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....

Assign 5 Images For Commentary

In class Activity

Recreation 5 - Arthur Tress

Historical Photographer - Joel-Peter Witkin

General Background

Witkin was born in New York city in the late 1930's. His father was Jewish and mother Roman Catholic, Witkin was raised in a diverse environment. He studied at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, Columbia University and finally graduated from Cooper Union in 1974. Following graduation his work appeared at exhibits in Paris, New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles and many other places. He now lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

What is he known for?

He is known for grim topics and unusual people (some consider). A lot of his work revolves around death and corpses... this includes dismembered parts as well! He has also done photographs of dwarfs, transsexuals and physically deformed people. It has been said that his influences come from a car accident he witnessed as a small child in which a girl was decapitated. Further, there were some challenges in his family which influences his work today. His techniques come from daguerreotypes.

http://www.zonezero.com/exposiciones/fotografos/witkin2/

Contemporary Photographer: Tim Head

Background

Tim Head is originally from the United Kingdom and did a lot of of his early work there. His education came from a school called Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where he studied art for four years. As time passed, Tim began working for some well-known artists and eventually started teaching. He has a long list of awards and exhibits that come from across the world.

Known For

From a commissions perspective, Tim has done work for Queen Elizabeth Hall, the National Museum of Photography and the Corporation of London (among many others). Regarding his work, he has some really unique and creative ideas that have come to life. One is that of digital projection of real-time computer animation, onto the exterior of a building. His interest is in bringing everyday structures and putting them against socio-economic issues. Tim's work is really in installations in which he creates a scene or structure and photographs it.

Issues he is known to Discuss

- Domestic interior and the world of commerce: Roles of technology and corporate power

- Assumptions of advertising

- Trivial and Trash

Basically, he is slightly cynical in his approach to his installations: The world can only be perceived in its untypical form.

Assignment 4

Composition: The picture is framed by the salsa jar on the left and the refrigerator on all other sides. The effect of the blurred salsa jar gives some depth to the photograph.

Concept: This image was originally just taken as a "crazy idea" with a timer. Once the photo was processed, it seemed to give a perspective of what the food is feeling like... a different viewpoint of almost putting ones self in the place of the food.

Method: I used a timed shutter on this photograph and the subject waited for the picture to take. The settings on the camera were in Aperture priority to blur out the background of the kitchen. There was no flash used in this photograph. In order to get the angle I wanted I used some food (I think it was string cheese) to prop up the lens of the camera.

Motivations: To give a different perspective of an everyday activity.

Context: It seems like we are always in such a hurry to do everything... Do we actually consider the different perspectives from which the world can be taken? Here is just one example of how we can really take the world in from a new and creative perspective, everyday.

Reactions

This was the most popular of all of the photographs I took. Interestingly, the colors were distorted in the photograph - The cabinets are not actually green... but this was a point that many people brought up and discussed.

Evaluation: I am really pleased with how this photograph turned out. The only thing that was mentioned on a consistent basis was the blurring of the subject's face - To which I agree. I have ordered a remote in order to improve this problem.

Extension: I am going to be using this photograph as a jumping off point to do things from different perspectives everywhere. For example, from the perspective of the laundry machine, dryer, etc.

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Composition: In this photograph, the framing of the picture puts the subject at the front and center. The darkness of the scene or of his clothes help to frame the edges. In the background, the other members of the band stand by.

Concept: This image is communicating the joy and hard work of playing music. In order to capture this, I took many different photographs of the faces of each of the musicians and finally settled on this one. Here you can see that he is happy, but definitely concentrating hard on what he is doing.

Method: I took this picture at the Green Door bar one night... Very empty! I used a very high ISO setting because the scene was so dark. This photograph was taken in Aperture priority mode in order to blur the background.

Motivation: To show both hard work and passion when people are actively creating (and doing) something they love.

Context: Again, I feel that the 'finer' things in life often go unnoticed. As much as I'd like to say I really enjoyed this music, I didn't! What was fun about this night, was that I forced me to take a moment to view how others have fun and enjoy themselves. Not only does this help us to see what makes others happy, but the effect can be contagious.

Reactions

Many people commented on the black and white format insomuch that it seemed appropriate to the scene. I think the photo did was it was set out to accomplish - getting across art and work in the same scene.

Evaluation: In some ways, I wish the ISO setting weren't so high... when I got into the lab, I realized just how noisy the picture turned out. I worked hard in photoshop to erase the noise, but I think it distorts the photo. From a composition standpoint, I think this photo is relatively good. Lighting was the biggest challenge. Next time, I'll need to use a diffused flash.

Extension: This could go in many directions. I think the most logical would be to take pictures of people who are both working really hard, and loving it. The first thing that comes to mind is that of a runner at the end of a long race.

Composition: This picture places the focal point at the tongue of the shoe and blurs out the foreground and background. The shoes are centered in the frame and take up nearly the entire frame.

Concept: This is a commercial photograph with the intention of showing shoes from a different perspective. My goal was to get the viewer to consider how LONG the shoes are and that application to long races. Although worn and tattered, the shoes should be able to be used in any condition.

Method: I used a long shutter speed on this photograph and place the staged lighting at a distance. I placed a dark sheet behind the shoes when taking the picture. The camera was in Shutter priority and had a low ISO to ensure there was little to no noisiness. I placed the camera almost right up against the tip of the shoes and focused up toward the top. Because I needed the camera still, I propped it up with some books.

Motivation: To show how shoes, like runners, are in it for the long haul.

Context: A lot of the advertising out there seems to be run of the mill and not creative... I was hoping this picture would bring in a different perspective for the viewer.

Reactions

Many people commented on the lighting of this picture. I think that came about because I burned the background to make the shoes really pop. Overall, I think people commented that the picture seemed somewhat average and standard for a commercial picture.

Evaluation: As much as I would have liked to give a different perspective or something different... I dont think I pulled it off with this photograph. Editing definitely helped, but I think I could have put the shoes in a different scene to make it more interesting.

Extension: The shoes could be in different places in my life... At a church, at school, at work... Always placed next to me... Showing that my commitment to the shoes is equal to the shoes commitment to me. This would get the message across, but in a slightly more subtle way.

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Composition: This picture places the bike diagonally across the photograph with several large dark areas in the corners. The bike is placed at the center of the frame to show that it is the "star".

Concept: This is a commercial photograph in which the bike was intended to be the center of attention... This could be likened to the red carpet treatment. As many actors deal with the bright lights of the papparizi, this bike must deal with the bright lights too... Its tough be famous!

Method: In order to set the scene, I propped the bike up against the wall and turned off all the lights in my apartment, except the light in the background. The light in the background is not visibile, just its rays. Although shot in aperture priority mode, the background was darkened anyway after the fact. I was at a low angle when taking the picture as if putting the bike on a pedestal.

Motivations: To make the bike the star of the "show".

Context: In this photograph, I am hoping to communicate the strangeness associated with taking pictures of famous people! I'm not clear as to why this happens or how the subjects can put up with it. Here the bike has no choice, just as famous actors and actresses have no choice... They are subjected to a strange addiction we have with famous people.

Reactions

Perhaps spurred on by my own commentary, I get the feeling that this photo is relatively boring... Many people were pretty quiet in their comments regarding this picture... Lighting definitely came up as an issue.

Evaluation: Given the goal, I think I may have missed the mark... I think it would have been cool to bring the bike out into the woods and tie it up into a tree...to suspend it... then using flash, could have "caught" the bike, just like famous people are caught by paparazzi.

Extension: It might be fun and interesting to have a photograph that pokes fun at the fashion runway... it could be done with a series of items (one of which could be a bike), traveling down a runway with flashes going off all the way down.

Blog Response #24

Pick two images from any of the “constructed reality” photographers presented in class or linked on the assignment sheet. Describe how you could recreate these two images on a “smaller scale”.
Nick Nicosia- This image is awesome! I love the composition and I feel like it is communicating a gap between oneself. Anyway, I would reconstruct this using two small dolls. Ideally, I'd like the dolls to be dressed in black. Then I would get a shoe box and a desk lamp. I would experiment with ways to get the similar lighting. Also, I would paint the background of the shoebox white and the sides would be black.



Jeff Koons- This guy is really creative... Amazing what he has come up with. The image I chose below seems to be a super large balloon animal. I would recreate this by somehow (?!) making a balloon animal and putting him on a box (box would be upside down). Then I would shoot the animal close up with a high aperture setting. Lighting would have to be in front and behind.
**Note: I wasn't able to find this image, except on the front page of his website... hence the writing**

Describe your plans for your self-proposed final project (if the plan is the same as before, paste it here again and give a bit more detail). During the final critique for Assignment #5, you will discuss/present these ideas to the class.

I am planning on creating a series out of one picture that I took... The picture was from the perspective of a piece of food in the refrigerator... I am going to recreate that from many different perspectives... one might be from the inside of a trash bin, and another might be coming from an empty coffee cup. I'd like to collect as many of these perspectives as possible and then put them into a compilation.

Blog Response #23

In what ways do you “construct” your identity? In what ways do you “perform” in your daily life?
I think everyday we are performers in some sense. Each of us have a "professional" identity, a "school" identity and a "personal" identity. Each of these roles comes with different slices of who we are and we must construct them to become one person. As we go through our day, we use different constructs of this framework as we interact with the people and things around us.

Describe some ways in which your personal culture and social environments are “constructed”.
My personal culture is constructed with many different people and interests. For me, some of my culture is made up of things that I do on my own. An example of this is photography - this activity forces me to approach the world and consider things in new ways. This same mentality flows over to my professional life - How can I can what some consider a hobby, such as photography and apply that same type of thinking to my work life. When it comes to social constructs, I find that I am really good spending a lot of time on my own... I have a few great friends and people I trust and then many people who I enjoy, but wouldn't necessarily depend on. To take a different perspective, this social environment is one that is such a mixture of people and places - it is almost a canvass.

Describe some ways in which your physical environment/space is “constructed”.
At its most basic level, I live within the confines of an apartment... I have to have everything in its place! I organize and reorganize to make sure I know where everything is. But from a different perspective, I float between spaces really... There is school... and then there is home... Each of these environments bring my mind to different places. When I think school, I think fast paced, hard surfaces... it has a 'sharpness' to it. When I think home, I consider the softer side of my life... where Im comfortable and at ease.

In your daily life, what would you consider to be “real” and what would you consider to be “constructed/fabricated”?
As a cynic, I think almost everything in life has some construct... at least in our modern world. As we approach life, we are surrounded by things that are always telling us where to go, or what to do. However, we have great opportunities to forego the pression that is implied by these things...I find that it is really important to go camping and leave the "constructs" that we have in our life. It always give me a chance to realize that there is so much more meaning to the world out there than some of the insignificant things we place so much value on.

Describe a narrative tableaux that you might create to be captured by a photograph. A narrative tableaux can be defined as “Several human actors play out scenes from everyday life, history, myth or the fantasy of the direction artist” ( Constructed Realities: The Art of Staged Photography Edited by Michael Kohler , 34).
I see several small characters in my tableaux... They are miniature.. and they travel about using small scooters. Their world is one that we all take for granted, but they see it from a much different perspective... They are looking at the world as if it were huge! A living room for them is like the globe for a human. Regardless, there are hundreds of them and the scene they live in is under the kitchen sink. Each of them has a "home"... many times it is in a small crack or underneath a pipe. The society they embrace has humans as an annoying but survivable enemy. They realize that humans dont want to hurt them, they just dont know better. At one point, there was a huge massacre caused by a human... When a pipe burst underneath the sink, water began flowing into every home they ever made. Many where able to survive because of their ability to grab on to the sides of cabinets... But many other drown.

Describe an idea for a photograph that includes a miniature stage or still life. A description of such an image is “The tableaux reconstructs events as in the narrative tableaux, but in miniaturized format, using dolls and other toy objects” (Kohler, 34).
I think a great set of photographs takes a small small character, alone, and puts him in many different strange locations... One might be in the bathroom, another might be on a dumpster, etc. Each of the locations creates a unique and strange relationship between the seemingly unfitting character in the scene.

Semi-Contemporary - John Baldessari

Background

Born in National City, California, John Baldessari has made education an important component of his life. In 1957 he finished his masters degree at San Diego State College. He has also received many honorary degrees in recent years. He has also taught at several colleges in recent years with artwork and photography as his subjects. His work has appeared across the world at over 200 exhibits and over 1000 group exhibitions. Upcoming works include exhibitions in Milan. He was also recently featured on PBS.

Photography

His work ranges from billboards to videos and features a unique style. He is known for drawing attention to small details through different angles and lighting. He also accomplishes his style by obscuring faces and other components of his photographs to direct the attention of the viewer. He uses phrases and text to bring humor into his work.

Historical Photographer Research - Leslie Gill

Background

Born in 1908 in the United States, Leslie Gill was known especially for photographing popular culture. He did a lot of fashion photography in which styles were becoming more and more available to different socioeconomic classes. A lot of his work appeared in Harpers Bazaar, many of which appeared directly on the cover page. He studied art in Massachusetts and eventually landed a job as an art director for a popular fashion magazine. One of the his major innovations was the lighting and style in which he was able to capture a scene or a subject.

Photography

Although his photographs proved to be unique it was his constant push to use different equipment and materials that make his truly different. He began using larger photographs to convey his work. His goal was to bring new relationships between common and uncommon things. His work was both used commerically as well as observed as appreciating artistic techniques.

Recreation Assignment #4

The original is an ad from Saloman running shoes that appeared in a running magazine. The shoe is faded on the left and becomes more and more clear as it goes from left to right. The recreation I made used a slow shutter speed and lighting that comes from the front to show the motion of the shoe. I simply rotated the shoe after taking the picture.

Blog Response #21

A. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of “news”-related photographs.: I find that news related aspects are usually portraits of people, very close up. I would say they generally have a large aperture setting and focus on one or two subjects with a lot in the background.

B. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of “snapshots”, including family photographs, cell-phone shots, photos posted to facebook,: I think these photos are usually impromptu and fun. Most of the time, the photos are not centered or composed well, but do a great job of capturing moments when people are candid. The angle of the photograph is sometimes off as well.

C. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of advertisement photographs, including fashion photography, product photography, etc: These are very high contrast usually. The composition is suggestive and the product only takes up a small part of the overall photo.

D. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of film/movie and television stills.: I find these to have blur because of the motion of a movie. The composition is usually very balanced and expressions seem to be a bit "harder" than in normal photographs. They almost seem to capture actors ACTING instead of being the person the are portraying. In other words, stills find actors to be who they actually are, and not who they are acting to be.

E. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of yearbook photos, senior pictures, and team/club/sports group shots.: BORING! These pictures are so organized and simple. Composition is balanced and generally good, but dont do a very good job of capturing people how they are, but rather how they are told to be. I always see black and white when I think of these - but really the image is just bland gray.

F. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of stock images. http://www.corbisimages.com/ http://www.gettyimages.com/: These images almost seem to good to be true. The lighting is in just the right spots and shows faces and actions which almost are surreal. Highly interesting to see how a photographer tries to make a planned scene seem unplanned.

G. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of fashion photography.: High contrast. The subject is usually lit from the bottom up and has very bright lights on them. The rest of the photo seems to fade out thanks to the darker lighting.

H. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of paparazzi shots or celebrity photographs.: Off angles with a lot of flash. These pictures are more just to capture something and not necessarily to capture a quality, well-composed picture.

Blog Response #20

#20 Describe at least one photograph that you could take for each of the following “place” prompts.

• An image of a synthetic “place” such as Disney World, Las Vegas, a Hollywood set, a diorama, etc.: I think immediately of a picture down the Las Vegas strip in which there are millions of people crowding the streets. It is dark and the picture is done with a long shutter speed. There are lots of blurry images showing the activity.

• An image of a fantasy/fictitious environment concocted from your imagination.: I can see the image of a treehouse with a lot of different characters from my life in it. The characters would be represented by different types of keepsakes, such as books, which would remind me of each person.
• An image of a placeless space such as the Internet, cell phones, e-mail, e-bank, surveillance, etc.: I imagine a black hole with a very small hole and a very bright light shining through. This image represents the potential for bad and good things that come from the massive space of the internet.
• An image of a public space.: I see a parking garage... But the image would be looking from the very top of the garage all the way down to the bottom, through the holes that form at each floor. The image would focus as far into the "floor" of the garage as possible.
• An image of a private space.: I see a bedroom, with high contrast. I see a lot of personal things such as books and magazine which someone reads just before they go to bed.
• An in-between space that brings to mind one of the following ideas: nomadic lifestyles, displacement, rootlessness, out-of-placeness, boundaries, movement, expansion, etc.: This is under a bridge in downtown Lansing where a lot of transients spend time. Its dark, wet and somewhat spooky, but still friendly.

Blog Response #19

#19. Can you think of anything that:

1) should not be photographed? Why?
I think in cultures where photographs are bad luck, there should be restrictions around this. In no way is a photograph more important than the culture where photographs are being taken. Additionally, there are some intimate moments in one's life that shouldn't be photographed. I think this is different for everyone, but there are lines of respect which one must be careful not to cross.

2) cannot be photographed? Why?
I dont think there is much that absolutely CANNOT be photographed. The only thing that I can think of are things we aren't aware of. For example, we have been able to capture and photograph things like space, which we didn't know enough about in the past to be able to even take pictures of.

3) you do not want to photograph? Why?
I would prefer not photograph people who are weak moments. I find that people dont want to be photographed during times in their life when things are bad or weak.

Assignment 3

Composition: The picture places the sunset to the left and shows a lot of the blank space to the right. The sun is placed at the center to create an effect of a longer, but even horizon.

Concept/Aboutness/Idea: This image is about the freedom and openness we have as individuals. When I see this picture, I see a world of possibility. The way I took the picture was to communicate this huge expanse. All in all, it should make the viewer happy about the future and whats to come.

Method: I took this during a flight and took many pictures and angles of the sunset. I included some of the parts of the plane in other photographs, but this one seemed to get across what I really wanted to show: Openness. I was cramped into a seat with a lot of people around, but that was freeing in a way to think more creatively. I aligned different angles and zooms to refined.

Motivations: To communicate an open world and openness to experience.

Context: This I think address some social contexts out there with how the world is fighting (Middle East). I think we lose sight, more often than not, about what the world really should be. This picture might be a reminder to the leaders that there is more to the world than just power. The photograph reminds me of some of the work by Richard Mosse insomuch that it is a similar subject to what Richard has done. The composition is slightly different.

PART 2- REACTIONS. 3.15.11
Interpretation: Many people find this to be a relaxing photo that shows early morning light. It is actually a sunset, but some feel it is more "morning light".

Evaluation: I think the composition is good and the lighting is just okay. Overall, I think the photo is somewhat boring and generic. Even after editing, it seems to make the horizon smaller than what I would have liked to capture.

Extension: I would like to use this as a starting point for a series of sunsets and sunrises... It could be a nice spot to start in capturing this type of light with different scenes.
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Composition: This picture is composed with the lights and street leading through the middle of the picture at a diagonal. The steam from the street is masking the lights which are at the top left and right of each corner.

Concept/Aboutness/Idea: This image is about the old and the new. Although the picture is of Lansing as it is today, it also represents what was in the past.

Method: I used a somewhat longer shutter speed for this picture because it was taken at night. There was very little light around me at the time. I used a tripod because of the long shutter speed. I worked from several different angles to get this picture because the steam was constantly moving.

Motivations: To bring together the old and the new in a different way.

Context: This photograph captures how we as a society are constantly looking backwards as we approach our own futures.

PART 2- REACTIONS. 3.15.11
Interpretation: Many people see this photo as something from the past. It was expressed that it almost looks "old" or "historical".

Evaluation: The composition is relatively good and the steam seems to frame up the subject. The photo is a little too dark and therefore loses some of the effect that I was hoping to capture with the picture. This got worse after turning it into a black and white.

Extension: I think this could be a starting point to show dark scenes in downtown areas. This could be a spot for dark alleys and even dirty areas (dumpster, etc.).
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Composition: This picture captures on the right most of the street lamp. Nearly the entire upper right section of the photograph shows the lamp and on the lower left hand corner is the statue. Overall, there is a balancing effect between these two key objects.

Concept/Aboutness/Idea: This image reminds me of New York City in the winter. It is capturing the serenity that seems to come with snow, even when there is a lot of chaos.

Method: I used an aperture around f/5.6 and took the picture from many different angles. It was during the middle of the day, so there was a lot of light to work with. In the future, I would have gotten closer to the subject and not used as much zoom. This would have helped to blur the background more. In photoshop, I sharped the lamp and blurred the rest of the photograph.

Motivations: To capture the serenity that comes with the snow in the city.

Context: The picture reminds me of the work of Pannos Kokkinias in some ways. The composition and colors are similar to Pannos'. Overall, this picture communicates how the world seems to wrap around us and changes, without us really noticing.

PART 2- REACTIONS. 3.15.11
Interpretation: This photograph was also viewed as somewhat historic. The lamp in focus seems to bring you back to another place in time, even though there are modern day things in the background.

Evaluation: This is my favorite of all of my photographs because it seems to be the best composed. I think it is interesting because of the background - it seems to capture your attention.

Extension: I'd like to do a series of photographs that show public lamps such as this one. All the lamps seem so interesting and almost out of place within the bounds of a city landscape.
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Composition: The airplane is centered in the middle of the photo and the sides are blurred. Overall, the subject takes up the majority of the photograph and other elements fade out.

Concept/Aboutness/Idea: The concept in this photograph was to capture something that was strange within its own context. The plane is hanging from the ceiling of a building and seems to be really out of place, but is not really noticed by the people who see it.

Method: I was using the escalator and riding up taking pictures. It struck me that the plane would be an ideal subject and my camera was already on a longer shutter speed. Somehow I was able to get the focus point at the propeller, but everything else blurred.

Motivations: I wanted to show the motion of the plane in a strange context. The photograph should make someone think hard and look hard at what is happening.

Context: In a way this photograph reminds me of Duane Michals. Duane has some work in which the size or perspective of his work is way off and much different. I think this photograph does the same thing.

PART 2- REACTIONS. 3.15.11
Interpretation: Most people seem to think that this photograph is actually a toy airplane. The picture was actually taken in an airport. Many people think that the plane looks like it is coming right at you.

Evaluation: I think I got luck with the focus point being in at the center of the plane, however, I wish more of it were in focus. I didn't have a tripod, but I think that the main improvement would be the overall focus of the plane.

Extension: This could be the beginning of a series of pictures in transportation spots, like the airport and train station.

Recreation Assignment #3

I chose to recreate a dream that I have on occasion. I composed it with a small aperture and flourescent lighting coming from the right side. In order to show movement, I change the arrangement of the pieces for each shot. I focused on the king of the chess board each time with the other pieces in the background blurred out.

This recreation depicts a strange dream I have in which these large chess pieces seem to be attacking me. Nothing ever really happens to me, but I seem to understand that I am in danger and am scared. The pieces get larger and small right before my eyes and then I usually wake up. I didn't want to capture the fear in these recreation, but rather the oddity of the dream.

Eirik Johnson

Biography

Birthdate: 1974, Seattle

Education: BFA, MFA

Creation: 2007-2010

Significance

Most recently known for his work in a collection Sawdust Moutain, Eirik traveled across the pacific northwest taking photographs of landscapes. These range from forests to abandoned trains. His focus is environmental insomuch that it shows the relationship between natural resources and the communities they support.

Composition

Nearly all of his photographs were taking during the daytime and range from portraits to just landscape. He composes his pictures to capture natural lighting and what seems to be a relatively peaceful environment. As far as the subject matter, that varies greatly as well. He emphasizes natural colors and lighting in all of his photos.

Aboutness

All of his pictures seem to capture natural scenes which seem largely untouched. This even carries through with pictures that have animals and humans.

Method

Not too sure about this, but my guess would be that he uses a relatively fast shutter speed and small aperture. Most of his pictures have everything in focus and are also flush with lots of natural light.

Motivation

Hes really trying to depict the fragile relationship between the environment and the people who live in it and take from it.