Vivian Maier was a nanny who secretly took over 150,000 photographs over several decades, never showing her work to the world. Inspired by her candid approach and deep compositional instincts, I took to the streets to capture honest, unposed moments — the kind of images that reveal truth when no one thinks they're being watched.
"The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera."— Dorothea Lange
Contact Sheet
The raw selection before editing — every frame tells part of the story.
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Inspired by Philippe Halsman's iconic "Jumpology" series, I explored what happens when people are suspended in mid-air. Halsman believed that the act of jumping reveals a person's true character — there's no time to pose, no time to perform. The body becomes honest. My goal was to capture that split second where my subjects were neither here nor there, but somewhere beautifully in between.
My subject was a friend. I attempted to show traits like confidence, through movement. For me, the jump reveals the traits by capturing them at an action point. I focused more on timing of the shot to emphasize height. I also chose a vibrant background so the subject stood out more clearly, and used low angles to make the jump look more powerful.
Contact Sheet
The full session — frame by frame.
Written Reflection
1. shutter speed - controlled how the water motion looked 2. wide aperture would blur the background and make the subject stand out 3. focused on the main subject to keep detail 4. calm, but it did have some energy 5. try more lighting setups probably, and wider range of shutter speeds.
Contact Sheet
Uta Barth challenges us to photograph the act of seeing itself — blurring the subject so that light, atmosphere, and perception become the real subjects. I studied her work closely and pushed myself to make images that feel incomplete on purpose, where the background becomes the foreground and meaning lives in the soft spaces between things.
Contact Sheet
Every frame from the abstract session — light, blur, and atmosphere.
This project was about breaking the rules of scale — making big things small and small things big through the magic of Photoshop and compositional trickery. I wanted to create images that make you look twice and ask: "wait, is that real?"
Creative Process
1. correctly sizing the subject. 2. the hands clasping on the shoe lace 3. the shadows 4. my sizing of subject 5. i learned about imitating shadows
Contact Sheet
Rule of Thirds
A photo technique where the image is divided into 9 equal sections with two horizontal and two vertical lines. Photographers use it to make photos look more balanced and interesting. Example: Put a person’s face on the left third line instead of directly in the center.
Leading Lines
Lines in a photo that guide the viewer’s eyes toward the subject. Photographers use them to create focus and depth. Example: Use a sidewalk or road that points toward your friend standing in the distance.
Framing
Using objects around the subject to create a “frame” inside the photo. Photographers use it to draw attention to the subject. Example: Take a picture of someone through a doorway or between tree branches.
A good photo clearly shows the subject, has good lighting and composition, and makes the viewer feel or notice something interesting.
The exposure triangle is aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. These three settings control how bright or dark a photo is and affect how the final image looks.
I have learned how to use a camera, compose photos, edit images, understand lighting, and use design principles to create stronger and more creative work.
I personally liked the abstract art project. I liked it because it forces me to think outside of the box, and figure out how to produce cool pictures that no one has thought of.
Photography and design has helped me express creativity and see the world differently. I want to explore portrait photography, graphic design, photo editing, or digital art next.
Rule of Thirds
Exposure Triangle Practice
From Photographers I Admire
"You don't take a photograph, you make it."
— Ansel Adams
"Photography is the story I fail to put into words."
— Destin Sparks
"Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I'm going to take tomorrow."
— Imogen Cunningham