Chénira Smith
AAE 440
Photo Essay
1. Self Portrait: This photo was taken in a studio setting to show the different types of light
that can be applied when taking a photograph. The light used in this photo graph is
Rembrandt light, which gives triangle of light in the eyes of the subject to make the
subject look more alive. A self-portrait is one of the most important pictures in a photo
essay meant to show who you are. Looking at this picture of myself I get a perspective of
how others might look at me. Taking this picture was an uncomfortable but fun
experience, because I was learning something that I wouldn’t get to learn about normally.
2. This is a picture of a hiking trail on Mount Nittany. I really like to hike because it gives
me time to just relax and catch my breath from the craziness that is school. When I get to
go hiking I sometimes forget about all the stress that exists at the bottom of the mountain.
My family loves being outside and exploring different recreational activities, but hiking
is definitively one of my favorite. Some photocomposition elements that can be seen in
this photo are light and shadows, color, and perspective. The main photocomposition
element that I was going for in this photo was perspective from the forest floor.
3. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is where I worked during the summer as a hostess. This
was a nice place to work where you meet some very interesting people. People have
specific days that they come, they have specific tables that they must sit at, and must
always have their same server; the word routine would be an understatement. The
photocomposition elements that are present in this photo are repetition and reflection
using the windows to capture the neighborhood on the other side of the street. The main
element I wanted to show in this photo was repetition with the windows, lights, and
bushes.
4. This is the Forest Resource Building where all my major courses take place, given I’m a
Wildlife and Fisheries Science Major. For my life it is the most important building in all
of campus because it is where I spend most of my time; where I have class, club
meetings, and where I do lab work for a grad student. The main photocomposition
element I wanted to show here was the use of lines in the pathway to the building and the
use of color.
5. I have danced since the time I was five years old it is the best way for me to express
myself. The types of dance that I have done are ballet, modern, jazz, Irish, hip-hop,
liturgical, and some West African. Recently I had to take a 3 year break because of injury
and this year is my first year back in the studio. The photocomposition elements I used in
this photo are reflection, repetition, and lines. The main element I wanted to show was
reflection, I thought it was interesting to represent the different kinds of dance with the
shoes and feet as a reflection of me.
6. This is a small representation of my movie collection that I have at school, I am a true
movie lover. As you can see from some of the titles listed here, I love kid movies,
romantic comedies, and tons of action movies. Growing up for my birthday and any
holiday where you get a present my aunt would treat me to a movie I wanted and that is
where the collection began. In this photo the elements that I used were labels and light to
make it more interesting than a photo of just DVDs. The main element that I wanted to
show was labels; I think you can tell a lot about a person from the movies they like to
watch.
7. Obviously this is a picture of a basketball court, but when it isn’t football season this is
the sport that my family loves. When it is warm outside my brother and I love playing
around the world or horse in our driveway. My favorite basketball player will forever be
Ray Allen, and whenever I shoot a three I shout out “Ray Allen” usually followed by the
swish of the net. Photocomposition element in this photo is color; the court is such a
pretty blue, with the background of the green in the grass and trees, and the
complementary blue sky.
8. This is one of my favorite quotes by Maya Angelou; it says everything I aspire to be.
When someone describes me these are things that I would want them to say. Being an
older sibling a lot of the time before I make a decision I think about what kind of example
it sets for my siblings. For this photo the photocomposition element that I wanted to use
was filling the frame, because I would want someone who sees this quote to just think
about what it means to have each of these qualities.
9. Everyone at Penn State knows what Beaver Stadium looks like and it is where I send my
Saturdays on game day. Football is my favorite sport of all time, when I was younger I
begged my dad to let me play; but after getting hit in a backyard game I see why that
wasn’t a good idea. My favorite teams are The Baltimore Ravens and of course The Penn
State Nittany Lions, I think it surprises people how much I actually know about the game.
In this picture the photocomposition element I wanted to use was filling the frame,
because the stadium is the only subject I want the audience to look at.
10. This is a gift that I received from my amazing zoo team that I worked with this past
summer at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. In the pictures are one of our giraffe Annuli
and I and one of our okapi Askari. Giraffe and Okapi are the main animals that I worked
with on a daily basis. Once I graduate I hope to go on to grad school, but if I don’t get in I
will most likely apply to be a zoo keeper at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. The photo
element that I was going for was framing by framing the frame in the window with the
curtain.