Food

Landscapes

Fireworks

I don't think I ever posted these anywhere. These are some firework photos that I took awhile back, maybe sometime in early August or late July. But I'm proud of these for it being my first time photographing fireworks. 

Film

I haven't updated in awhile. I've been so busy with school that I almost forgot about my website. I'm hoping there's a way to use Adobe Illustrator to make my website more "professional" and better. If not, I'll keep it the way it is until I can figure out a better way. 

In the meantime, I'm taking Photo 106, a class based on film and I'm really excited about it because I'm learning how to process film in the darkroom. It's awesome. Our current project is Reflections, which I'm really excited about because it's my absolute favorite project out of any projects I've ever done for MCC. Before I even knew about this project I took a few reflection photos using my digital camera. 

Dragonfly

Parenting

I took some photos of a friend's child the other day. I'm very proud of the product that came out of it. One especially to the point where I'd like to submit it to a parenting magazine. I don't know how to do this however. I e-mailed someone from a parenting magazine and I haven't heard back from them yet. But here's the picture among a few others: 

Struggles

I guess every artist goes through struggles, whether they like their own work or not. I talked to a couple people today, they both made me feel a lot better about it. I was ready to quit and sell everything. But I'm glad I didn't, I could never give up photography. 

Ugh

Seriously, I keep looking back at my photos and each time I look at them, the ones I used to like, I think to myself how did I ever like these? They're horrible... I feel like I was just a stupid pretend photographer in the past and I feel like I still am. I'm really not happy with my photos and sometimes, honestly, I feel like I should just give it up. I don't know, I still love photography but I feel like I suck at it. 

Here's a photo I took today; rip it apart. 

Barnard Parade

Starting over

I feel like the first half of owning a digital SLR is completely made up, like everything was just a snap shot, because I was using Auto on it. Now that I've completed my course and learned a lot more about my camera, I feel like I literally started over again. And now I feel lost because I don't like any of my pictures from before I started my class. So I guess here's to turning a new leaf in photography.

Final Project

These are the photos I chose for my final project in my PHO 135 class. 

Movement

HTML

I'd like to re-do my entire website, but using HTML and stuff. I don't know anything about HTML. Right now I'm using a 90's website builder and it doesn't give me a lot of options for usage of my website. I look at all other photographer's websites and I want mine to look more professional like theirs. 

Also, I'm taking a photography class at Monroe Community College and this particular photo I'm about to post, my teacher absolutely loved. The topic was "geometric." 

Portraits

Here are some portraits that I have taken.

Photoshop

I finally got photoshop working on my computer! Yay! Here are some much needed additions to this blog.

School

I've finally joined a class, PHO 135 at MCC. I'm already learning a lot and I've only had one class so far. I'm probably going to get really bad at my photos as I post them and then hopefully get better. 

Still don't have photoshop on this computer but I'm hoping to save up for a Macbook soon. 

I don't have a photo to share with this particular post. But I'll update again soon!

Ahh

My computer completely died on me, so I haven't been able to update much and be able to upload photos anywhere. I finally have a new one but I can't put photoshop on it yet. Here is a photo I took a few days ago, completely unedited. 

Comparisons.

I pulled up a couple of my old images from when I first started, and then I pulled up a couple from more recent times. 

More recent

Older

More Recent

Older

Artist's Statement

Melissa Pakusch
Artist’s Statement
Photography

                My favorite tool to use is photography. I own a Nikon D3000 digital SLR. I like to use photography as a tool because I feel it is my best use for art. My goals for photography is to someday own my own business, selling photos to buyers and photographing them for their own usage. I would also like to attend the School of Visual Arts to learn more than I already know and put that towards my career.

The best thing, I feel, about my work is the fact that I use different angles and techniques to get the best quality photo I can. I begin a photo by figuring out the best lighting there is, such as the sun, or a lamp. I generally don’t like to use flash settings because I feel it doesn’t show the shadows as well, especially if the shadow makes the picture even better. When I say that a piece has turned out really well, I mean that the picture’s zoom is perfect in my eyes, I mean that the focus is exactly how I want it to be, and the lighting is exactly how I want it. I also mean that the subject in my photo has a story behind it; whether it is a real story of how I got the picture, or a meaning behind it that the viewer has created in their mind.

I have self taught myself everything I know about photography up to this point. I have used many different techniques of learning such as internet search usage, photography related books, or magazines. Each of these different ways has answered many questions I have had over the years of self teaching. When people see my work, I want them to think to themselves, “wow! That is an amazing photo.” I want them to be able to see a deeper meaning of the photos. My current work, I feel, is improving every day. 

I have no words.

Selling.

I want to start selling my photographs. I put one up for sale on eBay, my Bell Pepper Plant photograph. I am really into the selling aspect, as I would like to learn more about it. 

School of Visual Arts

I'm trying to get into the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Here are some of my photos I sent in my portfolio.

Photography.

I'm really excited about having this blog, I want to get ideas from everyone who might read this and help me be better at my photography. Here's my first photo that I'm publishing. Tell me what you think, make me be better, help me improve.