Blog Response #21

A. Series: Brainstorm various ways to make a “series” of photographic images. 

Different ways of interpeting one object.
placing it in places unexpected, using it in ways that are not conventional. thinking outside the box.

Easter egg style,
hidden compositional elements, secret messages, sneaky subject matter.

Distorting subjects.
use different angles, lighting, etc to cause typically recognizable objects to become foreign and strange.

B. Final Project: Your final project in this class will be designed by you. If you could tackle any photography project, what would it be? You could combine other media with photography (video, sculpture, drawing) or you could take one of your earlier assignments and expand it to create a larger project. If you are expanding an earlier project or creating an entirely new series of images, shoot for a series of at least 5 images. Describe an idea you have for your final project.

Anti-gravity
create and shoot compositions that create the illusion of antigravity, or distorted gravity.
ex: place subjects lying on the ground as though standing on the wall.

in progress

Blog Response #20

Describe some common aesthetic aspects of “news”-related photographs. 
 News related images are usually candid, and capture/represent a critical moment pertaining to the article it accompanies.


Describe some common aesthetic aspects of “snapshots”.
snapshots are also usually candid, and captures a quick moment passing by.  compositionally, it can be lacking sometimes due to the fast nature of the shot.  Theyre usually pleasant due to the fact that people don't usually whip out their cameras to take quick snapshots of unpleasant situations...
 
Describe some common aesthetic aspects of advertisement photographs. Fashion photography? Product photography?
These photos are definitely posed and planned.  They accentuate the product that they are selling, as opposed to the mere aesthetic of the shot.  
 
Describe some common aesthetic aspects of film or movie stills.
They capture the characteristic traits of the plot-line or characters.  Accentuating the highs and lows of the story, as well as the mood of the film.
 
Describe some common aesthetic aspects of yearbook photos and/or senior pictures.
Many might describe these photos as cheesy or posey.  They are generally all extremely bright and happy, and often involve props that represent the subject. The dress and style of the person is specific to their personal taste, thus they reperesent the person inside and out. 

Assignment 4-0: recreate

I chose to recreate an image from American Apparel.  Their images are known to be very raw and provocative, sometimes people find them to be too sexy or even humorous.  Most of their merchandise are not patterned, and simple in style.  The way they advertise plays a big role in their image, so i attempted to mimic the provocative style used to sell commonplace and/or odd clothing such as leggings and bandeau tops.

final images 3

This photo was captured in what would be the "downtown" of Okemos.  Of course, being a small town, there isn't much going on "downtown".  Capturing this image at night seems to have heightened the lonely/desolate feel of a small, quiet town.

I finally acquired a tripod from my friend, and was able to reshoot this image so that it would be cleaner.

Others seemed to interpret this as a lonely image. Some suggested a wider range of tones, or perhaps introducing human subjects.  As a jumping off point, some ideas were to photograph lonely places, or lonely people...

This image was shot in the same area of Okemos. It is the backside of the Traveler's club, and i felt compelled to shoot the image kind of randomly. This Image was interpreted as yet another lonely image.  The bright window in the middle of the night enhances this effect.

As a Jumping off point, perhaps I could shoot a series of the back side of buildings.  The view from behind is always a completely different story.

This Image is the front/side of the Traveler's Club in Okemos.  In the 10 years that i've lived in Okemos, I've always enjoyed the rustic feel of this area of town, but i've never looked at it critically in terms of composition.  When this image was shot, i was pleasantly surprised by how the light played into the image.

Though this image was received with the similar lonely feeling, I feel as though it also shows the existence of people and company through the lights/sign left on. As a jumping off point, perhaps I could do a series of places that look recently/temporarily abandoned.

 

This image was taken on my way back from class one night. Consistent with the other images, this image portrays a feeling of loneliness.  I liked the geometric shapes of the light and shadows of the stairs, stacking the two images was intended to create the illusion of a tall building, but also to leave it obvious that it's two separate images. 

Some ideas about this image were to stack more than just two images to create the illusion of an even taller building. To jump off from there, I could stack many photos and use it to create an entire cityscape.

Blog Response #19

Is there anything that....
1) should not be photographed? Why? 
Photography can sometimes be profound and evoke feelings of discomfort.  Some artists choose these subjects hoping for a strong emotional reaction.  However, I feel that there is a line that should not be crossed, though the line may be hazy and unclear at times.  In the past some have criticized and fought against photographers, claiming that they were exploiting their subjects, however some of those very photographers were responsible for sharing new information/issues with the world.  I'm not sure if there is a definite "this" or "that" to what should and should not be shot, but more a question of what sort of approach will one take? and how will that allow the subject to be something that is okay to be photographed?

2) cannot be photographed? Why?
I think that given the inspiration and effort, almost anything can be photographed.  Emotions and thoughts can be conveyed through photography in many different ways.  Perhaps the only limitation may be what cannot be physically reached or achieved.  Abstract thoughts cannot literally be photographed, however those ideas can be conveyed through a photograph. 

3) you do not want to photograph? Why?
I can't think of any subject that i would not be willing to photograph.  Though my opinion may change should i be faced with something absurd, at this point, i feel as though whatever i photograph should be considered art.  I would not feel uncomfortable with profound subjects because i would approach them as art, which i believe, puts any subject on a completely different playing field.  The social and worldly context remains, most likely that is the reason that it is being used for art, however the approach/artist views it as a work in progress.

Walter Niedermayer

Walter Niedermayer is an Italian photographer born and raised in Bolzano.  He is known for his large scale photographs presented as multi-panel works, subjects ranging from mountain landscapes to architecture. 

I find that his works to be interesting because of the way he chooses to display them as separate panels.  Creating multiple separate pieces that create a whole.  Each panel has a visual rhythm and flow, with varying amounts of complexity.

http://www.robertmillergallery.com/artists/all_artists/niedermayr/niedermayr.html#