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.