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April 2022, by Shannon Moran

ISO 400, f4.5 @ 1/500

“The Innocents”

When I look at this photo, I think of a younger guy, perhaps in his late teens or early 20s, who has lost his innocence. I say this because the man in the photo looks younger and he’s wearing a white t-shirt. As a film student, white often times is used as a metaphor for innocence. His expression is very blank yet when I look at his eyes, it seems as if he’s been through something traumatic. It feels like he’s calling for help because his eyes . The red balloon reminds me of innocence as well because I think of the movie It; a group of children are tormented by a shapeshifting entity that takes the form of the kids biggest fears, but the one we see the most often is a clown with a red balloon. He’s also in a wooden area. Being in the woods reminds me of being isolated from society. Maybe the man in the photo had a traumatic experience with a clown because of his expression, the fact he’s holding a red balloon, and he’s in an area isolated from the rest of society.

“Torn Apart” by Michael Farinelli May 1st, 2022

ISO 400 f/9.0 @ 1/100

A young adult stands in front of a mural. The first subject my eyes are immediately drawn to is the guy, but the main focus is his hand because his arm creates a line leading to it. It holds up a piece of the mural that has been torn up. Was the mural vandalized? Has it been there for a long time and is slowly eroding? We can’t tell. What we see is a young man holding up the torn part of the mural as if he’s trying to remember what it looked like before. Though we cannot really see his eyes, the way he’s standing with his hand up and his eye line pointing directly at his hand, his demeanor seems sad, like he’s disappointed. Maybe the mural was vandalized and he’s upset that it happened. I wouldn’t say he was the one responsible for creating this mural, but I get the sense that this mural means something to him. Why else would someone go up to a random mural and hold up a piece that’s tearing off? To see it like this upsets him.

#Portrait #Interpretation #Documentary

April 17th, 2022

ISO 400 f/13 @ 1/160

#Portrait #Interpretation

“I Was a Teenage Gamer” by Michael Farinelli April 23rd, 2022

ISO 400 f/4.0 @ 1/15

Meet Ben. Ben is a young adult who is a huge gamer: From PC gaming to consoles to VR there isn’t anything he doesn’t game on. Ben is actively playing on his computer. The rainbow streak is from the edge of the computer while the light reflecting on Ben’s face is from the monitor. The colors add to his gaming persona as a lot of gamers who live stream tend to have some sort of dim led lights in their room. He’s very focused on his game; his eyes stare intensely at his monitor. He’s wearing the type of shirt you’ve had for a long time but could care less if it gets stained. His hair looks greasy, as if it hasn’t been washed or combed in a long time. The hair on his face hasn’t been shaved in a while. It seems like he’s been gaming for days. How long has Ben been playing for? When was the last time he slept?

#Portrait #Staged

“Up the Hill” by Michael Farinelli April 16th, 2022

ISO 400 f/14 @ 125

Oh LA, so beautiful, so glamorous, so... mountainy. My girlfriend (pictured above) and I decided to go on a hike near the Griffith Observatory. For about two hours we hiked along multiple paths, getting great views of the city (also pictured above) and the San Fernando Valley. I couldn’t help but bring my camera along to take pictures along our journey. It was a cooler day in April but it soon felt warmer as we both started to sweat in our jackets: We were conflicted on wearing our sweaty jackets or having our skin freeze due to the cooler weather and sweat. Thankfully we had our water bottles to keep us hydrated. My girlfriend decided to take her jacket off and wrap it around her waist. She also put her hair up in a ponytail. After we reached the top, we gazed over the greenery and down the mountain into the city. It felt like we accomplished a lot in such a small amount of time. It was a struggle at times but we persevered and did it. That was only one path in the mountains, there are still many more that we want to hike. For now, this will do.

#Portrait #Narrative

“West Coast, Best Coast” by Michael Farinelli

April 16th, 2022

ISO 800 f/20 @ 1/320

One of the most historic attractions in the great city of Los Angeles: The Griffith Observatory. But where is it exactly? If you look hard enough, you’ll notice it in the middle of the photo. Why is it so small though? Although the observatory is one of the most fascinating attractions in LA, I believe everything around it is even more fascinating. In a matter of miles, you go from a city that doesn’t seem to sleep, to a suburban-esque area with a park that’ll keep a family occupied for an entire day, to the observatory and all the way up to the mountains that are great for hiking. I couldn’t help but photograph this beautiful scenery while on my hike in the mountains. I took different photos along the path I was on and merged them together in Photoshop to create the panorama effect. It made me realize Los Angeles has it all; that’s what this photo captures.

#panorama #landscape

“Memories” By Michael Farinelli, April 9th, 2022

ISO 100 f/2.0 @ 1/4000

Meet Ben. Ben is a photogenic, outgoing, fun loving guy. I asked him to be the subject for my photography project. “Absolutely!” he said. We set out to a local park near his house. This was no ordinary park either. It was the same park we used to play at when we were kids. I had Ben sit down on the swing set. Unsure of what to do, we started talking. Bringing up moments from our childhood, we couldn’t help but laugh about all the fun things we did as kids: playing wood chips and tag, swinging on the swing sets, and playing pickup basketball games. We miss all of the friends we were so close with during these times but not so much anymore. It was our own group of friends that would do their own things. If only we could go back. Those were good memories.

#Portrait1

“The Forgotten One” By Michael Farinelli, April 9th, 2022

ISO 400 f/2.0 @ 1/400

For my landscape assignment, I had to alter part of the landscape. I found was a small, industrial like plot of land in downtown Oswego, Illinois. The marble, piece of wood, and the discoloring of the building enhanced the industrial setting. There was a drainage pipe sticking out the side of one of the buildings; I shoved my friend’s hoodie inside it, leaving the sleeve to dangle out. To me, the sleeve makes it look like someone forgot their hoodie while they were working. It dangles down alone, forgotten about.

#Landscape #Altered Landscape

“Into the Woods” By Michael Farinelli, March 21st, 2022

Top Photo: ISO 1600 f/9.0 @ 1/80

Bottom Photo: ISO 1600 f/9.0 @ 1/125

As I was walking around the Oakhurst Forest Preserve in Aurora, IL, I decided to walk off the path in search of a specific object. I looked for what seemed to be an hour. Nothing. I gave up and was heading back towards the main path when in the distance I saw a black board hanging from a tree. I couldn’t tell what it was, it wasn't what I was looking for, but it intrigued me to get a closer look. Underneath the board were objects that do not belong in a forest preserve: two shopping carts, a few tires, a bright green rope dangling from a nearby branch, and pieces of pinkish boards spread out on the ground. It threw me off. Where did these objects come from? Who put them there? Why these objects in particular? I was a little nervous to go near it in the off chance someone was watching me. The setting was creepy, horror-like. It didn’t help that the sun was almost set and being defused by the trees. I built up the courage to capture a few photos. I saw the shopping cart and tire photographed above and angled my camera differently to try and capture the strangeness of the area. Thankfully no one was around to question what I was doing, but I couldn’t help feel like someone was. After taking the photos, I returned to the main path feeling a bit relieved to be away from the area, but then I ran into something I was not expecting: a dead raccoon. I was forced to go off the path again to get around it. Needless to say I picked up my walking pace on the way back to my car.

#Landscape #Photo1

“If You Could Slow Down Time, Would You?” by Michael Farinelli, March 12th, 2022

ISO 320 f/14 @1/10

A stream flows into a cluster of glistening rocks, creating small rapids. Light makes the navy blue of the water pop out amongst the silky flow. This bright blue flow gently smoothes these rocks over time. The slow shutter speed evokes a feeling that you’ve evolved with these rocks. You aren’t here in a single moment, you’re here over a period of time. You’re alone, but that’s okay. You’ve escaped reality and entered a calming state; free of stress; free of responsibility. Your whole world focused on this flow of time. Do you really want to leave so soon, or do you want to stay longer?

#Landscape #Light

“You Speak To Me In Words And I Look At You With Feelings” by Michael Farinelli, March 12th, 2022

ISO 100, f10 @ 1/100

For our landscape assignment, I chose to turn in the black and white photo. My professor agreed that it was the better of the two. We both believe the black and white makes the photo pop: It’s haunting and makes you a little scared to go down the path. It mimics a horror film aesthetic. It's the contrast between the light and dark areas, the lack of detail in said dark areas, the dull gray sky, and the void that your eye is led to that establish this haunting tone. Your eye is led to center of the image with the help of the pathway, the fence on the right, and the trees on the left. It narrows down the farther you go. No matter where you look in the image, your eye will always be led to the center. The trees, branches, fence, and shadows form squares that get smaller as your eye goes down the path. These squares make a target that points exactly where you’re supposed to look.

How much of a difference does black and white make compared to color?

So I want to ask you, the viewer, which photo works for you?

#Landscape #FormalElements

“Don't Fear the Reaper” February 21st, 2022, by Michael Farinelli

ISO 800, f4.5 @ 1/3200

The biggest way I turned my ordinary object, an umbrella, into something extraordinary was having my girlfriend stand in between it and the sun, creating a silhouette of her through the umbrella. The silhouette gives off a really creepy, stalker-ish vibe that makes you a little uncomfortable. She’s mysterious and the umbrella emphasizes that idea.

From this assignment, I learned how to manipulate light into creating unique/interesting shadows and silhouettes.

#Object

“Hello Darkness, My Old Friend,” By Michael Farinelli

ISO 1250, f13 @ 1/40

There are a few formal elements I emphasized when I took this photo. One of the was texture. The umbrella is covered in rain droplets, letting you know it is wet. You can also see small puddles on the ground and can tell it is also wet and muddy. Another element I emphasized was lines. The trees guide your eyes straight down the pathway. I also focused on space. The black umbrella hovers in the foreground while the middle and background is filled with the grassy pathway and the trees leading your eyes into a blurry abyss, creating a feeling of sorrow and making you feel like you’re at a funeral.

#FormalElements Object

“The eye of the sewer drain” February 12th, 2022, by Michael Farinelli

ISO 400, f4 @1/125

One of the things I did to make this photo creative was laying a stick on the drain and having the snow look as though it’s surrounding it. To do this, I had to frame the sewer a bit higher in order to get the snow in the bottom. There is added contrast in the area surrounding the drain. The white snow compliments the otherwise dull leaves around the drain, which in turn makes the drain stand out.

I learned how important color and contrast are from this assignment. The photo would look dull without the snow, and the tonal range would be too similar.

#sewer

“Sticking out of the drain” February 13th, 2022, by Michael Farinelli

ISO 400, F5.6 @1/250

For this assignment, I had to find an ordinary sewer drain and take photos. The trick though is that I had to be creative and unique with it. For example, I had to shoot at different times of day, put the sewer in different areas of the frame, and/or stand closer or farther away from it.

Because of this assignment, I found that I can make an ordinary object look good by photographing it at the right angle and in the right light. In this photo particularly I have the drain framed in the bottom left corner with the shadow of a nearby tree passing through it. The light adds contrast from the dark shadow, the brown sewer, and white snow. Another thing I learned from this assignment is to shoot in auto focus instead of manual. The sewer is a bit blurry and the snow has some lost detail in it because of the manual focus.

#sewer

East Sussex Coast (Bill Brandt, 1957). Gelatin silver print. The title represents the setting. The overall photo is bleak and has a sinister tone to it.

In my opinion, the photo is an interpretation of life after war. The coast represents Normandy beach. The person laying down is a former soldier. The ear indicates the man can still hear the sounds of war.

I believe the photo became famous for it’s unusual mise-en-scene. Most images that incorporates a human head usually put an emphasis on the eyes. In this photo, however, we only see the person’s ear and their hair. The way the ear is framed in the photo it looks as though it is a part of the coast. It’s strange, but people are fascinated by strange things.

Research:

https://www.artsy.net/artwork/bill-brandt-east-sussex-coast

#history of photography

Portrait of a Young Girl, Eaton Place (Bill Brandt, 1955). The photo’s medium is gelatin silver print. It was taken in London in 1955. Brandt’s artistic style is on full display in this photo. His style became more expressive, turning the human body into abstract landscapes, after World War II. Here, we see a young woman laying down. Her face covering the bottom third of the image, dominating the foreground, while the two windows cover the rest. Other than her face and everything outside the window, the rest of the photo is dark.

Research:

https://www.moma.org/collection/works/109086

https://www.artsy.net/artwork/bill-brandt-portrait-of-a-young-girl-eaton-place-1955

#history of photography

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