THE ARTIST

Photographed by Daisy Barrette

I am Jessica Taylor, currently a Grade12 student attending Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School in Kingston, ON.  I have taken many courses within the field of Technology, including Communications Technology, Yearbook, and Technological Design.  I am also part of the Specialist High Skills Major program for Technology, which has given me a great opportunity to broaden my horizons and gain new skills.  This program requires certain courses in technology based areas of study, and with it I have gained skills and certifications for CPR and First Aid, Fall Prevention and WHMIS among others.  I will also be completing a co-operative education course in Graphic Design in the upcoming semester, which will allow me to graduate with my “Red Seal” diploma for SHSM.

Besides an interest in technology, I am also heavily involved in the fine arts.  I have taken Visual Arts courses throughout high school, as well as others outside of the classroom, and I am continuing to discover who I am as an artist.  I like to take risks with my work, and love to experiment with new techniques and mediums.  I have begun to branch out into the digital art world, and I love every minute of it.  Other interests of mine include handmade crafts, travelling and experiencing different cultures, baking, as well as designing, whether it is characters, clothing or other conceptual ideas.  I am unsure of my future plans, however I will be returning for another year in order to take courses in history and the like as my SHSM has filled my current year.  This will also give me more time to plan on where I want to go, which may be to St. Lawrence College for Graphic Design, or OCAD for Illustration, or even somewhere else.  In the future, I also hope to continue to travel and see the world.  I hope you enjoy my blog and all that I have to offer! 

FINE ARTS

Visual Artwork

Warning (Winter 2012)

Final art piece for my Grade 12 Visual Arts course focused on social issues

Hollowed out light bulbs: various sizes; tree branches, wire, Rosy Red Minnows and water on a wooden board

Artwork and photography by Jessica Taylor

                The inspiration for this art piece came to me recently, and I felt the need to create it and explore the idea, allowing it to grow into more than that.  After studying many different artists who worked in various interesting mediums and styles, I wanted to experiment with materials other than traditional paints or pencils.  Conceptual artwork is very interesting to me, and I have chosen to express my interest in this style trough Warning.  The theme for this particular assignment was concerning social and world issues, so I have decided to focus on human interaction with nature and the Earth.  We feel almost entitled to the land and its natural resources because we are the dominating species, and our out of control consumption is a mounting problem.  This self-importance has led to conflict between us over the planet and its creatures and resources, all of which are not necessarily ours to begin with.  We are also part of this life cycle; we are not gods.

                To depict this message, in Warning I housed small feeder fish in hollowed out light bulbs of varying sizes.  The light bulbs were hung from twigs and branches with wire, simultaneously representing the shrinking bodies of fresh water on our planet and the control humans have assumed over nature.  The red light bulb expresses the urgency of the situation, as red is a colour often associated with possible danger and serves as a warning.  Although this issue concerning the environment is being addressed, we still have a long way to go in correcting this problem.

Lamplighter (Fall 2011)

An assignment focusing on abstraction and symbolism

Jessica Taylor

Watercolour on 1'x1.5' paper

                One of my favourite projects from the Grade 11 Visual Arts course involved this particular piece.  We were instructed to create spate pieces, one being two-dimensional and the other to be three-dimensional.  The other requirement of this assignment was to represent qualities of living, inanimate, and energy, as well as thought, creating an abstract collage.  I have represented life in the hybrid body of a deer, lion (mane) and the long fluffy tail.  Inanimate is shown through the barbed wire, lantern, and mask, while energy is depicted by the light of the lantern, the smoke at the creature’s feet and the actual life of it.

                Through this project, I was able to create Lumois, the creature depicted in the work.  The creature is fairly abstract as it is a hybrid of various animals and elements, however its complete design is variable while its basic form is constant.  I had a lot of fun creating this piece, and I chose to use watercolour as my main medium.  It has become my favourite style of painting because of its many qualities.  For example, I can create soft harsh contours which I can blend into soft washes of colour to illustrate dynamic shading.  I find that watercolour is also a forgiving medium with patience and by using the right techniques.   This assignment was also a great way to experiment with design as well as with developing ideas.

Tin Foil and Feathers (Fall 2011)

Mixed-mdeia art piece as practice for the final exam on a similarly sized panel

Various gold and silver chains, copper wire, feathers, tinfoil and acrylic paint on 2'x4' masonite board

Jessica Taylor

                The culminating assignment of the Grade 11 Visual Arts course is to create a painting on 2’ by 4’ masonite board, depicting your chosen hero.  To become adjusted to working at this size, one of our first assignments in the course was to create a painting on a similarly sized board.  We were also required to use at least five different materials of our choosing, and to represent the elements and principles of design in the work.

                For my practice panel, I painted Lumois, which is a creature I designed during the course based on the prompt of another assignment.  The creature itself is cervine (deerlike), and wears a stark, mostly featureless mask over its flowing mane.   I chose to use acrylic paint for a majority of the work, and added three-dimensional elements to add depth and interest.  I used synthetic feathers to create the fluffy mane, and constructed the antlers out of tinfoil.  I also used gold and silver chains, as well as copper wire, to drape across the panel.  

Digital Artwork

Drawings for the "Year In Review" section of our school's yearbook

Adobe Photoshop CS5, Bamboo Fun Pen Tablet

Jessica Taylor

                During my Yearbook course, I was asked to help with the “Year In Review” spread of our school’s yearbook.  This particular section is a culmination of all the important events at the school, pop culture and history during the school year, which are drawn and assembled by the students.  Together we came up with different ideas on what should be included in the spread, and who would contribute which components. 

I was tasked with events depicted here, including the London Riots, the attacks on Norway as well as the decommission of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program.  I also included a tribute to Kim Jong-Il, Muammar Gaddafi, and Osama Bin Laden, all of whom died or was killed recently.  Our city has begun to receive big acts and performers in recent years due to the construction of a large arena.  Therefore, I thought it was important to include a tribute to the two Cirque Du Soleil shows which toured our city over the last year, which is impressive for our small city.  Another first for our city and school was this year’s showcase of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, as Holy Cross was the first high school to gain the rights to put on the play.  The chained computer disconnected from the Internet is in response to several bills that are in discussion of being passed, namely the Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) from the USA, BillC11, Canada’s response to the two, and worst of all: the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade agreement (ACTA).  The premise of these bills is to stop piracy and copyright infringement; however they threaten to do more than this.  ACTA, if passed, would compromise freedom of speech through a totalitarian, Big Brother approach, going as far as surveillance of anything you share through private channels and in your own home.  To further demonstrate this, I have chosen to show the computer being disconnected to the Internet, and the screen is chained with the names of the bills across it as well as “BIG BROTHER is watching.”  The final drawing I made as my contribution to the pages is a flat coloured bust of Sherlock Holmes with the tag #BelieveInSherlock beside it, in reference to the trend on Tumblr concerning the season finale.  These drawings were fun to design and make, and I drew them all in Adobe Photoshop CS5 with the use of my Pen Tablet, which makes digital drawing much easier.        

Examples of my digital artwork. A simplified drawing of Dougie Poynter from the band McFly for my friend Sam's birthday (left), and an experiment with airbrushing on lineless work (right)

Adobe Photoshop CS5, Bamboo Fun Pen Tablet

Jessica Taylor

I practice digital drawing and using my tablet a lot in my free time, and I have begun to find a style that I am comfortable with.  I use airbrush settings and pen pressure to mimic the varying widths of a pencil when it is titled or pushed down a certain way.  These settings also create tapered lines as opposed to the standard round brush.  In the drawing of Dougie Poynter (left) I began with a sketch in Photoshop and once that was completed I created another layer where I drew the final line art.  Under this layer I painted in the shape of the entire figure with one solid colour to form the base.  I then placed the flat colours on a layer above this using the clipping mask feature, which keeps the colour within the shape of the layer below it.  This allows me to not have to worry about colours going outside the lines, as clipping masks prevent this.  For the shading I chose a 60% opacity airbrush which creates the soft, layered shading seen in the hair.

As for the second piece, it was an experiment with lineless art.  I started with a sketch, and from there I blocked in the shapes and colour of the trees for the background.  I then drew Lumois in a pale yellow colour on a single layer.  Using clipping masks once again, I airbrushed the shading on in a slightly contrasting pale blue.  Airbrushing is one of my favourite techniques for shading digital art, and using a pen tablet makes it much easier to control.   

Speedpainting of Sherlock Holmes as portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch in the BBC's Sherlock, a modern adaption of the iconic stories

"Nobody could be that clever" (Winter 2012)

Adobe Photoshop CS5, Bamboo Fun Tablet

Jessica Taylor

This is my most resent digital art piece, which I was inspired to make after the emotional season finale of Sherlock, and as a way to practice digital painting techniques that are new to me.  I found a very helpful tutorial on this style of speed painting and wanted to try it out, as I feel more comfortable with my tablet and drawing program.  I began with a reference image from the episode and created a basic sketch to ensure correct proportions.  I created a new layer and began picking colours from the original image.  I used a basic 3 pixel brush at full opacity and started painting the eye.  I blocked in the base colour and then built up the shadows, picking new colours from the same area of the real image to keep the same colour palette.  After I had the general shadows blocked in one small section, I would choose colours from the image and blend sections together while retaining the brushstroke’s texture.  I used this method to complete the entire image, using two other layers for the coat and for the hair.

I had a lot of fun painting this, and I found it quite relaxing to do as well as I was simply focused on laying down colours in small patches and blending them.  I would like to continue to experiment with digital painting, as there is always room for improvement.  I would also like to try other digital painting techniques to create photo-realistic portraits.  Digital art is enjoyable for me, and I have more patience with it than other traditional methods.  I love the ease of use, such as the ability to create separate layers thus safeguarding from possible mistakes.  The different tools and settings available make experimentation easy, while it is still a challenging medium to get used to.

Plushies

Examples of my handmade felt plushies.  My first owl plushie for my friend Mary Grace's birthday (left), and my most recent owl plushie as a Christmas gift for my young cousin (right)

Eco felt, fabric, and thread in various colours

Handmade and photographed by Jessica Taylor (2011)

Another hobby of mine is sewing plushies.  I began making them last year after I found a good pattern for an owl that would be perfect for my owl-loving friend, Mary Grace.  After cutting out the needed pieces in the colours of felt that I’d chosen, I began by sewing the details to the body.  This included the eyes, beak, and tummy, which was made of a swatch of patterned fabric.  I then sewed the body together and attached the wings, using a basic running stitch.  In hindsight, a blanket stitch would have been a better option, but at this point I was new to sewing.  I finished the owl by stuffing it with polyester fiber.

I did the same for my most recent plushie, which also happens to be an owl.  I used a slightly different design, opting for one without buttons or wings as it was intended for my young cousin.  This time around I sewed all of the details to the owl before attaching the two halves of the body with a running stitch, with the pieces placed wrong side up.  I then pulled it inside-out, hiding the stitching, before stuffing and closing the bottom.  I really enjoy sewing, and I love all of the different possible designs to be made.  I have started making cell phone cases for friends based on their favourite animals and characters from TV shows.  I would like to continue to practice hand-sewing felt projects and I hope to eventually take commissions for them.

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Basketball Poster 

Junior and Senior Girls Basketball Posters

Grade 12 Communications Technology

Graphic Design

Jessica Taylor

One of our first assignments in the graphic design unit was to create promotional posters for the Junior and Senior Girls Basketball teams, which would be used to promote the upcoming annual PH Classic games.  Our first task was to find a reference image for an action pose that we wanted our models to be in.  We then took their photo using a Nikon D5000 digital camera and Manfratto tripod, ensuring perfect focus, while using manual settings.  A studio flash was used to optimize the light and shadows, giving us a crisp photo for the final product.  I then implemented my photos in Adobe Photoshop CS3, where after adjusting the Brightness/Contrast and Saturation settings, I began work on close-cropping the model.  We posed the models in front of the bluescreen to make editing easier, as well as to avoid background mergers or distractions.  My tablet came in handy for the editing, as I was able to zoom in very close and erase the unwanted background easily pixel-by-pixel.  Harsh edges were softened with the blur tool, and I used a combination of two layer masks with the “dust and scratches filter to smooth and skin impurities, and another with “grain” to bring texture back into the skin.  Once all of the editing was complete, we placed the player into a reday-made template where we added their position, number and name, as well as our own credits.

This project was quite enjoyable for me, and I learned a lot about making sure the photo is the best quality it can be before you begin editing, as there is not much that can be helped for focus or exposure in post production.  It was also important to take into consideration the wishes of the players for the final product, as it is important for them to look their absolute best in these posters.  As well as creating a poster for a player from each team, I also created one for the Head Coach of the Junior Girls team.  These posters were printed on Xerox paper sized 11x17” and put on display for family and friends to see in the “Hall of Heros” before the big game.

Muse Poster

On My Mind

Photography and digital art printed poster 16"x20"

Grade 12 Communications Technology

Jessica Taylor

Fall 2011

           I am inspired by any and all things around me, such as the people and places I meet, and inspiration can strike me at anytime. In this piece, much of my muse came from my trips to London and Paris, as well as New York City, in the past year. Representing this theme are the photos of various landmarks and signs, which hold meaning and memories, that are scattered throughout the image. For example, the images forming “221B” represent the Baker Street address of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character, Sherlock Holmes, while the image of the red bow-tie symbolizes my favourite television series, Doctor Who. This particular piece is a combination of digital art and photography, where the head and hair of the figure is an airbrush painting and the other components are cropped and edited photographs. My personal muse is a combination of moments, places, people and found objects, which I have portrayed by incorporating such things into the nest of hair. Many things are always on my mind, and inspiration can strike at any moment.

Lighting Diagram

Lighting Diagram

Grade 12 Communications Technology

Graphic Design

Jessica Taylor

A smaller assignment we were tasked with was to create a lighting diagram that was to be as accurate as possible to the set up in our classroom.  WE had the choice of working in either Adobe Photoshop or in the drawing program of OpenOffice.  I chose to use my tablet and construct the diagram in Photoshop, as I feel that I have fewer options and less control over what I create in the simpler program.  We were to include elements such as the key and hair lights, bluescreen, reflector, bluescreen lights, and show the setup for an interview.  Therefore, we also had to include the video camera, boom pole and microphone, interviewer and interviewee, as well as he respective crew members. 

To create the diagram, I sketched and labeled my basic layout, making sure that everything was in the correct position for the diagram to be accurate.  Using separate layers for each element, I constructed everything by drawing the shape with the lasso tools, and filled it with the appropriate colours.  For the lights, I constructed one master light, and duplicated that image for the amount that was needed and simply resized and placed them where they needed to be. After the labeling was completed and I had added a legend, I was finished with my diagram.  I enjoyed this project as it was a medium for me to showcase my digital art skills early on in the course, and it was just fun to be creative with!

VIDEO PRODUCTION

Grade 9 Documentary Video

Grade 9 Video focusing on the scariest aspects of high school

Filmed and edited by Daisy Barrette, Sam Morin, and Jessica Taylor
Grade 12 Communications Technology
Video Production
Fall 2011

Every year the Grade 12 Communications Technology Course is responsible for producing the Grade 9 Documentary video, which is sent out to feeder schools in the area as a way to promote Holy Cross.  The video compromises of a series of interviews conducted by the class, who ask the Grade 9 students questions about the most embarrassing moment at school, their opinion on the school uniform, and what the best thing is about the school.  My team was responsible for creating the segment of the documentary focusing on the scariest aspects of high school.  I took on the role of the producer in our team, and so I had responsibility and direction over the project.

As producer, I was in charge of interviewing the Grade 9 students, and overseeing the work of the audio and video crew members.  After we had interviewed the students, we then had to sort through the best 9-12 answers pertaining to our topic, in which my role was to choose our final subjects.  It was difficult to choose the best answers, as some of the most common responses were that the Grade 12s were the scariest, or getting lost in the school.  We needed to choose as many unique answers as possible so as not to bore the viewer, but the interviewee had to have spoken clearly and with enthusiasm for the response to be better for the final product.  I was also tasked with arranging shoots with the chosen Grade 9s, which also involved finding the best setting to suit our vision.  In my role, I worked alongside my team members responsible for the audio and video components of the project, giving them constructive criticism and encouraging their efforts.  This project was a great opportunity for me to learn about directing a group and a production, where I had to make shoots happen so that we could get the required background footage with the correct students.  I also learned how to be more efficient in my work, in order to meet deadlines, and to not overlook any details from beginning to end. 

HCTV Bumper

A bumper to be used as an introduction for final videos

Grade 12 Communications Technology

Video Production

Fall 2011

Jessica Taylor

A quick project during the course was to create an introductory bumper for videos produced by Holy Cross Television throughout the year.  This introduction was to be 10 seconds in length and feature elements from the various programs available to us.  We were required to include an animated background element created in Motion, music and sound effects created using Soundtrack Pro, and it was all to be compiled using Final Cut Pro.  We also needed to include the HCTV logo, which was added in using FCP, and accompanying text stating that it was a “Grade 12 Communications Technology Student Production”. 

In my bumper video, I used two animated elements from Motion, which were chosen because of their colour (green being our school’s primary colour) and due to their interesting qualities.  I wanted to be able to animate parts of the design, so these modern pieces suited my idea well.  I then chose some upbeat music to give energy and excitement to the production, while I used fast moving sound effects to accompany the movement I included.  I wanted to try something different than the traditional zoom in on the logo that is most common, so I opted to have it zoom in while sliding into the center from the right off-screen.  I enjoyed being creative with this project, and it was great to be able to understand the programs better, especially Motion, which I still find is tricky to use.    

HCTV Sports Highlights

Boys Curling Higlights Video
Grade 12 Communications Technology

Filmed and edited by Jessica Taylor

Winter 2012

Badminton Highlights Video
Grade 12 Communications Technology

Filmed and edited by Jessica Taylor

Winter 2012

The two above highlights videos were part of an individual assignment that we were required to complete as “homework” during the course.  We chose sporting and school events to film and take photos of that could be used on the school website and be kept in archives for future use.  For my individual assignment I was to cover Boys Curling and Badminton.

I was lucky that these sports had practices on the same day of the week, Badminton in the morning and Curling after school.  However, this made for some long days, which were made even longer when I returned to school to edit these productions.  Oh well, you can sleep when you’re dead.  I learned a lot about taking photos and filming at sporting events through this assignment.  I was able to track the players’ movement well while filming, especially with curling as I played the sport myself a few years ago.  We could also be creative with this project, which I believe shows through in my curling video.  It was a challenge to get interesting shots or even to make the sport seem appealing to viewers, as it is not necessarily an action-packed game.  However, I was able to rise to the challenge and I feel that I created a video which will keep the audience interested.

Final Cut Pro was used once again to edit the video and create the finished piece.  I created some energetic music to accompany the video with Soundtrack Pro, which flowed well with the natural sound that was to be heard in the background. 

HCTV Holy Cross Sr Boys Memorial Basketball

Holy Cross Senior Boys Memorial Basketball Sports Report Video

Written, narrated and edited by Jessica Taylor

Senior Boys Baskteball game coverage from the HCTV Archives

Winter 2012

                I was approached to cover the Holy Cross Senior Boys Basketball team in a sports report focusing on the upcoming Memorial Basketball games against rival school Regiopolis Notre-Dame.  I was given the task to make the entire video and have it finished within less than a week, so it was a very fast-paced assignment. 

I began by writing the script for the video, which included my voiceovers that would connect the interviews.  My next task was to actually interview the players and the Head Coach from the Senior Boys Basketball team, where I asked them about their strategy in the game, as well as their take on the Memorial itself.  Following this, I recorded my voiceovers in our new audiobooth with the portable mic pack.  I took all of these components, as well as archival footage from the team’s recent games, and put the video together in Final Cut Pro.  The final piece needed was my stand up at the end, where I concluded the story, which was connected to the half-time show, just like in a real new story where one reporter finishes and another takes on the next story.  This production was more of a challenge for me, as it involved many other components besides visuals and a soundtrack such as in the Highlights videos.  Although I reached some obstacles, I pushed through and it was a great experience to make a more professional video than I have done before. 

Gr 11 PSA - Water: A Human Right

Grade 11 Public Service Announcement video concerning Water: A Human Right

Written, filmed and edited by Jessica Taylor and Alannah Szolopiak

Storyboarding and final drawings by Jessica Taylor

Narration and sound effects by Alannah Szolopiak
Grade 11 Communications Technology

Winter 2011

                This video was made for an assignment for my Grade 11 Communications Technology course, and it was part of the annual Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School board video contest.  The prompt for the contest I entered was to explore Water as a Human Right.  We were shown examples of work from the previous year, with an emphasis on the damage caused by plastic water bottle use.  Many of the students in our class chose a similar route for the story of their video, however my partner and I wanted to stick with the message that water is a human right. 

                We chose to take a stop-motion approach to our video, as we enjoyed the look and feel of this video style, and have done well in replicating it in the past.  We both wrote the video, and I took care of storyboarding and creating the final animations while Alannah filmed and narrated, as well as creating the sound effects.  I chose to take a traditional animation approach and drew every frame by hand and painted them with watercolours.  We felt that this style of filming and animation fit our somber topic quite well, but it also felt light and airy, matching with the ending on a high note.  Although this video took a lot of work and effort to make, it was amazing to see the finished product.  We did not place in the school board competition, however we won first place in St. Lawrence College’s 31^st Annual Greg Awards for Marketing and Video Production in the high school category of the competition.   

PHOTOGRAPHY

Architectural Photography

An example of Architectural Photography following the theme of Man and Architecture
Grade 12 Communications Technology
Photography by Jessica Taylor

    

There is always a chance that a photo opportunity will present itself, even in the worst weather conditions or unlikely places. The prompt for this assignment was to focus on certain aspects of architecture and its surroundings to produce interesting photos.  The image in particular that I chose as my best photo focuses on the theme of Man and Architecture. Here, the model is posed in front of a wall covered in brightly coloured graffiti in downtown Kingston, which we happened upon to take shelter from a sudden rainstorm.

The strengths of this photo lie in the lighting and especially in the dynamic colours.  There are some dark shadows in the background that seem to frame the image, which adds to the composition. These shadows also fit well with the dark alleyway setting, and the mystique of this hidden location. The turquoise splashes of colour in the background bring out similarly coloured highlights in the model's hair in a unified theme. Colour adds life and interest to an image.

            It is evident through this photo that even on rainy days the colour and character of a building may still shine through.  Through this assignment, I learned that it is important to look beyond what you see and walk by in your daily life, and to truly observe your surroundings.  By doing so, you may see an overlooked detail or discover a whole new perspective of looking at these aspects of our lives.

Photo Journalism

Boys Curling and Badminton

Grade 12 Communications Technology

Photo Journalism

Jessica Taylor

As part of the Individual Assignment, we were also required to take photos of our events.  I learned a lot about photo journalism through this project, and what it takes to get that amazing shot.  For example, it is actually quite difficult to snap a great action shot while ensuring that the subject is in focus and has not been badly cropped due to their sudden movements.  It is possible to take fantastic photos under this pressure if you have the right equipment (A Nikon D5000 in this case) and if you can anticipate the player’s next move.

Once we had captured the moments needed to document the event well and in an interesting way, we resized and boosted the Brightness/Contrast and Saturation to really make them pop.  My personal best I believe is the photo shown here of Badminton.  I want to continue to experiment with photo journalism, and perfect my techniques for capturing the best shot!

Publicity Headshot Photography

Publicity headshot of Daisy

Grade 12 Communications Technology

Jessica Taylor

Winter 2012

As our quick, final assignment for photography, we were to take dynamic headshots of a classmate, utilising studio lighting as our primary light source. We were to achieve the classic “Rembrandt” style of lighting, which features a beautiful triangle of light encompassing they eye and cheek, stark against the showdown cast by the bridge of the nose.

This project was simple and fun to do, as there was not much required besides setting up the model and lighting correctly; it was very straightforward. I love the pose Daisy chose to take, as it’s very light-hearted and suits her personality well. By adding a black and white filter to the photo, paired with adjustments to Brightness/Contrast and Curves, the image gains another intriguing layer and mood.

Travel Photography

Thoughtful and Silent Observer
Jessica Taylor
March 2011

A Light in the Dark
Jessica Taylor
March 2011

                I took these photos while on my school trip to London and Paris over the past March Break.  The gargoyles are the iconic statues that sit atop Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris France, and I was excited to see them in person after learning about them in my Grade 10 Visual Arts course.  I love the texture in the stone, which has been weathered down by wind and rain over hundreds of years.  They are the silent observers, watching, and guarding their roost.  It was unfortunate that the weather that day was not pleasant, but I still love the overall effect and detail in the images.

                The final photo is of the central Pyramid in the courtyard of the Louvre.  Our tour guide took us for a walk along the Seine in the evening after dinner, introducing us to the city in it’s true light.  We were told that we would see something amazing when we rounded the next corner, and although I knew what we would come across, it was still breathtaking to see in person, and even more so lit up in the night.  I enjoyed taking photos of the Pyramid, and I love how dramatic the contrast in the lighting is, how it reflects along the panes in the structure.  The shapes are interesting to me as well, and the partial reflection in the surrounding pools.  I love taking photos, especially when I go on trips, because it is a great way to remember these moments, especially through an interesting photograph.