My First Assignment

A new year, another semester. And this semester I am taking J7558, Advanced Techniques in Photojournalism. This class is all about light, lighting. Which is kinda cool - because that's been a conumdrum of mine since I really got interested in photography. For my first assignment, I photographed 2 images that I found, both taken from the annals of National Geographic. The images were supposed to use light to convey a feeling or tone and one was meant to "Stump the Chump," aka Catalin (our TA) and Rita (our professor).

My first choice was a picture taken by Chris John in the July 1987 issue of National Geographic. Its caption read: A painted and powdered maiko (geisha-in-training) parts her lips to ingest a slippery piece of tofu with practiced delicacy - she cannot let it touch her lips. To attain true geisha status, she must master the traditional arts of music, dance, song, and conversation.


The way it was lit, to me, accentuated the detatchment of the maiko from the viewer.

My second choice (my "Stump the Chump") was a picture taken by Martha Cooper in the July 1988 issue. Its caption read: Tragedy frozen in time, the remains of a man, woman, and child locked in an embrace were discovered by archeologist David Soren while excavating the ancient port city of Kourion, Cyprus. An earthquake devastated the settlement in AD 365, entombing its citizens in a time capsule.

I look at this picture, I look at the skeleton of the man, with his body curled around the woman and child, trying to protect them, and it's sad, tragic. But at the same time, the way that it's lit, it seems really peaceful and warm.