Assignment 2 Improved Again

There wasn't enough variation in my previous version, as the background of some photos were similar (e.g. making the bed in the bedroom and throwing the jacket on the bed). Hence I re-took some photos to show different backgrounds.

Here're the photos I decided to use from the previous version.

I decided on the coffee photo as it shows the context better (i.e. it's clearer the photo was taken in the kitchen. Next are the photos I re-took.

Instead of throwing the jacket on the bed, I thought I can pick up my shoes from the shoe rack and throw them on the floor (before I wear them and leave the house). The throwing action can then provide an opportunity for freeze action. The background will be more different from the other photos too.

I had to try a few camera settings (aperture, ISO, shutter speed) before I could get the exposure I want. This was because the lighting conditions were rather dark. I also couldn't take the photo from the side (instead of top down) as there will be backlight from the balcony or from the front of my house. This was the best shot I got, but like some of the previous photos, the shoes are slightly blur. Nevertheless, I hope they convey a sense of motion and make the photo (as well as the mundane activity of wearing shoes) more interesting.

This photo does not have to come at the end of the series and make the series sequential. Since my theme is everyday life, which is not limited to mornings, this photo can come after or before the next: I can check Facebook before I go out, or after I come home. I can even make myself coffee after I come home. The making bed photo can come after the coffee or Facebook photo too, as some people may make their beds after they had breakfast, just before they change and leave the house.

I re-took this photo because the context wasn't obvious in the previous one. I actually took that in the living room too. This photo, however, shows more of the sofa and even some parts of the balcony, which makes it look more different than the others.

Assignment 2 Improved

For my improved version, I removed the mobile phone from my photos, as I realized some of my classmates had similar execution methods. Instead of using color to differentiate how life looks more interesting through the camera lenses of the mobile phone, I took freeze action of everyday activities to make my photos look more interesting.

I took these photos with my digital camera though, as I realized it is rather difficult to capture nice photos with blur motion or freeze action with the phone camera. Nevertheless, the eye for interesting details in mundane, everyday activities comes from the keitai phenomenon, and who is to say if the phone camera cannot capture photos with similar quality in the future? ;)

Similar to my previous version, I took a photo about waking up in the morning. The freeze action comes from making the bed.

I actually asked my mum to help me spread the blanket. I chose this as I thought the shape of the blanket looks better than the rest. The room looks rather messy but I guess that makes it more natural than the previous photo where I placed a teddy bear on my bed, which looks poised.

Initially I wanted to keep the photo about brushing teeth, but I realized that water is hardly noticeable against the white surface of my sink. Hence I had to come up with another idea. In an attempt to find inspiration, I searched for images about morning routines on the Internet. While I didn't find anything very helpful, I noticed some websites talked about not checking emails or SMSes the first thing in the morning. This led me to think about checking emails or Facebook on the mobile phone, which in turn made me realize that the interface of the Facebook app on the iPhone flips when you log in. I thought capturing the flip can be counted as freeze action as it the app doesn't stop in mid-flip.

This photo can have different interpretations. It can be a more interesting way of saying how engaging with the mobile phone seeps into our everyday routine. It can also be placed at the end of this series of photos to show that all these mundane photos inevitably get posted on Facebook, which relates to the keitai phenomenon of sharing photos of everyday life.

Although the Facebook app has one of the slowest transitions of all the apps I have on my phone (which doesn't add up to a lot ;)), I still had to try quite a lot of times before I captured this photo as I don't know when is the exact time the app will flip. Even with sequential shots, the app will sometimes flip between two shots and I would still be unable to capture a shot in mid-flip.

For the breakfast photo, I took Hanis's suggestion and took a freeze action photo of cereal being poured into a bowl. I also took another one that shows my dad making coffee. Some freeze action shots look more like motion blur though. This is because my house is rather dark, and a higher shutter speed will give me darker photos (that are so dark that they will look unnatural when edited with Photoshop). Nevertheless, I think the sense of motion makes the photos interesting. I am undecided between the photos though.

The first cereal photo is clearer than the other two, but the second cereal photo shows bigger action. As the shutter speed had to be higher for the cereal photos, I had to move the bowl to the living room, where it was brighter. But the living room seems out of context for the cereal? On the other hand, although the coffee photo looks more natural as it was taken in the kitchen, it is rather blur. I'm not sure if a blur motion photo will look out of place as the rest are freeze action. Haha I need comments :)

My last photo is a more dynamic version of the previous one, where I was deciding on what to wear.

I chose this photo as I think the hand provides the context and makes the photo more natural. There is also color contrast.

The photos are not sequential as different people have different morning routines. For example, some people may check Facebook before they make their bed (if they make their beds at all ;)), and some may change their clothes before they eat breakfast.