This week I finished editing my photo for phase 3. Unfortunately we were unable to take a picture of the Iris Nebula because the sun came up but I did get a really good landscape photo with the Milky Way Galaxy. After the end of phase 3 we are moving on to phase 4. This phase is experimental photography so we get to pick what we do. I want to do more landscape photography of the California natural landscapes. If you would like to see my proposal click the link below. I had a meeting with Andrew and Mike about my proposal. From this meeting I have found that I need to think more deeply about what I want to do and got a lot of suggestions for books I could read.
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This week we went on a camping trip to Lake Cuyamaca. The reason for going on this trip was to get a picture of something in space whether that is stars, nebulas or planets. I was planning on taking a picture of the Iris nebula which is near the Cephi constellation. Unfortunately, I was not able to get a picture of this nebula because the group before us took to long and the sun started rising before we could get pictures. Luckily the first night, I went out at three in the morning to get pictures of the milky way and got some really nice shots so I plan on using those. If I have an opportunity in the next couple of weeks to get a picture of this nebula then I will definitely do it.
A story that I will remember ten years from now is when my friends and I went hiking at three a.m. to get pictures of the Milky Way. We were experimenting with long exposures and lighting up part of the picture with flashlights. We did this for about twenty minutes until we came to a bridge that we wanted to light up the bottom of the bridge. I volunteered to go under the bridge to light it up and I did for about five minutes. As I was about to go back to my friends, I momentarily shined my light over a part of the ground that I had not previously seen. What I saw gave me a scare, about ten feet away from me was a snake curled up, and it was angry, probably because I woke it up. I quickly hurried back to my friends to get out of harms way. Looking back on this event, I probably wasn't in that much danger and probably overreacted but it was late at night in a place that I was not aware of. We also got some really nice shots of the Milky Way so in the end, it was worth it. This is one of the pictures I took on this short hike. This week we prepared for our camping trip that we are going on next week. We did this by forming groups that we would eat, sleep and take pictures with. We had to form a food list so that we would have enough food for the trip to not be hungry and we also had to plan an object to take pictures of. My group chose the nebula Iris mainly because it looked interesting. Another reason that we chose this nebula was because of its dimensions. The apparent magnitude of this nebula is 6.8 which means that it is very bright. The nebula is 10 arc-minutes which means how long it will be up in the sky. This nebula is by the constellation Cepheus which means that it will be up in the sky for a very long time because its close to the north star. In humanities we read chapter 2 of light and talked about it with our fellow piers. These discussions were very enlightening because I heard my partners ideas that I hadn't thought of before.
.Reflection This week in humanities we read the first two chapters of Light by Bruce Watson. This book was very informative about the science and theories of light throughout the centuries. After we read these chapters we had a seminars talking about our thoughts about what we thought and we tried to find the thesis and most important parts of the text. I really liked this book because it talked about light through the views of a diversity of people like astronomers, mathematicians and artists. In chemistry we watched a show called Exploring the Cosmos which was a show with Neil Degrasse Tyson talking about light and color and how color is created. This video talked about the history of how we know what we know about light now. Humanities This week in Humanities we wrote and edited a short essay about how the work of scientists, artists and philosophers cause people do wonder and be curious. If you would like to read this click the link below. Chemistry
What is the Chemistry of epoxy and polymerization? The resin is a polymerization of carbon and acetyl which takes the form of strands. When the hardener is mixed with the resin the hardener acts as a catalyst. A catalyst is a group of molecules that causes a reaction to happen without affecting the reaction with any of its chemical structure. In this case, the hardener causes the polymer to link with each other causing it to harden together. This is how our epoxy is created. When we lightly heat the epoxy to bring the bubbles to the surface, we are partially undoing this bond by heating the bonded molecules up, thus unbinding the linkage letting the air pockets rise to the surface. What can we learn from light? What information is in light? After watching Exploring the Cosmos I have learned many thing about light that I never would have thought that it could do. Light can tell us how far away an object is because things that are farther away from us are more blue than objects that are closer to us that are more red. This is because blue light is light waves that have long wave lengths while red light is light waves that are compressed which means that the wavelengths are smaller then that of the color blue. This is how science has discovered that the universe is expanding, because everything in the universe is slowly getting bluer and bluer. Light can also tell us what something is made up of. Certain objects, depending on how much energy they have, can absorb certain colors and not others. The colors that can not be absorbed are the ones that we see because instead of being absorbed it is reflected. This is how Scientist can tell what things are made of millions of light years away from us. Main Project This week I finished processing my landscape photo. Hopefully next week it will be printed and coated with epoxy. Weekly Reflection
This week I began the mini metal foundry. We formed the insulation of the foundry by mixing sand, plaster of paris and water. The first time we tried to form the foundry we added too much water so it never formed but luckily we bought enough so that we could remake the insulation. Next week hopefully we will be able to finish the foundry and start melting metal. In my project group I began planning a camping trip to Cuaymaca. I am very excited for this trip because the whole team is suppose to go and we can get some really nice pictures up in the mountains. My goal is to have the trip planned by the end of next week which I think will be an easy goal because we made a lot of progress already this week. Humanities What role does each step play in the creation of a beautiful photograph? Photo- This is the most important part of the process, if you don't have a strong picture to start with then your final project will not be very strong because you can't create a beautiful by editing, you need to start with a good photo Processing- This is also a very important part of the process of taking a photo because you can take a picture from the most beautiful place on earth but if you don't edit the image properly then you won't have the most optimal picture. Processing a picture when done right can enhance the colors, bring contrast to the photo and make the photo more visually appealing. Metallic Paper- Metallic paper helps the photo reflect light. This can also bring vibrance to the picture because the paper causes the light to be reflected off the picture and into the viewer's eye better. The problem with this type of photo paper is that it gets damaged very easily. Epoxy coat- The epoxy coat is used to protect the photo from outside forces. LED and a change in temperatures can damage the photos quality so we use the epoxy to save the picture from these affects without damaging the photos quality. Chemistry How does each stop of the process involve light? The process of the epoxy involves light because epoxy is made of mylar (BoPet). Mylar increases the photos detail and color and overall makes the photo more vibrant. Epoxy protects the photo from LED lights and abnormal temperatures. It also makes the light reflect off of the picture to grab viewers attention and to add clarity to the picture. Why is it important to frame and exhibit work? It is important to frame work because it adds a sense of professionalism to the picture and artwork. The frame that you chose can also add and bring out colors and other elements in a picture, making the picture more visually appealing. Its important to exhibit work so that you can get your work out into the community so that people will think that we aren't just students but students that know what they are doing. Also whats the point of making a kick ass and awesome picture that no one see's? Weekly Reflection This week we mostly worked with our project groups. My groups job is to plan field trips to get pictures outside of school. This week we planned a whole class trip to Point Loma Nazarene and Sunset Cliffs. We actually went on the trip and it was a great experience to get out of the classroom and take pictures with my friends. I also went on a hike to Three Sisters Falls. This hike was an exhilarating experience and we got lots of pictures of the falls and other natural landscapes. I really enjoy going outside the classroom to learn because its a lot more entertaining and also I remember those experience more then inside a classroom. Overall this was a week that ill remember, planning two trips and actually going on them. Also from these two trips I got many landscape pictures that I will be able to choose from later. Chemistry This week in chemistry I planned out and got all the materials needed to make a mini furnace that will melt aluminum. We are designing the furnace around a video that we found on YouTube. After we get back from break we will be able to start building the furnace. The first step is to build the insulation for the furnace using water, play sand, and Plaster of Paris. Our goal for this furnace is to be able to melt metals and be able to form the the metal into different objects. If you would like to see the original video it is below. Humanities This week we got our John Steinbeck model writing piece critiqued and edited by a partner. We started this writing piece last week and finished it this week. if you would like to see the final draft click the link below. We also did a Juxtaposition writing piece. In this assignment we had to comment about the contrast of a partner's landscape picture that they took. I really liked this assignment because I had to really dive into the picture and look at it in a way that I had never done before. It also challenged me because I had to break apart the photo and really think hard about what makes a picture look good. If you would like to see this writing piece click the link below.
This week we focused on landscape photography and how to get high quality landscape shots. Andrew talked about how and when to get the best landscape shots and showed us videos on how to do it too. I am very excited to put what I learned this week to use out in nature and finally get my landscape photo. In humanities we described a place that we will always remember and got jobs that would help the project. My job is trip planner so I get to help plan trips that my team will be taking. I picked this job because I have experience planning trips this semester and I know a lot of good places to get landscapes photos. I am trying to plan a trip in Cuaymaca because the mountains lining the valley will make a great landscape photo. In Chemistry we had an amazing light experiment where we burned different chemicals and saw what color they burned. The point of this experiment was to show that different elements burn different colors because of the atomic structure. I found this experiment very interesting because we saw fire burning at a variety of colors which I didn't know that we could produce. Landscape Photo This is my landscape photo that I took right outside of school. I took it on my iPhone so its not the best quality but more and better landscape shots are coming soon. I took this photo right outside of school at the bay. Chemistry In this experiment we burned certain element and saw what color they burned. If you would like to see my analysis then click the link below. Humanities
In Humanities we wrote about a place that we would always remember in a way that John Steinbeck would write it. I was not here on this day so I misunderstood the assignment and just wrote about a place that I would always remember. If you would like to see this essay, click the link below. Weekly Reflection This week in chemistry we started our independent projects with a group of people. For my independent project my partner and I are planning on building a furnace so that we can melt metals like aluminum. This will allow us to be able to melt aluminum cans and other common things that we have an abundance of. After we complete building the furnace we will try and make a cast for pouring molten metal into. Another thing we could try doing is pouring the metal into watermelons and other common items. I am really excited to start building because this will be challenging myself to make and complete a project that I designed myself. In humanities we examined a panoramic photo taken of a natural landscape. The picture that I choose was of Yosemite National Park at Glacier Point. I choose this photo because I thought that it looked interesting and also I go to Yosemite every year. Chemistry If you would like to see the description of my independent project click the link below. Humanities
If you would like to see my panorama description of Yosemite National Park then click the link below. Weekly Reflection This week we started developing our pictures that we took in Balboa park. I thought that it was very interesting the way the picture starts to form when you put it in the developer. This was the first product that we have produced and honestly I'm surprised at the quality of the pictures. When looking at the pictures, you can really see the hard work and dedication it took to produce the pictures from taking the pictures outside, to developing the pictures in the dark room. We also did a hydrogen balloon experiment in Chemistry but unfortunately I was sick that day so I can't write a lab summary here. In Humanities we had seminars on the book "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck. We also read an article written by John Muir, for me this article touched home because it was talking about a reservoir that they built in Yosemite National park and I go there every year. I think I really connected with this piece of text because I have seen the reservoir in real life but never knew that it was a reservoir. This was a very challenging read for me because it used a lot of language that isn't used anymore so it took some time to understand what Muir was trying to convey. Chemistry I was not here for the experiment this week. Humanities This week we choose a river, lake or reservoir that was being altered by human beings that was in a state of dilemma with a partner. My partner and I chose the Flint River in Flint, Michigan. We had to answer questions about the problem and people being affected, if you would like to see these answers click the link below click here. We also answered questions about an article by John Muir if you would like to read the article for yourself click the link below. After we read this we answered questions by ourselves about what we felt on the issue. If you would like to see my answers to the questions click the link below.
This week we worked on developing photos using a AgCl (silver chloride) base. This was the first week that we started actually printing the photos that we had taken. At first the photos didn't print out very well but we found a way to find the perfect exposure time, strength of the light, and distance of the light, through trial and error, to print the photos properly. I really enjoyed this process because I could finally see what my work looks like from start to finish. In humanities we finished reading the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. I really enjoyed the way Steinbeck uses his characters to make a statement about humanity. I also like how Steinbeck doesn't sugarcoat anything, he exposes humanity for what it is and he expresses that through his stories. I feel that this is a great way to convey the actual problems that humanity faces on a daily bases. I plan on reading more Steinbeck in the future. Chemistry Our Photosynthetic emulsion is made by combining Silver nitrate (AgNO3) and sodium Chloride (NaCl). This reaction then turns into Silver Chloride and Sodium Nitrate (AgCl and NaNO3) because, as I explain in a previous blog, the chemicals are interchangeable. AgCl is a crystal precipitant in this reaction. AgCl is also light sensitive so that we can use it to develop photos. All atoms have electrons which they tend to give and take from other atoms. When this process happens the two atoms combine thus binding, making combinations like AgCl and NaNO3. In our reaction, the chloride atom wants an electron while the silver atom doesn’t mind giving an electron away thus forming a bond between the two. Because electrons are negatively charged, the chloride atom becomes negatively charged and the silver atom becomes positively charged. When light hits this connection it breaks, freeing up a positively charged silver ion which turns into metallic silver. Metallic silver's natural color is black thus producing our black and white photos on paper. When the emulsion- coated paper is put in the developer bath, it adds an electron to the freed silver ions, making the reaction visible. Once we put the developed photo into the stop bath the developing immediately stops because it removes any leftover electrons from developing. After the stop bath we dunk the paper in a fixer bath to dissolve any remaining silver chloride salts so that they don’t keep producing overtime, thus increasing the lifetime of the photo. We then wash off the photo to remove any residual chemicals still left on the paper. A a a My Chemistry questions How does the silver ions turn into metallic silver? What happens to the sodium Nitrate during the developer process? Humanities In Humanities this week I finished my one thousand word essay about the photo that I took in Balboa Park. This essay consisted of five different perspectives breaking down the image and looking at its contents through different "Lenses" such as historical and composition. If you would like to see this essay, click the link below. click here. The next phase of the project is landscape photography. I'm really excited for this portion of the project because it means that I get to go out into the world and take pictures of nature and other landscapes. I really want to go up to Julian or somewhere in the mountains so that I can get a nice wide view of nature. I am sure that this phase will include me needing to plan a trip so I have been brainstorming places to go.
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May 2017
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