Project 2 Part 1 of Critique

Image 1:

Cropping: The crop of this picture is important to the viewer and the overall feel of the picture.  I tried many different crops, and found this to be the most effective.  I like how the person appears ambiguous because you cannot see her eyes (you can see a small portion under her eyes however), yet the angle of the photo gives a glamorous effect to the picture.  I also chose to include the christmas lights in the background which adds to the glamor. 

Background elements: As discussed above, I chose to include only a small portion of the background.  I chose to include the christmas lights because I felt it gave a glamorous effect to the picture which I liked, and the background is so blurry that it is up to the viewer to decide what it really is.  The girl is the main focus though, and although there is a bit of the background still shows, I think she is highlighted because the background is dark and blurry.

Amount of subject shown in frame: I chose to only show a small portion of the person, just part of the face and part of the shoulder.  I really like how the result turned out.  I tried several different poses and different zooms, but I liked this the best because the person was ambiguous and interesting because of the lighting and the small portion of the body shown.

Aboutness/motivation/method: This picture was meant to be a glamour shot, something that would be shown in a magazine.  The lighting, contrast and cropping help to emphasize this.  This was part of my zoom series and a lamp was used with no other lighting except the back christmas lights.  

Context: This as stated above was meant to be a glamour shot.

Image 2:

Proximity to subject: For this image, I placed the hand closest to the camera, and the girl's body is furthest away.  Really, this feature is the main concept of the whole picture.  The hand is the main focus, but the girl behind the hand is what makes the hand so interesting.  I placed the camera close to the hand and stood about the subject in order to get this view.

Framing: I chose to include the subject and quite a large portion of the background and I am happy with the framing because it makes the background have certain shapes which add to keeping the focus on the hand and on the subject.  The black and white of the walls also contribute towards highlighting the hand. 

Focus: The focus of this subject is on the hand, but the subject is also somewhat in focus.  The subject is still blurry but still somewhat in focus and out of all of the pictures I took, I liked that effect most.  That way it emphasizes the hand, but it also shows the subject's position and expression which are important in the viewer's interpretation of the picture.  

Aboutness, motivation and method:  This photo was not meant to be about blood, and actually the paint was blue.  The concept was not meant to be a vulnerable position also but I like the way it turned out, and chose to adjust the colors so that they do look like dirt/blood because then the subject really does seem nervous and vulnerable.  I used a lamp to the side of her in order to create the shadows.

Context: After turning it to black and white, I like the idea that the subject is nervous and telling someone to stop, go away.  The girl has maybe even been abused.  This deals with a psychological aspect.

Image 3:

Contrast: Contrast is by far what makes this picture what it is.  I chose to add higher contrast because I really wanted half of the face to be disguised, while the other half (in particular the lips) are light and detailed.  I did not want to have the contrast too high however because then you would lose all detail in half of the face.  I especially wanted to show detail on the lips.

Lighting: The lighting of this image is also very important.  I placed the lamp to the right of the subject right next to her face in order to get such harsh lighting.  Increasing the contrast helped to darken the left side of the face, but it was mostly due to the lighting.  I love the lighting and how you can see glimmers of lighting on the brush, nose and the paintbrush.

Focus: The subject is completely in focus which is important because it is such a zoomed in area of the face.  The paintbrush has a bit of blur but if the image was at all blurry it would be distracting and look like a mistake.

Aboutness: This picture is meant to be ambiguous and show only a small portion of the face that we usually wouldn't see. 

Method: I did a few makeup shots and I chose to do this after googling some portraits and deciding to do it after.  

Context: This image deals with some sort of glamour but not in the typical way by showing only a small portion of the face. It is kind of cultural because it is very typically feminine.

Image 4:

Distracting elements: I really wanted to keep this picture very simple and have no background which is why I chose to not take the image with any background, and crop out most of the wall.   I wanted the subject to be the focus and I feel that the subject (especially her shirt) is the main focus.  

Perspective and point of view: This image was taken at eye level but I think the position of the subject is interesting because you can see her backbone which creates an interesting aspect both visually and when the interpreter thinks about it.  

Visual Design Elements:  The shapes created in this image are interesting in the shirt and the pattern of the shirt is interesting because of the holes and the way I set the contrast in order to emphasize the holes in the shirt.

Aboutness, method, and motivation: This image was meant to show a position that you would not frequently see, and I like how the subject has personality without having to show her face.  I like the idea of body language telling more about a person than facial expressions.  I used a lamp to left of the subject but kind of far away to get a more even lighting.  I tried MANY shots of the back after accidentally taking one and this ended up being my favorite.

Context: This image is more about social issues than anything else.

Brian Finke

Brian Finke is a documentary photographer.  He was awarded a a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship for Photography in 2004.  His works have been exhibited throughout the world and he has published two books. 


His works stood out to me because each image told a different story, while some were exciting, others were more angry or sad.  All of his photographs though are very real, and feel like you could be with those people at that specific time.  He really captured images in the moment, and those moments are real because they are not posed.

The first image is from his collection of "frat boys" .  This image is very stereotypical but it stood out to me because all of the expressions and what is going all feels very real and honest.  The people are not posed and this really might be something you would see at a frat party.

The second image I really just like how he played with the aperture so that the background is more of a blur and the foreground is so in focus.  It really makes you sense a feeling of separation and loneliness and I think Finke wanted to show a different side behind cheerleading and the cliche that cheerleaders are always happy.

http://www.brianfinke.com/

Blog Entries #8, #9, and #10

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


I agree with this quote because I think it is true that each person photographs differently.  Each person sees everything differently, wants to convey different messages, and chooses a certain portion of what they are seeing to photograph.  Each photographers work is individualistic and tells a lot about who they are by what they choose to show.
“You don't take a photograph, you make it.” ~Ansel Adams




You make a photograph because it is more of a piece of art than something technological.  Although something may be going on around you that you choose to photograph, it is up to you what portion you choose to emphasize, crop, alter.  


“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



I disagree with the quote because I think a photograph (although it is more realistic than a painting since it is actually what happened) is also what the artist remembers.  The photographer chooses which portion they wish to photograph, and how they wish to photograph it.  Therefore, it is almost like a painting through photography.  A picture is so personal to the photographer, and they wanted to express something just like what a painter wishes to do.  Both paintings and photographers can change their meaning according to who is looking at it because every piece of art is open to interpretation.

Assignment 2:0 Recreate

Assignment 2:0 Recreate

http://www.art-dept.com/artists/bolofo/

The photographers name is Koto Bolofo and he has done a series of British editorials.  Most of bolofo's photos were bright and sunny which is why I am drawn to the photographs.

This first image I found on a website of one of the links given to us.  I really liked how in this picture the head was cut off.  Although when most people think portrait, they think of a face, I sometimes think of parts of the body instead.  I decided to recreate the image in my room using more intense lighting and a similar picture.  I liked the way my result turned out and I think the shadows on the body are interesting.  I wish the background was white however but I could not find a good place.

Assignment 1 Pt. 2 of Written Statement

PT. 2 of Written Statement

Image 1

Interpretation: The class liked this picture, they said that it was intriguing because it was difficult to tell what it was since I only chose a section of the fountain.  On my written critique, a few people told me that they had tried to capture water with a small shutter speed but had difficulties.  

Evaluation: I think I could have played with the contrast more or less, the water is easy to identify but I wonder what would have happened if I used more contrast.  I also maybe would have had even less of the image because there was a lot to look at.  

Extension: This was one of my first times trying to capture an image with a fast shutter speed.  I found that it was difficult and that the more light the better.   I would have liked to use this as a series of something like capturing fountains with different shutter speeds.

Image 2

Interpretation: Others liked how the image was black and white in order to really be able to see the texture presented in the image.  This photograph was a good example of an image that looked better in black and white.  

Evaluation: The angle is working for the image, but I wish the back wall was straight and not crooked.  The texture is really illuminated because of the black and white and the contrast.  I also would have liked to change the aperture so that the back windows were more blurry than the ones in front. 

Extension: The building that I used would be great for a series of pictures.  There were several windows and interesting sections to look at.  I would also like to try using different apertures to see how that would change the picture.

Image 3

Interpretation: The class really liked how the trees framed the picture in an interesting way.  They also liked how in focus the front was, and how blurry the background was.  I increased the contrast and I think it was a good idea because it made the front trees almost look like a silhouette. 

Evaluation: I like how the picture looks dreamlike; kind of like you are laying on the ground and looking up.  I wish I would have included less of the blurry tree and more of the focused tree but it does give and interesting effect.  I also like how the back trees kind of sparkle.  

Extension: Different images with sunlight could make a good series, I had a few more with sun in them.  I found that they were difficult to take though because my camera would try focusing on the sun sometimes, which is impossible to do almost.  Also, the sun looks much different to the naked eye than to the camera. 

Assignment 1 Final Images

Image 1

Contrast: The contrast of this image is very important because it makes the water really stand out in comparison to the darker background and crate.  If not for the contrast, the background and foreground would blend and together and the individual droplets of water would be hard to see.

Focus: Almost all of the image is in focus, but it does not distract from the foreground (the water) being the main point.  It also allows for us to see all the different textures created by the crate and by the water.

Amount of subject to show in frame: I chose to leave the entire fountain out of the frame and instead just zoom in on a portion of the fountain; enough so that you can see a lot of water, but not enough so that the water is overpowering.

Image 2

Cropping: Although this was a big window, I chose to crop the top part off because I wanted the windows to be bigger and to be able to see the reflection in the windows.  This also makes it easier to be able to see the detail of the paint on the windows and panels. 

Visual Design Elements (spot/line, shape/pattern, emphasis/balance): The lines in this composition are important because of the defined lines of the panels and of the windows.  The patterns on the windows are also important because they visually add to the composition.  

Perspective and point of view: The perspective is from the height of the viewers eye.  It is at an angle though to show down a lot of windows.  this is important to be able to see the patterns of the windows.

Image 3

Sharpness and blur: The sharpness of the tree branch closest to us is the most in focus, although there is actually more shown of the back more blurry branch.  The focused branches are interesting when compared to the blurry branches and this really allows the sun to appear brighter and more important.

Contrast: While the foreground is darkest, the background has less contrast which allows for the foreground to pop out more at the viewer.  This makes the foreground branch appear even more focused.

Background elements: The tree in the background is blurry and has more contrast than the foreground which allows the foreground to pop out more.  This really is important because without the blurry background the sun and other tree would not be as interesting.

Assignment 1 Final Photos

Blog Entry 2

“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 agree with this because using a camera you are able to change effects like make it lighter or darker in order to change what the scene really looks like.  You can change the amount of exposure, the shutter speed, and the aperture, just to name a few.  Changing these settings changes what the photograph looks like.  One is able to change the mood of a photograph, for example by setting less exposure, the photograph will look darker and possibly more mysterious than what it looked like to the naked eye.  It is also a photographer's choice as to what they want to leave in or out of a picture which can entirely change the story behind the picture.  Blurring the background makes the foreground look more detailed, but the naked eye could probably see everything.  

“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 agree and disagree with this quote.  At times it is difficult to express in words what you saw, and a photograph is able to set the mood of a story.  Yet, the right words can make a person feel the same as if they were to see a photograph.  It would be too difficult to tell a book in photographs because you can't fit all of the information of an entire story into one photograph.  Photos are good at bring out moods of a certain situation though, and each person feels something different when looking at the same picture, and something similar can be said when people read stories.  Really it just depends on the situation in knowing whether words or a picture would be more useful to tell the story better.  News reports than contain just pictures sometimes need more to place background of what is happening in order to get a good feel for the situation, whereas news reports where there are just words may be tough to visualize. 

Assignment #0 Recreation
Liebling, Jerome
TitleBlind Home, St. Paul, Minnesota
Date1963
Materialgelatin silver print

Liebling was a professor at the University of Minnesota.  He has received many awards and produced several award winning documentaries.

The photo I recreated was instead of eating, I chose something that I enjoy doing; reading.  I tried to mimic the lighting but the actual picture is lighter than my result.  I used a lamp in my room.

First Blog

a. Imagine a world with no photographs. Describe what this world would be like.


It is difficult for me to imagine a world without photographs.  It would change the world immensely because many people rely on photographs in order to "see" things.  Photographs allow us to experience things through pictures without actually having been there when the photograph was taken.  It would be difficult to imagine how things used to be, how things are in different countries and places.  It would almost be like we would all be living inside a bubble where all we could see would be what is right in front of us.  



b.        Describe what the word “photograph” means to you.


The word means simply recording something that is happening or a memory.  It is a simple snapshot of a certain time that can be shown to others or used personally.