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Final Portfolio

With this series I hope to convey the relationship that I see between nature and civilization. I have always had a personal connection with nature. Growing up in rural areas I have always been exposed to nature in a more wild state and I have furthered my love for nature by studying environmental sciences. I have always been aware of a struggle for dominance and most of all space between nature and civilization because of my continual exposure to their different relationships. I have tried to emulate this discord in a way that my photographs, although very edited, easily appear as if they have not been. The prints are deliberately darkened and de-saturated resulting in the colors of the natural world appearing muted and softened and to allow them to become somewhat daunting. The lack of color in the surrounding area brings attention to the man-made in the photographs, it also makes these human influences seem obtrusive because they no longer match their setting and are out of place in this softened world. In many of the photos there is also some natural light that shines onto the effects of civilization this brings the decay and dissonance that may otherwise go unnoticed into focus. I have made these prints slightly larger than the standard 8.5"x 11'', at 12.5’’x 16.5’’,so the viewer will be enveloped by it and can fully appreciate all the intricate detail. With the choices I have made and the ambiguous content a study of each photograph will have to be made so that the viewer can begin to see this discord in the relationship between nature and civilization as I do.

Chapter 7 Response

The new digital age has changed photography. It has made it more malleable and an abstract art. There is an option to change more about photo more now than ever. Photos are easier to take and share now and they are no longer strictly for professionals. Although it has become commonplace to take and edit all photos they are no different than before. In the past you could still edit photos in the dark room and with a little patience you could completely alter what the viewer is experiencing but it is now more understood what can be done. The access to these programs have allowed for the public to have more understanding of the changes can be made which caused people to question the realness of photographs that many feel the need to hold on to. The new technologies have also opened up the artist's ability to edit photos to have underlying meanings in photos in a way that was once reserved for the best photographers and artists. The more recent movements in photography has taken it back to the views of the past and the differences are no longer very apparent. As changes are made the differences and arguments as to the best way to take pictures are disappearing, do you think that eventually digital photography will be held on the same level the analog is?

I choose these photos for my final work in progress because I believe that there is a sense of off-putting when you look at them. Either the human impact or the nature side in these photos show damage which conveys that the two cannot exist peacefully together and that one will suffer decay, while the other thrives. I also decided to choose some more ambiguous photos because I think that they will cause you to study them before you can decide the the subject of the photo is. These photos also have kept the same overall look that I have been working with in the last few weeks.

I choose to darken the photos as well as desaturate them to leave a very muted color. The lack of color brings attention to the man-made in the photos, it also makes it appear obtrusive to the scene. I have also done this so that the color will not become distracting to the rich detail. In many of the photos there is also light bringing the focus onto the features of decay and dissonance between nature and civilization that may otherwise go unnoticed. I have made these photos dark and muted in color so that the viewer is immediately given a sense of off-putting and daunting scene. The photos are made large so that you will be enveloped by it and can take in all the detail, as you study them.

Chapter 6 Response

Although it may seem unlikely it is still debated if photography is an art form or not. There is no question that it has always been associated with fine art; a replacement for sketches to a loose form of art of replications of reality. Photography although not directly perceived as art was originally very important in the shaping or modern and contemporary art. Photography was able to easily take the role that was once for painters and sculptors; being much easier to capture and record an image for what it is, this freed artists to expand and explore their work creating what we now call fine art. Without the invention of photography made it possible for experimentation in other forms of art. It allowed for new forms of art to appear.

Now that "photography" is commonplace and ordinary it has allowed for more evolution of photography as a fine art. This began many years ago when people started to convey ideas in photography; although it was still predominately used to record. That is why I believe that it is currently evolving into a true fine art, because it no longer takes a trained photographer to record something. There has been a shift from using pictures to simply record to using them to convey messages and emotions. Due to photography's nature it will never be solely a fine art because whenever needed, as in the past, it will always used to record situations as they are or as it is today to sell commodities. People's want to have all photographs be irrevocably true assures that photography will always be used in other ways besides fine art. Do you think that photography could ever be solely a fine art, or will its new found simplicity and ease of access continue to add fire to the debate and keep it in the realm of record keeping and commodities?

WIP #3

I choose these photos because with some editing I believe that they convey the relationship between nature and civilization. I have continued to desaturate almost the entire photo, but leaving the human impact with muted color, this forces the viewer to see it as artificial and almost as an obtrusion to the scene that is already there. I also continued to shoot through one side looking at the other; this makes the viewer to see the scene from a “hiding” vantage point, which I believe brings a sense of observing the true relationship. While I felt that all of these photos were very strong I choose the bamboo carvings to manipulate twice because by making a few adjustments I was able to drastically change the meaning of the photo. I lightened the photo, and not only left it in color but intensified the green. By bringing attention to the nature side of the relationship as well as the the human the photo now represents that the two are harmonious and neither is thriving at the expense of the other. I also believe that the ambiguous quality of the bamboo and stone photos force the viewer to study the photos longer before they make any decisions about it. This allows for all the details to be studied in the photo, yet when coupled with more "obvious" photos in the series it is still apparent what the underlying message is.

Feedly

27.1.7

Dirk Braeckman has gone out to push and expand the limits of photography. He strives to make a photo that is completely unique and therefore cannot be reproduced. He uses manipulation to create photos that are very ambiguous, wen you look at the photo you may have a sense of what it is; a curtain, empty corner, or a chair, or you may only kind of have a guess. His series does not seem to have an underlying meaning or content other than to keep the viewer intrigued and guessing and to push the boundaries of modern photography. I found his series very interesting because of our class' recent discussions of manipulation and my tendency to take abstract or ambiguous photos; I hope to accomplish the same effect through my photos and to give the viewer no easily determined meaning and a need to study my photographs to really see it past the abstract picture quality

Full article: http://www.urbanautica.com/post/80252706899/27-1-7-dirk-braeckman

Feedly Response

Interview: Dave Jordano

After years of advertising photography Jordano returned to the start of his career photographing detroit. The settings of these photos show the city as most are familiar with it, rundown and in decay. He does not change his settings to portray the perfection that is strived for in advertising he wants to show Detroit as it is and to show the people that live there unlike most pictures from the area. He was able to show the relationship between the people and the city, you can see the dirt and grime on the people just like the city. You can see the hard work and determination in their expressions and dirty hands. It makes you believe that they are working to improve the city, however little, with their bright colors to return the city to its prime. Jordano uses a studio light that makes you focus on the individual in the portrait rather than the city like so many photographers before him, this makes the viewer see the person as an integral part; and as you study each photo you notice all the details of the people that tell the real story.

Full interview: http://www.fototazo.com/2014/03/interview-dave-jordano.html

Chapter 5 Response

This chapter discusses the use of photography in commodities and advertising. Photography has always been used to sell things, from when it was invented and was a status symbol and to own a camera meant that you were well off, had time to waste, and were therefore better than those without. Photography is very ingrained into advertising it is used to beautify and add great meaning to the mundane. The pairing of desires and any merchandise creates one to give more meaning to the object; after repeatedly seeing these images the masses then feel the need for this object to satisfy that desire and so they will be content. This method is used almost everywhere that something is being sold; a dramatic news story, a relaxing getaway, a seductive dress, to a heavenly meal. The book states that the constant bombardment of these photos has made us passive, creative, and depoliticized to these spectacles which has led us to a world of illusions and false consciousness and therefore are powerless in running society; do you think that this is true?

Feedly Response

Portraits of Ice

Nataly Rader's portraits show that these glaciers are always moving and changing. She was able to capture beautiful depth in this white landscape that draws your eyes to the cracks in the ice. There is where you can tell that they are always changing and cracking. Her photos make me think about the passing of time and how one day everything will be different and that we should enjoy what we have now, like these photos of glaciers that could disappear one day with only photos and memories left. While they evoke a since of decay they also portray strength and will to me because glaciers are large and has thus far stood the test of time. She was able to capture two very different emotions in the same photographs because of techniques and subject in a very stunning and beautiful way.

Chapter 4 Response

This chapter dissects the sexualization of bodies in not only today but also in the 19th century. I find that it is widely accepted that objectification is occurring in today's media; yet there is little being done to stop it. I believe that we as a people would not really know how to react to media if it was not sexualized because it is what we have been groomed for. Since the late 19th century photography has been used to portray people under one characteristics and diminish and dehumanize them. It is used for everything from showing criminals to selling merchandise. This view of oneself has changed the way people view beauty and other stereotypes to the very flat images we see in pictures. We have already discussed the power that photographs hold in shaping perceptions of foreign peoples and their roles, and now we can see that we are doing this to ourselves and to others in our community. This is very apparent in the goals that people put on themselves, to be beautiful you must represent the acceptable and polite version of a person instead of a real human who has flaws and bodily functions. Another interesting topic is the aversion to photographing the dead. In the text they it is said that the aversion could be due to holding a photograph as so real and true that photographing the dead is like participating in another's mortality and although today death is photographed some it was once widely accepted and the corpse was staged and even made beautiful so as to perfect the image. The need for beauty and perfection has been strong for many years and the question is why do you think we first feel, and continue to feel, that for a person to be displayed they must be changed and perfected before they can be shown to the masses?

WIP#2

Sorry I posted these after my summary I was having problems sizing them

WIP #2

Since my last work in project I have attempted to capture pictures with little else "going on" in the photo besides my subject. I have used black and white and under-saturated color to give my photos a timeless feel to them; this makes my photos more dramatic in their simple nature. I am using these dramatic shots to help the viewer really feel many emotions when looking at my photos in addition to conflict between the two sides. In these photos I have been looking at mainly the interruption of nature by people but now I have begun to show the infringement of the wild on populated areas and one's home.

Feedly Response #6

Out of Time

Guy Tremblay's series Out of Time is a collection of panoramic black and white landscapes. His scenes are void of much modern influences; that in addition to his scenic black and white photographic style portray a sense of simplicity and history. When I look at these photos it is easy to imagine that they were taken many years ago, because he was able to use a few techniques to capture that feeling of simplicity and peace in his photos. As I continue to work on my own series I look to photos for inspiration as to how to capture the mood that I wish to convey, or just new ideas to try while shooting; like the dramatic scenes that Tremblay has achieved.

Full article: http://lenscratch.com/2014/02/guy-tremblay-time/

Reading Response Ch. 3

"Sweet it is to scan..."

"Pictures are less likely to be precious" (pg. 120). The beginning of the chapter discusses the importance of pictures to individuals over time. Pictures progressed from a way to document people and events to a leisurely pastime to capture everyday moments to today where they say photographs no longer hold as much meaning because they are disposable and commonplace. This statement struck me at first because I don't agree with it I believe that individuals hold some photos very close to them, and then as I continued to read the book began to reinforce my thoughts with examples of how meaningfulness changed over time. The book then depicts the casual way we today take photos with little thought of traditionally usual settings. Although I agree that today pictures are more disposable and are much more commonplace I do not believe that makes certain photos less precious than in the past. Today we still keep photos and are even more prone to capture any and all moments thanks to the ease of capture technology has given us. It is no longer a special occasion to take a photograph so we are able to capture a more authentic moment in life so while I do believe there are a lot more photos today that mean next to nothing to an individual there are some that hold even more to someone than they could have in the past. I would be interested in how others may feel about the author saying that photos are less precious today and if they think that they still hold meaning for us.

Feedly Respnse #5

This Weeks post is a collection of photos from an interview with Shirin Neshat that I found inspiring.

These are a couple of her works from her Passages series. These photos really intrigued me as I think about my final project and the direction that I want to take. The simplicity of these photos yet the story that they convey and the emotions that they invoke. These are some ideas and thoughts I want to keep in mind while working on my final project because this is the type of photo I want to take for my series.

You can find the interview here:

http://www.americansuburbx.com/2014/02/interview-shirin-neshat-conversation-2014.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Americansuburb+%28ASX+%7C+AMERICAN+SUBURB+X+%7C+Photography+%26+Culture%29

"Final Project, First Images"

These are a few of the pictures I have taken for my final project. My project is going to showcase the relationship between nature and civilization. This selection shows a couple different kinds of relationships from parasitic to harmonious. I feel like these close up shots help focus on my subject and without much else in these photos it really brings forth my subject matter. I have begun thinking of different things I can do to help really make a strong presentation of my material, including using diptycts to contrast the "pure" with the relationship of the two sides, I have also started looking at black and white so I can try and use that format to convey the different feelings of these photos. In this beginning stage I am really trying to focus how I want to showcase my photos and what best will really tell the story I want.

Feedly Response #4

Elizabeth Stone

Elizabeth Stone takes very simple photos but makes them convey a lot of meaning and story within them. Her photos are very stark and have a high contrast. In her photos you can really sense he subject matter and what it might feel like but without a description from her you may never know that this series is about the impact you make on the world and your "tracks" I like the thought of taking these very simple photos of everyday sights but changing them to evoke strong emotions and thoughts from the pictures and every viewer can't help but to interpret something different while the artist is the only one that knows the true meaning.

Full article: http://lenscratch.com/2014/02/photo-nola-review-prize-elizabeth-stone/

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