Assignment 2 - In Progress Critique

Here are my 3 picks for the in-progress critique....

Todd Hido

Todd Hido

I find this image interesting because it is very mysterious, which Todd Hido's images often were.

He achieves this look by capturing the right light, and in almost all of his images there is always a lot of fog. To me, his intent seems to be to let the viewer get lost in the mystery of the image. This to me belongs in a horror movie...Like something is going to creep out of the woods. All of his pictures seem very lonely and abandoned to me as well.

Here's another example of his work:

Blog Response #9 - Making a Photograph

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




I would agree with this statement, in every kind of photography, except for portraiture. But seeing that Ansel Adams is most known for his landscape photography, I think it fits. Adams was known for taking his time with his photography. Waiting, for all the items in his image to line up. He would wait to make sure the clouds and shadows were just right. And in that way he "made" his photographs. 


I suppose you could "make" a photograph in portraiture as well, but i dont think it would be as interesting. I mean, we have all come to know the model pose: a blank stare, looking straight at the camera, head cocked to one side, hips to the other. Rarely are these models in motion, smiling, dancing, or doing anything to reveal some small fact of their character. And it becomes un-interesting.  Sure, we can add interesting lighting, make-up and instruct them to contort their bodies in interesting angles, and "make" a photograph. But I feel that is more fashion photography than it is portraiture. 

Blog #8

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


I think that what the photographer means is that the portraits are a representation of his ideas. They are his creative fingerprint. There is a way in which HE captures the light, and a way in which HE plays with the shadows, and his subjects; a way which only HE can reproduce. The portraits he shoots are a representation of his skill, just like a painter would be knows for the painting he paints. 


But I happen to disagree with this statement, because I feel that a portrait is a representation of a persons character.  
I think a portrait is different from other forms of photography because of that reason. Landscape photography captures a setting. Fashion Photography captures an idea. But Portrait Photography captures the character. The most interesting portraits are the ones where the person is allowed to be themselves; to goof around, to laugh, to cry etc... 

Blog #7

#7 Pay close attention to the types and number of photographic portraits you see in one day. Where did you see them? How do you think that the content of the portrait changes based on the context in which you see the image (news, facebook, magazine, advertisement, television, youtube, etc)? In other words, what is the difference between the portraits you see on facebook vs. those on the news? What is the difference between the “viewpoint” of the photographer in each situation? What is the difference between their “intents”?




I think that Facebook Portraits tend to have a wide range of purpose. For example, they tend to be personal expressions. I have a friend that has over 2,000 self portraits. Some portraits tend to be for the sake of memory. We all have portraits of us with our friends, maybe at parties having a good time. And Facebook Portraits tend to be informative too....


Advertisement Portraits tend to be profit oriented. Some are a fashion statement. Some say "hey use this product and look how happy you will be" . For Makeup ads it is important for the image to be flawless, so that the image says "look at how flawless you can look with this product" 


The Intent behind News Portraits, is often based on the story that the journalist is trying to tell. For example, if your covering News on an Earthquake in China, it is most likely that the newspaper or news station will show an image of someone devastated by the catastrophe, as this will truly give the viewer/reader a feeling of what is happening. 

Recreation 2

Nancy Burson - 

First and Second Beauty Composites (First Composite: Bette Davis, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelley, Sophia Loren, and Marilyn Monroe. Second Composite: Jane Fonda, Jacqueline Bisset, Diane Keaton, Brooke Shields, and Meryl Streep), 1982
Gelatin silver computer-generated print

My Recreation

Nancy Burson was in many ways considered the pioneer of image morphing. In the above, she took the photos of the said actresses, and scanned them. Then she would morph their facial features into one face, and take a picture of it. For my recreation, I took several pictures of myself, and then, thanks to Photoshop, used certain features to recreate my face. I found her work interesting because she did all of this, long before Photoshop was even invented. In a way she layed down the pavement for photoshop, I guess. Nancy Burson was recognized for her part in founding Computer Morphing Technology, which the FBI later adopted for finding missing children. 

Blog #6

#6 In your opinion, when is it beneficial, ethical, or appropriate to digitally alter photographic portraits? When do you think it is inappropriate or ethically wrong? 


My opinion on this is a bit tricky. As a graphic designer I rely on being able to digitally alter photographs. And I think that it can be a very beneficial process.... at least to the artist...in a way. In one hand it is a gift, in the other a curse. We learn to appreciate the ability to digitally alter images, because it is easier,and faster, and perhaps far less aggravating and wasteful than a dark room. But perhaps the dark room is part of the art. Who is to say that the only art in photography is composing the image, setting the aperature and shutter speed, and pressing the release? I mean, isn't the dark room an art in itself? And if taking the picture was the only art of photography, then would photography really be a form of art? 


Digitally altering an image for commercial or fashion purposes can distort our expectations. Flip through any womens magazine and the women portrayed in the ads are almost always digitally altered. And thus, smaller waist, longer necklines, bigger eyes, and smoother skin all become a part of our expectations. Yet, this is where many people make a lot of money, and maybe where I will one day make my money. 


I think that digital alterations are most deceiving and unethical when the image is purposely altered to deceive, in oppose to being altered to make a stronger image, or a more "beautiful" image. For example, Tabloids and their use of altered images, to create a story vs. Tabloids using images to report a story. 

Blog #5

“Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited, and the wealth and confusion man has created. It is a major force in explaining man to man.” ~Edward Steichen





I completely agree with this quote. Sure paintings and drawings are great, and very beautiful in their own way, but nothing can capture the way that light hits a persons face, or the small details, quite like a photograph can. With a photograph you can depict anger, sadness, joy, excitement, determination etc.... Nothing can represent something more perfectly than a photograph can. Somethings simply cant be explained, and without photography things would be so abstract, that the true beauty of something might be lost in translation. Sometimes you just need a photography to do the talking, and nothing else quite gets the job done.

Assignment 1 - Final Images

Part 1:

The Concept behind this image was "encounter". For me this image is about an encounter between a man and his opponent, the punching bag. I believe that the man's stare at the bag, as well as the contrast of the image help to support this concept. It was important to frame both, the man and the bag in this image, and the contrast and lighting create a "tense"situation between the two. I used flash lighting because I wanted there to be lots of contrast and I wanted the light to play off of the muscles. I directed the man to look at the bag, and to make it his opponent, so that he would give it the appropriate stare. My motivation behind this was to create an image that would depict an encounter. This image could says a lot of fighting, and so it could be representative of our own every day fights... with ourselves, with others, with our issues, etc...

Part 2

I didnt get too much of a response on this image in class, so I asked some of my friends instead. The general reaction was that people liked the tension created between the man and the punching bag. I did get a few recommendations to play with the angle, and to maybe try to re-create a similar shot, but standing behind the punching bag. And I think I would agree with that suggestion, because I feel it would make a far more interesting shot. I feel that the contrast, and dark background work to bring focus to the subject, and create a little bit of tension. I wanted to shoot this picture because i wanted to capture the play of light on sweat and muscle, and I think it would be cool to do a series of images capturing the same thing. Maybe even just a series capturing the human body. I think that light can play wonderfully on the curves of muscle and skin...

This image is about chaos. The high contrast, perspective and emphasis on the girls hands, help to push this point across. I wanted to use depth of field in this image because i felt it was important to focus in on her hands, where she is holding herself, perhaps her thoughts together. It was important that the outside light hit her hands in the right way, so we tried a few shots at a different angle, but decided that this lighting was better. I directed her to hold her head because I believe it portrays her holding herself together. I wanted to create an image that would speak about the chaos inside of us, and felt that this would be very representational. From a psychological perspective, this image might say something on anxiety or depression.

Part 2

Most people agreed with the "chaos" of the image. I was very happy with the outcome of the shot, I think that the contrast and angle work really nicely. I feel that an angle from the same or lower height of the subject, would not have created the same message in the image.  I think it might be an interesting starting point for a series of images related to turmoil.

This image is about boldness. I feel like the girl in the picture is almost saying "So What?" In retrospect, it might have been nice to fill the frame with her face a little bit more, but i think that the position of her shoulders and face, still portrays this quite well. I asked my model to wear red lipstick, because i wanted to create that contrast on her lips in the black and white photo. I feel that the use of contrast, lighting, and perspective all help to achieve this concept, because she is looking at us straight on, with her hands on her hips, saying "what's your point?", which was my motivation; to create an image that would set the viewer back.I think this image could be used to speak on the behalf of women's rights, since the subject in this photo comes off as bold. 

Part 2

The general response to this image was very good . Everyone kind of seemed to understand the attitude behind this image. I might have liked to get just a tad closer to the subject. I think it would be interesting to get a series of pictures in response to "Faces" and "Shadows".

Blog Prompt #4

“If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug around a camera.” ~Lewis Hine

Do you agree or disagree with this quote? Why? 
Describe situations when photographic images reveal “the story” (as compared to words). 
Describe situations when words reveal “the story” (as compared to images).

I do disagree with this statement. Photo's tell all kinds of stories. Photo's document. They tell us stories about family, tragedy, nature, our memories, our hardships...Sometimes photos tell stories better than words. Like if I say "oh i saw the most beatiful flower, i have never seen anything like it" and you ask me to explain it to you, we could be stuck there for hours while i try to give a poor description of what I saw. A picture of that flower, it's depths and colors and the way the light might hit it's curves, the shapes and everything in between, is so much more powerful than a simple string of words. 


In the other hand, a picture of a couple people yelling and arguing, doesn't tell you a whole lot. Sure it says "They're arguing.", but it doesn't say what they are arguing over, and why, and the tone of their voices. 


Regardless, we cannot always substitute photo's for words, and words for photos. But we can supplement one with the other, which would make for a far better story anyway.

Blog Prompt #3

“Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be.”~Duane Michals.  
Do you agree or disagree with this quote? Why?

I disagree with this statement, because some things ARE what the seem to be. It would be more accurate to state " Not everything is what it seems to be." But there is only so much we can fake with a camera. I can make someone look like they are being stepped on, when they are not, but i still need to photograph those people. 


With a camera, i can take an ordinary house and make it look dark, or i can make it look warm and inviting.... but in the image you still see a house. 

Recreation

The Original. 

Vilho Setala - Little Men, Long Shadows

My Re-Creation

I started this project thinking that recreating the tonal values and the lighting shouldn't be too hard. I was way off. I used a desk lamp as my lighting source, and it seemed to have a limited threshold. After about 40 minutes of trying to maneuver my setting and the lighting just right, i finally settled. I wanted to bring in more light to the left of the image, however doing this would create a new set of shadows.  I also wanted to increase the exposure of the image, just a tad but doing this would have completely whitened out the right corner. My favevorite part of this project was the Haagen Dasz I got to enjoy, which served me with the popsicle stick in the image. 

I wasn't able to find very much information on "Little Men Long Shadows" but apparently Vilho Setala was one of Finlands art pioneers. 

Blog Prompt #2

Blog Prompt #2: What does the word "photograph" mean to you?

To me a photograph means a memory. It is a documentation of a moment. It captures an emotion. It sends a message. Pablo Picasso once said that "Painting isn't done to decorate apartments. It is an instrument of war" and I believe the same is true for Photography.

Blog Prompt #1

Blog Prompt #1: Imagine a world without photographs. Describe what this world would be like.

A world without photographs would leave descriptions to the person giving them.  Things would be difficult to explain to someone who has never seen that thing you're trying to explain.

Photography is an art form, a form of documentation. Without it, we couldnt show the world the beautiful things that we have seen. Photography is the capture of a moment. It allows us to look back at something and remember. So perhaps without it we would lose ourselves a lot easier, forget the things to we might want to remember...

Without photography there would always be a strive to be very exact. People would always try to recreate a moment. But now that photography is part of our lives, many artists thrive to be abstract.  And because there is that option to be abstract we have been able to let photography develop into an art form.

I think that overall a world without photographs would be very annoying. I would just get sick of having to explain what I saw over and over again, to someone that really couldnt imagine what im trying to portray.