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.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
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:
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
Assignment 4
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.
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.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
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.
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.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
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.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
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
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.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Recreation 3
I used to have a dream when I was younger of getting chased and I would be running down stairs. I would always wake up at the point when I was about to reach the bottom, but I never seemed to actually reach it. I personally think it was because I would always watch horror films with my older sisters, so I was always scared someone was going to come after me. Regardless, it's a dream I used to have a lot and the only reoccurring dream I've ever had that I remember.
Composition: I didn't want to show a lot of space around the stairs, but concentrate on only the stairs themselves. I wanted to have some light but I also wanted it to be dark in some areas. I wanted it to look like they could have gone on forever, so you don't really know where they start and end.
Concept/Aboutness/Idea: By showing multiple levels of stairs, I feel like there is a movement through the levels. The light also creates a movement. The concrete and steel rails give it a cold, eerie feeling.
Recreation 2
Original:
Victor Hugo on His Death Bed by Nadar Felix
Biography: Nadar was born in April of 1820 in Paris, France, where he stayed most of his life. He had no formal education in photography, but worked as a characturist in Paris. He took this photo of Victor Hugo in 1885.
Significance: Nadar was the first person to take aerial photographs and also made many advancements in lighting with photography.
Composition: Because of the dark background and the placing of light, you really focus on the subject. It also is framed very well because it's enough of the subject to understand him, but not too much.
Concept/Aboutness/Idea: This image is to document Victor Hugo before he passed. He doesn't look as if he is in pain, but rather is very peaceful.
Method: The lighting is the most important thing here. It makes you focus on him as a whole, not just looking at his face. It also helps to understand the significance of this piece and give it a serious feel.
Motivations: The intention was again, to capture this great man. He was very important, especially in the French culture, and this photo shows that he was strong until the end.
Your Opinion: I think this image is very interesting. It is respectful and intimate. I think it is a good way to represent him and show him at the end of his life.
Recreation:
Composition:I wanted to keep the same contrast between the light and the dark. I also wanted to have similar framing as the original.
Concept/Aboutness/Idea: My recreation is the next frame. It is the bed after Victor Hugo is gone. It is empty, showing how we lost such an important figure, but the light signifies that it is still very peaceful.
Victor Hugo on His Death Bed by Nadar Felix
Significance: Nadar was the first person to take aerial photographs and also made many advancements in lighting with photography.
Composition: Because of the dark background and the placing of light, you really focus on the subject. It also is framed very well because it's enough of the subject to understand him, but not too much.
Concept/Aboutness/Idea: This image is to document Victor Hugo before he passed. He doesn't look as if he is in pain, but rather is very peaceful.
Method: The lighting is the most important thing here. It makes you focus on him as a whole, not just looking at his face. It also helps to understand the significance of this piece and give it a serious feel.
Motivations: The intention was again, to capture this great man. He was very important, especially in the French culture, and this photo shows that he was strong until the end.
Your Opinion: I think this image is very interesting. It is respectful and intimate. I think it is a good way to represent him and show him at the end of his life.
Recreation:
Composition:I wanted to keep the same contrast between the light and the dark. I also wanted to have similar framing as the original.
Concept/Aboutness/Idea: My recreation is the next frame. It is the bed after Victor Hugo is gone. It is empty, showing how we lost such an important figure, but the light signifies that it is still very peaceful.
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