Documentation

My theme for this project was bike racks and, in shooting these photos, I wanted to express the chaos that happens once these 'organized' racks are overloaded with more than what was expected.  It shows how even the simplest things are taken for granted in our society.

I tried to express this theme by using different vantage points and angles for the fullest effect.  I used straight-on views to explain simple and basic dynamics.  The high and low angles were to dramatize the reality of what is going on in each photograph.

My thinking throughout the project did not change a whole lot but some in certain areas.  I was trying to figure out if I was going to stage any of the areas and, by the time I started capturing the images, decided not to because of the way the bikes were in the racks themselves.  To me, was perfect.  The images and points of interest ended up being exactly what I was looking to express.

  

Old News Interpretation

The Old News show opening by Jeff Sprang was interesting on many levels.  It captured a time within a certain period of history and also the era of film photography.  The one photo that stood out the most to me was The Editor's Desk.  Sprang describes facts about the photo but I would describe the photo as being an envelopment of chaos and a hint of wonder about the life of an editor.

My interpretation of this photograph was that Sprang wanted to show everyone that being an editor is not always just writing but it is about going through so many different ideas and the need for more space in more than one way.  The setting sun that shines on the papers creates a sense of beauty that expresses the end result of a successful article and how hard work can truly pay off.

Some questions I have for Jeff would be what brought him to the idea of Old News, what is his favorite   photograph, and why did it take him until now to want to do an exhibit?

Assignment 2

Frame

Vantage Point

Detail

Fast Shutter

 Slow Shutter + Tripod

Hand Held at Night

Night + Tripod

Great DOF   F/36 

 Shallow DOF   F/5.6

Flash

The Thing Itself

I felt this image portrays what John Szarkowski says about a photo challenging reality.  Someone might look at this image and think that there has to be something at the end of this cord.  Truthfully, the cord is not plug into anything but is just next to my camera creating this illusion.

Assignment 1 Photograph

The Path

My Comments on "The Photographer's Eye" by John Szarkowski

At the beginning of this reading, through the introduction, it addressed what made photography different and how it made some feel.  Some wondered how it could be creative, and those were the ones who were stuck in the traditional ways of thought. They couldn't see how a picture created by someone stroking a paint brush could be overran by someone with a quick snap of a button.

A big issue between paintings of photographs was the ability to tell a story through the work.  Later on, in the growth of photography, paintings were becoming less useful because of the time it took to create one piece.  Photographers started to learn how to set a scene, or just shoot the right angle to be able to tell a story with a single photo.

Photography has been used for it's meaning since it was created, either by artists trying to establish a new medium of work or just by an average person with the right amount of income.  This new medium was created by scientist and painters says Szarkowski, and those who were involved, changed art forever.

Artists' Point of View

Materializing New Space by Kelly Urquhart and Jaime Kennedy was very powerful.  The art itself really had its own voice and was detailed and colorful, but it was the way Kelly and Jaime were able to collaborate their different styles and mediums of work to come up with such fantastic pieces that impressed me.  I loved how they brought her drawing and his photography into one and then added a sculpted piece to the mix.

The pieces that stood out to me the most were, of course, the Avian Flying Apparatuses.  By of course, I mean the great attention to detail, especially when the work isn't real.  I could never imagine spending so much time on something like these pieces, and by that, I have gained so much respect to the artists, not just Kelly and Jaime, but to every artist.  

With Materializing New Space, I could not really say if my interpretation differed from both Kelly and Jaime's because they were able to explain it to us first hand what the meaning of each piece was.  I actually enjoyed this because it was my first time actually getting an artist's point of view on their own work and what they really wanted to come out in every piece.

Interpretation of Parr

by: Marin Parr

In this photograph, I see a caucasian person. They are smiling big, seemingly happy, more of a grin. The person has red lips and strong bone structure. I can't really tell if the teeth are real or fake but they have some specks of red on them.  The focus is fully on the mouth area, very dark background, and is blurred anywhere else.  

I think Parr was trying to get across how we, in everyday life, go about our routine without a thought of how the tiniest things, we aren't even aware of, could be wrong.  I think he likes to show us, or even prove to us, that nothing is perfect and does it in a humorous kind of way.

I feel like my perception of Parr's photograph is right because everyone has those little, embarrassing moments when something is either on your face or in your teeth and no one wants to be the person to break the news.