Evonne K, Aaron à la Nadar

chose Nadar to be the photographer to imitate because I rather like his style. As discussed in class, he seemed to choose a more intimate and natural setting. But also on top of that, it’s simplicity was in such a way that it really lets the audience feel as if they could see who the subject was really like. Which is why I feel that in his way of taking images, there isn’t a difference between reality and what is portrayed. And I think that this image of Aaron is similar to that feeling. So my image is just like that. I show Aaron as your pretty average guy. The way he sits is in a sort of casual, nonchalant manner, much like the way he’s dressed; rather a ‘wear-what-I-got-plus-it’s-comfortable’ feel. It shows that he’s a grounded kind of guy, very down to earth and unassuming. Also, it could hint at his conservativeness background. However the casual ease with which he strikes a purportedly natural pose on top of his boyishly handsome looks grants an undertone of self-confidence in a way that gives him an edge. And the clothing goes against what would be considered super fashionable so it should lead the audience to see someone who’s kind of into rock bands or something of that sort. His way of life is pretty easy and carefree, though he does understand responsibility. With this picture, he shows he has nothing to hide. His calm controlled features bestows upon him, reliability. And overall, the image is meant to be pensive in the way that you want to learn more about this person, or learn about this person’s story, just like the way Nadar’s photographs do.

Arthur H, Yanna à la Cameron

There was this mystique about this girl, it seemed to hide so much and held with her an enigmatic air. The contrast between her hair and her attire conveys confusion. Her straight, well combed hair said that she was determined, straight edged and committed to her ambitions. But the flowing blouse and free spirited sash said otherwise. She looks very artistic, creative and feisty. Perhaps this confusion is less a result of convolution and more of a fusion between her creative mind and her ambitious nature. Her presence demands attention, but at the same time her poise and countenance alert those in her company that she is determined to the task at hand. One is easily mislead to think that they are an inconvenience to her but given the chance to work with her towards a common goal, one will find that she is sociable and welcoming. She is bubbly and energetic, but no energy is wasted upon the completion of her task. Eloquence and beauty are no strangers to her but her attention remains in details. Her sash and the buttons on her blouse show this. The undulating surface of her blouse and the background show that it is her outward personality that makes her blend in. The defining aspects of her personality that make her stand out are the details and the determination of her eyes and her facial expression. Yanna Lapis, social and charming on the exterior but upon closer observation she is resolute and strong minded.

Yanna L, Arthur à la Cameron

He stands tall and dignified; sure of the rewards his future holds for him. Looking out the window into the light Arthur can see all his dreams and aspirations waiting to be accomplished. His clean and sophisticated garb mirrors those ambitions he seeks in the business world. While balancing his school work, Arthur manages to participate in the Collegiate Alumni Association, the Business Society as well as participating in Martial Arts and practicing photography. While his demeanor is shy and quiet, beneath the layers Arthur is well spoken and at times his candor surprises those around him.

Participating in martial arts has taught Arthur the strength and determination needed to fulfill his goals while his practice of photography lets Arthur view the world from a more artistic and fanciful angle. These two divergent aspects of his life can be seen in the use of the dark shadows and bright light in the photograph. Where the white light and black shadows meet is Arthur, a shade of gray, a man of many talents and abilities. This representation of Arthur might come as a surprise to those who see him as a quiet and laid back individual, which is far from the truth. He is assertive when needed, and quiet when listening.

Arthur’s hard work in each facet of life has served him well and taught him valuable lessons that he will continue to carry on in each of his adventures and ventures. Between his passion for photography and his love of martial arts and business, Arthur can not be easily depicted in a single photograph.

Maria L, Brian à la Hill

Who is Brian Lin? The first time I met him there was this urgency in the air to accomplish our assignment in which we were assigned as partners. I had 20 minutes to take 5 pictures of a total stranger. The only thing we had in common was that we were in the same photography class. The urgency took away some of the awkwardness, but when I was asked to interview this stranger and inquire about his life, the uncomfortable factor raised even higher. As I walked into the library, I was curious to know what I would soon find out. I began to ask him basic questions. The more I asked, the more I felt like I knew this stranger. So who is Brian Lin? He is a very laid back and down-to-earth guy who originated in Arcadia, California. What brings him to UC Merced? High hopes of one day opening his own restaurant. In order to do that he plans to major in Management. With a liking for the finer things in life, like technology, a bachelor’s degree would be very helpful in acquiring those nice things – like a new, shiny cell phone every year. He considers himself to be funny, outgoing, and a guy with a lot of friends. Bowling, hiking and taking road trips are his favorite past-times. Brian spent 2nd grade living in Taiwan to acquire the culture. Keeping in touch with family and friends there and frequently visiting them is very important to him. To conclude, we both agreed that life should be lived in the moment with little anger or frustration.

Brian L, Maria à la Hill

Maria Lavenant “Unique” Most people stereotype college students with all-nighters, late night snacks, partying till the break of dawn, and countless hours spent in the library with study groups and textbooks. If this stereotype was the actual definition of a typical college student, Maria might not be classified as your typical college student. Maria is a soft-spoken individual who may seem alone and afraid on the exterior, however when you can find your way through the padding which consists of insecurities and a “sheltered” lifestyle of her, you will notice that she is an amazing individual with a lot to offer. Maria’s upbringing consists of 2 other siblings, an older brother and a younger sister, each of which are a total of 7 years apart. She was born and raised in southern California, but later moved to Modesto, where she has since found her love for the valley’s true beauty and serenity. When I interviewed Maria what are three characteristics that can easily be used to describe her, she said that she’s kind, which is evident when you talk to her, you get a rushing sense of warmness from her voice, and you realize that she’s never afraid to help someone out when they’re in need. The next word that she would use to characterize herself would be shy; Maria tends to be a bit more cautious as to whom she decides to “open up” with. Revealing herself to a stranger or a fellow classmate, such as me, took a bit of patience because of her inability to open up to me. Lastly, she would use the word Responsible. Little did you know that she has everyday and every item that she needs to finish written down in her planner. She makes sure she has just enough time during the day to spend a few minutes here and there relaxing and meditating her day.

Christopher L, Jennifer à la Cameron

“A picture is worth a thousand words…” but are those thousand words enough to describe someone; their personality, their anima, likes or dislikes? The answer—No. The thousand words found in a picture might be enough to convey the details and feel of sunset, a day at the beach, the moonlit sky, or any other photograph in which a human element is not present or not the primary focus. But once we add the human element, once we decide to make a person the reason, the purpose of the photograph, we innately complicate things. A picture is never enough to capture the essence of an individual, if it were we would be able to tell, in absolute certainty, whether or not a person would do great things when they grow up or if they’ll rob you blind just by looking at them.

In that regard, this photo of Jennifer can tell you whatever you want to know about her. Your perception of what this photo reveals about her varies if you know her or if you don’t. What I write here most likely has little impact on what you have already gathered, the assumptions you have made, when you first looked at the picture; at most, I will have helped shaped some of your ideas on how to interpret the photo. In the end, you make of it what you will. A photograph captures only a facet—just one aspect—of the many façades we each have.

Jennifer L, Chris à la Brady


Looking at this portrait of Chris Liao you wouldn’t guess that he is an energetic, upbeat individual who is a self-proclaimed caffeine addict. What inspired me to imitate Matthew Brady’s portrait of Abraham Lincoln (1864) was that Lincoln looked so solemn and serious in this image. When I first met Chris, this was my first impression of him—a very serious student who preferred a night of schoolwork opposed to a night out on the town; however, after having had a conversation with the Bay-area transfer student I quickly learned that I was greatly mistaken. Chris transferred to UC Merced from Napa this past Fall semester (2008) and has found making friends to be a difficult task, which is why he seemed so reserved to me at first. His quiet demeanor and serious face resembled what I had learned about Lincoln’s character—stern, strict, yet hopeful. Lincoln’s strong features and size were often viewed at intimidating, yet his gentle spirit didn’t allow him to hunt and kill animals—not even for food.
Hopefully, I matched the purpose that Brady was trying to convey in his image of Lincoln in my portrait of Chris. My interpretation of Brady’s piece was that first impressions are not always accurate and in order to fully familiarize oneself with anything, a deeper investigation beyond the surface is necessary, and this is as true now as it was back in 1864. So, now that I know the truth behind the quiet young man who sits in the front of the classroom and have exposed him as a “closeted party animal,” his true colors will have the opportunity to show.

Xing L, Priscilla à la.....

My partner is Priscilla Lopez. She just transfers from UCR with a major in Chicano studies there while she is currently a cognitive science major in UCM. She seems quiet and cool without a smile in the photo. However, this is not her personality. You will know she is a friendly, patient person after you talk to and work with her for a while. My new camera has no Black & White shooting menu. She showed me how to edit photos through a website step by step without feeling annoyed.
Priscilla is from Fresno where her family resides. Due to the strong influence from home where she mainly speaks Spanish, she develops strong interest in Chicano studies. However, UCM doesn’t have Chicano studies major; hence, she has to major in something else. She does not want to major in Spanish, which is the language she already knows very well. Very soon, she finds cognitive science very interesting and decides to major in it. She is taking the same cognitive science course, COGS 153, with me.
Priscilla likes to take and look at pictures. She has many pictures in Facebook where she shares pictures with friends. She likes to edit pictures before posting them online. Even though she is not a professional photographer, it can tell from her pictures that she uses different photography techniques very well through the lighting, the background and the angel. I think her photography skill will greatly improve with the learning in Arts 141 at the end of the semester.

Priscilla L, Xing à la Brady

My partner is Xing. To me, she seems like a hard working college student. She is always prepared by doing her homework and by reading the required material. Having two classes with her, I see that she asks questions to make sure she understands what is important and also to answer the professor’s questions. She is very eager to learn and is curious about many subjects. She definitely stands out in class. Therefore, I believe she is a very dedicated student.

One thing that I noticed about Xing is that she goes strictly by the rules. She makes sure she does what professors expect of her and when she cannot figure something out, she asks for help. Also, just by the way she is seated in the picture you can tell she is very proper and respects others.
I wanted to take a realistic portrait of Xing.

I wanted her to sit at a table in the library with a laptop, notebook, and handouts, which is what she would be doing as part of her daily routine. Her facial expression shows that she is easy to approach and that she enjoys being in college in order to better herself. I was inspired by Abraham Lincoln’s portraits taken by Matthew Brady. Brady would usually position Lincoln in a chair and/or have books on the table. Some of his pictures had low exposure so I lowered the exposure on my camera before taking pictures of Xing. Therefore, the picture is entitled “Xing a la Brady.”

Erika M, Judith à la Cameron

I wanted to portray Judith in the way the Julia Margaret Cameron represented her subjects because I loved how she showed their femininity and personalities. I especially love how she focused so much on the neckline in some of her photos because it is such a special feature that all women have, and should flaunt. Furthermore, I loved how bold and natural many of the women looked in her photos as well because it works out as a gateway to empowering women of the time. This was a very important element in my photo as I wanted to both capture the power and seduction that women hold inside. It is a testament to the fact that any woman that is quiet and timid on the outside can still be bold and comfortable in her own skin, and that is what I wanted to capture. This worked out in my photo because Judith is such an easy character to capture and is so comfortable in front of a camera. She shows a certain amount of confidence and power that really speaks to whoever views this photo, at least I think. Above all, her eyes have a very confident and relaxed look that make it seem so easy to intimidate whoever is in her gaze. As I mentioned earlier, my goal was to capture the power, confidence, boldness and seduction that every woman holds in her spirit and I think I attained it…but it’s up to you to interpret.