Final Critique Today!

I was disappointed no one really came up with a narrative for the collection. I would have hoped that some would have associated more with them than on a formal level.

Critique Tomorrow

I'm a little upset one of my favorite shots turned out pretty dark and I didn't realize it until I gave away my computer. I baked pumpkin spice muffins for the critique!

Chosing

I have about 13 pictures as of now. I've asked several opinions on deciding the last few but I can't seem to choose! Ahh! But I really like the colors for this collection. I really wanted to use gold and I didn't expect to really follow through with it. I also was able to follow through with the wind on one of them. I'm so used to letting go of my expectations in other mediums, but I suppose because photography is different in that sense.

dun dun dun

editing and choosing pictures is ridiculously tough for some reason. I'm hoping to get some opinions in class and then come after school to print.

Finally!

I finally got to shoot at the beach yesterday! When looking for objects at my parent's house I found my parent's old family album.

Ideas

So I think I want to work within the realm of memory. I want to work with purposely overexposing photos. I'm at my parent's house for the weekend so I'm going to be using photos that already have emotional attachment for me and work with their placements.

Inspiration

During class today I decided I have too many ideas going through my head right now and I need to have a unifying formal theme (and possibly choose through the process of something more specific.)

oh, blogs

I have been in such a blogging craze lately. Found the most delightful photos and ideas, I want to learn a little more about different lens filters! Took some pictures today that I'll post later.

Class today

Wendy really encouraged us to dive right into our projects, so I plan to go out and shoot tomorrow. I've been looking for a few inspiration shots but it's leading me to different ideas.

Aside from the Carolina's

I'm really afraid this idea will look cheesy! So to harness this fear I think I might pull a bit more abstract. I was thinking of keeping the same format as last time as far as planning. I want each photo in the series to have a purpose and be a bit different from the others. In a sense, stand out and yet fit in the series. Hopefully that makes sense.

Carolina Trip

I just got back from a backpacking trip in the Carolinas. I really wish I could have brought my SLR but there's no way I could risk it in the conditions we were in. I did, however, use up a role of fancy disposable film. I was really excited to try and take nice pictures with such an "outdated" mode of photography. Haven't used one since elementary school!

Colors?

Grey skies, black, gold, and maybe a red or teal. For some reason I keep seeing obscure images in my head with those colors. An off putting, bizarre mystery. I can never tell until I start shooting how it will seem though. Unfortunately, I'm heading off to the Carolina's tonight until Monday.. but I'll definitely build up the ideas in my head and play around with what I can.

Project 4 Critique

My work was described as magical and adventures which (yay) was definitely what I was going for. Unfortunately, I didn't hear much critical feedback. I am playing around with the idea of doing something a tad darker for my final project. In my past project I was thinking a lot about how the idea of an adventure or the memory of an adventure is much more fun than the reality of it. By keeping the mystery involved, I was able to harness all the magical fun, feel good spirits. But I could easily turn that mystery around, even slightly so.

I'm afraid my work will start to seem boring and look the same.

Forces

Maybe my final project could incorporate some sort of physical, invisible force in its frame of space. I am thinking of very blank minimal spaces. I originally got the idea of wind as a sense of force because of this beautiful past weekend's weather. I was sitting at the beach with my hair whipping around obnoxiously. What a beautiful day it would have been to have my camera. If I could get another gray cold and windy day I would love to go to the beach to shoot.

Space

What fills wide open spaces? clouds? shadows? textures? reflections?

Breathing

I was thinking of doing a project that incorporates some thought of breathing through space. Open spaces. I do breathing exercises quite often and realize how important it is to rejuvenate your spirit. Even if I don't follow through with this idea I'd like to hold onto it to develop where it could take me.

Final Project

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ld3m29qlonE6qcbehVVctcIdp4TcWPicWTUO2A25TFz06NAfgbf8DWVn7bAEJrli1HJjCQJo3wVfsSFZlke46DAU77E1SumpWFeN0CyziOv5Bn1SiU_lncAqmmX2C0RTDwQ2BTLuRG8/s1600-h/2634465052_a628abd694_o.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSkJtDlHMzRTmQc9Qw4AFs_NgL-81qs4W6UNuq8urlwqZE2rxODPhh9FhGlyH4pcQyydVg418RvFigqfr_QgfPGt8RLJGjbFjG0sR9cq8AGOis2Iey7k7gVwLJlNl-aah3FdQHSAY1yw/s1600-h/chocolate_(3).jpg

Yum

I think this is my favorite photo of the series. I was trying so hard to think more of integrating shapes and tunnels and recreating other worlds, but I don't think I could beat this one.

Editing

I'm having a lot of trouble narrowing down photos! Ahh! But I have experimented more with painting and editing my photos than any previous Projects. Wendy suggested to experiment painting in darker exposure backgrounds, etc. I think it compliments the set very well. Adds more drama and mystery. Also aids to the constructed feel, very minimalist and specific details.

Shallow Depth of Field

I think on a general note, I've noticed a pattern of favoring my shallow depth of field photos. I'm drawn to the minimalist quality of the compositions. They feel much more complete as photographs, maintaining and circulating the eye.

Weather

The weather has been great for adventuring :] I was playing around with this photo.. painted in a little bit of the right corner. Not sure if I'll include it, just playing around.

Sailing away

I've gotten more into the theme of an invited adventure rather than a fairy tale. I guess they seem one in the same, but I want more of an activated gaze than a passive one. I keep finding a ton of trash on my adventures.. I'll probably include some of these ideas. To me, not being that fond of Tampa, I see my images as escapes away from this concrete, dirty, waste filled place. But I'm sure others can view it as simply an adventure through their surroundings.

whoosh

More adventuring. I probably won't put these in the collection, but I am fond of them regardless. I was really excited about this one but it looks very blah to the eye.. a typical view, I couldn't find a good angle that really invites you with the adventure! So I'm letting out my excitement here.
On a side note, this boat is such a trooper. I've dropped it, broken it, and reconstructed it more times than I remember now.

Neverland

After class yesterday, I've experimented a little bit with a more traditional take on the project.. but have reverted back. I feel like I'm cheating by fabricating and setting up these shots! But I'm having so much fun fabricating these scenes in my head (whether or not they work out). I went to the mall with a friend today and had all of these silly ideas of placing the boat up an escalator, crossing a cross walk, etc.

Adventure

My first shoot I really favored the idea of my sailboat soaring through the sky. As if it is in a fairy tale. I keep feeling this Peter Pan, Neverland sense of place. Yum.

Fabricating Water

http://www.doobybrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/ocean-foam-bubbles2.jpg
^ creating bread landscape

http://go635254.s3.amazonaws.com/cleantechnica/files/2009/03/sand-could-filter-water-for-millions.jpg
^ using sand patterns that already mimic water

Reading Response 2

As a painter, I feel I look to photography to either help me to continually render my work realistically or create abstract scenes that might as well be painted (or constructed). Defining description is really important in all aspects of art making. The text breaks it down to the attention of form, medium, and style. Then goes more in depth into how to begin to interoperate and evaluate the work. The text provided multiple examples of artists and specific works to support Barrett’s main points. The text reminded me of the process of formal analysis in art history. I agree very much with the importance of fully describing the work. By continually bringing forth factual evidence of what is in front of you, you therefore begin to unravel purposeful decisions the artist made. “The relationship between describing and interpreting is circular, moving from whole to part and from part to whole” I think this quote explains very well the relationship of evaluating and critiquing the work in the most effective means possible. I think this text (or the reminder of the process of interpreting) is effective for us as artists to always be conscious and in control of our works. It is easy to get hung up on any one aspect of the background or the subject. This text reminds us how much responsibility we hold with our work and we need to be continually stepping back and asking questions and making formal decisions. I enjoyed the last part of the text where Barrett wraps up the principles for describing photographs to truly reiterate the valid importance of the points already thoroughly illustrated.

Fabricating Place

So far I have specific ideas for each shot. Each photo will be planned out specifically with much attention to lighting, textures, and overall subtle objects in concept. I plan to look at small dollhouse furniture/objects for some of these. This is a brainstorm first based off an array of textures and I'll continue to bounce around with unifying ideas.

A lot of these were inspired from Andy Goldsworthy!


1. Salt/Sugar: Pouring sugar/salt on dark surface and drawing out lake designs (inspired from he video in class of Andy Goldsworthy)

2. Tiny wooden boat on white bed sheet. Giving an endless ocean, organic appearance.

3. Sand: creating a sand cave and leaving behind small sticks set up around , like a primitive camp site

4. Fabric: placing a window sill on patterned fabric

5. Skin: aerial view of drawing on skin. maybe using tattoos people already have.

6. Hair: hair as an ocean

7. Baked bread, using the cracks from freshly baked bread as a fire, earth's crust opening up. a fault line.

8. Using a street- setting up a red and white checkered blanket and any other objects left behind to show a picnic

9. Fabric forest idea: creating a swing in a

Fabricating Landscape

This has been the idea I have been working on for Project #4. I want to specifically set up scenerios to truly fabricate a landscape and fool the eye. I am thinking of looking at universal shapes, like in the movie we saw. His obsession with the lines of flowing rivers. Creating miniature scenes. Setting the stage.

Inspiration

I think on a general note a lot of my work stems from the idea of where your mind goes if you allow it to. I think a lot about nostalgia and how your imagination copes with these elements. Pan's Labyrinth has always stuck in my head and influenced a lot of the "innocent mystery" that I attempt to convey. A lot of my drawings focus on negative space as if it were objects appearing through a light, through one's mind. I'm really interested in portraying this mood through abstraction in photography.

Final Critique

I worked really hard to keep my pictures together as a group and work cohesively and I feel that was successful. I feel like some photos were more successful than others. The ones I enjoyed more seemed more bare and truly let your mind wander around.

different apertures

I really like this abstract body curve by Declan McCullagh. I've experimented a lot with bracketing for this project. I found for pushing a more abstract appearance, I've been messing around a lot with my aperture. Giving the indication of depth.

Process

I really enjoyed my artist's work as being playful and silly with the body. I am trying to emulate her work as making landscapes and fun shapes with attributes of hair and skin folds, etc. I did two shoots so far and plan to recreate a few shots with a white comforter. Creating a dream scape feeling. I don't think I'll use her blubber series (where she holds onto the skin colored sac) because it doesn't fit the mood I'm going for. Rather than adding to the body, I want to specifically focus on the body itself.

Experimenting

I really enjoy Jeanne Dunning's more abstract work rather than a satirical statement about the body concerning gender, sex, race, or sexual desire. I intend to play more around with elements of mystery and vastness.

Library

Another visit to the library this evening and I have found a couple more artists that I really enjoy. Wendy suggested knowing exactly who we'll choose to emulate by the latest next Tuesday. I picked up a book called "Milk and Melancholy" that I might try to play with those shots.

Jeanne Dunning

I went to the library for 2 hours and picked out artist Jeanne Dunning for my emulation project. I was drawn to the simplicity in her compositions and emphasis on light and detail. I'll have to shoot over the weekend to see if I'll need I macro lens or not. I also wrote down a few more artists to come back to if I decide to switch.

Critique 2

I feel overall successful on this project, because I learned a lot from it. The collection of a whole wasn't fully successful, but I believe I got some good shots. I'll continue to focus on my strengths as a painter and work on adding depth through layers and continue to square my compositions.

End of Project 2

I like the idea of creating very simple images with very specific conscious decisions that made them turn out gorgeous. Solely focusing on color. At least as a beginning photographer, this is how I am going to step into it. I think Hellen Van Meene is a great example of that. Her work is gorgeous and takes you somewhere magical but has a very odd and harsh reality to it. I like this thought a lot, like her work invites you into a fairy tale but the more you explore you are also trapped in the reality of the subject's situation.

Color

I really liked experimenting with color in Project 2. Wendy told me to definitely use my skills as a painter to use them in photography. I think this simple bit of advice will really help transform my photographs. I have been focusing on playing with color throughout the entire project. I went from painting faces to focusing on hands. I tried to also pay close attention to framing the picture. I didn't want to do it in every photo (some I left as specific close ups to frame themselves) because it seemed redundant. I was worried about being too cliche with certain images, but took the risks anyways. I ended up focusing specifically on hands and noticed as I rooted out my stronger images, it seemed like I was creating a fantasy world through the collection. I really, really liked this discovery and will definitely use it throughout the semester! (It may seem simple and obvious to many, but I am very much a beginning photographer!)

Critique 1

I was surprised no one liked the red bug photo of mine. I suppose I only like it because I was so amazed I was able to capture him in focus. It's a fairly weak composition, though I like the saturation of the colors. The cat's eyes, the swan landscape, the lizard, and the grasshopper's were the "liked" ones out of the bunch that we touched on. I feel like working with a tripod and planning out my shots would greatly improve my work.

Kennedy Garrett

Project 2 is due in 8 days and I am redoing my entire idea. Not that I was entirely sure what I wanted to do in the first place.. I took pictures of my newborn niece over the weekend. These photos are by Kennedy Garrett. I like the idea of the first one, I've always been interested in seeing landscapes on any surface (bodies, bedsheets, etc.) but that doesn't fit this assignment very well. I was thinking of painting on my friends’ faces and working with that. Not a tribal thing, more like a fantasy thing. Making them into animals. I like to approach ideas more playfully and subtly in my work. After seeing the images in class from lecture, I decided I really just need to spend today researching before I dive into it.

Kalle Gustafsson

I remember coming across this image many years ago and really loving the warm and loving quality to it. After seeing more of his work I can see that most of his shoots are entirely staged. They look like incredible stills of a fancy Hollywood movie. They idealize the young and beautiful. I love the composition in this photo though, it stands out to me as something far different from the rest. From the framing of the figures, depth, and shapes of the landscape create a narrative of its own.

Notes to self for next assignment:

Think more into the theme from the beginning. Plan out shots. Account for everything to go wrong. And last but not least: USE A MAC! So many technology issues this time, but at least I learned a bit. And for a complete beginner at this as well as technology, I think I got a couple fun shots.

Interests

I love this idea of recreating a childish exploratory scene. This is Lisy Elle's work, I could post her entire series up; it's all so good. It goes on for much discussion of our nostalgic routes and in this case, icons of femininity. I love the lighting and composition of this photo. I might use these ideas for my next assignment or for a final project.