six favorite images

This image was taken by me in Sedona, AZ.  I really love this image because it really captures the beauty of Sedona.  The way the cacti in the bottom left corner create the foreground and the beautiful colored mountains create the background really gives the photo a sense of depth.  I feel that whomever views this photo will really feel as though they are standing right there in the still, hot beauty that is Arizona.  

This image was also taken by me in Arizona, just as the sun was setting.  The way the clouds and mountains turned to shadows and the outlines of the cacti were black against the colorful glowing sky is really beautiful to me.  I saw some of the most breathtaking sunsets while visiting Arizona and feel that this image really portrays their beauty. 

I took this image at a wedding a few years back.  I have always found flowers to be one of the most beautiful things in nature and I take many pictures of them.  These were very striking to me because of the occasion and the way they photographed a little washed out, which to me gave them a more romantic and timeless feeling.  Also, the way the colors are so opposite, like a bride and groom, yet they fit together so nicely and really work perfectly together.

I took this image years ago at LBI.  The way the dock disappears into the water leaves you wondering how far it goes and leaves the mystery of what lies in the water at the edge of it.  I also really enjoy the steady flat blue in the sky and how it meets the stirring, flowing ocean at the horizon line.  It surprised me as well to see how blue the waters of the Jersey Shore are in this photo.

This is an image of me and it was taken by my friend Monica last year.  I love all how she really encompassed the classics of ballet and piano into such a classic and well styled photo.  The black and white really ties everything together and the motion of my turn really makes you hear a classical tune almost as if the piano was playing.

I took this photo last fall in Central Park.  Walking through that park during the peak of fall was one of the most beautiful things I have ever experienced to date.  The colors are immaculate and they are all around you.  On the trees, in the sky, on the ground, in the street.  It's almost as if you were walking through  an impressionist painting and someone had shed a blanket of color over the world.  I feel this photo really captures the beauty of fall brings it to life.

Favorite Image

This is my all time favorite image by Photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt in 1945.  It shows a sailor kissing his girl in Times Square in celebration of the Japanese surrender and the end of WWII.  To me this photo is so historical and so timeless.  It was shot in one of the most iconic places in the US and is still recognizable even though it's over 60 years old.  When looking at this picture you feel a swarm of emotions; happiness, love, memories, pride.  The joy and love that these people feel is not only radiating to the people walking by, but also out to us as the viewer.  This was a proud moment for our country, the end of a terrible war, the start of a new beginning.

Hi class :)

My name is Michele Rinaldi and I am a Senior here at Montclair State.  I am studying Art Education and Graphic Design as my concentration.  I am also a Dance minor studying styles such Modern and Ballet.  I love art and dance, they are my life and I could not live without either.  I have always looked at the world around me as art, and I appreciate every little detail, from the knobs on an old antique door, to the shape of the clouds in the sky.  A few other things I really enjoy are friends, family, my puppy, wine, baking, music, exercise, my dance team the New Jersey Emeralds, the JETS<3, and just having a good time. 

I come from a big Italian family so I love my Grandmothers cooking, especially her homemade Ravioli and  Lasagne...mmm.  But I'm really a dessert girl, especially if it's chocolate! On most holidays I'll skip the meal so I can pig out on dessert! I love most music, but my favorite styles include oldies, classic rock, and alternative.  I have a lot of favorite books, but nothing tops the Harry Potter series! And movies...wayyy to many, but I am a big fan of comedies, namely the Will Ferrell crew and Jason Segel crew, as well as some good horror/thriller movies.  

I have always enjoyed taking pictures and have been documenting my life for as long as I can remember.  I have never taken a formal photography class, but I do own a Nikon D60 and have played around with it mostly in nature.  It bothers me that things can look so beautiful through your eyes, yet they never seem to translate as well through the lens.  This is something I would like to get out of this course.  I know the photo will never be exact to the real life thing, but I want to get it as close as possible and really capture the beauty and essence through my photographs.