Creative Computing

My first Computer Science class has been a blast!  I enjoy learning about the different creative uses for a computer and a little about what is happening in the background.  I have learned how to use computer programs that I never would have tried otherwise.  Here is an example of something that I created using GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) and Inkscape.

It is a bit political but I hope it doesn't bore you.  Whether you are left, right, or center I think you may agree that something needs to change.  This is my call to action.

Another thing I created (with some help of course) was an action packed, parodic trailer for the next Taken.  If you aren't familiar with Taken it is a popular action film centered around a bad ass father who is rescuing his daughter from human traffickers.  The producers are coming out with a sequel when it is obvious that was not the plan from the start.  Alex, Hannah and I decided to go ahead and create the trailer for the third installment of Taken.

In fact, my Creative Computing class is the reason I started this blog with Christina.  Originally the plan was for it to be strictly photographs since editing photographs was a part of my project.  Now it has definitely evolved and Christina and I plan on continuing the blog even after my due date.  Come back and visit us frequently.  Follow us on Google+ to get updates.

-Yang

A Summer in South Korea

Last summer (2012) I studied abroad in South Korea for a month. I had an amazing experience as it was my first time in Asia and after all, I am an Asian Studies minor! While I was there I stayed at Hannam University in Daejeon, about two hours south of Seoul. I met some amazingly nice people and still keep in touch with some of them. Anyways, here are a few pictures I took while I was there (I should have taken way more!)

The following two photos were taken at Gyeryong National Park.

After a long hike to the top, I was told by one of the locals to place a stone on this rock pile and to make a prayer. I thought this was a beautiful idea and was so happy to take part.

The photo below was taken of the group dressing up and learning about traditional Korean Weddings (I was the equivalent of a maid of honor, standing to the left of the "bride" in the center). 

One last thing... The whole reason I decided to post about my trip was because I was reminded from this cartoon that teaches you how to read Korean. While I was in Korea, I did learn pretty well how to read Korean (it's actually really easy). Although it may look childish, this cartoon can actually be super helpful and it is really easy to understand. So, you might not have any plans to travel to Korea any time soon but thought I'd go ahead and share it anyways. Who know! You just might need it some day! 

-Yin

Art History in Calvin and Hobbes

So I've been on a bit of a Calvin and Hobbes kick and I had to share some of my favorites on the blog. I picked out two that were related to art and art history... Enjoy!

Here is "The Guitar Player" by Pablo Picasso for reference...

-Yin

Photographing Pets

Whether you have your own or not, pets can be a fun photo opportunity! Here are a few tips to capture that perfect pet photo. 

1. Capture your pets uniqueness. First thing to do is to ask yourself, what is it that makes this pet different? Is it lazy or hyper? Young or old? Does it prefer the indoors or the outdoors? Try to focus on your pets personality to have the most interesting and meaningful photos. You can do this by photographing them with their favorite toy, in their favorite setting, doing their favorite activity or even with their favorite people! For the below picture, I chose to focus on the dog's strikingly blue eyes since they seemed to be what stood out most about him. 

2. Get in on the action! With plenty of good lighting and a fast shutter speed you should be able to capture some great and sometimes hilarious shots of your pets in action. However, since it is an action shot, you will probably have the best luck outside on a sunny day or at least in front of a bright sunny window. Below is a picture of Frango shaking after playing in a stream while we were out hiking. 

3. Get on their level. To make things a little more interesting and personal get at your pets eye level (or even below!) This will give your photo less of that feeling of human perspective and make the picture more inviting to the viewer. Pickles, below, was taken with a film camera. When I was taking the photo, all I cared about at that exact moment was catching her licking tongue. For this reason, I wasn't able to focus on her face as I originally intended. In the end, I'm glad I made the sacrifice as I love it even more.

-Yin

Flickr

Here is a link to our Flickr page.  We have some of our favorite photos on there. 

-Yang

Calvin and Hobbes

I have had a love for Calvin and Hobbes for a few years now and they never fail to make me smile. I had to post these two to reach out to both the tech geeks and the art appreciators out there... Hope you enjoy! (Bill Watterson definitely qualifies as one of my heroes!)

And just in case you need it, I took the liberty of including the famous painting by Marcel Duchamp which the above is referring to...

-Yin

Photo Sphere

So here is an awesome thing that I thought I should post.  It is a little old news but Google has come out with a new version of Android OS.  It includes some nice new features, but the coolest thing about it is the feature called "Photo Sphere". 



-Yang

Nature Photography for Beginners

Whether you are a beginner to photography or an expert, photographing nature is a fun way to spend the day. Over the years, I have learned a few things about capturing some of nature's beauties. Here are just a few tips that I have gathered in my time as a photographer.

1. Look for the light: As you probably know, good lighting is essential for any photo. While out in the wilderness, keep an eye out for any bit of light you can find, especially if light is already scarce. You should also keep contrast of light and shadows in mind as this can create some pretty dramatic effects. If you happen to find something that you really want to photograph but which doesn't have ideal lighting, you can always use a tripod to make up for the less-than-perfect lighting. 

2. Get up close: Personally, I love macrophotography because it allows others to see a perspective that they might not have noticed otherwise. So, try out different cropping techniques using your camera's viewfinder and be sure to get up real close to you subject whether it be a raindrop on the petal of a flower or the glowing veins of a leaf close-up. 

3. Experiment!: Bring a friend and take photos of them in a beautiful nature setting. Try out the different settings on you camera to make cool effects. Feel free to use these techniques in other, more urbanized settings such as in the city park or in your own yard. Whatever you do, enjoy it!

The first two photos were taken by myself and the third is compliments of Sean.

-Yin

The Hop Photo Show

Christina and I joined the Photo Club here at UNCA towards the beginning of the semester.  We have gone on hikes, had a potluck/critique session, and even took a walk through downtown to take pictures of our city.  Now, as a club we have asked a local business, the Hop, to house a showing of our photos in their ice cream shop.  We chose an organization, Wild South, to sponsor.  Mission statement: "Wild South is a non-profit grassroots organization whose mission is to inspire people to enjoy, value and protect the wild character and natural legacy of the South."   We also decided the photos should all have been taken in the Asheville area.  Many of our club members have not been able to show their art to a large audience and this is a great chance for us to change that.  Someone may even buy our photography!  The show starts on December 4th and ends sometime near late January/early February.  If you are in Asheville and want to see some free local photography stop by the Hop on Merrimon Ave.  Plus you can eat some delicious ice cream while viewing.  Here are the photos that Christina and I will be submitting for the show:

The top two are Christina's and the bottom are mine.  Hope you like them.

-Yang

Welcome

Welcome to Yin and Yang where my girlfriend and I will showcase our interests and hobbies with whomever wishes to have a peek into our lives. My girlfriend, Christina (a.k.a. Yin), is a sophomore at UNC Asheville studying International Studies and minoring in Asian Studies and Religious Studies. While her greatest passion is language (Chinese and Spanish), her other passion is art which was the result of a photography class at the Art Institute of Chicago in 2009. Ever since that experience, she has spread her joy of photography to me.  Which reminds me, I haven’t introduced myself yet.  My name is Sean, or Yang.  I am a freshman, studying Computer Science at UNCA.  My passion lies with technology.  I love computers and the rapid changes in technology.  I don’t consider myself very artistic but I believe technology can help me be so.  That is why I am considering a minor in New Media.

Yin and yang means “shadow and light” and is used to describe how opposites are seemingly intertwined.  Yin yang is a Taoist philosophy that has been used as guidelines for traditional chinese medicine as well as many forms of martial arts.  Christina and I chose to use yin yang as our theme for this blog because we have differing likes and personalities that complement each other.  

Thank you for visiting our site, we hope you enjoy it.

-Yang