Final Project

For our final project, I had a lot of ideas and it was hard for me to simplify it into one concept. Overall, I got inspiration from one of my favorite books, Perks of Being a Wallflower. There are a lot of different ideas presented throughout the book, a main one being infinity. Taking that idea and others and applying them to my life, was the continual inspiration for these images. 

Extra Credit: Set 2

Extra Credit: Set 1

In Class Activity 4/21/11

Rearrangements:

3D:

Movement:

Verb: Pinch

Noun: Curiosity

Adjective: Beat-up

Assignment 5: Second In-Class Critique

 

In Class Projection Activity

Assignment 5: Works in Progress Critique

Blog Prompt #25

Jacqueline Reis's images are all very interesting. Her combination of images is very smart. Some of them have the same color scheme, which help them fit together well, but even the ones that don't have the same color scheme all work together very well. I find them all very interesting.
Ljubodrag Andric also had very interesting images. I love the coloring in all of them. I also really like that they have simple settings, but are still very interesting to look at. With these photos, I really wonder what the series is about, and what he was thinking about when he created them.
John Sullivan's image is one that I would include because it is so abstract. I love that you don't know exactly what you are looking at. I feel like it's a piece that people would look at for a very long time and be able to have a conversation about. I really think it's important to have photography like that and I really think it would add to a collection.
Joy Olsen Surbey's images are simple, but absolutely beautiful. I especially love the color in the first photo. I like that, like John Sullivan's image, it isn't clear at first what it is, but it is still very interesting.
Sean Kernan's series is another that I find very interesting. With this series, I love that you know there is a story behind the photos and whether you can relate or not, you can have an idea about what that story is.
Thomas Michael Alleman's photos all have framing that is very captivating. I think it's an essential part of these photos and what makes them so interesting. The black and white aspect also makes them very successful images.  
Larry C. Volk's images stand out to me because you know that they have such deep meaning to them. The collages go together so well, and can have a personal relation to everyone; they can remind people of something in their lives that is similar to the message of the collage.
 

In-Class Assignment: Scanning and 3D

Blog Prompt #24

A. http://www.ikeude.com/#!__fashion-editorial/photoalbomscroll9=4

I could recreate images like these, but on a smaller scale, by using students designs in a studio to get a similar look. It would still be unique clothing and have a similar background.

http://www.aniceideaeveryday.com/photography/blonde/ 

I love this image. I think I could recreate it on a smaller scale by doing a smaller portion of it. Its very detailed and would take a lot of work, especially figuring out the lighting, but I think it is very possible. I could use my own make-up, mirror and sheets for the props.

B.  One of my ideas for my final project is to do different images with their own quote on them. They would be very similar to the ones Andy Warhol did, but instead of having photographs of myself repeated, I would take photos that were fitting to the quotes I choose to use. I would probably repeat his idea of making each photograph one color, varying the shades of that color. 

Another idea I have for my final project is to do a collage of East Lansing night life. It's certainly no New York, but East Lansing is a fun place and I think it could turn out very interesting. I would try to use unconventional framing with this, which I think would add a lot of interest. It also adds to the main concept, because when people go out for the night, sometimes they remember their nights in pieces, not as a whole.

Recreation 5 - Semi-Contemporary Photographer

Tim Head

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/slade/timhead/art/art1970/art1970.htm

Tim Head is a British artist, born in 1946. He studied at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne from 1965-1969. In 1968 he went to New York City where he worked as an assistant to Claes Oldenburg, and met many other photographers. He studied on the Advanced Sculpture Course run by Barry Flanagan at St Martin's School of Art, London, in 1969. In 1971 he worked as an assistant to Robert Morris on his Tate Gallery show. From 1971 to 1979 he taught at Goldsmiths College, London. He has been exhibited around the world.

Recreation 5 - Historical Photographer

Joel Peter Witkin

http://jlgaliano.blogspot.com/2009/02/joel-peter-witkin-2.html

Joel Peter Witkin was born September 13, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York. He is an American photographer who currently lives in New Mexico. He worked as a war photographer between 1961 and 1964 during the Vietnam war. In 1967, he decided to work as a freelance photographer and became City Walls Inc. official photographer. Later, he attended Cooper Union in New York where he studied sculpture and became Bachelor of Arts in 1974. After the Columbia University granted him a scholarship, he ended his studies at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, where he became Master of Fine Arts. His photos often deal with death and physically deformed people. He claims that his inspiration came from witnessing a car accident in front of his house when he was little.

Original:
The Beginning of Fashion in Paris

 Recreation:

Assignment 4

Composition: I chose to blur this image, because I thought it fit better with the idea of surveillance. That is also why I chose to have it in black and white. I think having the larger tree off center, but also having just a little bit of the other tree, balances the light background well.
Concept/Aboutness/Idea: This is a quick picture of Vegas. I think it shows one side of the city: the high surveillance that it has. The other side is the glamorous, bright lights, which is the exact opposite of this.
Method: This picture wasn't really planned out, but more so just thought of when I saw the scene.
Motivations: Most people think about the glamorous, flashy side of the city when they think of Vegas, so I wanted to show the other side of it.
Interpretation: People did see this as a surveillance type photo. It definitely shows a different side to the city.
Evaluation: I think the blurred image is what works best and would definitely keep it.
Extension: I could see myself doing a series of surveillance images. In particular, ones that show different sides of cities, like this one does.

Composition: I think the bottom being dark and just a silhouette is key for this image. I also think that intensifying the colors was really important. The colors may not have been this intense in person, but when you see a sunset in person it is breathtaking. That factor can be taken away when captured in a photograph, so intensifying the colors was the best was to bring some of that feeling back, in my opinion.
Concept/Aboutness/Idea: I really wanted this image to represent California and the paradise that it is. Again, I think the skyline is very important to do that.
Method: While I was taking this photo, I really wanted to capture the sunset to the side. I also really wanted you to still be able to see both the water and the outline of the palm trees.
Motivations: Like I said before, I wanted this image to capture the beauty of California. I really think it is a great place, and this photo shows the peaceful beauty of it.
Interpretation: I think most people saw the beauty in it and understood my concept.
Evaluation: Overall, I think enhancing the colors was a really important factor in this image, so I'm glad I did that.
Extension: I could certainly see myself doing a series in California, showing the peaceful beauty that it is, even though it is at times a crazy type of beauty.

Composition: I didn't want to include the entire garden sculpture, because I think by only showing some of it, there is more interest. I also think the brightness of the photo was an important aspect.
Concept/Aboutness/Idea: I wanted to capture the colorfulness and playfulness of this whimsical garden.
Method: To capture this image, I played around with the framing a lot. I took photos that were both more zoomed in and more zoomed out. I also observed the place around me when taking the photos to try to figure out what angle and side would be the best to capture this image.
Motivations: When I saw this sculpture, I was immediately captivated by it. I wanted to be able to show the bright colors, with a little bit of curiosity to what it actually is a photograph of.
Interpretation: People definitely had to think to figure out what this was, which I think is a good thing. They also thought that it was very playful and whimsical, which is what I wanted.
Evaluation: I think the framing and colors work very well. Overall, I think it is a successful image.
Extension: I think I could continue to photograph garden sculptures as pieces, so you didn't see the whole sculpture.

Composition: I wanted the light to be concentrated on the sunset, and just be reflected inside of the car. I wanted both people to be in the frame, looking like they were going somewhere.
Concept/Aboutness/Idea: In reality, this was a long, tired drive back from Vegas, but I wanted it to look adventurous, like you didn't know where they were going, but you knew they were going somewhere good.
Method: When I took the photographs of this scene, they were very dark, so getting the right amount of light to come back was key.
Motivations: I wanted to capture the fun and mystery that spring break and vacations from reality in general can be.
Interpretation: I think people responded really well to this image, thinking they were going somewhere interesting.
Evaluation: Overall, I'm really happy with how the coloring turned out. I think there is just enough light to create an adventurous and mysterious feeling.
Extension: I could continue this as a series by creating the stops that happened after this photograph was taken. This could be the beginning to this couple's adventure together.

Assignment 3

Blog Prompt #23

1. You "construct" your identity by the choices you make on how to present yourself. Your choices for your hair, make up, and clothing show who you are. You also "construct" your identity by the choices you make regarding what you do in life and the way you act. In your daily life, you "perform" whenever you are in front of others and you are doing something that you would not normally do by yourself.
2. The actions of my community are what "constructed" my personal culture and social environments. The way we acted as a whole, reflect who we are.
3. My physical environment/space is "constructed" by how I chose to decorate it and how I upkeep it.
4. I would consider almost everything to be "constructed/fabricated." We have changed so much of the world, that only untouched nature is "real." Everything else has been altered in some ways.
5.  I might create the scene of models getting ready to go on the runway. As they are getting ready to walk, multiple people are making final touches on their make up, hair, and outfits, to ensure that their look is what the designer wants it to be.
6. On a smaller scale, the photograph would recreate the idea of a professional soccer game. This could be done by using children toys.

Blog Prompt #22

This video was very interesting to me. It still amazes me what technology can do. CGI can open so many doors for photographers and bring about so many new and exciting things. It's a new development for photography that can really take it to the next level. While it does take a lot of planning and time, the images CGI technology can create are like none other and is definitely and exciting step towards the future.

Blog Post #21

A. They aren't usually posed and are often taken of action. There is usually a lot going on in these photos and they tell stories worth hearing.

B. Snapshots are usually taken quickly and unexpectedly. For this reason, I believe they can be some of the best photos taken. 

C. These photographs are trying to sell something. They make that product stand out and make people want it.

D. They are usually important parts in the film that can tell the viewer a lot about the film by just looking at that one still. 

E. They are usually taken to document that time. They are also taken to make the subject(s) look good. They are often posed and unnatural.

F. Stock images are usually of very general things that could be used in many different contexts. They also tend to be very aesthetically pleasing. 

G. Fashion photography is usually selling garments or accessories. While it often gets criticism for not being realistic, I don't think there are any changes that need to be made. Clothing looks best on tall, slim frames. I don't see why people get so offended by designers using that to their advantage. It's not saying we all have to look like that, but an artist is going to display their work in a way that makes it look best.

H. Paparazzi shots are usually very interesting because they are taken in the heat of the moment and are of an interesting subject often doing something interesting. However, paparazzi photos can also be very boring because they can take photos of celebrities just being themselves, not doing anything interesting.

Historical: Robert Capa

Biography: Born in 1913, Capa was a Hungarian combat photographer and photojournalist for many major wars. He left home at an early age to be a writer, but then discovered photography and developed his career in that.
Technique: He used all black and white with his photography. Because the photos are of war, they do not have planned elements, but the contrast and natural lighting have a defining role.

Significance: He photographs played a significant role in documenting wars and important historic events. He set the standard for photography in wars.

Semi-Contemporary: Kenneth Josephson

http://www.stephendaitergallery.com/dynamic/artwork_display.asp?ArtworkID=2329#


Biography: He is an American photographer, born in 1932 in Detroit, Michigan. He was sent to Germany in the army and was trained in photolithography and aerial reconnaissance photography. When he returned, he earned multiple degrees in photography.
Significance: He uses mainly black and white with interesting lighting. He shows objects in a new way.
Techniques: He concentrated on conceptual photography when he returned to the states.

Recreation: Travel Photography

I recreated an image with the idea of travel photography. I went to California for spring break and one place we visited was Santa Monica. This is the Santa Monica Pier. I chose to only show part of it to create excitement and curiosity about the place. I chose to have red text because it is a good contrast with the colors in the photo and using the three primary colors has a playful feel.

Assignment 2