#20

1. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of “news”-related photographs.
News-related photos document events and emotions. Photos in news papers enlighten viewers on the happenings in society and are not focused on the artistic aspect of photography as much as taking readable, to the point, pictures.

2. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of “snapshots”.
Snapshots, to me, are pictures taken quickly, usually with a hand held camera. The majority of them are candid or are taken in social situations. Once again, these pictures don’t focus on camera controls or artistic aspects of photography.

3. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of advertisement photographs. Fashion photography? Product photography?
All three of these categories focus on showcasing something. In fashion photography, the focus of each image is on the adornment of the model, showing viewers what is “in season.” The same goes for advertisement and product photography. Here, emphasis is put on the item trying to be sold, rather then photography itself.

4. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of film or movie stills.
Film and movies stills have the best lighting and picture quality. Since movies must be well lit to fit each scene, photos from said movies have excellent contrast and sharpness. It is easy to identify film stills in that the subject is rarely looking at the camera.


5. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of yearbook photos and/or senior pictures.
The first thing that comes to mind when I hear “senior pictures” is: cheesy. Personally, I hate senior and yearbook pictures. They all look the same, a subject against a textured gray background. Senior pictures are a little more adventurous, showing teens clutching his or her soccer ball, guitar, or clarinet. While these photos are supposed to show off personalities, none of them are interesting to look at and are just another thing society forces us to do.

Here, I wanted the focus to be on the horse to the right. I captured a moment when the horse was looking at me, making the composition. This was a recreation picture from images of wild horses. I wanted to show a change in time through depicting how horses were once wild and free and now they are groomed, always behind a fence, and trained to do specific things. To create this image, I walked by a horse farm and reacted to what the horses were doing. Luckily, they were curious and walked toward me, making them excellent subjects to photograph.

In this image, I juxtaposed a couple with initials carved into a tree. While the meaning of this photo could be debatable, it is obvious that I meant to draw a correlation from the tree to the couple. This image was an accident, surprisingly, in that I didn’t notice the carvings in the trees until I cropped the image from its original size. I saw the couple walking outside and decided to creep up on them and take a few pictures without them noticing. To my advantage, the tree was in focus, making the picture have a whole new meaning then when I first took it. I wanted to capture the couple aimlessly walking, but instead I capture the tree. Luckily, the picture worked out well.

In these two photos, I was trying to place the emphasis on the doors, while showing how nature has covered up a human-made object. I like posing these two images together, complimenting the likeness of one another. I like to think the viewer is outside of the doors, about to walk in, as I was when I took these pictures. To create these, I simply noticed how trees and bushes were covering the doors and decided to capture it. I took these in midday light, without any artificial lighting. While doors are a common gateway to a room, they could be a gateway to another world.

10/24

1) should not be photographed? Why?

Things that should not be photographed are situations that could be exploited. For example, I find it unfair to take pictures of the “slums” in other countries and publish them in magazines read by upper class Americans. While I do think it is important to learn about different classes and lifestyles, sending a wealthy photographer into a poor area to only benefit themselves in not okay with me.

2) cannot be photographed? Why?

Emotions at an exact moment cannot be photographed. If I were to feel an emotion and then try to capture it on film, the context would not be the same. It is easy to look at a picture and understand feelings, but the emotions captured are never the same as the emotions we experience.

and

3) you do not want to photograph? Why?

I do not want to photograph things I truly want to remember. When I want to remember a sight, I want to be able to see it through my eyes, not my camera lens. While I do like taking pictures of people and events to recall them, I save special moments in time for my memory, not my camera.

in progress 2

in progress

elina brotherus

"I'm especially interested in the way an artist looks at a model, the 'artist gaze' which is neither the male gaze nor the female gaze but something neutral, observing, scrutinising,  sometimes surprised or admiring." -Eline Brotherus

#16, 17, 18

“I think photographs should be provocative and not tell you what you already know. It takes no great powers or magic to reproduce somebody's face in a photograph. The magic is in seeing people in new ways.” Duane Michals
I agree with this statement in that photography is an excellent way to show one in a different light. Good portraits enlighten the viewer on something about the subject. Anyone can take a picture of a human, smiling and saying “cheese.” It takes a photographer, however, to focus on an aspect of a human unknown to a normal camera.

“I believe in the imagination. What I cannot see is infinitely more important than what I can see.” Duane Michals
I like photographs that leave out information and let the mind wander. Rather than hitting the viewer over the head with meaning, great photography leaves things to the imagination. Being an artist, I love letting my imagination run wild, meaning I can relate to this quote. A picture is more dynamic if the meaning is ambiguous and lets the viewer interpret it how he or she wants to.

“Photography can only represent the present. Once photographed, the subject becomes part of the past.” Berenice Abbott
A photograph is a moment in time. With that said, once a picture is taken, it becomes a moment in history. We take pictures to not only document actions and emotions, but to remember specifics. When looking through old pictures, it is easy to see how people and places change. A photograph is an image of the past, it’s impossible to capture the future.

crit response- assign. 2

Image one: adornment
In this image, the way I positioned my model is working in the image. Her expression and body language is also intriguing. This image, however, needs more contrast and the angel of the subject’s head makes her face a little distorted. These are things I need to improve on in this photo. As a jumping off point, I could photograph other subjects longing for something or adorn them with an item of importance.
Image 2: angles
In this image, the contrast lighting is working well. What was said to be interesting about this image is how my model is dressed up in costume-like clothes but has a calm expression and looks relaxed, unlike her clothes. I could improve this image by lightening the wall behind the subject to make her stand out more. From here, I could photograph other subjects is costume with unfitting expressions.

Image 3: painting recreation
This image is a recreation of a painting and the best thing about this image is the body language. It was said that my model holding the apple was innovative and brought my own sense of style to this recreation. Something I could improve on is lighting my model properly. Since she is wearing a brimmed hat, the eyes are too dark and are unable to be seen. Other recreations of paintings could be a jumping-off point from here, making sure to modernize them in my own way.

Image 4: props
What is working about this image is my model’s position. It looks as if the background is what she’s thinking about, making her body language correspond to the picture. Something I could improve on is the angle I took the image from in that I was below my model, making the background a little warped. A jumping off point from here could be photographing subjects in settings that appear to be his or her thoughts.

memory of a place

my parents moved out of my childhood home and this is all that is left of our hand prints.

#11-#15

11)A place from my past is a beach in my hometown where I have spent every summer. I have a plethora of pictures from this place and take new pictures every time I go. If I were to go back and photograph this place, it would look like I have always remembered it. Every time I visit this beach, nothing changes; something I love about this place. When I picture myself here, I’m standing in the sun with my feet in the water. All I can see is a never-ending blanket of blue reflecting the sun and breaking into peaks of white every so often. Since I usually visit this place with friends and family, I can see familiar faces through my sunglasses.

12)A picture that always comes to mind is of me and my sister standing in the rain in our front yard. We’re under matching umbrellas, wearing matching raincoats, and sporting our favorite boots. When I think about this picture, I don’t remember the day it was taken, but I remember wanting to dress exactly like my older sister. Growing up, I was always trying to be more like her, the trait of a typical younger sibling. While I still look up to my sister immensely, I realize now that I am my own person and my yearning to be exactly like her is gone. Our front yard is the same, but it is just a memory now as my parents are moving out of my childhood home. A reenactment of this picture would look the same, just with taller people. I would still be sporting a cheesy smile and my sister would still be refusing to smile on camera.

13)A “land art” piece I would make would be a bench, or something to sit on. As I walk around campus, I notice numerous people sitting in the grass or against a tree. It would be interesting to create a structure that can support one’s body weight without disrupting the environment.

14)Capturing a familiar place involves remembering the things I love about said place. For example, in my home, I might take a picture of the pictures I hung on the wall because they remind me of my family. In a far away place, on the other hand, I tend to capture images I am not able to see on a regular basis. For example, when I went to Italy, I took pictures of all the things I wasn’t used to and things unknown to America. When I imagine places untouched by humans, I think of the wilderness in Northern Michigan. As a child, I would spend hours exploring the forest with my friends. If I were to go back and take pictures, I would seek out the beauty of nature and how pure it is.

15)An important place in my past is where I grew up, on the shore of Lake Michigan. If I were to juxtapose a picture of the beach with a picture of my artwork, it would describe who I was and who I am today. In many of my pieces, waves are prevalent, mimicking the colors and shapes I grew up with. The memories of growing up in a beach town will always be with me and always affect my artwork.

assign 2, final photos

This photo was in response to the prompt about adornment. I had my model use her hand to put focus on her necklace, showcasing her religion. I wanted to show something about my model in this photo. I chose to depict her religion because it is a part of her life that is very dear to her. Since the cross is not very noticeable, I’m glad her hand made for an excellent prop. In order to create this image, I thought of things that were an enormous part of my model’s life. Since she is heavily involved in her church and was wearing this necklace the day I had a photo shoot with her, I decided it was an excellent subject to capture. I did not alter the lighting situations here; I just used the sunlight coming in from the window. My goal for this picture was to show my viewers what is important to my model. Outside of photography, this picture shows how dear religious is to some. Religion is a huge part of one’s culture and upbringing. With so many forms of religion in the world, it is interesting to me to learn about each of them and appreciate those dedicated to his or her religious beliefs.

The prompt for this picture involved using different lighting situations and angles. I used high contrast lighting to put the emphasis on my model’s face. This image is about being in one’s natural setting and how comfortable we all feel in that state of mind. Here, my model is wearing some unusual things, but she looks as if she’s relaxing at home. To create this, I had my model change positions every time I changed lighting angles. I lit the scene with a floor lamp and had my model move her face according to the light. My intention for this photo was simply to experiment. I was lucky to have a shot this successful. As for relations outside of photography, this image gives off the sense of comfort. It is easy to relate to this photo in that everyone likes the comfort of home.

This is a remake of “Son of Man,” by Magritte. I chose this painting to recreate because I like the surrealist aspect of the portrait. I had my model stand against a wall and hold an apple in front of her face. I chose to have the apple in her hand, rather than putting in the photo digitally, because I wanted to make the surreal real. By having the apple connected to the subject, unlike Magritte’s version, it made my model human. I wanted to challenge our perceptions of the unknown, which is why I have a female model in a men’s hat. Magritte’s purpose in creating the painting was to do exactly that.

Finally, in this picture, I had my model stand against I painting I created last year. I wanted the waves shapes on the left to frame her, which would make the viewers eye move to my subject. I used lighting from the window; no extra sources of light were used. I ended up capturing this moment where my model is in thought. I wanted to make it look like my painting was what my model was thinking. Although her position is a little cliché, I wanted the photo to come across as her thinking about art when she should be thinking about other things. It also looks like her mind is scattered all over the place, which is how I was feeling when I painting what’s in the background. This photo relates to my model and me specifically. She is a business major who wanted to be an art major, but was never allowed the chance. While she studies supply chains and charts, she wants to be painting and expressing herself.

in progress crit