MY PHOTOGRAPHY

The theme of my AP photography portfolio concentration was the unpredictability of fire. As part of my AP project I wanted to take beautiful images of creations that emerge out of destruction. The photos of flames were intended to demonstrate the graceful shapes and colors that occur in the annihilation of ordinary items. As a result of the process and patience required to burn objects, I learned to understand how fire can be controlled; however, I also learned that fire can be very unpredictable, and you can never assume it will conform to your plans. Given the difficulty of working with fire, my photo shoots didn’t always produce solid images that were worthy of inclusion in my portfolio, but with each shot I was able to learn and refine my preparation and planning for my next shoot and I continued to experiment. This was an interesting experience for me because I don’t like to just take photos of scenes that are already set, like landscapes, but instead prefer to stage my photography.

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I am particularly proud of the first image below ("The Hot Seat") -- which is not Photoshopped -- and which earned special recognition in a regional student photography competition (23rd Annual Student Exhibition, Hostetter Gallery, The Pingry School).