How do you think you did on the lighting assignment? Be honest and specific about the feedback you received. Did you think your positive or negative feedback was deserved? Why or why not?

I think overall I did a good job on this lighting assignment. I actually ended up preferring the pictures I took at home over the pictures I took in the boxes at school. I was very happy that I understood the assignment enough to be able to take pictures on my own and get the right product at the end. The only think I think I could've improved on for this assignment was working with diffuse light. It was hard for me to do, because the best diffuse light was during the day with the snow, and I work during the day so I had no time to go outside and take pictures. I think it's harder to capture diffuse light as a beginner inside a house, or school, etc. That being said, I think that is the main area I need improvement in. However, I feel that I did fairly well at capturing the technique of silhouette lighting. I was very nervous when I started that I wouldn't do it right, but was very happy with my results when I was looking back at the pictures. I got many comments on how it helped others understand how to do silhouette lighting, and that the light background contrasting with the very dark outline of the tea pot made it easy to see the silhouette. I think this was very positive feedback and helps me know that I did well on the assignment. I think that the feedback was definitely deserved, as I think that I did pretty well on the assignment. I tried different angles and different techniques to get this picture as good as it could be, and I think these positive comments reflect my hard work on this assignment. I was very excited about this photo because after I shot it, I thought the black outline was perfect, and the picture just worked. Before I did this shoot, I was nervous that I couldn't quite get silhouette lighting right. This feedback helps me see that what I did was right, and that I do, in fact, understand how to shoot silhouette lighting shots.

Technical vs. Emotive

When you first look at a photograph and make an initial judgment of it as being 'great', is it because it is technically great or because it makes you feel something? In other words, are you reacting to its technical quality or its emotive quality? Explain in detail.

I think that when I see pictures, I judge whether they are good or bad
based on the technical aspect. I don't really pay attention to the emotional
side of it, unless it is something really graphic or dramatic. I usually judge
pictures on how clear they are, how well I can see them (based on lighting) or
the colors used in the picture. I look more for the uniqueness of a photo and
the "coolness" of it rather than if it brings out emotion for me. I think that
being able to bring out emotions in people can make a good picture even better, but I also feel that without the technical aspect of that picture being on par, the rest of the photo will just fall through. I definitely think that before any emotion is added to the picture, the technical quality needs to be there first.