TFS

Digital Photography

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These places aren't graves, they're secret histories waiting to be read. I can spend hours just walking the rooms and floors. I believe that these buildings have a soul, and when I photograph these places I try to capture a piece of that soul

boredpanda.com, 2016, Christian Richter

"Abandoned photography is my ongoing project and now I travel around Europe looking for abandoned buildings" - Christian Richter

WEEK 14

What were your successes?  I was at first having trouble coming up with an idea for my final project and the story I wanted to tell. I finally decide upon “Life during COVID” and trying to capture how life has changed in such a short time during the current COVID crisis.  I think I was able to capture the changes to everyday life and our social patterns as well as capturing how the human spirit carries on and adapts to the change.

What were your challenges? The challenge was to find really good images of the social changes. I also ran into a challenge in one store where I was taking pictures when the manager yelled at me after saying it was ok to take some pics and I also asked  the subjects for their permission.  

What artist are you following?  Christian Richter is a German photographer who was born in the then German Democratic Republic (GDR) and started exploring abandoned buildings after the Berlin wall well in 1989 and Germany was reunited. He began taking amateur pictures of these structures with a small digital camera that a friend gave him which began his love of photography and led to a successful career as fine art photographer. The Abandoned series began in 2011. Richter has broken into more than 1000 buildings in Germany, France, Belgium, Italy and Poland. His friends suggest places for him to visit where he tries capture their "swan song" for his Abandoned series. I think his work is amazing and his story really interesting. He was 14 when the collapse of communism fell in East Germany. The pictures of the abandoned buildings are intriguing and haunting. They make me think about who lived, played and worked in the places his photos capture.  

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Week 12

What were your successes? I think I was able to take some unique shots that showed my personality and the things I like and that are important me. 

What were your challenges? One of the challenges was being limited to taking pics in my house and jus outside - I couldn't go to other places that I might have chosen because of the shelter in place mandate. I also had some problems with lighting - with the pic of me with the Stephen King books (my favorite author) I wasn't to give the pictures an ominous feel which was a little hard to do because of the getting the lighting right.

What artist are you following? Garth McCormick was born in Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland and became a lawyer. He loves to travel and started to be interested travel writing after visiting Asia, Australia and New Zealand. He bought a used camera to illustrate an article, decided he wanted to be a photographer and left the legal world behind.  He takes pictures for private and commercial clients and has travelled to Patagonia, Nepal, the European Alps and America’s Rocky Mountains. These photos are of beautiful mountain and coastal landscapes in Ireland which are beautiful. My mother’ s grandparents came to NY from Ireland and so all things Irish have always been a big presence in my life growing up.  My grandfather used to always say what a beautiful country it is. Gareth’s shots show the breathtaking natural beauty of the locations he shoots and his use of natural light is amazing.

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Like every other means of expression, photography, if it is to be utterly honest and direct, should be related to the life of the times - the pulse of today....The photograph...to merit serious consideration, must be directly connected with the world we live in. - Berenice Abbott

Photographers on Photography : A Critical Anthology by Nathan Lyons (Editor) , Page: 21

Week 11

What were your successes? This week I was busy figuring out back drops for my self portrait. Since we are quarantined now I took shots of some of the spaces in my house as potential backgrounds and I think some are very promising.

What were your challenges? Some of the backgrounds I took were not overly interesting and kind of boring and I wasn't sure what angle to shoot from.

What artist are you following? Berenice Abbott was an American photographer who started her career as a sculptor. She studied Paris and New York and ran around in the cultural hubs of both cities. She was an assistant ae the Man Ray Studio in Paris where she studied photography. Her first solo show was at the gallery Le Sacre du Printemps in Paris in 1926 and showed portraits of the Parisian upper class. After she returned to New York, Abbott was fascinated by the rapid transformation of the landscape and how much it had changed and been built up. During the Great Depression she started a series of documentary photographs of the city that in 1939 became a traveling exhibition and publication called the Changing New York.  Her black and white work captures the essence of New York City at this time. I especially like the picture of Grand Central station with the light shining in and also how all of the pictures show people of that time, their clothing and their everyday life. New York City is about 12 miles from when I live at home and I go into the city a lot and to see how it has changed since these picture were take 80 years ago is amazing.

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WEEK 10

What were your successes? I am enjoying taking my shots more and improving each time I shoot. I like to take pictures of things that are of special interest to me like Broadway and NYC. I feel like I am getting better with my picture taking and trying different angles and taking pictures from far away to interest and contact to the shot.

What were your challenges? I still am having some trouble with getting the light right and ending up with too much light or not enough.

What artist are you following?  Swiss photographer and documentary filmmaker, Robert Frank, is known for his most famous work, The Americans.  The Americans  was published in 1958 and was considered to be very revolutionary in the history of photography and was considered to be controversial at the time.  Frank’s perspective on American culture was shot with a “carefree traditional photographic technique” as it was described by critics.   To create the photos in The Americans, Frank and his family traveled throughout the United States for 2 years starting in 1955 and Frank took over 28,000 picture of all aspects and classes of American life. Frank selected 83 pictures to showcase in The Americans.  His pictures are intense and capture aspects of American life in the late 50′s. The picture with all the mailboxes caught my eye as I wondered what ind of community lived there? I also liked the black and white aspects to his shots. 

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WEEK 9

What were your successes? I was able to take shots of a great subject, The New York City skyline from a place I used to go many time when I was a kid. I think I am getting better at framing my shots. 

What were your challenges? It was very dark and some of my pictures campout too bright or too blurry; 

What artist are you following? British photographer, James Rushforth, is a very interesting photographer. Not only is he a well-known photographer, he is also a mountaineer, climber and travel writer. He is known for his extreme sports shots and his guide book on the Dolomites mountains in Italy. He also shoots nature and landscapes.  He has received many prestigious international photography awards during his career such as the Siena International Photo Awards. 

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(Royal Opera House)

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WEEK 8 What were your successes? I think I am getting better at framing my shots and I was excited to take pictures around Times Square in New York City where I often go to see shows on Broadway. There is no shortage sites to take pictures in the busy city no matter what time you go.

What were your challenges? I am still finding it hard to use the F stop and shutter speed. New York City is very bright and I had trouble figuring out which F stop and shutter speed to use as NYC is a very bright city.

What artist are you following? Ansel Adams

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First visual ideas for Self Portrait 

First weekly update

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WEEK 5 - UNDERWATER FUN

What were your successes? Using creative colors, reflexive pieces, everyday items and scrap paper to use in my constructed images. What were your challenges? Trying to position my camera and tripod in the right position so that the background wouldn’t bleed onto the image. What artist are you following? This week I took a look at the photos of Seth Casteel. He is an award-winning photographer and a New York Times Best Selling Author. He is famous for  his pictures of  dogs diving into swimming pools. These pictures became an Internet sensation with over 100 million views in less than 24 hours. His book, Underwater Dogs, is one of the best selling photography books of all-time. His pictures are cute; fun and capture how playfulness of animals. He has also done some pictures of babies underwater which are equally cute.

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WEEK 6 - AMERICAN CULTURE

My successes were: I photographed sculptures done by SJU students that were located in Marian Hall. All of the pieces were very realistic; I especially liked the sculpture of R2D2. My difficulties were: I encountered some difficulty when shooting outside because the exposure was too bright due to the sun; I should have anticipated this better. What artist are you following? The photographer I researched this week was George Tice. He was born in 1938 in Newark, New Jersey, near my home town of Montclair  NJ. He is known as  one of the most prominent   photographers in the United States. His  photos have focused on the American landscape  and he photographed parts of  American culture that were close to extinction. He is best know for the quality of his black and white photos and the many pictures he took of everyday life win New Jersey.

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WEEK 7 - JOURNEYS ABROAD

What were your successes? Figuring out the right settings, F-stop and flash effect to use when doing night photography were my successes this week.

What were your challenges? Not giving myself enough time to take pictures at night; I am going to focus on getting better at this.

What artists are you following? This week I researched the photography of my Aunt’s brother, Matthew Connors. Matt has exhibited in galleries and museums all over the world including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; DOX Centre for Contemporary Art, Prague; and the Storefront for Art and Architecture, New York. He is a college professor at the Massachusetts College of Art & Design in Boston. Besides photography, he is also a painter specializing in abstract painting technique. I like his photographs because he shoots real life scenarios and captures the raw emotions of his subjects.

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WEEK 2 - BROADWAY BUFF

What were your successes? This week I felt more comfortable with using the camera. I believe I did the rule of thirds very well with my objects in the photographs  

What were your challenges? I was unable to find interesting objects for the lines of movement part of the assignment.

What artist are you following? I am a Broadway buff and love going to shows since I was a little kid. One of the most sought after photographers of Broadway shows is Michael Murphy. His photos of some of my favorite shows are below. He is based in New York City the specializing in theater scene and dance. His work has included Hadestown, School of Rock,  Ain’t Too Proud, Beetlejuice, Waitress and Lion King. His photos capture the actor’s essence perfectly; they are clear and interesting.

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WEEK 1 - NATURE UNTOUCHED

What were your successes? I have never used a camera like this before. My experience with cameras and photography has been using my iPhone to take pictures and post them on social media. I am also used to using Digital Film cameras. This week I focused on how to use the camera properly. I was able to take some pretty good pictures. What were your challenges? Since I am not used to using a camera it took me a while to get used to a 35mm camera.   What artist are you following? I enjoy looking at the work of Erin Babnik. Her photography is beautiful and is mainly of nature. Her pictures are contrasts; stark landscapes with flowers growing in a desert.

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WEEK 3 - WILD MOMENTS

What were your successes? I figured out how to take pictures outside with the right F stop and composition. 

What were your challenges? This week I did not take enough pictures for the review; I left myself short on time.

What artist are you following? The artist I looked at this week was Kyle Dudgeon. He is a longtime family friend, who is a professional photographer. Kyle has travelled all across North America, capturing wild moments in incredible places. With his photographs and written word, Kyle strives to share with his following the power and emotion that nature possesses. His photos are beautiful and many are of endangered species. He also is an ethical photographer; the wildlife ins pictures are not set up, baited, or called in.

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WEEK 4 - NATIONAL TREASURES!

What were your successes? This week I learned how to use the tripod and how to take pictures in the dark. 

What were your challenges? This week I did not know how to construct the abstract images; I could photograph the images but it was difficult for me to construct them.  

What artist are you following? Jeffrey Rease is a professional photographer from Birmingham, Alabama. He started his veteran project last year and his goal was to take as many pictures of veterans as he could as a tribute to their service and to honor them. My grandfather was a retired Colonel in the US Army and served in Vietnam, so I have a fond appreciation for all veterans who served our country and fought for our freedoms.