against the cool colors in the rest of the panes of glass grabbed my eye. As with picture 2, a shallower depth of field would bring the viewer’s attention back to the human subject. The color balance is good. I don’t see any obvious color tint. The photo is well exposed. The lost information in the shadows would distract from the subject if it were brought out.

Photo 4: The green backdrop and the subject’s green shirt draw your eye to the subject’s face, almost like the bull’s-eye on a target. I’m not sure if a shallower depth of field would take away from the bull’s-eye effect, but it would focus more attention on the subject. I like the two-color scheme of the picture. Everything is either green or gray, except for the pinkish color of the subject’s skin. The photo seems slightly under exposed. It has dark areas in the shadows of hallway on the left, but there aren’t many areas of bright color.

Photo 5: I like the contrast of the subject’s gray shirt, black hair and sunglasses against the mostly green backdrop. I would probably have tried to remove the mushrooms and leaves from the grass. They’re the second things I noticed in the frame. They break up the otherwise vivid green of the grass and take away from the contrast with the subject’s shirt. The photo seems well exposed, with the subject’s water bottle lid being slightly overexposed, but there aren’t areas of shadows leaving missing information.

Monday, October 14, 2013

Humans of UTSA

Mariah

John: "Is there anything going on currently in your life that you are excited about?"

Mariah: "Uuuuuuum, graduating?"

J: "Cool. What's your major?"

M: "I want to be a pharmacist. But I just started, so I have a long way to go."

Caesar

John: "What experience in life has taught you the most?"

Caesar: "Summer of 2010."

J: "What did you do?"

C: "I traveled a lot by myself; all over Texas."

J: "What did that teach you?"

C: "I got to know myself a lot better. When you're out on the road for that long without a radio, you get to know yourself better. You either become better friends with yourself or hate yourself."

Tiffany

John: "What is your greatest achievement?"

Tiffany: "Having a daughter. I guess that's an achievement haha."

J: "That's awesome. What's her name?"

T: "Adelee."

Darrius

John: "Is there anything going on currently in your life that you are excited about?

Darrius: "I'm going on vacation."

J: "Awesome. Where are you going?"

D: "Jamaica."

J: "How long until the trip?"

D: "I'm going over Christmas break with my family."

Gagan (left) & Lety

John: "Anything you guys are excited about right now?"

Gagan: "I'm enjoying my first semester of grad school. I'm studying to be a counselor."

J (to Lety): "What about you? Got a hot date coming up?"

Lety: "Haha, no. I am going skiing, though."

J: "Very cool. Where are you going?"

L: "I'm going to Vail over Christmas break."