FINAL IMAGE

Today I took Ms. Finch my contact sheet for the low key assignment and she was really pleased!  That is such a good feeling!  This is the image Ms. Finch picked and Im happy, because its my favorite!  I really like this image, because it has Rembrandt lighting.... we learned that technique our third quarter, and I feel that it gives off a certain mood throughout the image!  Now all I have to do is print, mount, and present!

Low Key Portraits

I shot my low key portrait last Thursday and I am very pleased!  I have to say a special thanks to Miss Ashley Arnold for being my beautiful model! And to Miss. Mekinnah Rae for letting me borrow her guitar!  Dont worry, we took very good care of it!  This photo shoot was somewhat of a challenge, because of the lighting being something I was not used to!  But after MANY shots... I narrowed it down to 6 that I really like!  All I have to do is show Ms. Finch... and hope and pray that she loves them too! Let me know what you think!!

Photography School Bauer

While in Italy, we visited the Photography School Bauer in Milan, Italy.  This was SO fascinating to see other photography students doing what we love to do, but in another country.  We got to sit in one of their classrooms and speak with all of the professors.  They were open to any questions we had, but the only downside of it was the little English they spoke.  That make it a little difficult to communicate! They presented us with a slideshow of the students work!  After that, they took us on a tour of the school!  Everything was so organized and in perfect order! We learned that they start off their students with a photogram! We were all so excited because thats exactly what we had to do when we first started the program!

Camille Deann Photography

Camille Deann is a friend of mine who is also an amazing photographer!  She is a wedding and a portrait photographer based in the suburbs of Atlanta!  She describes her style as journalistic with a soft, romantic, vintage feel fused with fresh, modern flair!  Her approach, whether its a wedding or a family session, is to creatively and unobtrusively capture the love, life, and spontaneous moments of her clients!  I think thats a very important feature to have as a photographer.  All her pictures tell a story, and I feel that they are all inspiring!  

Red Bull Chariot Race

Today while in Athens, Ga the Red bull Chariot Race was taking place on College Ave.  This was probably the most random event ever.  It was really fun to watch though, because the people participating were "characters" to say the least!  Basically, each team was a group of three.  They had to build a chariot and one person had to ride in it, and the other team members pushed them around the track (built of hay)!  You may be thinking...whats the point??  I honestly have no idea... but it was a photo op for sure!  :) You never know what you may find in downtown Athens!

Pumpkin Patch!

So today I went searching to find a good feature shot!  This time of year, people go to pumpkin patches... right??? I thought so.  I went to Washington Farms pumpkin patch in Bogart, Ga.  Im not going to lie, I was a little disappointed.  I walked around, waiting for something cool to happen.... but nothing did.  As I was leaving I found this little girl doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing... haha. And guess what?? I caught the moment!  She's adorable! :)

Holiday Portraits 2010

Holiday Portraits are coming fast!  I remember this time last year watching upper quarter do Holiday Portraits and thinking to myself, someday this will be us! Well, its finally here and we are all so excited!  Everyone is working hard, and before you know it we will be shooting Holiday Portraits!  This is very important to the upper quarter, because it is a fundraiser going towards our Portfolio show at the end of the year.  The set is also coming along nice! Ashley, Lee, and I are working with the lower quarter, talking with them every Wednesday morning!  Our goal is to make sure they are informed with whats going on, because without their help, Holiday Portraits are not possible! Take a look at the flyer Erik Helms has been working on!  It looks awesome!

Love Birds

While in Italy, a couple from the Culinary program got engaged!  The couple asked if my friend Katie and I could take some pictures of them where they got engaged!  We said.... OF COURSE!  They are such an adorable couple!  They have been together for four years, and just watching the two of them together makes me smile!  He treats her like a princess and it shows!  It was so much fun photographing them, and also a good experience!  What better place to take engagement pictures than Italy!  B-E-A-UTIFUL! :)

David Murray

About a week ago, I met with a wedding photographer, David Murray, with my best friend Ashton who is getting married!  David showed us his work and I was completely inspired!  His work is much more than a good picture, each and every picture tells a story.  David is a Pulitzer Prize finalist whose clients have included The New York Times, Time Magazine, and The Atlanta Journal Constitution.  He is now ranked one of the top five wedding photojournalists in the world by the International Wedding Photojournalists Association. It is so awesome that he gets to shoot my best friends special day and I get to be apart of it!  Below is some of his work!

Lighting Tips for Low Key...

Tomorrow I am shooting a low key assignment and to be completely honest, I have no idea how to light for a low key portrait!  So I did some research and found some pretty helpful hints!  Low key light accentuates the contours of an object by throwing areas into shade while a fill light or reflector may illuminate the shadow areas to control contrast.  A low key photo will use dark colors for a dramatic effect, but low key photos must be well lit to compensate for the dark colors! Go to this website and learn some helpful hints on lighting a low key portrait!

Here is a picture I found that inspired me for my low key portrait :)

I love this because it is a very simple portrait, but also reflects a mood.  

Feature!

Our next assignment in photojournalism is a feature assignment. Feature photos are said to be different from news photos in several aspects.  A feature picture captures a moment in time.  It records the commonplace, the everyday, the slice of life.  A feature photograph is often considered funny or out of the norm.  Photographers find children to be relatively easy and willing subjects because they act in natural ways, play spontaneously, and they look cute!  This past weekend while at the UGA football game, I shot a few feature photographs... let me know what you think!

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER!!

I now have a twitter account!  Its an easy way to keep up with what I am doing in my photography world!!!

Kayla Andrews
@Kasilk89

                                                      

Blane Marable

Blane Marable is a photographer based out of Athens, Ga.  He is known as the "Photographer of Athens." He was recently voted the 2009-2010 Readers Choice Award for the Best Photographer in the Athens area.  I got the opportunity to go out on the UGA field and this man made it happen!  I met him through a friend of mine and as soon as I told him that I was a student in photography, he made it very clear to contact him whenever I wanted to assist a photography job!  Take a look at his website!

Photojournalism Sports Final Image!

Today Ms. Finch picked my final image for my sports photojournalism assignment!  In this image, Brandon Boykin (#2) from UGA breaks away from an oncoming Vanderbilt defender, Andre Hal (#23).

UGA vs. VANDY GAME!

On Saturday October 16, 2010 I got the opportunity to get out on the University of Georgia football field and shoot the game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Vanderbilt Commodores! This was very special for me, because I have been a devoted bulldog fan since I was a little girl. I was 6 years old when I went to my first game! This experience was so amazing, and I have a gained a greater respect for sports photography. It was a sweet victory for the Dawgs winning 43-0!  Take a look at some of the shots I took from the game!

The "DAWG WALK"

The Dawg Walk takes place in Athens, Ga at the University of Georgia campus every Saturday before a home football game!  It is a tradition that has been going on for many years.  The "Dawg Walk" starts two hours before game time where devoted fans, cheerleaders, and band members come out to pump up the dawgs before kickoff!  I had the experience to shoot the dawg walk and get in on all the action! 

UGA Cheerleaders

Walking into the stadium

Hairy Dawg making his way through the fans!

UGA Cheerleaders cheering on the Dawgs!

Testing out the Lens!!

Before shooting the football game on Saturday, I wanted to test out the Nikon 70-200mm lens and see how it worked! My dad is such a good sport, he offered to be my model!  My favorite feature about this lens is that it has an aperture of 2.8! This allows the background to be completely blurred out while the subject stays sharp and in focus! This is a great feature to have for shooting sports!

Italy

Recently I went to Italy for a Study Abroad program! It was such an amazing experience!  I was surrounded by beauty and it opened my eyes to a whole new world! While we were there, we visited Milan, Venice, Florence, and Lake Como! Take a look at some of the moments I captured while in Italy. 

                                            

Kid Portraits!

Today in Advanced Portraiture, I photographed Mr. Aiden White! My goal for this shoot was to make him look like a little man! That wasn't hard to do considering he has a bald head! The shoot was a little challenging, because he just learned how to walk so he did not want to sit still! But I was able to capture his personality and got some great shots!  He is the happiest baby!  :) Take a look!  

Sports Part 2!

Today I shot a baseball team in Grayson, Ga!! Baseball is tough to shoot, because you have to shoot through the fence!  They normally don't allow you to get on the field, because it is not safe! Also, you have to pay close attention when you are shooting through the fence, because at any time, the ball can be hit in your direction! I was able to get some great action shots of the boys! 

Sports!

Today I went and shot an 8th grade football team at Blessed Trinity High School!  In my photojournalism class, we were assigned to shoot a live sports event!  This was my first experience in shooting sports, and I found it be really exciting!  I loved being out on the field in the middle of the action!  I learned that you HAVE to pay close attention to whats going on in the game, because if you dont, you might get run over by one of the players.... yes, that almost happened to me!  

Pet Portraits!

Today in Advanced Portraiture, we were assigned to photograph a pet!  I choose my Grandmothers dog, Chloe!  She is a Westie dog, and she is absolutely beautiful! My idea behind this photo shoot was to make her look like a "Diva Dog".  The funny thing is, Chloe is such a diva!  She is so spoiled, she even has her own closet...!! So I think Chloe fits the part! Take a look :)