Final Project

Project: Potted Beauty

Shot on a Nikon D40x outdoors, all of the images are of flowers and shrubs.

My project, Potted Beauty, captures the birth of spring. In my photos, I shoot primarily flower scenes with a few shots of shrubs. I used a zoom technique along with soft and hard foci to give the image’s depth. Furthermore, I attempted to change the perspective of some shots to add more to the photos. These photos were inspired by the breathtaking beauty of nature  and particularly, the colors of flowers. Additionally, these photos were meant to capture the period of natural birth that is spring. Spring is the Earth’s time to produce one of its most spectacular creations, the flower. The flowers in these photos are wide-ranging: with warm oranges and reds, and cool purples and blues. The warm colors bring about a sense of passion, while the cool colors add a sense of despair or sadness. The flowers are counterbalanced with the shrubs that create a more relaxed mood. Through these photos I hope people can feel the sense of possibility conjured up when looking at flowers and nature.

I am making no political statements through these photos. I am not calling into question social issues. I am not showing a dark side of myself. I am only showing how pretty flowers can be. This is enough for me. I hope it’s enough for you.

BLOG 8

Colored Pencils

http://www.flickr.com/groups/leggnet/discuss/72157594390742972/page2/

This photo is very interesting. The subject matter is simple, however the technique is not. The photographer focuses on the upright colored pencils, showing great detail and style. The things in the background, what appear to be other school supplies, are blurred out. This technique draws the viewer’s eye to the center of the image and the colored pencils. It is a simple, yet beautiful shot. I have personally used this focus technique numerous times. It always adds depth to the shot and creates a more interesting photograph. The photographers name was not listed on the site, but his or her work is very interesting.

I enjoy photographs of simple subjects. I feel like interesting shots do not need to be complex. They do not need to carry a social or political message. Sometimes interesting things don’t need to make a statement. This photograph is a perfect example. The colored pencils don’t stand for government oppression or war, they are simply colored pencils. At least that’s what I get from it. The photographer could very well be trying to say something.

Blog 7

Lori Mehmen

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/a-remarkable-photo-from-tornado-country/

With the rise in violent weather, images such as Lori Mehmen’s are becoming more and more common. This photo was taken outside Mehmen’s home in Iowa. She grabbed her digital camera and captured an amazing image of a tornado. The shot shows how powerful the storm is as it whips through the town. Her positioning was also perfect, as she was able to show the size of the tornado in comparison with her home. It is remarkable that she was brave enough to go outside during this storm, risking her life, to take the photo. The time of day is also very affective in the picture, as it shows how even during what seems to be an otherwise peaceful night, there can be absolute chaos. This balance is wonderfully displayed in Mehmen’s photo. Another aspect in the shot is the American Flag in her yard. A symbol as powerful as the flag is being trumped by the overwhelming storm. This adds depth to the photo and brings an emotional side to the shot.

Editorial Blog 6

An image from the Sports Gallery in Toronto

This summer I will be traveling to Toronto on vacation. Upon doing some research, I have come to learn that Toronto is a hub of photographic exhibits. Throughout the city there are many photographic exhibits featuring many different subjects. In fact, during the month of May Toronto holds the largest photographic festival in the world, The Contact Photo Festival is held in over 200 venues around Toronto, local and international photographers display their works. The Contact Photo Festival is one of the largest tourist attractions that Toronto has. It is promising that the art world is doing so well for our neighbors to the North. A few of the year round galleries have caught my interest.

Sport Gallery-

The Sport Gallery is filled with, you guessed it, sports photography. The exhibit was started by a Toronto man and has been in existence for years. The gallery is filled with images from Sport Magazine. This magazine was started in 1946 and was very popular throughout the 50s and 60s until it went out of business in the 70s. The magazine was filled with dynamic images of sports stars and in-game action. After the magazine went out of business, a Toronto man purchased over 250,000 images that are now displayed year round. I definitely plan to stop by this interesting exhibit during my trip.

Political Poetics, University of Toronto Art Centre

Suzy Lake has created an exhibit in the University of Toronto Art Centre that focuses mainly on women and their role in the world. The images deal with society, politics, and media themes that challenge conventional ideas. Suzy Lake is a well-respected artist in Canada who is known as “a seminal figure in the world of visual arts.” In her gallery Political Poetics, Lake, continues her theme of the last 40 years, women’s rights. The gallery is extremely popular and I would be remise if I did not look into her work.

http://scotiabankcontactphoto.com/primary-exhibitions/490

http://www.blogto.com/toronto/the_best_photography_galleries_in_toronto/

Assignment 5

Project: Strange Wilderness

Shot on a Nikon D40x outdoors, all of the images are of flowers and shrubs.

My project, Strange Wilderness, captures the birth of spring. In my photos, I shoot primarily flower scenes with a few shots of shrubs. I used a zoom technique along with soft and hard foci to give the image’s depth. These photos were inspired by the breathtaking beauty of nature  and particularly, the colors of flowers. Additionally, these photos were meant to capture the period of natural birth that is spring. Spring is the Earth’s time to produce one of its most spectacular creations, the flower. The flowers in these photos are wide-ranging: with warm oranges and reds, and cool purples and blues. The flowers are counterbalanced with the shrubs that create a more relaxed mood. Through these photos I hope people can feel the sense of possibility conjured up when looking at flowers and nature.

I am making no political statements through these photos. I am not calling into question social issues. I am not showing a dark side of myself. I am only showing how pretty flowers can be. This is enough for me. I hope it’s enough for you.

Editorial Blog 5

You will never forget, Josh Libatique

The Scenery of Cybercity, Toshihiro Oimatsu

http://photo.tutsplus.com/articles/inspiration/urban-city-photography-70-dramatic-examples/

Inspiration is not far away when walking through the city. Chicago offers a great deal of beautiful scenery that can create amazing art. As the year winds down, I am starting to think about how much I will miss the city over the summer. I’ve started taking some farewell photos of familiar sites around Lincoln Park and in the Loop. The urban setting provides a mix of power and grace in the structures and in the people. Towering steel buildings are mixed with gorgeous gardens and fountains. The spacious Millenium Park is centered in the center of a buzzing metropolis. Photography of city scenes has started to peak my interest. I have been looking online for some photographers that have captured that beauty. Photographers Josh Libatique and Toshihiro Oimatsu were able to capture two amazing images of New York City and Tokyo respectively. In Libatique’s photo, the whirling nightlife of New York City is displayed. Libatique’s slow shutter speed takes in the fast-moving taxis and lights and adds a sense of motion to the photo. This effect creates an image that displays the fast-paced, high-octane city lifestyle. His image shows how by altering shutter speed, a new aspect can be added to the shot. Oimatsu uses the same technique when photographing Tokyo. His image again focuses on the city’s lights and action. He uses the a shutter speed that is slow enough to allow the light into his photo and add a blurred effect. Both of these photographers were able to capture fantastic images that represent the greatness of the urban setting. I am looking forward to applying their techniques in my shots. The site in which I found these images has 70 other photos of city scenes that are just as great.

Assignment 4

James Welling

            From a young age, James Welling took great interest in art. Born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1951, James would spend much of his childhood drawing. At 14, James began taking art classes at the Wadsworth Athenaeum. Welling gained a greater appreciation for art in these classes, falling in love with using water colors. As he grew older, he would often travel into New York City to visit art galleries and learn more about his craft. In 1969, James Welling began his collegiate career, attending Carnegie Melon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. However, his time studying drawing at Carnegie Melon was short and in 1971 he transferred to the California Institute for the Arts to study video. It was in college that James Welling began experimenting with photography. He would often take pictures of everyday objects such as the clock in the picture below. James’ ability to capture excellent scenes through his photography would greatly improve in just a few short years.

 

Dad and the Snow, 1968. James Welling’s early use of water colors

Clock, 1976

            After college, James spent time in New York where he photographed many scenes of the city. He would also venture out to Pittsburgh and take black and white pictures of towns and landscapes. During this period Welling held numerous galleries displaying his photography. In 1995 Welling agreed to take over as the Head of Photography in UCLA’s Art Department. The move to Los Angeles seemed to inspire James’ career. It was eleven years later when Welling would begin his most famous project, Glass House.

 West, 1987

            The Glass House project would become James Welling’s most famous set of photographs. The photographs display famous architect Philip Johnson’s all glass home in New Canaan, Connecticut. The project began in 2006 and lasted three years, resulting in Welling’s most famous art. Welling introduces a wide variety of colors to the house by using filters. He used six different filters (red, green, blue, yellow, cyan and magenta) and placed them in front of his digital camera. The colors in the photos intensify the scenes, creating an abstract photo that captures the eye. The Glass House series has challenged my view of photography. Before seeing these photos I would never have thought to approach a subject in the way James Welling approached it. His use of cool, tranquil blues in certain images gives the scene a sense of peace and Zen. In these photos, the house seems to be a place of relaxation blending into a serene environment. On the other hand, Welling’s use of fiery reds and dark yellows create an image that appears chaotic and violent. The Glass House photos are just another great artistic achievement to the wonderful career of James Welling. Welling’s New Abstractions was awarded the 1999 DG Bank-Forderpreis in photography and in 2009 he won the AICA Award of Excellence for the Best Show in a Commercial Gallery Nationally for his exhibition at the Regen Projects.

 Flowers, 2006

 Torsos, 2006

http://the-artists.org/artist/James-Welling

http://www.mocp.org/collections/permanent/welling_james.php

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2010/03/last-chance-james-welling-glass-house-closes-saturday-at-regen-projects.html

http://www.we-find-wildness.com/2010/07/james-welling-glass-house/

http://jameswelling.net/biography

http://jameswelling.net/projects

Editorial Blog 4

Photograph by Tony Sweet

http://tonysweetphotography.blogspot.com/

As the weather has started to turn, I have been looking in nature for some inspiration. I have started photographing some flowers in a park by my house. The results have been mixed thus far, as my pictures have become somewhat stagnant. I have tried soft and hard foci to change up the photos, but they all seem to be similar. I was looking to find a new technique to spice up my photos. After looking at some blogs, I stumbled upon photographer Tony Sweet. Sweet specializes in photographing flowers. He uses many interesting techniques such as blending and texture to make his photos unique. In this particular picture, Sweet used a twisting technique. As he zoomed in on the group of flowers, he twisted his camera. This resulted in a blurred image that appears to be spinning. I love this photo because he has taken a simple object like a flower and made it unique and interesting. While the technique has blurred the flowers so much that one can only see the colors, the twist of the object has created a flower like affect on the photo. It almost seems as if the image is moving. I have attempted to capture an image with the twist technique and it is rather difficult, however when mastered it can create a really great image. I really like how Sweet is adding depth to his images by trying outside the box techniques. I feel like these techniques could be used on a wide variety of subjects, not just flower shots.

Superhero- The Reader!

Editorial Blog 3

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade

Source- Milwaukee Associated Press, Morry Gash

 

A photo from the Milwaukee Associated Press captured a remarkable sports moment, as Miami Heat stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade teamed up for a spectacular highlight. As he drove to the hoop, Wade (#3) tossed the ball to James (#6) who flew through the air and finished with a strong one-handed slam. The impressive athletic feat is overshadowed by the remarkable timing of the AP photographer. The photographer, Morry Gash was able to capture the moment in one of the best sports photos I have ever seen. Positioned on the baseline during the game, Gash had looked to take a photo of James throwing down a monster dunk, what he did not expect was to perfectly capture Dwyane Wade gliding through the shot.

When first looking at the photo, one’s eye goes directly to Wade. He is in the center and appears to be the focal point of the picture. His outstretched arms symbolize the swagger that is associated with the new-look Miami Heat. One’s eye then peers over Wade’s right arm, realizing that Gash has also been able to fit a soaring James in his photo as well. Gash’s angle accentuates James’ height on the dunk and puts the two Heat stars in almost a mythical position. The photo’s excellence is surely a mix of great photographic skill and luck. While his angle and focus make the photo outstanding, Gash was extremely lucky to have Wade coast through the frame as he was snapping.

As I have mentioned before, I find sports photography fascinating. To be able to capture such high speed moments with such clear and precise shots is amazing. Photographers such as Morry Gash add a wonderful still element to a fast paced, high octane sport. The freezing of time in such a hectic setting is complete artistry. I continue to be astounded at the talent of sports photographers like Gash.

http://sec.floridatoday.com/photo/06wm35269lbaj?q=LeBron+James