Beginning Digital Photography Portfolio

Self Critique

Benn Blincoe

Prior to this class, I had taken Beginning Film Photography and Beginning Photoshop at City College. But I saw that my education was missing the realities of the differences between digital and film photography, as well as the difference between using Photoshop for graphic communications and enhancing photography.

In the last few years, I've been taking many snap shots, but not spending any time in the "digital darkroom". Since taking this class, while I have not reduced my quantity much, I'm concentrating on improving my quality, both while behind the camera and in the darkroom.

In this class, I've learned to work with white balance and to step down my exposures, especially in sunlight. In my composition, I'm learning to try to avoid extremes of light values in the same picture, such as bright sunlight and dark shadows. I still need to learning to remember to return my settings experimenting at a particular location. I am trying to take more vertical shots, after years of only taking horizontals.

Right now, I do not know what I will do with my new skills. I do not plan to make a career out of photography, but I will use my knowledge to improve future pictures that I post on my web sites of ghost towns (http://oldwest.theblincoes.com/nv/), and my children (http://www.theblincoes.com/sam/), (http://www.theblincoes.com/sarah/).