Lets Play!! My boyfriend and I play cards almost every night. I decided to pick up my camera and capture this game in particular because he was losing (which he hates) and causing a lot of visual tension without knowing. The use of a smaller aperture allowed me to seize the moment in which he was at his "best." The dark shadows and high contrast really catches the dramatics of the game. Placing emphasis on the cards builds a story upon a story. I chose to take the pictures from overhead because it creates a scene in which the reader can not tell exactly whats happened. By eliminating surrounding areas in the photo the reader can start to imagine what role the cards play. The main subject is the guy playing cards as most would think the cards are the main focus. Again I placed emphasis on the cards being played. The Landscape layout gives a full view of the game being played without losing the storyline. Other photographers always pay a great amount of attention to framing as I did. Remember nothing is by accident in photography.

prompt #18

“I think photographs should be provocative and not tell you what you already know. It takes no great powers or magic to reproduce somebody's face in a photograph. The magic is in seeing people in new ways.” Duane Michals

While I am a firm believer in photography of whats there. I think this quote is very true when it comes to being a successful photographer. You can take a photo of someones face, but what makes it standout are those freckles that were brought out by over exposing the picture. Or maybe when you sharpened the image to convey the feelings of the subject. These small changes make a world of difference when successfully capturing a subject.

prompt #17

“Photography, as we all know, is not real at all. It is an illusion of reality with which we create our own private world.” Arnold Newman

???? I disagree. In some aspects things may seem to be make-believe and/or of fictional nature, but most photographs are of whats actually present. Realism is a concept that many photographers today have embraced. Capturing whats really there is far more exciting then shooting a made up scene.

prompt #16

“I believe in the imagination. What I cannot see is infinitely more important than what I can see.” Duane Michals

Anyone can embrace "the real", but what really matters is what everybody cant see. One's imagination is a very important and delicate thing. Imagination is what makes photography an art. Imagination is what takes a simple textile and makes it apparel. Without mental agility, the creative world would not exist making our lives useless.

prompt #11

This place holds a lot of meaning. Its the bedroom at my old house that I called mine. Mickey Mouse decals on each wall, they were left there from the previous owners children and I decided to leave them up. Red metal bunk-beds were where I laid my head. I am an only child but in a way having two beds made me feel less alone. The floors we hard wood which would make the winters seem a lot colder. A small closet off to the side with no doors was the best part. I loved being able to look at all of my clothing on spot. A lot of good and bad things happen in this space I called my room, so I moved to the room next door. Tweety Bird was the new interior decor.

Recreation #3

For some odd reason I always have these dreams/visions of me being arrested. I don't understand why but I just do. I was able to catch up with a couple of guys who work for the police but don't wear badges. He pulled out his "CONFIDENTIAL" card and I tried to snap a picture but couldn't before he quickly put it away. I believe he's the one from my dreams! 0_o

Historical Artist: Bill Brandt

Birthdate: May 3, 1904

Country/State of Residence:London , England

Education: Studied under the supervision of Man Ray

Date Of Creation: 1936

What makes his work significant: He captured the emptiness of the depression in a way that other photographers during that period could not.

Important Techniques:He gets rid of mid tones and just uses high and low contrast portraiture.

Goals/Intentions: To tell a story of life during the war from a photojournalistic point of view.

Contemporary Landscape Photographer: Robert Randall

Birthdate: N/A

Country and State of Residence: Chicago, Illinois United States

Education:

Date of Creation:

Why are works well-known: Robert displays a great deal of realism in his photos. The way that he makes the reader feel the emotion of the person in the photo is mind-boggling. His pictures capture the authenticity of one's soul so much that it becomes surreal.

He uses a variety of techniques to capture photos. From high contrast bright lighting, to very dark shadows and emphasis, his actual work leaves nothing to the imagination except time.

The overall concept is surrealism vs. realism.

Important Techniques: High Contrast, Sharpening, and Noise

Goal/ Intention for creating image: To convey a certain attitude or story about the subject in the photo through setting and framing.

I love his intensely sharpened uncanny photography. His work is truly one-of-a-kind which is what I believe makes a great artist.

Prompt #10

“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


Time and time again I state, "a photograph tells a story." The above quote highly supports my stand. While paintings do tell stories as well, a photo's history and/or meaning can quickly changed when being looked at by different people in different settings/cultures. The way I might interpret a photo taken in the "ghetto" may very well be drastically different than the way someone who has never experienced life in poverty may perceive it and vice versa. This discrepency is a healthy one. That's what make art interesting. The contrast of ideations among a crowd of strangers brings enormous depth to the piece being displayed, and a great deal of signification.

Prompt #9

“You don't take a photograph, you make it.” ~Ansel Adams



Even though most photography doesn't seem to be thought out. The process of creating an image is anything short of candid. Most setting you see in photos are well thought through and strategically placed. Everything from a small soda can placed on a counter to a red corvette passing by could be the work of a highly creative photographer. I believe that a good picture can be made, but some of the best photos just happen by chance.

Prompt #8

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

Like in any successful photograph, the narrator tells a story. In most cases the story is about the photographer. Through vivid imagining , a portrait of thoughts can be formed thus leaving us with a well painted picture depicted in our minds. Photographs are a great form of non-verbal communication , which would make them a good outlet for a photographer to tell their story.

I Hate Boys

contemporary Artist : Todd Hido

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg98qwI2Mio

Birthdate:1968 in Kent , Ohio

Current State of residence:San Francisco, California,

Education: Masters of Fine Arts , College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland ,California

Date of Creation: The Philosophy of the Bedroom, 2007 & Nymph Daughters, 2010

Significance: While his primary focus is the topic of sexuality, he explores it in a more of a way that it tells a story rather than just looks like a random photograph. I realized that most of the contemporary artists who study sexuality display it more in a pornographic sense. He takes a different approach while paying great attention to lighting, and less focus on the actual nudity in the shot.

Composition: He takes a different approach while paying great attention to lighting, and less focus on the actual nudity in the shot. His profound use of negative space and emphasis is what really intrigues me. The use of natural lighting gives his photos great contrast and depth.

Concept/Aboutness/Idea: In this set of photographs he tries to conceptualize the feeling of aloneness. The empty setting is very much stage but gives the natural feel. He started with two separate found photos and then staged a set with girls to connect the images/

Method: I believe his most important and efficient technique is how he makes all of his photo looks as if the settings were stumbled up on. Knowing that everything is thought out, I do believe his is a artistic genius.

Motivations: He loves to tell stories as we see from his many publications."I have always felt that many of the model’s I have worked with in doing nudes were somehow revisiting something from their past by posing for the camera. There is a peculiar attraction we have as humans to reengage later in life with the things that troubled us most," says Todd.

My Opinion: I am a new fan. I love his work. He really knows how to give a great deal of detail in his work. No words are necessary for the reader to understand whats going on , but he also gives the imagination room to roam.

Prompt #7

what is the difference between the portraits you see on facebook vs. those on the news? What is the difference between the “viewpoint” of the photographer in each situation? What is the difference between their “intents”?

Substance vs. Character. In most Facebook photos you'll notice that the photographer is usually the subject itself or a close companion of the subject. Life is more candid in the world of Facebooking. The news seems to be more staged or highly anticipated, meaning the photographer waits for the perfect moment to capture the subject. More frequently we see the subject being stereotyped. When discussing Africa, photographs of nature wildlife aren't shown, but more so pictures of starving children in disease infested areas.

Prompt #6

In your opinion, when is it beneficial, ethical, or appropriate to digitally alter photographic portraits? When do you think it is inappropriate or ethically wrong?

A photographs' sole purpose is to capture a setting, emotion, or action. In some settings, such as fashion photography, the digital altering of the image is a necessity. In order to achieve the desired look for the reader, one must be "perfect." This can be achieved by altering the image until it meets all criteria. For the purpose of conveying an emotion , or depicting one's natural environment you must capture the image and that's it! Digital altering would not be need, and should not play a role in producing the final image.

Blog prompt #4

“If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug around a camera.” ~Lewis Hine

Great Quote! This quote exemplifies the art of photography in all aspects. I started becoming interested in photography because I like create scenes and have others interpret them in their own way. Stories can be told so many different ways and modified to suit the crowd its being told to. A photograph simplifies this process and leaves the rest to the imagination. Pictures and illustrations of bible times tell the story better than the book itself because of the books hard to interpret language. On the other hand , "The Diary of Ann Frank" tells the story of the holocaust in great detail so that the reader can understand exactly what happened during that time.

Blog prompt #3

“Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be.”~Duane Michals

While most of the time this is true in photography, the true essence of image capturing is the sole purpose of defining what is actually in front of you. I love fashion photography and taking pictures of fashion, and I believe this quote explains this type of photography very well. I am in agreeance with the quote but a also feel as if it could be disputed in many ways.

blog prompt #2

I think the word photograph has a very deep meaning. To me it means "what can not be described in words." When a person is presented with a photo and told to describe what they see, they can usually give a very detailed answer. If you ask another person the same question about the same photo they can come up with a totally different description. Photographs are one of the best forms of non-verbal communication in my opinion.

Recreation #1

Born in 1932 in Vrededorp, Johannesburg Peter Magubane is a award-winning photo journalist. He went to high school in Sophia-town. He gained his importance by being the first photographer to have an exhibit in South Africa. Widely known for being arrested while photographing a protest outside of the place where Winnie Mandela's and many otherswere being held in confinement.

In his piece, Fenced In Child, utilizes positive and negative space. Using the light from behind the image you get a good sense of emotion in the photo. The photo is symmetrically balanced and gives good contrast between light and dark. In the photo he seems to try and convey the emotion of the struggle, and a child wanting help. By shooting straight on at a slight angle, he catches the right shadow which goes well with the feeling in the image. Also, the fixtures along the wall being in the same shape as the child's hand creates great irony. Being that Magubane was incarcerated many times, you get a sense of his story through this image. I love the stories that he tells in his work. He is the voice for all of the photographers (domestically and internationally) working under repressive systems.

In my recreation I wanted to capture the essence of irony as well. I used the paper in the background as tabloids in which people are exploited. The hand in the foreground symbolizes the attitudes towards these opinions. Peter Magubane uses different symbols and images to show a sense of emotion to the reader. While he usually show a cry for help , I tried to show the opposite. "F#%K repression!"

blog prompt #1

In a society where things quickly happen and are quickly forgotten, we utilize the art of photography to enhance our senses and remember what once was. A photograph tells a story to the onlooker who knows only a brief history or no history at all. If photographs did not exist, we would only live in the present with no knowledge of the past or the future. The phrase "What once was" wouldn't ever be used. People , places, and things would only be appreciated for what the contributed at the present moment. If we didn't have photography, the arts would be missing a key component.