Ethan Barton, Photo #2, Darcy Elburn

Darcy Elburn, 23, poses next to her Jeep with the logo of her magazine, The Motorcycle Times, on May 31, 2013.

 This picture was taken near dusk outside of Darcy's apartment.  Because of the timing, lightening became a bit of an issue, but through photoshop, I was able to significantly brighten the photo.  However, I still think a better contrast could have been made with her dress and jacket, and certain areas, such as her eyes, were a bit darker then I would have liked.  Contextually, I really like this picture, as it captures the dichotomy I wanted to focus on.  It has a picture of a young, thin, blond girl who owns her own motorcycle periodical, while wearing a maxi dress and holding a leather motorcycle jacket.  Additionally, Darcy has a logo for her magazine on a soft top Jeep, which can often fit the motorcycle lifestyle.

Darcy Elburn stands next to a map of Chestertown, Maryland, in her Silver Spring apartment her magazine, The Motorcycle Times, is based on May 31, 2013.

This photo is my least favorite of the shoot.  Again, contextually, I think it works, as it shows her full dress and stature, exemplifying her breaking of stereotype owning and editing a motorcycle magazine.  However, having just moved into her apartment, lighting was poor, and things were still left unpacked (bottom left).  I considered cropping it out, but decided against it, as the messy look (often paired with the motorcycle lifestyle) contrasted her full maxi dress and bare feet.

Darcy Elburn, owner and editor of The Motorcylce Times, dons her motorcycle jacket next to a Chestertown map in Silver Spring, Maryland on May 31, 2013.

This is my favorite picture of the shoot.  Despite the poor lighting of her apartment, I was able to really brighten up the photo and decrease shadows (in comparison to the previous photo).  Contextually, it doesn't show her dress, but still shows the audience her uniqueness for her occupation.  I was also happy that it still included the map of Chestertown in the background, though it wasn't as in-focus as I would have liked.

Overall, I really enjoyed this assignment.  In terms of the interview, Darcy, despite being a bit nervous, was very relaxed and easy to interview.  It was interesting to get to know someone in her position.  As for the photography portion, I was extremely frustrated by poor lighting as the sun set and lack of options in her home, but am extremely happy with the last picture.  I still see that I missed some shadows, but definitely feel more confident in my photoshop skills.