At last I was able to get my finished pictures into frames and to hang them up around my house in preparation for the photography show. I was thankful that so many of my friends were able to come and see my photographs and to give their opinions on them. I enjoyed reading their critiques, and noticed that different styles appealed to different people. Everyone seemed to have a different favorite, and it was interesting to observe the different reactions. I was glad that I was not the only one who was able to enjoy the photographs and definitely can see myself taking more abstracts in the future. I would recommend abstract photography to anyone in search of a fun hobby, because it is a great way to use your creativity to capture something amazing!

Finally I was able to select ten photographs out of the dozens that I had taken and created a book online with them. Above are a few of my favorites and a picture of the book I created. I was able to take many different types of photographs. Some of them I did in black and white to emphasize certain patterns or textures. Two of the ten were what my photography teacher called "painting with light" which involved using a very slow shutter speed at night and moving the camera to capture light in very interesting ways. Although I at first was at a loss for ideas of what on earth to photograph, I eventually gained a much better understanding of what makes an abstract image. With the help of Mr. Hicks, I was able to spot certain elements of art such as line, shape, pattern, and movement in everyday objects. It gave me a whole new perspective on photography, and I found it fun to experiment with lots of different subjects and arrangements. I took pictures everywhere, from downtown Wilmington to my house to a little hardware store in downtown Matthews, NC.

Hey I'm Alyssa and for my graduation project I chose to delve into the world of photography, more specifically, abstract photography. What is abstract photography? Well, it's basically a way for photographers to become artists, who use a camera to communicate to viewers through color, texture, and shape. Creating an abstract photograph is often a matter of isolating certain parts of scenes to emphasize specific shapes or patterns. Abstract images can be found anywhere, and it takes only creativity and a basic knowledge of the camera to produce something amazing. Abstract photographs do not have to make sense to viewers, but they are sure to make an impact on them.

For my project, I have been able to work with photographer and former teacher Dave Hicks, who has given me numerous lessons in how to operate a digital SLR camera, how to take great abstract photographs, and how to use Photoshop to edit them. Using what he has taught me, I have taken my camera with me almost everywhere I have gone for the past few months, always in search of a great photo opportunity. For my final product, I decided that I would chose ten of my best photographs to put into a book, and also to frame and display in a photography show. At this show, I would have friends come to critique my photographs and at last have an opportunity to see how others react to my hard work.