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CHROMA AUSTIN Fall 2016

Top 9 Murals in Austin!

CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY

The Evolution of Photography!

Which Austin restaurant is for me? The Current Trends in Photography!


Meet the Team Photo by Ellen Fritz

Ava Longi Ava has enjoyed photography from a young age. Her father has always been really into photography, which allowed her to be around fancy cameras since she was young. She thinks nature photography is beautiful but also enjoys doing impromptu photo shoots with her friends and family. Ava has spent multiple birthday parties and weekends traveling around Austin, posing in front of all the popular murals. She appreciates many art fields, especially drawing and mosaics. She has taken many art classes since kindergarten and uses it as a way to de-stress from school. Ava loves to take pictures of any places she goes, rather it’s around Austin or around the world, such as South Congress or the Cayman Islands.

Jorge Castano Jorge is a fond member of the arts and he happens to be a member of the school’s formidable percussion ensemble. However, even though he moved from a town three hours away from Austin, he still deeply appreciates the arts and enjoys photography. In his free time, he enjoys researching types of cameras while learning more about the interesting discipline of photography. Though he plays in a wind ensemble, he can also be found on a computer dissecting knowledge about cameras.

Cover photo by Emerson Longi Chroma Austin

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Photos and Design by Ava Longi

Ellen Fritz Ellen appreciates any form of the arts: from dance to photography. She can be found riding her bike around Austin, taking photos of nature, or drawing. Ellen was given her first sketchbook as a child, and since then has developed a love of visual arts. She enjoys travelling as well and photographing her adventures across the globe. Her favorite destination (so far) has been Greece. Every summer, Ellen visits Alaska with her grandfather and finds new ways to capture the beauty of the state. Portraits and memorable photographs decorate Ellen’s wall. Ellen loves Austin, and her favorite place to visit in this interesting city is South Congress because of it’s many unique restaurants (especially Big Top Candy Shop!).

Abhijay Saini Abhijay has always been involved with the art of engineering and electronics, with a handson experience in robotics competitions for 5 years and building machines and writing code for overnight projects. He has used computer vision using the phone cameras to make his way through any arbitrary unknown course using ideas from scratch that behave under the art of Computational Photography. This is the topic he is flourishing in this magazine.

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Editor’s Note

P

hotography: what a beautiful concept. The ability to capture a moment at any time, any emotion, or any special memory. Taking the perfect photo is a feeling like no other- you hang it on your wall, and every time you see it, you’re reminded of that time in your life. Photography is an art. In Austin especially, the young, democratic population is supportive and often celebratory of the arts. Castle Hill Graffiti Park, where everyone is welcome to create art, shows Austin’s appreciation of the arts. In this issue, we explore this art and the technical and creative aspects of photography as well as the Austin culture. You’ll learn about how to take the perfect photo and the history of photography, about interesting places to visit in Austin, and how Austinites are creating every day. I believe companionship is the most important thing that anyone can have; Anything can be overcome with friendship. Before working together for this magazine, my team and I knew little to nothing about each other, but were drawn together by similar interests in photography and Austin. Through this, we have bonded, become friends, and thus, we have created this magazine. Days of cooperation, encouragement, and sometimes annoyance, went into this magazine, but the end result is quite amazing in my opinion. I hope you enjoy, and maybe learn something from this publication. Thank you for reading!

Peace~

Ellen Fritz Chroma Austin

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Photo by Ava Longi


Photos by Ava Longi

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Table of Contents

Austin Murals The story of the Pg 8 “Greetings from Austin� mural and how other murals are appreciated by Autinites.

Pg 16 Modern Photography Learn about the impact of photogrphy on Austinites and how the Austin School of Photography functions

Austin Murals Top nine murals in Austin and where to find them!

Pg 14

Trends in Photography

Pg 22 Chroma Austin

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Pg 24 Architectural Austin How Austin entrepreneurs are using design to express their businesses

Pg 32

Computational Photography

Austin Restaurants Find out which new business is best for you based on your personality Photography through the

Pg 30 Ages

Technologies that have revolutionized how cameras Pg 38 have percieved images.

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Photos by Dominic Lon gi

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Outside Art

Story by Ava Longi

The Role of Murals in Austin

T

hroughout Austin, over 60 iconic murals can be found, illustrating Austin and its culture. Birthday parties, date nights, and entire weekends are centered around perusing through the city, searching for murals on the sides of chosen buildings, to get that perfect photograph. Whether it is “Greetings from Austin” with family from out of town, “i love you so much” with a best friend, or the side of Shoal Creek Saloon after a bite to eat, a day never goes by when the murals are not the background of someone’s latest Instagram post. “It’s kinda like driving through Austin you get to drive through an art gallery” says neon pop artist Todd Sanders. Austin murals are created as a tribute to our city, but also to promote local artists and their businesses. These pieces of art that were once just meant to decorate the blank walls of a building, have now become recognizable pieces of Austin’s culture. Every day, tourists and tour buses dedicated to Austin scavenger hunts, search for every last mural to take a photograph in front of, to prove that they have experienced a day in the life of a true Austinite. Sanders has the “Greetings from Austin” mural on his gallery wall, painted by artist and entrepreneur Rory Skagen, to honor the city of Austin, while Ray Canfield, the owner of Shoal Creek Saloon, has a mural to describe what goes on inside his building. When Sanders was in high school, people were worried about his future, so they tried to influence him against going into the art field. He feels that the

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city of Austin has done just the

Side of Sanders’ gallery of neon pop art, located at 1720 S. 1st

opposite. “Austin really encourages you to be who you are and an original,” he says. After been swayed to choose a different career path, Sanders went into school for graphic design and advertisement. Having used neon signs to pay his way through college, he eventually fell in love with vintage style neon signs and worked making commercial signs starting in 1995. He bought his gallery, “Roadhouse Relics” on South Congress in 1997 and has made a living since 2007 making noncommercial, vintage style pop art. When he bought the building, he was approached by Rory Skagen, who owned the building across the street from

him, about painting a mural on his wall. Sanders agreed and two weeks later Austin received the completed mural: “Greetings from Austin”. “We didn’t really expect much of it and then about five years ago it just became this go-to place, and now there’s sometimes a line out down the sidewalk with people wanting to take photos at it,” says Sanders. Whether it is just a few words painted on a blank wall, or an intricate postcard, each and every one of these pieces contributes to the Austin vibe. This particular mural, with a line of people waiting to make that perfect pose in front of it, was painted by an aspiring artist trying to get himself out there.


Outside of Shoal Creek Saloon, the mural describes the types of food offered and shows images of them.

When he has an opportunity to move to Austin, Skagen started focusing on mural art. Before this, he had had many odd jobs to support himself, but he has now made art his full time job. Many of his early murals, including “Greetings from Austin” were done for free to build a portfolio and a word of mouth about his work. “At the time it was another notch on my belt, one more outdoor mural to add to the portfolio. I was very satisfied. It has become more important to Austin than I would have imagined,” Skagen says. Both Sanders and Skagen agree that the mural has become a more important part of Austin than they could have ever imagined. In 2013 the mural had deteriorated so badly that Sanders and Skagen raised $10,000 to restore it. The mural was scraped back to the cinder block and primed and the mural was redrawn. Skagen transferred and painted the mural with the Creative Action youth student

Examples of Todd Sanders’ neon pop art. Greetings from Austin is on the outside of his gallery and these are the products of his weeks of work inside of the building.

Behind Sanders’ gallery, his outdoor workspace is filled with materials, fractions of incomplete projects, and inspiration for future works.

One example of Sanders’ completed products. After weeks of work, the products finally go up on the walls of his gallery to be shown and sold.

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The store front of Sanders’ gallery: Roadhouse Relics. Located on South 1st street, it is in a prime location for attention, whether it is for the mural or for the gallery itself. group which helps kids develop their creativity and confidence. “It is literally a postcard for Austin. What people in the past used to buy to send to loved ones back home- a nostalgic advertisement if you will. As far as people go, everyone has an opportunity from the mayor to a paper boy to stand in front of the mural and take their picture with it.” says Skagen. The mural is an opportunity for memories, photographs, and weekend outings. It has a deep meaning to Austin and a memory in many people’s minds. As opposed to being a tribute to the city of Austin, another use of murals is to promote business and to describe what goes on inside of a building. On Canfield’s building, Shoal Creek Saloon, “Southern Louisiana Cooking” is sketched across the wall in varying fonts and sea creatures and a tabasco bottle grace the sides. The mural clearly describes the Saloon and still draws the eye of those hunting for that perfect photo backdrop. Chroma Austin

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“I often see people taking pictures of the mural. The Saloon is an iconic place and I believe the mural has become part of the city of Austin.” says Canfield. All of this art in Austin is inspirational and encouraging to kids that want to go into the art field when they are older. They may have grown up without much support from home about going into this field, but the city of Austin promotes it. “It’s just nice to give [kids] the opportunity to see that someone made it as an artist and that they don’t have to do something if they don’t want to work in an office or work in a warehouse or something, they can actually make a living at art,” says Sanders, who didn’t have much support in the beginning of his own career. Art can also help people get through rough times and can be very motivational. It can be an outlet for emotions, both good and bad, and a place to go when there is too much going on in the real world. “When I was a younger person,

“When I was a younger person, art of all kinds, was the only thing that kept me going,” says Skagen. So while some of the murals in Austin were never expected to become this big of a deal, to an Austinite who understands the true meaning, they are so much more than a few words sketched on a wall. Whether it’s showing gratefulness to our rapidly growing city, promoting or describing a local business, or inspiring local kids who need some outside motivation to go into the art field, the murals are a major contributor to the Austin culture and to the overall city vibe. “A lot of cities don’t have this kind of art just everywhere so it’s kind of easy to take it for granted but no one should; it’s a beautiful place” says Sanders. ♦


“It is literally a postcard for Austin. What people in the past used to buy to send to loved ones back homea nostalgic advertisement if you will.

Rustic inspiration for Sanders’ neon pop art. He uses his inspirational pieces to know how to capture the aspects of the peeling paint and other techniques to make the pieces look weathered and old.

The side of the Shoal Creel Saloon mural, with a lobster describing the food they serve.

Another example of Sanders’ work. This piece was part of a set of 5 masks that were all sold separately around the country.

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Top 9 Murals in Austin By Ava Longi

9

8

The “i love you so much” mural on the wall of Jo’s Coffee, located at 1300 S. Congress Ave.

7

Shoal Creek Saloon’s mural located at 909 N Lamar Blvd.

6

The “Smile” mural near Hey Cupcake located at 1511 South Congress.

Chroma Austin

These 9 murals are among the most popular in Austin. Use the addresses to find them and take pictures there yourself!

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The “Hi, how are you?” mural located at the corner of Gudalupe and 21st street.


5

The “You’re my butter half” mural is located on the United Wat for Greater Austin building off MLK and Alamo.

3

The “Historic Austin” mural is located at 6th street and the SB I-35 Access Rd.

1

The “Greetings from Austin” mural is located on the side of Roadhouse Relics located at 1720 S 1st St.

4

The “Austin, Texas” mural located at 3700 Guadalupe

2

The HOPE Outdoor Gallery, otherwise known as Castle or Grafitti Hill, is located at 1101 Baylor St.

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The Impact of Photography on Austinites Story and Photos by Jorge CastaĂąo

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Andrew Shapiro, founder of the Austin School of Photography

D

Photos by Jorge Castaño

own an alley lies a passcode door and a secluded overhead sign hidden in plain sight. Behind the door is a downstairs entrance to a hallway. The concealed hallway houses many chambers, one of which is filled with pupils learning the art of light control and communication. Amateur practicing photographers come to San Marcos St. where they attend the Austin School of Photography: a place where the study of photography is redefined. By the examination of the different elements of photography, it is reimagined in a way that makes photography seem even more interesting “What is most important is your vision and being able to incorporate what you see and passing that along to others. It may be an emotion, a story, or a moment in time, and that

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Austin School of Photography entryway

is what you need to pass along,” said Rob Greebon, professional nature photographer. Photography is a craft that allows its practitioners to be immersed in an experience; it allows them to manipulate their surroundings to extract an emotion from their environment. Like any other art, photography is always changing and transforming. Over time, people develop more and more powerful ways to produce a visual idea. “I’ve had a conversation with somebody who asked me whether or not there was anything new that could be done with photography, perhaps everything artistically that can be done, they thought, has been done. So all of the people graduating art schools are basically just repeating the things we’ve already seen; we’re not doing anything new and my response to that


was that photography is basically a language and like any other language, it evolves,” said Andrew Shapiro, founder of Austin School of Photography. Just as photography can be used as a medium to tell a visual story, it can also be used as a medium to inspire its audience to take action by a manner of persuasion.

“The people who make the most persuasive images are professional photographers,” said Shapiro. The more ostensible side of photography is also given much attention. Instead of worrying on how to position themselves to take a well-thought out snapshot of their subject, novice photographers will often focus on acquiring the best available photography equipment in the hopes that they will take a superior picture. This is an unsound form of thinking which does not help photographers produce the best kinds of pictures. “The way that those people tend to learn is based on the camera; they learn what their settings do, and this is what the operating system or the interface of my camera was meant to do, and they try to learn those things and what I’ve found is that neither of those methods of learning photography really ends up creating any real proficiency for the student,” said Shapiro. An inexpensive beginner camera can take shots just as high-quality as those done by a professional one. Additionally, according to Shapiro, it is better to learn about the physics that make up a great picture rather than the components that make up a great camera. Better pictures are taken when attention is paid to how the subject is portrayed.

Photos by students at ASOP Chroma Austin

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“The more people understand the variations you can get out of exposure, the more people can look at a scene like this and realize you can make this out of it,” said Shapiro. One of the mediums of art that requires an excellent work ethic is photography. News corporations, food conglomerates, and magazine companies are some of the highest-demanding consumers of photographers; a picture is worth a thousand words, and the same is true especially when the objective is to persuade an audience. It is also a business that offers high schedule flexibility.

“[I have] freedom to go where I want and when I want,” said Greebon.

Hallway leading to ASOP’s classroom

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Only if one is motivated to actively sell themselves to the world in order to develop their reputation, photography would be a promising business. It has its own set of challenges, but it is a popular dream to have a job where taking snapshots of waterfalls and trees are something that is done professionally as opposed to casually; it is more than imperative to be heard and to be known in the modern economy. “Photography business is about 15% photography and 85% business/marketing/being found,” said Greebon. Undoubtedly, there are challenges involved with taking the perfect snapshot, like waking up early to take superb sunrise pictures, or being very patient with an environment to take the best possible picture. Additionally, photography is an art that requires commitment and passion; it is easy for beginners to eagerly purchase a camera and then later become demoralized or unmotivated to continue photography.


“Everybody has challenges. You just handle them and you just gotta determine how you’re changed by them,” said Howell. Photography is a worthwhile pursuit; it is an eloquent medium of art that allows practitioners to thoroughly express themselves and it is an extensive discipline that involves creativity, control, and lots of constructive criticism. After all, Shapiro says, “the more practitioners you have of media who understand how to articulate something visually, the more the language and the syntax and the grammar will evolve and create more nuance and it means that the next generation of practitioners can start communicating even more complex ideas.” ♦

Cameras used in the Austin School of Photography

Educational equipment used in the classroom

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Trends In Photography By Jorge CastaĂąo

2013

The Global Stock Image Market Research Group (GSIMRG) in Heidelberg, Germany released a report that concluded that the stock photo industry generated $2.88 billion in revenue

With the rise in the use of smartphones as primary photography tools, digital cameras are losing popularity. Here are a few interesting facts about the discipline of photography with thorough research.

2014

Percentage of Photography Mediums used throughout America. 81% Mobile phone/smartphone 55% Digital Cameras 25% Tablets 24% Digital Cameras (DSLR)

2015

Additionally, research conducted in the German and British markets concluded that ‘smartphones do not satisify all photo capturing opportunities.

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At the turn of the millennium, film photography has been enjoyed by countless amateur photographers, but the explosion within the frequent usage of smartphones as personal cameras has rendered more valuable devices of photography to be seldomly used.


2016 Recently, photos have been becoming more and more visually overwhelming by including features such as complicated patterns, flashy subjects, and complex colors.

2017 However, in the same website the same company concluded that younger age groups (such as 1824 year olds) tend to be more specific in taking their snapshots.

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Arch

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hitectural Austin Story and Photos by Ellen Fritz

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How Austin entrepreneurs are showing personality through design

S

ince 1990, the population of Austin has nearly doubled. Almost 150 years ago, Austin was a tiny Texas town called Waterloo, home to government officials and desolate farms. During the 2000s, Austin was the third fastest growing city in the nation according to the 2010 US census. As the population quickly approaches one million residents, it becomes evident why the city has become so popular. Austin has become an attraction to all types of people: from UT students, to creative business owners, to artists, Austin has become home to people of all different backgrounds. According to the US Census, by 2020, Austin is expected to have no racial majority. The creative, unique, and cultured population of Austin is often reflected across the cityscape: the architecture, the street art, and the businesses that show the individuality of the citizens. A well designed building gives the viewer an emotional experience. Like a piece of fine art, a beautiful building is like a museum in itself. The small business owners of Austin are finding new and innovative ways to reflect the owner’s personality. The colors, the architecture, and the lighting of a building all convey an aesthetic, and the diverse building owners of Austin are finding new ways to attract an audience. Entrepreneurs such as Patrick Terry, owner of P., Terry’s, Phil Pace, owner of Phil’s BBQ, and Amy Simmons, owner of Amy’s ice cream, have all found techniques to convey personality through their business.

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Torchy’s Tacos- a popular street taco business located on South Congress, has a geometrically designed canopy over their porch- showing off their modern aesthetic.

Photo by Ellen Fritz

With eye-catching florescent bulbs dotting their crimson title, the Torchy’s Tacos sign lights up the South Congress nightlife.


“That’s the way we try to treat our design, we’re not so much designing buildings- bricks and windows, we’re designing experiences for people.”

P.Terrys even goes as far to grow palm trees to emulate Googie design- a style popular on the West Coast in the 1950s

The recognizable P.Terrys font and color scheme is shown through a neon sign.

“That’s the way we try to treat our design, we’re not so much designing buildingsbricks and windows, we’re designing experiences for people,” says Michael Hsu, the architect an Austin architect. In the modern city of Austin, the best way to find new experiences is through the unique shops and restaurants. From comfortable, to creative, to peaceful: the design of a building can cause a wide range of emotions from the viewer. Matthew Niemann, an architectural photographer in San Marcos, says that a building’s’ appearance and design will often give the viewer an emotional reaction.

This is why entrepreneurs, especially in Austin, put so much effort into the design of their buildings. They want their business to be innovative, interesting, and have an impact on people. The designers for Michael Hsu Office of Architecture say that they always carry their clients’ vision and personality over to the architecture. With the Austin racial and economic demographics much more diverse than the US demographics (US census), every Austinite seems to be unique. Every person in Austin has a different personality and way of interpreting things. One building in Austin will always be different from the next

Seafoam green squares decorate the side of the P.Terrys located on Palmer Lane.

because each designer has a different motive, a different experience they want their building to have. Every person in Austin has a different personality and way of interpreting things. One building in Austin will always be different from the next because each designer has a different motive, a different experience they want their building to have. Amy Simmons, owner of Amy’s Ice Creams, points out that the people of Austin “just don’t want to see plain brown boxes in Austin.” To do a lot of art and expression in the stores, I think that’s huge and that people relate to that, says Simmons.

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With P.Terry’s, Home Slice, and any given food truck, it seems like every restaurant in Austin is unusual and modern, expressing culture through their design. There aren’t many “plain brown boxes” as buildings in this city, each building is special with it’s own history. “We make every Amy’s location different, which I really like. Some companies that have a number of different stores, they want every store to look the same so that when a customer walks in, they recognize it. Not only are the people of Austin environmentally sensitive about pollution, they’re also creatively sensitive with the pollution of unoriginal architecture. When every building is the same, no new experiences or landmarks are added. Michael Hsu says, in his business motivated by modern inspirations, “ the goal is to create something new, and to question what has been done before.” Local Austin businesses like P.Terry’s, Home Slice, and Amy’s Ice Creams have created new ideas of personality and expression. The Terry’s, the owners of P. Terry’s Burger Stand, based their architecture off Googie Design, a geometric retro style that became popular in America after World War II, and Home Slice is a reinvented dry cleaning store.

“The goal is to create something new, and to question what has been done before.” Chroma Austin

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Torchy’s Tacos on South Congress uses crimson traffic markers as wallpaper, showing a new perspective of “street tacos.”

Googie design portrayed here- with bold colors, and geometric shapes with rounded edges.

Classic 1950s drive-thru architecture with a modern touchslanted poles and mahogany sidewalls.


“The people of Austin definitely make the city. It’s what we have. It’s diversity, it’s acceptance of different people, it’s the music”

The airport location of Amy’s Ice Creams uses pastel colors and florescent lights to show their

Patrick Terry, owner of P.Terrys, asked Hsu, their architect, “not to reproduce a style that doesn’t exist anymore, to instead adapt it to what the style of their brand is” (Hsu). The architecture and design of P.Terry’s is not Googie design, but the basic concepts of Googie design are incorporated into P.Terrys. Terry created his own design, colorful and geometric, by adding to a historic design. Hsu, designer of Home Slice Pizzeria, says that, “Interesting things happen when you reuse a building because you get the character and texture that was there previously and you get to adapt it and reintroduce it” Before it’s metamorphosis, Home Slice was an abandoned, grey, and dusty Laundromat. Now, located on South Congress, Home Slice has become a famous Austin staple.

It’s scripted neon signs light up the street, and the cultural Latino art on the building’s north side give Home Slice it’s own unique personality. Amy Simmons says, “The people of Austin definitely make the city. It’s what we have. It’s diversity, it’s acceptance of different people, it’s the music, the people of Austin make these things happen.” At the end of the day, the reason Austin is so unique and “weird” is the people that make up the city. Austin entrepreneurs are brave enough to make risky decisions, to invent new styles, and to express themselves. This is why so many different true experiences and expressions are reflected across the city. ♦

P.Terrys shows Austin pride through a bright emblem.

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Which Austin restaurant should I visit? Photos Ellen Fritz

A meal with friends or family?

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Yes

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Can’t decide on one of the many restaurants in Austin? Use this quiz to find out which restaurant will fit you best! Chroma Austin

Do you enjoy learning about history?

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You got Amy’s Ice creams! Established in 1984, it is said that Amy’s grew up with Austin. Amy’s has created over 3,000 ice cream flavours

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Are you a morning or night person?

More Home Slice, a pizzeria on SoCo, is best for you! Home Slice is known for inventing Austin Style Pizza and it’s many creative pizza combos.

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l South Congress Cafe was originally a drugstore in the 1940s, which adds to it’s old timey vibe. An Austin staple, SoCo Cafe is most famous for it’s brunch food.

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P.Terry’s uses Googie design, a retro design popular in the 1950s, in their architecture. P. Terry’s is also a very democratic establishment.

Big Top Candy Shop has a vintage carnival aesthetic, displaying pictures of old carnival “freaks” and elephants. Big Top houses a staggering 2000 types of wrapped candies and 300 types of bulk candy!

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Photo By Abhijay Saini

C Chroma Austin Page 32


Computational Photography

By: Abhijay Saini Chroma Austin Page 33


Photo By Abhijay Saini

Digital Imaging

U

ntil now, humans have imagined about what they can see, now cameras can visualize further and maybe into the future. Photography is about imagination, which comes from raw creativity, so by creating that sense of reality, it is evident that cameras can craft our creativity. Photo By Abhijay Saini

how images feel and how the power of a computer can be used to envision and recreate images like never before. Not only that, this research is also being greatly affected through human interest in virtual reality. The main question is, can human perception be challenged by a computer? The field of computer vision will help break the bounds because exploring computational photography and computer graphics would become prevalent because computer vision is at the intersection of computational photography and computer graphics as said by Sean Kirmani, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science student at the University of Texas at Austin.

Tools Computer vision used in the field of robotics.

This new, rapidly growing field of technology of computer vision is changing Chroma Austin Page 34

Computational photography influ-

ences a camera’s ability to recreate images digitally instead of an optical computation, which is powerful because it would eliminate the use of mechanical and optical systems by using 3D image processing. Panoramic scenes and depth Photo By Abhijay Saini

Dual camera use in iPhone 7.

perception will be possible in ways like never before. Digital image processing and computation can allow us to decode images and recreate them using light field cameras, thus improving the quality of the images.


“Light field cameras are devices

that capture the fields of light as their waves travel through space at every point and direction of each ray. Lytro was the first consumer light field camera for capturing pictures in a new way,” said Kirmani. An example of this technology in use would be the iPhone 7 plus. The use of dual cameras helps focus naturally and everything is done using compu-

“Computer Vision is at the intersection of computational photography and computer graphics.”

tations for both cameras at the same time. “Yeah, two cameras are very

capture the perfect shot in an image and this new revolution might have a solution to that insufficient appreciation of the totality of an image. “This is a new way to look at an image, so there are many breakthroughs to come by. The cameras will naturally adapt to take pictures and hand us the background. That is one way it will change,” said Kirmani. Although taking pictures using a camera is very common, every computation is done inside the camera or the camera uses natural optical zooming, recreating the image is important so images are processed using a software so that the image would look exactly like the finished product, once it has been created.

“I am smitten with my subjects, and fall in love with them if only for the brief time they are in front of my camera.” important. Humans have two eyes so that we can capture depth fields and optical zooming.” said Kirmani. This brand new field of computer science is having a great affect on humanity and social media. There are going to be many advancements in this field that affect and absolutely create a new sense of reality within our pictures. Humans have been chasing to

“Color management allows you to have consistency throughout your workflow process,” Coby Brown, a professional photographer at the Yosemite National Park. According to Brown,if a an image is being shared with a friend or a client, it is important to have accuracy in the picture that one likes the best, which is why color management tools are important. Chroma Austin Page 35


Photographers encounter many physical and mechanical disadvantages. The amount of photographic setting that cameras use is its own inhibition. Setting is necessary, but it comes with its own set of limitations, thus hard work. Many aspects like lighting, weather, and focus make opportunities inevitably hard, but the speed and reliability of computers prevent losing precious moments inevitable. “A big chunk of photography is being at the right place at the right time. It can be a challenge to accept the reality that you can’t control the weather, you can’t control the environment around you and although light might not be perfect, you have to learn to work organically with nature and find that one impactful story that is truly worth telling, thus choosing the perfect shot is important,” said Brown. Although developing computational systems to interact with that help shoot the perfect shot, the attachment that comes with one’s subject is hard for a computer to understand. Humanity has made advancements in course of human history, but never have been able to replicate feelings like joy and sorrow inside a computer. “Of course, photography is very intimate. It requires participation and collaboration. I am smitten with my subjects, and fall in love with them if only for the brief time they are in front of my camera. You and the subject have to be willing to reveal yourselves to the camera. That is the art of a photograph, and that can’t be taught or replicated in algorithms,” said James Evans, a professional photographer at the Big Bend National Park. “The unknown is a very intriguing and an engaging aspect of following your dreams,” said Brown. Being a photographer you have to capture someone’s attention and pull them into your image.” Computational photography is revolu-

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tionizing the technology inside cameras and showing how moments can be digitally captured, without worrying too much about the image quality or the mechanical disadvantages that generally prevails. Computers have learned to understand vision, but it is lacking creativity and emotions. It cannot capture the joy, the passion and the art of photography, but by creating intelligence slowly and steadily, the aspects of photography are being drawn together, and they might just realize the creativity behind it. ♦


Photo By Abhijay Saini

Amount of photographic setting required for and creating successful pictures.

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Evolution Of Photography By Abhijay Saini

Olympus Pen: 1959 Half-Frame SLR camera

Argus C3: 1939 Rangefinder camera used in WWII

Rolleiflex: 1929 Twin lense reflex camera

Graflex Pacemaker crown graphic: 1947 High shutter speed, SLR camera

The Kodak: 1888 Birth of snapshot photography

Leica III:1933 Rangefinder camera

Canon F-1: 1971 Highest speed SLR camera at the time

Sputnik: 1955 Ability to capture threedimensional images

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Nikon D100: 2002 6MP digital single lens camera

Sony Mavica: 1981 First electronic still magnetic video camera

Lytro: 2012 Pocket-size light field camera

iPhone 7s Plus: 2016 Dual camera iPhone released by Apple

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LM# Digital point and shoot camera

GoPro Hero 4: 2015 HD action camera in a drone

Nikon V1: 2011 High-speed mirror less interchangeable lens camera

Nikon FM2: 1982 Advanced interchangeable lens SLR camera

Brief history of the modern camera From 19th to 21st Century Chroma Austin

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Photo by Anannya Akella


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