Ashley Connolly
Portfolio
FAS 235 Southern New Hampshire University
(Instructor Sarah Vahaplar) October 1, 2023
ROCK WALL Battery Buchanan
The view from the rock wall across the inlet was simply stunning. I had the chance to capture the vastness of the Cape Fear River as it met the Fort Fisher Inlet, where it flows into the ocean. Despite the cloudy day and an approaching storm, I'm thrilled I decided to go for it.
The contrast between the rock wall, the slight choppy waters, and the cloudy sky made for a striking shot. My trusty tripod was a real game-changer, helping me capture the right scene. I've been watching plenty of tutorials and practicing to nail those angles for each panorama shot.
I'm looking forward to continuing to improve my skills in the future.
My goal is not only to refine my technical skills but also to experiment with different compositions. I want to discover more exciting and unique shots using the techniques I've learned from this panorama adventure. It's all about feeding my passion for photography!
When choosing my subject, I wanted to find something eye-catching and exciting. For this reason, I explored my local beaches and Historical sites around the area to find the right shot. I was taking pictures of the ocean, pier, beach houses, and the Rockwall. During shooting, I chose to use my tripod and my remote shutter to help with the camera's movement. To keep the shots stabilized for better seems in post-production. However, I also took several photos using my body as the tripod and turning at the waist to capture each image individually. The final panorama was the result of my tripod use.
SEAHAWKS UNCW HDR
After spending several days cooped up in my room, I decided to venture outdoors for a breath of fresh air. As someone with a deep appreciation for capturing the beauty of both natural landscapes and architectural marvels, I set out to find a shot that harmonized with my artistic vision.
The final photograph I selected for this assignment artfully combines elements of nature and architecture. It features a meticulously groomed lawn framed by majestic Oak trees, all of which serve as the framework for the imposing UNCW campus building. My photographic style leans towards vibrant colors and rich textures while maintaining a sense of crispness and clarity.
I merged a series of bracketed photos in the post-production phase to create the HDR image. Subsequently, I fine-tuned the white balance to better align with my artistic sensibilities. I then delved into adjusting exposure and contrast to achieve the desired visual impact. To enhance the overall aesthetics and ensure clarity in the composition, I made precise alterations to highlights and shadows, focusing on whites and blacks to accentuate tonal definition. Texture clarity received particular attention, and I employed a dehazing process to eliminate any residual noise. Finally, I introduced a touch of vibrance and carefully adjusted the saturation levels to infuse depth and richness into the composition.
In summary, I applied a series of artistic adjustments to transform the photograph into a visual representation harmonizing with my unique design and creative approach.
BattleShip in beauty
For my Composite Photograph of the USS North Carolina, I combined several Images to create a new landscape that only exists in my imagination. For this, I used masking to cut out and piece together the elements I wanted to present in my photos, such as the sky with the rainbow in the background and the ocean water in the foreground along with the elements added like the boat and dolphins. I also used feathering and a hard brush to blend the edges, such as around the boat and the tree line, to the best of my ability. I used elements that represented not only myself and my aesthetic but also things that meant something to me and my hometown. I am also piecing in some stock images from my Envato Elements subscription (Envato Elements 2023). To help with my overall look. The editing process for the images began with importing the raw files into Adobe Lightroom. In Lightroom, I made basic adjustments to each image's exposure, contrast, saturation, and temperature. I also used the healing brush to remove any blemishes or dust spots from the photos.
Once I was finished with the basic adjustments in Lightroom, I exported the images to Adobe Photoshop. I used the Patch Tool in Photoshop to remove a few additional blemishes from the photos. I also used masking to remove backgrounds from photos. I chose to follow this workflow because it gave me a high degree of control over the editing process. I could ensure the images were well-exposed and balanced by making basic adjustments in Lightroom. Then, using the Patch Tool and Liquify tool in Photoshop, I could make subtle adjustments to the landscapes without overdoing it. Finally, I could add a touch of personal style by adding a creative filter to each image. I did this to change the color palette slightly or to turn a photo black and white because I also like the aesthetic. For the Battleship photo, I chose to do this in color to show the natural beauty of my imagination and creativity.
I didn't have many options for this assignment because I got sick with COVID-19. But I lucked out with excellent conditions outside my apartment that matched my photography style.
I set up my trusty Canon EOS r7 2000D with a remote intervalometer and tripod on my apartment balcony. My focus was on the trees and the parking lot below. I wanted to capture how the trees moved throughout the day, and it turned out to be the perfect time because a tropical storm, Ophelia, was knocking on our door. So, I called my project "Ophelia's Winds" since the real storm was about to hit the next day.
This assignment perfectly fits what I love to photograph: nature and architecture. Even though this shot has no architecture, it's all about nature with the swaying trees and the play of light and shadows. I also caught some action in the sky, with a glimpse of clouds in the upper left corner of the time-lapse, adding excitement to the whole thing. I realize this particular sequence video is slightly blurry. For my final project, this video will be replaced with a new video with something I am looking forward to shooting this week and can’t wait to share with everyone.
The Watch Tower
I adventured to Carolina Beach, North Carolina, where my primary focus was capturing the mesmerizing ocean and its dynamic waves. These waves were notably robust, driven by a powerful riptide. Given the challenging environmental conditions of strong winds and inclement weather, I deliberately refrained from employing specialized photography equipment. Instead, I aimed to encapsulate the ever-moving waves and the splendid interplay of colors in the sky and sea.
With my focus being the pier remains and the lone bird, I entitled this photo
The Watch Tower. To capture the blues of the sky and sea, I first created an HDR photo and adjusted the contrasts and exposure of the shot. I then applied a deep blue filter while maintaining the luminosity of the photo to keep the whites crisp; this was only to enhance the already beautiful scene.
BEACH VIBES
Colors are a vibrant part of my life. I love color, and I want my photography to represent that with this particular color photo using filters and masks to highlight the colors and draw the eyes to the leis sitting on my shoes. I entitled this photo Beach Vibes. The reason for this is I want the viewer to want to take their shoes off and sink their toes in the sand. While also feeling the need to take a break and relax. I also think of black and white photos with a splash of color when I see this. An example is a black-and-white photo with a little girl holding a Yellow dandelion. This is why I chose the Direction I went with this photo only bringing out the color of the Leis.
