Blog Prompt #20 Reply

“We therefore consume images fleetingly and randomly. It takes very special pictures to grasp and hold our attention. We need to be seduced by images that outdo reality through excessiveness—as in advertising and movies” (Constructed Realities: The Art of Staged Photography Edited by Michael Kohler). What do you think about this quote? How do you think that our lives are changing as the speed of our interaction with photographic images grows?

I agree with this quote because photography is becoming so much more common, that we must rely on GREAT photography to really wow the viewers. It is sort of scary to me as a photographer that just anyone can go get a pretty decent digital SLR for less than $500 and then suddenly think that they are a photographer, but as this quote says, the photos must seduce us and "outdo reality" of regular photography. Our lives will be more effected by this, because it will be much harder to sort through the quantity in order to find the "quality".

“But the term ‘Infotainment’ also implies this: with the gradual fictionalization of even the news, the old categorical oppositions of ‘documenting’ and ‘staging’, appearance and reality gradually dissolve. They are being replaced by a variety of hybrid forms for which it will be impossible, in fact pointless, to attempt to distinguish between fact and fiction. Even the accusation that ‘Infotainment’ is guilty of continuous ‘lying’ is therefore unjustified, for it is neither ‘true’ nor ‘false’. Like advertising, movies and all other genres that adhere to the laws of fiction, it works at a level beyond these oppositions—the level of ‘hyper-reality’, where reality is ‘simulated’.” (Constructed Realities: The Art of Staged PhotographyEdited by Michael Kohler). What are your thoughts on “Infotainment” and how it affects our lives? How does it affect the way we see and understand “reality”? How does it affect photography in general?

I have mixed emotions about this. I really LOVE the opportunity that photoshop holds and what it can do to photos, but I also feel that it has really changed the art part of "photography". If anything now, photography is becoming more of a mixed or hybrid form as mentioned above. I just think that it is crazy that people rely on photography as affirmations of certain buzz and news stories, even knowing how much computers can alter images and skew the truth behind them. That is like taking evidence statements at a crime scene from somebody that you know is completely capable of lying. This type of photography and "infotainment", by no means needs to stop, people just need to know that it should be taken more as a grain of salt.

Blog Prompt #19 Reply

I can't really think of anything that shouldn't be photographed. Obviously there are SOME things that shouldn't be if they are extremely illegal or looked down upon by the general public, but other than that, it seems like all things are a go because photography is such a free spirited art.


It's hard to think of things that cannot be photographed, but the only thing that I can think of is emotion. Yes we can CONVEY emotion through our photographs, but we will never know for sure what that person is feeling inside. Emotions run much deeper than our physical shell.


Something I would never care to photograph in my life is death. I think about how awful it would have to be to be a crime scene photographer and to have to document human deaths and blood splatter and so on. I just think it would pull me in way too much and make it personal because of the fact that those poor victims are fellow human beings and I just wouldn't be able to emotionally handle it!

Tom Friedman

The artist that I chose to research was Tom Friedman. The website that I found with information about him said that self-portraits make up a lot of his work, yet when I looked at the photo I didn't see the "self-portrait" anywhere. As I read a little further I realized that he does these in a very skewed and abstract way. I read that he actually uses a flat-bed scanner and drags the image while the scan is taking place to make these really abstract photos. This gives it a really abstract, dynamic, and almost landscape look to his work. "If one looks closely, Friedman's hair, belt, and shoes are visible as horizontal bands, almost like an abstracted landscape".

www.cartincollection.com/subject/friedman.html

Untitled, 1998 by Tom Friedman

Blog Prompt #16, #17, #18

“I believe in the imagination. What I cannot see is infinitely more important than what I can see.” Duane Michals

Only because I had a GREAT imagination when I was little!!! I am a FIRM believer in having a great imagination. That is what makes verbal stories great as you picture them in your head, imagining what-ifs, and all that good stuff. There is a reason that we were given the ability to imagine and I think it is important to exercise that. Could you imagine how boring life would be without imagination? Ick.

“Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer—and often the supreme disappointment.” ~Ansel Adams

Totally agree! Especially when I think of Ansel Adams' work and how amazing it is. It seems like nothing else could compare. It seems like as a photographer, everywhere you look, your mind is appreciating nature's beauty and wondering how it could be photographed. Then, you get this ideal photo in your mind and the hardest part is making it happen, if it is even possible. Then, after you photograph it, there is a large chance that it won't look half as good as what you pictured in your mind.

“Photography can only represent the present. Once photographed, the subject becomes part of the past.” Berenice Abbott

I sort of agree with this statement, because I can no way picture taking a photograph of the past or future. I guess I think of photography to technically sometimes and especially when thinking about this quote because I just picture a photo being taken at that moment. The minute you take a photo, it begins to become the past because that moment in time has already passed.

Blog Prompt #15 Reply

Collage: Collage brings together two or more items that were previously separate. The resulting piece usually visually references the fact that they were once separate entities. Imagine an important place in your past. Imagine an important place in your present. Imagine who you were in both of these past and present places. Describe two photographs that you might take that could be collaged together to tell a new narrative about these important places and how they relate to who you are and were.


I think that I would photograph my shoes from the past and the present. I think the size comparison and watching them grow would be cool to watch not only me grow physically but by style too. You would watch me go through my tomboy stage as well as my casual and fancy and sporty times too. I think that there could even be a bit of symbolism behind it because of the places my shoes have taken me. May be kind of interesting?

Blog Prompt #14 Reply

Unknown vs. Familiar Space: When photography was invented, it became a way to document and reveal the specific aspects of both familiar and faraway places. Imagine a familiar place. Imagine a faraway place. How would you use photographs to convey the difference? Can you imagine any places that have been “touched” very little by humans? How might you photograph them?


When picturing a familiar space, I think of my home. When picturing faraway, I picture one of our treestands. Although this isn't an unfamiliar place to me, it is very "untouched" by humans. It is very much a part of nature where I can sit and watch animals be themselves without them even knowing I am there. If I were to photograph this place, I would maybe photograph animals so that when viewing the photos, people would think to themselves, "How did she get that without them knowing?" If I were to photograph my home, I may photograph different parts that I would know just by feeling them. Perhaps the doorknob that I touch everytime I walk in the door or maybe my favorite cup to drink out of. 

Blog Prompt #13 Reply

Human-Made Space: In the past, photographers who were interested in how humans impacted the natural landscape grouped together to form the New Topographics. “"New Topographics" signaled the emergence of a new photographic approach to landscape: romanticization gave way to cooler appraisal, focused on the everyday built environment and more attuned to conceptual concerns of the broader art field.”http://www.lacma.org/art/ExhibTopo.aspx

In addition, at the same time in history artists created (and still do create) “land art” in which they use materials found in the landscape to make sculptures that remain in the landscape. Many of these works now only exist as video recordings and photographic documents.

Pay attention to the number of ways in which you encounter humans’ interaction with nature and the physical land. Write these down. Using these as inspiration, describe an idea for a piece of “land art” that you might create that would be documented by a photograph. Describe an idea for a piece of “land art” that you might make in a man-made landscape that would be documented by a photograph.

This is a tough one. I think it would be interested to study footprints. Footprints in sand, mud, grass, wet cement and so on. This could help symbolize our impact or "footprint" on the earth. Maybe do different footprints, some barefoot, some left, some right, some with shoes, some with heals. Just something to think about!

Blog Prompt #12 Reply

Memory of a Photograph: Which photograph from your past do you remember most? Describe this photograph. Describe how it makes you feel when you remember/think about this photograph. How have you changed? How has the place in this photograph changed? What would a reenactment of this photograph look like? Would you act or look differently if you reenacted this scene today?


I remember a lot of photos from my past just because I have valued them all so much. I was always into scrapbooking and trips down memory lane, but one that sticks out vividly in my mind is one of my dad holding me upside down and over his head goofing around when I was little. When I look back to this photo, it just makes me smile and makes me feel great to know that my dad and I were so close. I have changed simply by aging. I am not a little toehead blonde anymore and I am thinking that my dad would DEF not be able to do that again now. If I were to reenact this photo I would probably just hang somehow to have my head come down into the frame like that. I would maybe just throw my hair up into a high ponytail like I did when I was little. Maybe wear the same colors.

Blog Prompt #11 Reply

Memory of a Place: Try to imagine a place from your past. Do you have pictures of this place? Describe this place as you remember it. What might a photograph look like of this place if you were to go back and photograph it? What would it look like in the past? What would it look like to you today? Where are you standing in this place? What other items are in this place? What colors do you see? Are there other people or are you alone? Make a “written photograph” of this place using words/description.


I vividly remember the house that I grew up in. I do have photos of this place as well as home video and I believe that this is probably why I remember it so well. I feel like if I were to go back and photograph it, it would be similar, yet different. In the past, it was an old farm house, but today, it is very remodeled and probably much more modern. I picture standing at the base of the steep wooden staircase with a heater vent below my feet that we used to stand on to warm up. The walls are a pukey seventies green and the wood a dark dark mahogany stair set. I am most likely with my  little sister because we did everything together. Such good memories in that house!

Assignment 2 Post Critique Response

After receiving responses from my fellow classmates on my first set of photos, I got some great input and helpful information to help better my work. I was glad that everyone liked the bow series of photos. I found them interesting too and I may try taking out the base of the ram target. I also took out some of the orange cast from the magnifying glass photo to try to color balance it out. I also really liked the suggestions of considering a photo series with the magnifying glass. That would be really cool to do and I may consider it for a future assignment.

Collage Exercises

In class, we were assigned to complete five exercises to work on our collage skills for the next assignment. This is what I have done so far....

 Exercise VIII: Change proportion and scale in relationship to space

    

 .....................................................................

 Exercise I: Juxtapose two items in an unexpected way

   

 

Assignment 2 Final Three Images

These are the three final images that I chose for this assignment as well as printing. I really like that I chose both of the bow photos because they work together as a series.Here are my first set of written statements....

Magnifying Glass:
Written Statements Part 1:
Composition
I chose to do the classic headshot composition, while keeping the magnifying glass a big part of the photo. I wasn't very happy with the shadow on her chin until I got to look at it more and realized that it actually helps the photo because it puts more of a glow on her eyes.


Concept/Aboutness/Idea
The whole time I was shooting this series, my one goal was that her eyes were in focus and I feel like I accomplished that. I made sure that she was wearing a simple black shirt because I wanted all the focus to be on her eye and so that she would match the magnifying glass. Text or graphics on her shirt would have just been distracting. I wanted to give this photo a very playful and almost childish feel and I feel like that came through.


Method
This photo was done with a red sheet as my background and just a simple desk light shining on her. I had a really hard time trying not to get that orange cast and even in photoshop it just wouldn't correct.


Motivation
My motivation for this photo was sort of those greeting cards with the pets on them where they are shot with a wide angle lens and the snout looks really big. I wanted that "in your face" feeling like she was looking up your nose with that magnifying glass.


Context
I don't know if I know any artists that really shoot anything like this, but I'm sure there are some out there. This is a very popular look that I have seen people aim for with the playfulness of the photo.

Written Statements Part 2:


Interpretation
Everyone LOVED this photo. They interpreted it exactly how I wanted them to and that was really exciting!


Evaluation
My biggest critique was to try and get rid of the orange cast I was getting in this photo. Other than that, everything else was working in the photo. I had a lot of suggestions to keep going with this type of photo.

Extension 
A lot of people suggested to me that I start a series with this magnifying glass. Out of all my extension responses, this series is what I look most forward to working with. We will have to see what comes of it, but I have a lot of ideas running through my head!
  

First Bow Image (Left):
Written Statements Part 1:


Concept/Aboutness/Idea
These photos qualify as my intimate photos of my boyfriend Chris. I knew, right after reading the description of this category, that this is what I was going to do because it describes him to a tee. He loves hunting and this time of year and I felt that these up close and personal photos would really convey that.


Method/Composition
We were working on these at sunset so I really like the warm glow that we were getting. I knew that I wanted a small depth of field because it really gave the illusion that that bow was in the viewer's face. I also framed the photo with a diagonal composition because I wanted a dynamic and sports feel to the photo.

Motivations
My biggest motivation for this photo comes from what I have experimented around with in the past. I really like this type of photo because of the fact that you feel like you are right in his sights. I feel like I have seen this type of photo in a magazine though too so maybe that helped influence me.

Context

My work relates more to advertising photography, than fine art photography. My photos of this series, brings a new idea to myself as the viewer because it makes a photo that I have seen in the past, personal because it is a photo of my boyfriend. It can relate to larger issues outside the actual photo because of all the controversy behind hunting. To some, this photo may be cool, and to others it may be disturbing.

Written Statements Part 2:


Interpretation
Everyone really enjoyed these photos which actually surprised me. With me being such a country girl and hunting being a pretty rare sport for a majority of people in this class, I really thought that people wouldn't appreciate these photos. I was really surprised at how much people liked them, but then again that could be because it isn't just an "ordinary photo" to them.

Evaluation
Everyone said that the shallow depth of field was working and I don't really remember getting too many suggestions as to what to change on this one.


Extension
This could possibly be a start to a series where I could highlight different people that I know that are into different types of hunting. Or I could find people that have different extreme sport passions too.

Second Bow Image (Right):
Written Statement Part 1:


Concept/Aboutness/Idea
For this photos, I wanted to give the viewer a look from the hunter's perspective. I really wanted a stretched out and distant feel to the photo so that the viewer felt as if the ram target was really far away and that it was almost being stalked. All in all, these photos convey Chris and his hobby perfectly and that is why I made them my intimate ones!


Method/Composition
I really struggled framing this a few times because I couldn't decide how I wanted everything to be portrayed. I did play around with putting him on the side of a horizontal frame, but vertical just worked the best. Again, I tilted my camera so that it had a dynamic feel to it. I definitely like the slant though!


Motivations

My biggest motivation for this photo comes from what I have experimented around with in the past. I really like this type of photo because of the fact that you feel like you are right in his sights. I feel like I have seen this type of photo in a magazine though too so maybe that helped influence me.

Context
Because this goes in the same series as the photo above, this section is the same:
My work relates more to advertising photography, than fine art photography. My photos of this series, brings a new idea to myself as the viewer because it makes a photo that I have seen in the past, personal because it is a photo of my boyfriend. It can relate to larger issues outside the actual photo because of all the controversy behind hunting. To some, this photo may be cool, and to others it may be disturbing.


Written Statements Part 2:


Interpretation
Same as above.

Evaluation
After our class critique, I saw multiple comments that people would like to see the mystery of whether that is a real animal or not. It was suggested to me that I possibly photoshop out the brace so that it doesn't look like a target so much, but more like a real ram.


Extension

Same as the previous photo

Blog Prompt #10 Reply

Respond to the following quote:

“All photographs are there to remind us of what we forget. In this - as in other ways - they are the opposite of paintings. Paintings record what the painter remembers. Because each one of us forgets different things, a photo more than a painting may change its meaning according to who is looking at it.” ~John Berger

This is partly true because of the fact that a photograph is so much more representational than a painting. Although a photographer can choose what to include and exclude in a photo, it is far more real and representational because there are some things that cannot be hidden. I don't know if I agree that they are quite the opposite of paintings though. I do agree though that a photo may change it's meaning according to who is looking at it. That is the beauty of everyone having their own opinions!

Blog Prompt #9 Reply

Respond to the following quote:

“You don't take a photograph, you make it.” ~Ansel Adam

I totally agree with this quote! Before I was into photography, I believed that anyone could snap a fairly good photograph. As I pursued my interest in photography, my family and friends kept complimenting my "eye" for photography and I never really paid attention to it until I really learned more and more about the thought process behind every photo. Photographers think out every angle, lighting situation, and composition as if it is a science. It wasn't until I started to learn about everything that goes into photography that I realized that this truly is an artform and that a person must be able to make the photo, not just take it!

Blog Prompt #8 Reply

Respond to the following quote:

“My portraits are more about me than they are about the people I photograph.” ~Richard Avedon. 

This may be the case for many photographers, but not the case for me and my work. Although I do pour a lot of myself into my work, I try to gear my photos towards letting my subject's personality shine. That is what senior portraits are all about these days. Unlike twenty years ago, seniors can be much more creative and personal in their senior portraits so that they are more unique and fitting to their personality. This is what I try to capture for my subjects.