#avt253

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Michael Eastman: Vanishing America

 In this series the photographer showcases America’s lost jewels. He captures breathtaking images of very simple worn out unused facilities like barber shops, movie houses, juke joints etc. The emptiness of the images shows how small communities are struggling. 

         Michael Eastman traveled to many places around the world with his wife. He takes images of architecture and landscapes. He has been featured in many exhibitions, newspapers, and magazines. What’s really interesting is that he never uses artificial light for his photography he takes long exposures on the scene and waits as much as he needs to for the film to trap the natural beauty of his images.“Michael Eastman has captured here the hardcore essence of blue-smoked architectural loneliness better than any other new artist I’ve encountered. … Remnants of the past, Eastman seems to tell us, can still be recovered in the most unlikely of places.” - Douglas Brinkley 

  In this photograph “Lotaburger” the whole empty atmosphere really grabs a person’s attentions the beauty of the sky and the richness of it’s color really pop against the empty street and the burger joint this photo was taken in new Mexico during one his travels. What I like is that while some people walk around these places they wouldn’t take another look to grasp the beauty of the scenes he captures. His unique point of view really opens a person’s eyes to many possibilities to actually open your eyes and really take a look and find beauty in the world.

If interested you can check out some of his other photos here: http://eastmanimages.com

  -Salem Bakhashab

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The Love Doll…is it real love?

Laurie Simmons’ picture “The Love Doll (Day 22)” is the epitome of American consumption.  Here, the photographer uses a life size plastic doll as a model.  The doll is covered in 20 pounds of plastic jewelry.  She is both reveling in her possessions while at the same time being constrained by them.  The colors of the plastic jewelry and blue couch in the foreground work well with the plastic objects in the background.  The main light is on the model/doll and there is a strong shadow and darkness in the background.  This evokes a feeling of loneliness.  She is with her material possessions, yet she is all alone. 

I believe the photographer is making the viewer ask some very important questions: Was she a real person of flesh and bone before? Did she slowly start to become plastic, as her jewelry is? Did her obsession with these material things get in the way of her relationships?   Is she a consumer or is she being consumed?  I believe this image is very powerful because sadly, it is a true representation of how consumerism and our obsession with overabundance of material possessions can take over our lives and become more important than our relationships with real human beings.

Laurie Simmons is one of eleven photographers who is on the shortlist to win this year’s Prix Pictet.  The theme is Consumption, and the winner will be announced May 21, 2014.  You can check the results and check out the other artists here: http://www.prixpictet.com/consumption/artists/

You can check out more of Laurie Simmons’ projects here: http://www.lauriesimmons.net/photographs/

- Carla Falconi

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Mirrorless vs. DSLR

With every major camera manufacturer now making at least one mirrorless DSLR camera, one has to wonder, apart from lacking a mirror, what features do these cameras bring to the table setting them apart from current DSLRs? First off, Mirrorless DSLR is a bit of a misnomer, to be an SLR camera is to have a mirror, the term itself is generally used to to differentiate between these high-end mirrorless cameras and their point and shoot brethren, though it should be noted that the proper name for these cameras is Compact System Camera (CSCs). Terminology aside, the lack of a mirror is what sets apart a mirrorless DSLR and a regular one, this lack of a mirror also means lacking the mechanisms to flip the mirror out of the way when taking a picture, and no prism to send light up to an optical view finder among other parts. Losing all these things makes for a lighter, easier to handle camera that is nearly silent when taking pictures. Wait, no optical viewfinder? How do you know what you’re taking a picture of? CSCs use a rear-mounted LCD to give you a live preview of your composition, this move seems a bit cheap, as half the fun of using a DSLR was that any clueless tourist could look like a professional when towing around a large fancy-looking camera with an optical viewfinder. Using an LCD screen to compose your shot puts you firmly in the realm of point & shoots, and you no longer have the unmistakeable silhouette of a DSLR letting everyone in sight know you mean business. Perceptions aside, Mirrorless cameras do offer some advantages over current DSLRs, such as a live preview of what your picture will look like when you hit the shutter (yes, these mirrorless cameras still have physical shutters). The mirrorless camera will also be able to get more frames per second than DSLRs as there is no mechanical limitation of having to move a mirror out of the way every time a picture is taken. In addition, costs of production will be lower as there are less precision mechanics in a mirrorless camera vs a DSLR, meaning that the cameras themselves can be made cheaper while using higher quality parts. Another distinct advantage of mirrorless cameras is the ability to put focal points anywhere in the frame, whereas current DSLRs have a limited number of these, meaning a shot sometimes has to be recomposed after focus has been achieved. All these technical aspects are ones that become irrelevant in the face of a larger threat: battery life. Having an optical viewfinder is on its way to being retro, but there is something to be said about the longer battery life a DSLR offers over current mirrorless models. Powering an LCD screen consumes a lot of power, granted this will change as technology advances, but it remains an important consideration if you take a lot of pictures or spend a lot of time away from reliable power sources. To sum it up, mid-range and high-end DSLRs are definitely better than current CSC offerings in terms of features (though image quality is fairly even), but for those of us at the entry-level range, it’s a tougher call to make.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4nzXeqkpOE

-Will Dickson

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Fun Tips for Photography

Hey guys. Here are some fun tips I found for beginning photographers (or anyone really).

Instant Tripod: Get a quarter inch screw and a bottle cap, drill a hole through the cap and put the screw facing out. Glue the screw on the cap. Take a plastic bottle and put something inside for balance (sand, weights), and put the cap on. Voila! Camera stand on the go.

Animal pictures: Use “burst mode” or continuous high speed shooting mode to take pictures of your pets. They are more likely to get distracted and run off before you can shoot. This way you just hold down the shutter and follow them. 

Pics of Fireworks: Bring a tripod. Use a low ISO (to reduce noise), Try long exposures (30 secs.) and cover the lens between shots. The longer the shutter speed the bigger the burst on the camera. If the color is off change the aperture. 

Water: First off, put your camera on a tripod. Use fast shutter speeds if you want to catch the water at a standstill, or for more interesting results, use a slow shutter speed to catch movement. To avoid overexposure use a low ISO and adjust your aperture accordingly.

Finally: Experiment. Go crazy, do what you want, but if you want some guidelines check out the links below. 

Links to websites: http://www.cnet.com/how-to/50-essential-photography-tips/

Firework tips: http://www.photokaboom.com/photography/learn/tips/049c_fireworks_DSLR_cameras.htm

- Yasmeen Darwish

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Augustus Sander was a German documentary photographer and author.

He was described as “the most important German portrait photographer of the early twentieth century.”  The working man in the photograph stares directly into the lens, confident and assured. With one arm resting on his hip, he stands tall as though the bricks on his shoulders are as light as a feather. The Handlager is part of Sander’s ambitious project ‘People of the 20th Century’ which was based on an almost sociological analysis of Germany at this time. 

I like the fact that it is an illusionistic photograph. The first glance at this image strikes me as playing with two different medias.  There is a strong darkness in the background surrounding the subject except for that beaming light to his face. He is focused on his job and nothing can stop him. For some reason his neck looks irregular. He has bricks popping out around his head. I was very impressed with this piece. It was taken in the early 20th century but has the stylistic values of photography that is like Photoshop.

http://augustsander.com/

http://www.nationalgalleries.org/collection/artists-a-z/S/17957/artist_name/August%20Sander/record_id/20679

- Jarhym Christopher

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Sheila Rock

Sheila Rock

Sheila Rock, a London-based American photographer has taken success in a wide series of styles in photography. Her work ranges from photographing opera houses, to portraits of men, women, and children, including seascapes in the UK.

The photo I decided to write a critique for is one of Sheila Rock’s “Tough and Tender” series. This series consist of black and white photographs that evoke childhood memories in nature.

This photograph is taken from above, with four children playing in the shallow portion of the shore. It caught my attention as soon as I saw it because of the simplicity of life that was described in it. The use of black and white tones works well in this picture, and the placement of the subjects (kids) allow the viewer’s eye to flow through the entire frame of the image. In addition, the subtle lines formed by the clashes of waves add further interest to this piece.

More of her work can be seen at her website http://www.sheilarock.com

-Kyaw Zin Win Htein

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Andrew Bush's Drive By Portraits

  Andrew Bush was born in St. Louis, MO. in 1957. From 1989-1997, Bush photographed a series titled “The Vector Portraits: 66 drives”. In which he rigged his camera to the side of his car and snapped pictures of fellow travelers in their vehicles alongside him on the road. I think this series is very underrated, it’s really amazing, and beautiful how Bush captures such natural moments in such a mundane way. Something as repetitive as driving, something so simple becomes something really intriguing to look at because this wasn’t staged this was real, and these travelers' personalities were captured, it makes you feel like a fly on the wall or something because you’re taken out of the car as a passenger, you’re just reflecting on these travelers. Or as a “Brainpickings.org” calls it you’re having a meditation on character. 

In this photo above which is simply captioned, “Woman waiting to proceed south at Sunset and Highland boulevards, Los Angeles, at approximately 11:59 a.m. one day in February 1997”. Bush uses flash, a fast shutter speed, and an automatic white balance. Overall the composition of this image is very good, it’s not too dark, and all the areas have appropriate amounts of detail.

More of Andrews Bush’s artwork can be found on his website http://andrewbush.net/

- Taylor Daley

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Photographer Critique: Robert and Shana ParkeHarrion

The artists I chose to critique are Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison, they are a husband and wife team who work together to create their complex images.  The work I chose to critique is called “Pollination” It is a black and white image of a grown man in a business suit who has climbed up a giant dandelion, and is shouting at the dandelion which has blown most of the seeds into the air.  The photo has good exposure because you can see detail in the light and dark areas of the photo.  They also use the rule of thirds for position of the focal point.  The dandelion seeds guide your eye through the picture.  The photograph lacks a frame of reference, so it is difficult to tell if the dandelion is huge with a normal size man, or if the man is tiny and the dandelion is a normal size.  I perceive that the dandelion is huge because there is no grass in the foreground with the dandelion that would be expected for a normal size dandelion.  The ground of the photograph is not very clear and it is hard to determine if it’s a grassy hill, or a coast, or a wave.  I feel it leaves the viewer wondering where the dandelion is growing from and what makes up the ground.  Overall, “Pollination” is an intriguing artwork that has excellent composition and balance.

In the photograph called “Pollination”, the artist is expressing that in every grown man there are pieces of his inner child.  The man in the photo is dressed in a business suit and appears to have the thinning hair of a middle aged man.  He is climbing the dandelion like a boy would climb a tree.  He appears to be shouting out loud, but not in anger.  He almost appears to be smiling.  I interpret the title “Pollination” to represent the man sending out seeds so that other adults can find flowers that help them find their inner child.

- Erika Florack