(P15) Who am I?

 My name is Miles Koupal, and I hope you already know that seeing as I'm in your class. As of the time of my posting this, I am eighteen years old and a senior in high school. You probably know that as well. I am thrilled to be sharing the details of my life with you now, most teachers I've had don't allow for that kind of opportunity. I'm sure you will discover something you never knew about me. Enjoy!

 I should start by saying that my favorite time of year is summer. I come from a place where summer is the only time you can leave your house without a down jacket, so it does hold a special place in my heart. It is a time where I can relax and recover from the school year, and focus my energy on other activities. I can visit my friends and family who live far away, and also visit places I've never been before. Plus it's nice and warm.

 I love both playing and watching sports. I've also recently taken up photographing them. I grew up in in Ann Arbor, Michigan which is a big sports town. It's a fun weekend activity to go see a U of M football game in the big house, or a basketball game in the Chrysler Arena. I still keep up with my favorite teams here in San Diego, and have also gained a few more favorites since the move.

 Experiencing other cultures is something I enjoy and find necessary. I've spent the last few years learning Spanish and have visited Mexico a few times. I would love to go to Spain someday, or other Spanish speaking countries. Learning about the way they do things around the world is worthwhile in my opinion. I would consider it essential.

 For the better half of my life, I have been swimming competitively. I swim for PL, and have swam with several club teams as well. I also plan to continue swimming for Occidental College, which is an NCAA Division 3 school. The picture above was taken at USC's pool, at the Los Angeles Invitational meet. This is my favorite meet of the year because many well known swimmers appear for races. Recently, Olympians Tom Shields and Vladimir Morozov made appearances at this meet.

 I work as a lifeguard currently. The picture above is a bit misleading seeing as I guard at a YMCA and not the beach, however I wanted to use a picture I took for this one. I am responsible for observing the pools and maintaining order among members. I must also be ready to jump in and perform rescues and emergency aid at any given time. We are all highly trained and practice our skills together every month.

 I am a big music lover. I love both listening to and making music. I learned how to play the piano in elementary school. I have become a bit rusty since, but I am practicing more now. I learned how to play the trumpet in middle school, and I am trying to teach myself guitar right now. I really enjoy rock and alternative music, but also listen to some hip hop.

 This fall, I will be attending Occidental College. It is a small, liberal arts college in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles. As I mentioned before, I will be a part of Occidental's swim team, and this team is one of the main reasons I chose Oxy, as we call it. It is a beautiful school with strong academics. It boasts many notable alumni, including former president Barack Obama.

 As I mentioned before, I love to travel. I have been all over the United States, but I would like to branch out to other countries as well. A couple times, I have driven across the country and allowed me to see much of our beautiful nation. Some favorite spots of mine are Yosemite, Breckinridge, Flagstaff, and New York City. I have been to Mexico City twice and absolutely loved it.

I have always been interested in creating art, both physically and digitally. I recently have become more interested in photography and editing these photos digitally. I enjoy taking photos with my DSLR and my film point-and-shoot alike. Later altering these photos in Photoshop has proven interesting to me, and I enjoy seeing my photos improve after being edited. I have recently learned to isolate specific colors, which is exhibited in the image you see above.

(P13) Photographic Narrative

A plot summary, for convenience:
Our subject awakes alone on a weekday morning. He cooks breakfast, shaves, and dresses for his day. He drives to work and puts in his eight hours, but is an avid clock-watcher. After he is done working, he finds himself having a drink and playing his piano. He has had a long day and retreats to bed, only to find himself back at the beginning the next morning.

Reflection:
In the brainstorming phase of this project, I envisioned creating some comedy narrative with my friends as "actors" like everyone else. I really realized the potential this project had to create a more meaningful story with an actual message behind it later on. I experimented with telling a story with no words or faces or expressions. Only hands and some other symbols. I feel like the photos I've taken are pretty on their own but are truly unique when they are joined together on this canvas.

(P14) Triptych

    I really enjoy these photos and I think they fit well together. All three are very mellow and introspective. The grey sea is a fine backdrop for my subjects, and their posture is dynamic yet subdued. I've added a bit more of a brown tone to "warm up" these images to create a more comfortable feeling. I've also adjusted the contrast.

Warm Up: What do you do when you are bored?

What do you do when you are bored?

I typically will perform some time wasting activities. If I am feeling a bit more motivated, I will drive to the gym and work out, or buy food. Other times, I will try to sleep or hang out with friends. If I am bored in a class, I will try and get some work done, or another quiet time-wasting activity. I also like to play video games with my friends from Michigan.