New summer & new projects

It's officially summer and tomorrow I begin my part time job doing graphic design for USC Housing. I hope I learn a lot and accomplish a lot. And also get some funds to put towards buying a better camera (and a nicer lens and a flash). I'll start with the camera though.
I had a neat idea to take little weekend photo excursions over the summer to stave off the boredom and find inspiration. I started my project off with a trip to Riverbanks Zoo. Next time I hope to be able to visit Summerville and the upcoming Highland Games in Greenville.

Final Project

I think I'm going to try and get a few more intimate shot of my uncle's family at home to emphasize some of the aspects of his interview in which he talked about how the farming lifestyle is a good one to raise a family in.
One question I have is whether or not I should get a direct environmental portrait of my uncle and/or he and his wife. It was difficult to get pictures of him working because he's a bit camera shy so I'd at least like to have a picture of him when he's prepared for it.

Flash!

I've been learning animation in Flash recently in J529 and it's been a TON of fun! This is the logo I animated and I'm pretty proud of it.

My First Portfolio

I recently applied for a part time graphic design position and had to create an effective online portfolio to send to my potential employers. I stumbled across a new feature on DeviantArt's website that allows just that. There's a limit on the amount of images, but you can create multiple photo galleries that display your work in a sophisticated and professional manner. The interface is really easy to use and looks great on many platforms (iPad, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari).
If you'd like to view my portfolio, you can follow this link to check it out.

Family Photos

My family claims they aren't very photogenic. This often poses a problem for me because I love to take pictures, especially of my family. I disagree with their claims though. I think I have a very beautiful family and I really enjoy photographing them more than anything. I was inspired to share my favorite family photos because I think it's some of the better work I've done.

St. Patrick's Day Parade (click fullscreen to view)

Lovable Olive

My dog Olive is the most difficult living being to photograph. I tried every distraction in the book to get her to sit still for just a second, but I ended up having to have my boyfriend hold her to pose. The work of William Wegman is really fantastic when it comes to dogs. I'd really like to learn some of his tips and tricks for getting dogs to be cooperative models. Very few photographers use dogs as subjects and I can see why.
I used my on-camera flash with a lightscoop to get this lighting. The lightscoop is a really nifty tool that diffuses your on camera flash by bouncing it against a reflective service and up on to the ceiling or onto a wall. It's very handy for parties and indoor photos where the light might need a little help.