Profs Arellano, Inada, and Fellow Students/Creative Team:

My project will be the one I arrived at last term after evaluating many methods and concepts for using my digital photographs. I’ll be creating a digital photo book, which can also be printed, showcasing my extensive travels to over 80 islands, my love of beaches, and my passion – ISLANDS! Since there are a few island/beach/sun/all-things-tropical aficionados around the globe, they’ll be my target…as well as family and friends who always beg for more. 

I’m also fascinated by sites like the 40 top beach shots I stumbled into while surfing for photographers I emulate. I’ll investigate ways I can use my island collection(s) online as well, adding to my website and seeking ways to commercialize my ideas (a girl’s gotta work;-)

Both my art…and my writings will be original, and at this point in time I plan on paying a little homage to other Pacific artists (mostly writers) who have also fallen in love with these islands, by employing quotes from many, sprinkled thoughtfully throughout my photos. Still, I expect there will be a preponderance of images – as they tell the story.

Inspired by other creatives in the class, I’ll look into some collaborations (anyone need a writer? photographs??) for added sound (surf, slack key??), video, animation, etc. ..time permitting.

I’m using blurb – a bookmaking software with which I have little experience, but which I plan on mastering. Photoshop as well. The blog and website updates will require small learning curves, and if there’s a great programmer here, please let me know.

My Timeline/Production Schedule follows:

1/10   Project Proposal Letter and Timeline. Blog

1/12   Scan photos, size and edit

1/17   NO CLASS.  Choose photographs to use – Blog

1/19   Edit - chosen photos. Complete selection/sectioning

1/24   CRITIQUE.  Initial Blurb layout/sections. Blog

1/26   Select quotes for photos/segments

1/31   CRITIQUE.  Write pages for book. Neosomaniac. Blog

2/2     More writing, quotes, & photo editing

2/7     MID TERM EVALUATION. Blog

           Consider sound, video, etc…

           Ask for collaborators if time.

2/9     Complete edit on writings/quotes. Surf for ideas

2/14   CRITIQUE.  Compete page/section layouts. Blog

2/16   Insert video/sound/etc. if pau.

2/21   CRITIQUE.  Blog. Complete book for editing

2/23   Finalize book, upload to blog

2/28   FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATION

PS. Profs, due to a class conflict, I must leave Monday’s class by 1:45. Wednesday I’ll usually be working at home, as I’m more comfortable on my own computer…unless I need the software, scanner, etc. available in the lab. A type “A” who’s been a self-directed entrepreneur for too many years to count, I usually over-work the required hours – which I’m sure will be the case. Walking to and from class Wednesday just takes away from my work time (though I could use the exercise;-) If you think I’m not keeping up, just let me know.

Vatulele, Fiji Islands

After getting lost in numerous ‘photographs/islands/beaches/tropical/digital/books…’ sites, I finally  found one dedicated to gorgeous beach photographs: http://dpshots.com/photo-inspiration/gorgeous-beach-photos.html

Since my book will use beach shots I’ve taken, I settled in, critiquing the 40 shots for ones I liked…and didn’t. Some were spectacular: sunsets, reflections, activities…or lack thereof. Linking off from the initial site, I realized that there are lots of beach aficionados online!

I found I preferred the photos that seemed more natural and not over-photoshopped (some to the point of fantasy, not reality). Beaches by their nature, are stunning, so why not let them speak for themselves? It may be old school, but I appreciate photographic integrity!

The one photo I was most attracted to was: Pristine Beach, Maldives by Husain Rasheed, so I researched online and found this one http://www.flickr.com/photos/husain7773925/3405780089/ as well as 358 in his flickr photostream. I previewed them all and liked that he wrote something up about each shot.

Pristine Beaches: Maldives.

Discover a New Beach
Whether you’re looking for Solitude,
Natural Beauty or a happening Hot Spot,
Find your Perfect Beach on
Funamaudua Island Maldives Gaaf Alif Atoll.
New Green Tourist Resort Maldives.

I also checked out his tags (these for the subject photo): Maldives  .AbsolutelyStunningScapes  Beach  View photos from this member or from everyone  SOE  AnAwesomeShot  GoldStarAward  SuperShot  ImpressedBeauty  WorldWideLandscapes  TheBestofMimamorsGroups  mywinners

I surfed off to vw4ross (Solitude at the Beach): http://www.flickr.com/photos/vw4ross/3430783217/ and peeked at a few of his. He gave professional advice, which I found insightful: "...as fast as the clouds were moving above, I would have preferred doing a long exposure here. Instead, I bracketed 3 exposures (-2,0,+2) and combined them in Photomatix Pro. Of course, I had to go full wide-angle (10mm) with this".


From Husain’s page, I linked to Island Chic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/islandchic/5220752053/ and her “Day 306 - Crystal blue heaven”, Tried to copy it for the blog and found it in their image bank…for a price, working with Getty Images…which I found last term in my stock shots research. Deciding I may need to upload some to flickr, as a few of mine are as good as those online, I went back to flickr http://www.flickr.com/about/ and tried to set up account, but found I needed a yahoo email…so I’m back to google/picassa. I’ll research further the differences between flickr and picassa, Michelangelo’s Box: http://www.flickr.com/groups/718751@N23/, and other stock sites and categories so that once my island shots are all digitized, edited, and ready, I can make my own photostream. Thanks, Husain!