Project Overview: 

For my senior capstone project, I decided to take high-quality photos of individuals. I focused on capturing headshots, graduation photos, and environmental portraits. I will edit each picture so they look professionally done before sending them back to the individual. Next, I will post the best portrait of each individual on my photography Instagram and on my website. By doing this, I will be able to showcase my photography skills to a larger audience. This process could potentially lead me to a photography career or even my own customers heading into the future.

 

 

Prior Experience:

Heading into college I never took a single picture using a high-quality camera. The only photos I took were on my iPhone. Fast forward to now, I have taken four photography classes and two film classes. I never thought I would enjoy taking pictures but after capturing a good image I found a passion for photography.     

 

 

Field Experience:

As my passion for photography started to grow bigger over these past couple of years, I started taking pictures in the summers when I wasn’t in school. My siblings and friends have asked me to take their pictures since they know I took a couple of photography classes. The pictures ranged from pregnancy photos, holiday photos, and even sports photos. Usually, if I have a camera with me, I enjoy taking pictures of places that look unique or are special to me. 

 

 

Prep Work: 

For my prep work, I started out asking a couple of friends if they would be interested in having their picture taken. After that, I created a google form to gain the consent of the individuals that agreed to have their photos taken. From there, I started making a list of individuals and time slots that both worked for us. I also made sure to find times when the studio was free in order to capture the headshots. Lastly, I redeveloped the look of my Instagram account so that it looked more professional when you visited my page.  

 

 

Challenges:

Throughout the semester I have faced a couple of challenges. I thought it was going to be a smooth ride but instead, some speed bumps showed up along the way. The first challenge that showed up was scheduling and studio time. Since there is only one studio for photography on campus, it makes it very hard to schedule a photoshoot that works out for both people. Another thing I was challenged with was lighting. This was an issue I had when taking pictures outside of the studio. Not knowing what the weather will be the following week, makes it hard to capture your individual with the right lighting. So some days I had to play trial and error to find the right lighting needed to take photos outside. 

 

Primary Technologies:

For my project, there were many different technologies used in the process. The most important technology is the Canon EOS Rebel T100 Camera that I am using. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to start my project. The second and third most important technologies that were needed to execute my project were my Macbook and my iPhone. My iPhone not only gave me easy access to communicate with individuals for scheduling but also gave me the ability to develop my Instagram page. With my laptop, I was able to edit my photos using software like Lightroom and Photoshop. Lastly, I was able to create a new website with my laptop to help showcase my work. 

 

Project Consideration:

The project considerations for my project are; lighting, subjects, and composition. Going into this project, I wanted to take high-quality photos for students to make it convenient and affordable. Hopefully, some individuals can use their portraits to secure a position in the working world. Earlier this year I started going on Linkedin and felt out of place because I didn’t have a professional profile picture. I started to look at other fellow Saint Joseph’s students and realized that a ton of people were also in need of a professional headshot. That is why I chose to offer individuals the option of headshots, graduation pictures, or even personal portraits.  

 

 

Creation Process Step by Step: 

  1. Asked a couple of close friends if they thought they would be interested in headshots or graduation pictures. 
  2. Went on to create a google form to get consent from all of the individuals that are having their pictures taken. 
  3. Reached out on Instagram, Snapchat, and email to reach a large audience. By doing that, I was able to get a good amount of interested individuals. 
  4. Went to see when the photography studio was free.
  5. Started scheduling individuals for times that were good for both of us.
  6. Started editing the photos I took during the week. 
  7. Created a new website that I’ve been working on to showcase my photography. 
  8. Lately, I made my previous Instagram account more professional so that it is ready for me to post the photos I have taken. 
  9. After editing the and making final touches, I sent them back to the individual that’s in the photo.