Assignment 6

What is lurking behind each corner? When you do see it, how does that object actually feel about you spying on it? These photographs give the perspective of the lurking and the lonely. Spaces that we humans view as utility likely feel much differently as a spectator to our strange behavior. What objects watch you and know your secrets?

Blog Prompt #26

Brainstorms! (In an effort to expand, improve, add complexity, and push your final projects further, please pick 10 of the following to discuss.)

1. Ideas sometimes grow out of irritation. What is a negative thought you are having about your project? What is the opposite of this negative thought? How could you implement a change in your project so that this negative thought will subside? A lot of times I find that it is annoying or distracting to reach into place and find things. This project comes directly out of that kind of bewilderment or difficulty of reaching into dark places and feeling frustrated. I've never considered the fact that the thing for which I am reaching, is probably just as frustrated! :)
   
2. What is the “opposite” of your final project? How can you rework your project to include the “opposite”?
   I could take pictures of the actual subjects... So instead of taking it from the milk's perspective, I could take a picture of the milk. I'm not sure that this would convey any personification of the items, or provide that much creativity?!
   
3. What is a consistent theme/visual element in your project? What would be the opposite of this? How can you implement that into your project?
   The visual theme that I am attempting to create is made by the framing of the project. The frame of photograph is supposed to provide context around what the scene is. For example from the perspective of a purse, the framing is the cloth that is inside the purse. This is almost the entirety of the project, because in a way it is showing what the object is, based on the frame.
   
4. Type twenty words or phrases that relate to your project.
   Tough, dark, light, square, interesting, dirty, expressionless, happy!, silent, cold, bright, ceiling, desk, library, HELP!, find me - pick me!, electronics, books, mailbox, beer, bottle, mice.
   
5. At the deepest core, describe why you like this project. Dig deep!
   For me, this is a huge stretch! I love trying new perspectives and things that make me feel a little "off" or weird. I think it pushes me to consider the perspective of nonhuman things, and put some expression or approach around them.
   
6. Expand your project. If time, money, materials, etc would not affect you, how would you expand your project?
   I think I would work a lot more with the objects I am interacting with... Id like to use different lenses to capture things like the inside of a cup or coming out of a sewer.... There are tons of options I'd like to use, but would be difficult to pull off without "special access".
   
7. Contract your project. What would it boil down to if squeezed and contracted to its simplest form?
   One guy with a wonderment for whats beyond 'normal'.
   
8. Look at one of your images. Redesign it entirely.
   I would like to zoom in on the face of the person more and lighten only the face. I'd like to push everything else into the back, but keep the framing provided by the object. For the refrigerator scene, this would mean darkening the fridge and putting more light on my face.
   
9. Divide your project into three components. Rearrange and reassemble them in your mind.
   1. Personification- Making objects have a human element
   2. Whats beyond? - Having a gaze into normal objects, but with an expression that something else is out there
   3. Frame- What provides context for each scene.
   
10. List your assumptions about your project. Reverse these.
    - I assume that the object has some personality... Make the object just that... without any personality or wonder.
    - I assume the person looking, is looking for something... Blank stare?
    - I assume that the scene is relatively normal (like a fridge).. SEWER! Find weird spots to take the new perspective.
    
11. What would your project look like 100 years ago? What would your project look like 100 years in the future?
    WOW... Different scenes... Different people... Different dress. I think that what makes this different in the past or the future is not the expression, but rather the things that give each photo context.
    
12. Remove something from your project. How does it change?
    Background - It makes the focus point between the subject and the perspective much more intense. This could be done by putting black in the back of the scene.
    
13. Persuade the reader that your project works well and is the most amazing project you have ever completed.
    By viewing this project, you will be transformed to a place that you dont recognize... a place where the normal is turned on its side. View the world from a different perspective... from the victim of your consumption.
    
14. Persuade the reader that your project stinks. Then, persuade the reader that you will make changes so that it no longer stinks. Boring... dont see this thing... Weird shots from normal spaces... Why waste your time? SEE ABOVE FOR EXCITMENT!!!
    

In Class Project

Composition: I framed this shot from the doorway of a small office at the business complex. The three desks help to provide different surfaces from which I could take different angles. The ceiling is just barely appearing in order to show the overall size of the space.

Concept: I wanted to show different sides of myself and different phases of my feelings - sometimes throughout the day, sometimes over the period of a week. The girl represents the friends that help me get throughout the day.

Method: I used a tripod to shoot a bunch of shots with me in different poses... afterward, I combined all of the images into a single image using photoshop. The shots required negative exposure composition because the fluorescent lights over exposed the shots.

Motivations: All in all, I think its important for all of us to realize and embrace different sides of ourselves... This image was a way for me to communicate the different sides I have.

Reactions

There was some wonderment of how the image came together... Overall, I think there was less interpretation of the different sides I was trying to portray and more interest in the technical details.

Evaluation: Overall, I'm really happy with how the image came out. Based on the composition and my expressions, along with new photoshop skills, I wouldn't change very much. The only thing I would change would be that I would take the girl out and have a large picture of my face in that spot of the picture.

Extension: I think this could be done in many different scenes which are context specific. If it were in a factory, you could see the many moods and faces that people feel during their day on the factory line.
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Composition: The branch is really important in this image... It really frames the entire shot and helps to kind of guide the eye into the rest of the shot. I used the curvature in the branch to keep the viewer's eye in the right spot.

Concept: Here, I wanted to show something that is a little bit off. In the image, the viewer can notice in the distance, a trashcan in the tree... There is also a sculpture hanging from the branch. Both of these things are strange and out of place, but could easily be missed if you are in a hurry.

Method: I used a tripod for this image and shutter priority. The speed of the shutter was fast because of the daylight. Later, I enhanced the image with a red tint to draw out the sculpture hanging.

Motivations: I think we all need to slow down sometimes! This image is one communication of the pace we sometimes hold that keeps us so distracted from the strange and interesting things that are out there everyday.

Reactions

Generally, I think people may have found this image a little bit boring... I think that tree was interesting, but perhaps wasn't able to truly convey the original concept and intention of the photograph.

Evaluation: I'm pleased with the composition of the image and how it eventually came out. Overall, I am disappointed with the lighting, as it seems so drab... It could be enhanced by retaking the shot, but with different lighting and weather.

Extension: I could extend this my taking strange things and placing them in everyday spots. It could be as simple as toys appearing in an office space.
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Composition: I am centered in the photograph with the road guiding the eye down towards the background. The photo was cropped to take out the extra road and trees in the foreground and background.

Concept: WEIRD! I wanted to take two things are are totally unrelated... Here there are the arms of a toy added as an appendage to my body.

Method: I used a tripod to shoot this.. I basically embraced the same body position of a small toy figurine.... I took a picture of the figurine in the same lighting and took the arms off it later and enlarged them.

Motivations: Nothing more, nothing less - this was fun! I wanted to try something completely out of my comfort zone and a bit strange. I like it because my face is so serious, but the image is really kind of funny and different.

Reactions

Laughter all around - Most people thought the image was strange and out of sorts. Lots of questions around how I did it came up. Overall, I think people it found it funny.

Evaluation: I like the framing of the shot and final result of the photoshopping. I would prefer if the light of the day were different and I think it would have added a lot to put on a different set of clothes...

Extension: This could be done with lots of different things. The other concept that I think would be fun would be to reverse some of my body parts and put them on the body of the toy.

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Composition: This time series was done at a restaurant. I framed the edge of the table in the upper right hand corner and the subjects entering from the left. The daylight provided enough for some interesting, but subtle shadows to appear.

Concept: For this series of images, I wanted to take everyday objects, like a salt and pepper set, and give them more human characteristics.

Method: I took about 50 images of the salt and pepper set. Each picture, I move the position of each just a little. I had to use a tripod in order to make sure the "scene" stayed the same.

Motivations: I think its interesting to take something that is so INhuman and give it human qualities. There are relationships between things all over the place - these things are not human. This is a literal demonstration of that.

Reactions

Overall, there was some entertainment value to the series, but not too much discussion around the actual "narrative" that was painted. I think more than anything, there was some fascination around the interaction between the two objects.

Evaluation: The lighting in the scene could have been improved. Further I think if I were to do it again, I would choose a better surface upon which to do the shots. This would help to remove some of the distractions introduced by seeing the ground, chairs, etc. in the background.

Extension: I'd like to do this with other objects... Which dont have faces or expressions. It would be cool to take things like knives, forks and spoons and make them all interact and "talk".

Blog Response #25

You as Curator
Look through the list of recent entrants to this call for photography.
http://pdncuratorawards.com/entries.shtml
Pretend you are curating a show and choose 7 photographers to include in your show. Describe why you would pick those particular artists and what about their work stands out to you.

1. Angel Cumerbirch- I love the color filter she used on all her pictures... It gives them this really orange and unusual feeling. Most of the photographs are slightly off in terms of composition, which makes them interesting. Lastly, I like the blurring effect she uses to almost distort each image.

2. Mark Brown- He has a variety of different styles ranging from portraits to landscapes. I think the variety would bring a lot to the show. All of his pictures of black and white. In the pictures of the people, he seems to frame them up to capture personalities or awkwardness... Really interesting and fun.

3. Paul Nathan- He has a series of photographs in which people are either naked or half naked.. They are all covered in tattoos. I think the great element that he would bring to the show would be the awesome expressions hes been able to capture with each picture - they are all smiling and seem so happy!

4. Matt Cowen- He has a series of pictures that are pretty distorted. They all seem to portray fireworks with limited colors coming through. I think this would be a good addition to the show because it is showing something beautiful and nonhuman. The contrasts are also something that isn't captured in any of the other pictures.

5. Cynthia Perez- She has a series of a little girl playing in different places. All of the pictures are in black and white. The contrast in these photos is really unique. The white dress draws out the person in each of the photos. I think this would be a good addition to the show because of the very normal composition, but unique way of framing up the girl... I think its different and could be interpreted in many different ways.

6. Cybelle Codish- These photos are sooo vivid and well composed. I like the style and colors that come through in these pictures. There is a tinge of elegant that seems to be conveyed in a way that none of the others do. It seems like this photographer is using a wide angle lens or something to capture some distortion.

7. Kwaku Alston- This is a series of pictures of old school vans and their owners... It seems to be that the pictures are taken all over the place and shows a diversity in the type of people as well. I think this would be good in the show because it is very clearly a series of things, which share a common thread, but are still different.

The Long Road Home....

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