Midterm Proposal

I have a couple of ideas for my midterm project.  One of them is to photograph around the restaurant I work at, in the kitchen, in the pizza making area, in the break etc.  This would be ideal time wise because I could shoot on my break or before my shift starts or right after it ends.  I constantly see things that I would like to make pictures of at work so this might be when I get to do it.  A couple other ideas I had, which are less time efficient, and require relying heavily on others, are to recreate rolling stone magazine covers or to do closeup portraits of people, focusing on their least favorite feature, and highlight those features in different ways.  One of my goals is to shoot for rolling stone someday and I think it would be fun to recreate the iconic photos they've published.  I can't choose between the three, but I'm leaning toward the restaurant idea.  I could save the other ones for final project options.

Midterm Proposal

I find old rusted out broken down classic cars interesting, I thought it would be cool to focus on wrecked vehicles and junkyards. I think the warm tones from the rusted cars and the dirt in the yard will give a sense of  beauty these cars once had.

I hope the different yards will allow me to take pictures of their facilty. I hope its not cold because my finger freeze up and its not easy to take pictures with hurting hands. I hope there's no overcast so i wont have to use a tripod. Also another situation that could cause my shoot to go wrong is that it could be rainy for weeks or snow.

I will use whatever point of view I feel I need to get the image I see in my mind. I will use the regular 6x9 proportions as I use with all of my assignments. I really want to focus on older classic cars, 1950s and later.

I would like the conditions for my shoot to be warm, sunny so I can get the different colors of rust, afternoon, and a weekday. I want nice dark hard shadows. 

I know I'll be able to make ten interesting prints of the junkyrad at this point but I will keep brainstorming for more ideas. 

It looks like an old town in europe where there was a light rain that just passed at 630 pm. I love the brightness of the sun making the city awake giving the notion of a new life, I also like how the light is making shadows and reflections on the wet sidewalk making a good contrast. Her blonde hair blends with the sunrise continuing the theme of the light of the sunrise with the darkness around the ages making a good vignetted.

Photo by Amy Stein

This portrait of a place conveys emotions. Emotion creates a photograph. In this photograph I see emotion flowing through the photograph. The warm colors help me feel emotions of loneliness. Although this is a photo of a small farm stand in the fall, you can observe the fire going on in the background which over powers the photograph. The color is very dense and beautiful and catches my eye because of it's simplicity. I love the saturation, very little and not to heavy but the light hues of yellow and orange collect as allied colors which is what I automatically noticed in the photo. Color schemes are important when looking at a portrait of a significant place, and this place follows that perfectly.

Floating

In northwestern Montana, USA. The water is so transparent that it seems that this is a quite shallow lake. In fact, it’s very deep. I love this photo for how the colors transition beautifully under the water. The debris underneath the water gives this photo a texture. I really enjoy how the girl looks like she is just floating above the debris like she is floating on air.

ps: schedule change

your assignment to make a color portrait of a PLACE
is now due
March 12th instead of March 5th..
an extra week to make your project extraordinary!

the midterm project proposal guidelines are now on oasis...
follow these guidelines and post your proposals onto the blog for feedback by March 5th.

after March 5th you will spend the next week writing comments on the proposals of multiple classmates...make sure no one has ZERO comments on the midterm proposals by March 12th when we walk into class...

This photo, taken by one of my favorite photographers Mitchell Davis, appeals to me mainly because of the tones. Although there is an obvious blue/purple color cast over the entire image, I think it works to its own advantage. Because the person in the picture's face is so "organic," the imperfect color correction compliments the overall mood of the photo and in turn makes it seem more candid. I also really appreciate the "dead space" in this photo. I think the fill of color and a blank background works even further to highlight the person in the image.

Second Color Assignment

When I first saw this photo I was draw to its high saturation. The blue in the sky and the water are highly saturated at the edges and fade to a lighter blue to create a horizontal stripe across the center of the photograph. When squinting at this photo I notice the three primary colors red, yellow and blue. Having these colors extremely saturated makes each stand out on its own. The red dress pops against the blue ocean/sky. Because the model has a similar red colored hair as her dress it makes her one popping subject. I am not distracted by an extremely light or dark colored hair adding another color to the photograph. Each color is strong and holds its own weight in the photograph making it extremely pleasing to look at.

colorists!

remember,

always post a new color photograph for the start of each class.  you should be adding input to a handful of your peer's posts as well each week.  doing so fulfills part of your class participation grade.  simply contribute specific comments about all the  things a photo does, by using the photo as a starting point.  avoid lazy adjectives such as like, love, beautiful, etc...

remember you can always discuss for any photo: tone, color, focus, light, composition, symbolic/cultural information, vantage point, saturation, shutter speed, etc etc etc!!!

the above photo is by greg stimac...who while traveling cross country photographing other projects started to spot and photograph "TRuckERBomBS" which are bottles of piss that truck drivers toss while en route.  greg lowers the vantage point, momumentalizing the bottle in scale.  he also uses depth of field and backlight to aggrandize and add glow to an otherwise hilarious and gross subject matter.  he was very specific about shooting during a specific time of day to achieve this effect.  the cool sky is empty, recedes, and sets us the bottom of the photo to move forward, warmly, toward us.  the horizon line is raised a bit to provide a strong, asymmetrical balance in the way the bottom/top parts of the image are placed....more to see at gregstimac.com

This picture has captured my attention because of the strong and virbant colors used.  Some people may think that the colors used are way to powerful and even overwhelming, although I think it is just enough color that it fills the frame and nothing distracts from the colors.  I have loved this picture by Steve McCurry  for a while now and to me it is the definition of a color photograph.  The color is clearly one of the most important subjects of the picture.  The bright red covering this dark boys body is incredibly contrasting to his hair, lips, and mouth.  This makes these features stand out more making a fantastic portrait of the boy.  The green-blue background of the portrait is almost the complimentary color of the red in the foreground creating a  nice display of contrasting colors.  The silhouette of another boy lingers in the background, however it does not distract from the picture and almost imitates the position of the subject's body.

 

There are no scales to weigh the misery of a captured holy warrior stuck in one of Afghanistan's most isolated and desolate prisoner-of-war camps. The prisoners are given small amounts of food and water every 24 hours. As many as 1,000 Taliban and Pakistani prisoners suffocated to death in freight containers during transport to this notorious Sheberghan prisoner-of-war camp. 

evocative red scare

Portrait of Ronald Reagan with Mary Lou Retton and the 1984 U.S. Olympic team. Photographer- unknown.

This photograph appeals to me because of the juxtaposition between Reagan, who may have been one of the biggest supporters of a deregulated economy in the U.S. and the rows of people dressed in the same threatening red blazers that are symbolizing a communist or socialist state. The bright red is a lot to take in, it attacks the viewer, giving off a sense of danger. The gold medals are what really catch my attention. They deviate from the waves of red and occasional light blue throughout the photograph, the beholder of these medals is being embraced by Reagan and the two are taking precedence over the rest of the subjects by filling most of the frame. This could, perhaps, be taken as a statement about how moving forward or away from from communism and towards capitalism is a winning move; though the two "winners" are still bound by their red outfits, still connecting them with the others, we are all equal, we are all human.

Evocative colour portrait

When thinking of colour portraits where colour in the photograph is used to say something about the subject, or express who they are as a person, this photo by William Eggleston immediately came to mind. In the center of the frame we see a petite, yet extremely stern old woman who is presumably standing in the den or living room of her home. I love the desaturated, mundane colour pallet of this photo; I believe it says a lot about the subject. All of the colours in the room seem to be mimicked by something else in the room at least once. For example: the curtains, brick of the fireplace, and colour of the chair (reflected in the mirror) are all the same tone as the woman's skin. The reddish brown tones seen in the shelf over the fireplace, the desk/wooden chair, floor boards, and paddle-like object on the wall are all similar to each other. This repetition of colour gives the viewer a feeling of the quotidian life lived by this woman. The subject of this photo really pops because her sweater is the only truly white object in the photograph. Things that we would expect to be white, such as the papers on the desk or matting of the pictures, are all desaturated and allow for no distractions from the white of her sweater. William Eggleston's work is fabulous, and I believe this photo is a great example of the subtle use of colour to say something about the subject.

Color Fashion/Portrait

Sorry I don't know how to rotate the picture. Model Anne V photographed by Patrick Demarchelier.

I love fashion photography. For me, it’s a way to combine art and photography. Everything from the model, hair, makeup, and clothes can be utilized to create a work of art. The photo I chose and that I feel uses color in a fascinating way is a photo by the famous French fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier. I found this image in an artbook that I own. It features the work of hairstylist Serge Normant and his collaborations with top fashion photographers around the world.

In this photograph, Patrick Demarchelier plays with an overall blue color scheme. Everything in the foreground seems to be lit with a blue light. Everything from the clothes, hair, and skin are all blue. Even the makeup is blue. The gold glitter on the models forehead brings contrast to the blue part of the photograph. A typical blue color association would be sadness or sorrow which is not the case in this photo. The model’s pose and facial expression are strong and the blue tone highlights the icy, evil, and sinister appeal of the model.

The background of the photograph is overall warm to counteract the cool foreground. The orange-red lights in the background are a complement to the blue and makes the viewer focus on the part of the photograph that is supposed to be focused on- which would be the model in the foreground.

I personally respond to deep and saturated colors in this photo. The colors are strong and emphasize the strong photo. And the black negative spaces in the photo make the oranges and blues appear even more saturated.

reminder

tomorrow we are looking at our contact sheets for feedback on which images to print for next week:
a week from tomorrow we have a color expression portrait due (5prints/2 contact sheets)
and complementary color photos due (3prints)/1 contact sheet)

can't wait to see'em!

allied colors!

Color Portrait

This portrait by RamonaG uses color in a simple and powerful way.  The cool light washes out the warm pigment color in the subject's hair, skin, and clothing while clinging to the dark areas of the image including the subject's eyes.  The thing that first struck me about this image was the way in which the color really ages the subject.  Though it is clear that the subject is a young girl, a combination of a color cast across her skin and shadows to deepen her eyes gives the impression that she is both older and wiser than she most likely is in reality.  The other thing that drew me to this image is the way that my eyes are drawn to the shadow areas of the image as opposed to being drawn to the highlights.  I am not sure why this is happening but I find it interesting.  Overall I feel that this is a successful image and portrait which strongly benefits from the skillful use of color.

Color Portrait Assignment

I was initially interested in this photograph because of its intense colors. There are three distinct different sets of colors. There are orange/yellow, white and blue. Each color is highly saturated making their complementary relationship even stronger. The brightest portion of this photograph is the white of her jacket and the yellow of the door handle. This draws my attention to her as the subject and brings out her "glamorous" persona. Because her bag is the only cool color in this photo my eyes automatically bounce to them as a main subject as well.  If the color of the bag and glove were not so different from the rest of the photo I think it would have blended in as just a prop, not a subject.

Color Picture Assignment

Photo by: Mike Ruiz

What caught my eye about this photograph is the great use of color. The variety of pink tones within the dress, shoes and accessories and the dark teal looking bow in her hair all up against a white wall, makes the color pop even more. I also like how the model is photographed to look as if she is pinned up on the wall like a piece of art.

Color Picture Assignment

This photo by Thorsten Brinkmann automatically caught my attention because of the subject matter.  I paid attention to that first and was immediately reminded of an oil on canvas painting by Rene Magritte entitled "The Lovers".  Then I looked at the color in the photo and realized that this whole picture in itself is somewhat of a contradictory.  It makes me feel two separate things and really confuses me to a certain extent, but in a good way.  The colors of her blouse are very pastel and have an Easter sort of feel to it.  The paper that is covering her head is an eggshell white color, that isn't as pure as stark white, which makes it look a bit dirty.  At first glance, I get an eerie feeling by looking at this because the woman in the picture is basically faceless.  You don't know her expression or what she's feeling, or even how she got there.  Though the feel of it is unusual and slightly uncomfortable, the purple/blue color of her shirt makes me wonder if it is supposed to be happy or not. 

Color Expression Portrait

Photo by Carol Raw

What really intrigues me mostly about this photograph, is the use of color. Particularly what caught my eye was the allied colors, being greens. There is all sorts of different greens in the photograph but what my attention was focused on was how well Carol Raw used the green to make her subject pop against the green wall. What I love about this photograph is the use of cool colors. The cool colors work together to add less tension to the photograph. Since the colors are allied there is nothing outrageous that screams attention in this photo. However the expressive color adds life to the photograph. I feel as if the background were black or white the subject would not have life. The green color and texture of the background help give the subject its atmosphere.

The overall color gives the photo drama. Cool colors have a tendency to make a mood shift to a more depressing state, but for this photograph it is a more dramatic fill. The lighting against the black wall also gives the photo life. The dark shadows from the light blend in what the wall adding more dark green shades onto the wall. And last but not least the light on the subject on the right drives us to the subject making the light a great subject to make the photo have an expressive color.

Ari Marcopoulos

I know it is a bit late for this and I apologize but here is some info about Ari Marcopoulos, our first guest lecturer. Remember you have to write about one of the three lectures.

http://artforum.com/video/mode=large&id=20228

http://www.interviewmagazine.com/art/ari-marcopoulos/

http://oh-wow.com/wp-content/uploads/AMcv.pdf

http://zero1magazine.com/article/ari-marcopoulos/

Photo blogs

Hi Everyone,

Here are a few links to some photo blogs that you might want to check out frequently.
If you haven't found your portrait, yet, these blogs introduce you a bunch of photographers at once.

http://iheartphotograph.com/

http://jmcolberg.com/weblog/

http://www.americansuburbx.com/

http://littlebrownmushroom.wordpress.com/

Have some fun with these...

Color Picture Assignment

This photo interest me because of the warm hues and its simplicity. The angles she makes with her body makes the viewer wonder what has her attention. This image has an 80s vintage asethetic indicated by her style of dress and accessories but yet it was taken in 2012. Theres a feeling of fun even though there is no one else around. It seems to be her special day given the spotlight that illuminates her. Theres the idea of privacy or shyness because she is facing downward away from the camera. There is a round shadow behind her that interesting.   

Color Picture Assignment

Image by Billy Rood

This image by Billy Rood grabbed my attention for many different reasons. Initially because I have been to this place; a really large beautiful old church that has apparently been the backdrop for countless movies and like Billy's photo countless photo-shoots. The quality of light in this image is another reason I was drawn to it; the colors coming through the window are a gradation of yellows, oranges and purples adding a sense of nostalgia to this image. The nostalgia comes from the almost amber tones that seem to encompass a majority of this image, reminding me personally of sepia toned prints of families and events from long ago. The fact that the women in this image is almost silhouetted gives a sense of mystery, or of a ghostly figure which contradicts as well as amplifies the nostalgic quality to Billy's image.  The contradiction lies in the colors that are depicted in this image compared to the figure and her loss of detail, and lowering head stare. Because while yellow and amber tones convey age to a photo, those colors coupled with purple can also explain the moods of happiness or a playful nature.Happiness and playfulness are two moods that I don't quite get from this image however, because the women seems to be standing in a quiet, somewhat scarey stance; my mind wonders to the other option of a ghost like aspect being depicted. The overall quality and tone of the light rushing in through the window's in Rood's photo I believe is subject to the viewers take on why exactly the women in the photo is there, in this dirty room with a lonely looking couch. Had the light coming through the two large sets of windows had a cooler cast I believe the question of whats going on in this photo wouldn't be so hard to comprehend. Not only do the contradictions between a women and the dirt that is surrounding her add depth to this image, but the subject matter verses the light plays a huge role in the message the image conveys; which is why the light is very important to not only this image but every photograph. The coloring can explain to the viewers what he or she should be getting out of the image, or like this photo can prove to be even more of a mystery; which in-turn could be the point all along.