#10

“All photographs are there to remind us of what we forget. In this - as in other ways - they are the opposite of paintings. Paintings record what the painter remembers. Because each one of us forgets different things, a photo more than a painting may change its meaning according to who is looking at it.” ~John Berger


I never thought of it this way, but I agree and disagree with this quote as well.
Paintings are done with a subject in front of the painter, or from memory. If the subject is in front of the painter, I consider the painting much more like a photograph. It is helping to preserve the moment and the subject to be remembered later on. If the painting is from memory, its only purpose is to aid in remembering what had already occurred. A painting may also change its meaning to people looking at it later on. The tone or mood of the piece may be debatable, or the event it was capturing could be skewed other ways in peoples' heads.

#9

“You don't take a photograph, you make it.” ~Ansel Adams



I agree and disagree with this quote.
I agree because most often with professional photography, hours of setup goes into the shot. Or even with nature photography, you may move from place to place and create the perfect composition or lighting. Also, when taking abstract photos, some construction of the scene or photographic techniques may be necessary to achieve the desired effect.
On the other hand, I disagree with this quote. Not all photos are made. Candid photography, such a spontaneous form of photography, can produce excellent results by even just randomly hitting the shutter button. Compositions and photographic elements can work and appear at random. Or even the subject can steal the scene and do something to make the photo special, not under direction of the photographer.

#8

“My portraits are more about me than they are about the people I photograph.” ~Richard Avedon.

Taking a photograph can involve many decisions on the part of the photographer and the subject. However, the photographer does play the most dominant role in the photo's composition, lighting, color, exposure, and nearly everything else. The subject (model) may be able to choose just how to stand or show their face, but all other elements of the photo are out of their control. I also believe that the photographer probably does project their own feelings and emotions onto their subject. Maybe feeling angry that day, the photographer would have the model in red light or put on a mad face. You would almost think that the photo should just be of the photographer instead, if that was possible.

Hellen van Meene

Hellen van Meene is a photographer that takes mostly portraits. The majority of her photos feature young people and girls. Thanks to her galleries she can make a living doing what she loves. Her work is shown in museums and galleries all over the world. She is the single subject of three books and appears along other artists in many other books and magazines. She lives in Heiloo, The Netherlands.

Her work:

 Hellen's photos consistently show her unique style. They feature the subject in the center of the composition, and often use simple backgrounds. The color in her pieces is usually very neutral as well. But the subject is most often wearing the color/s that stand out the greatest amount. Her subjects also retain a very consistent facial expression. Looking as if there is no photographer present, their faces appear blank and sometimes in a negative mood. Her combination of indoor and outdoor photography is also very interesting. It appears as though all her photos were taken in one house and one back yard.

#7 Pay close attention to the types and number of photographic portraits you see in one day.

Where did you see them? How do you think that the content of the portrait changes based on the context in which you see the image (news, facebook, magazine, advertisement, television, youtube, etc)? In other words, what is the difference between the portraits you see on facebook vs. those on the news? What is the difference between the “viewpoint” of the photographer in each situation? What is the difference between their “intents”?

I like to think of all the portraits I seen in one day as split into two groups, useful and useless. Starting with the useless, I am talking about facebook. Pictures taken by people holding their own camera at odd angles, doing weird little faces. Or candid photos taken at parties that are often of low quality. I'm not saying all of these facebook photos are bad, but when it comes to portraiture, they aren't what most might think of.
Then comes the useful portraits. These include news, magazine, advertisement, and televisions photographs. The intent with these portraits is much more informational than with facebook. The news and advertisements are looking to portray people in a certain light with quality camera gear and emotion-inducing photos. The viewpoint of the photographer in "useful" photography is to do a job. Her or she is being paid to photograph a story or ad just right. With facebook, any person with a camera, or phone can take their own pictures for free and without much thought.

#6 In your opinion, when is it beneficial, ethical, or appropriate to digitally alter photographic portraits? When do you think it is inappropriate or ethically wrong?

I believe it is okay to alter photographs of people when it comes to beauty/fashion photography. Clearing blemishes, editing colors, smoothing skin tones, and the whole gambit of other techniques are all necessary for high quality photography that will represent someone's brand.
On the other hand, I do not agree with altering photos for news or celebrities. Removing people from news story photos, or completely changing the scene to effect the mood or slander someone should never occur. News needs to be honest, and celebrity gossip should not be supported by fake/edited photos.

#5 Give your thoughts on one or both of the following quotes.

“Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited, and the wealth and confusion man has created. It is a major force in explaining man to man.” ~Edward Steichen




I agree with this quote. Photography is used for so many different purposes. It captures moments and memories that would otherwise be lost. And it is something that can show such a great amount of emotion with only the press of a shutter button. The part of his quote about the human face rings the most true for me. When photos aren't staged, you can capture a person's innermost thoughts just by a single expression or action. Photography is such a diverse art that remains personal and interesting no matter how many pictures are taken.

Assignment 2: Recreate

Original inspiration: HERE
The original image is a very sharp and textured photo. The man's eyes and mouth seem to be the most dominant forces in the composition. My recreation was done based off what that man was looking at. My photo portrays a sad individual staring back at the original man, representing two people post-argument. My photo's model also has dominant eyes and mouth, but the photo has less sharpness and texture to help accentuate the "sad" factor.

Assignment 1: Explore

ekblad_largeaper_simplicity

Composition: Framing and contrast played the greatest role in this photo. With a close up view of the pull-cord and the blown out whites, it created a gritty scene with just one main element appearing clean and innocent.

Concept/Aboutness/Idea: This image is about control. The bright white pull-cord controls the light let in through the window. The "evil" looking black edges appear to be surrounding the cord however while the white remains.

Method: This image is all natural lighting and scenery. The sun shining through the window illuminated the pull-cord, and shadows from surrounding walls and books created deeper blacks.

Motivations: My goal for this image to was successfully play with light in great contrast, while keeping few elements involved in the image.

Context: This photo seems unique in many ways compared to other photographer's work. It shows the theme of control in a way that I have not seen before. It also can be representative of the green movement and using light sparingly, and "letting more dark in."

Part 2
Interpretation: It was interpreted the same way that I thought. Many comments were made about the powerful blacks and whites as well as it's simplicity and interesting composition.
Evaluation: The composition is working very well. The bright pull cord also gives the image a lot of great asymmetry. What might not be working so well is the detail lost in the blown out pull-cord. Next time I would try keeping more detail in the pull cord, and also I would try zooming out just to see how it would effect my composition.
Extension: If I were to make a set of photos based off this one, I would like to have it involve playing with linear and curved lines, keeping one to the extreme and one minimal.

ekblad_perspective
 Composition: Perspective and lighting are the two highlighted features of this photo. A mixture of direct sunlight and an often not shown side of a cologne bottle made for interesting angles and lines.
Concept/Aboutness/Idea: My image is representative of beauty in architecture. Even though this is not a building, it has so many angles and textures that allow it to be seen in a more structural sense.
Method: After finding a dark background (my desk chair) and a bright light source (sunshine), I was able to combine the two into a well-lit ensemble of glass and liquid.
Motivations: My goal for this image to was achieve a great deal of clarity for the textures and also portray the cologne bottle in a way not usually seen in magazines, focusing on the bottle more than the content or brand.
Context: This photograph is close to the same style as many magazine photos, however, it explores a new dimension of cologne. instead of focusing on a brand name or the liquid inside, it concentrates on the beauty of the bottle and its many details. This could be described as a commentary on brand-culture and how it distracts us from amazing and simple forms.

Part 2
Interpretation: This image was not interpreted as I intended. Many people liked the high contrast and sharpness of the image, but in terms of its "hidden meaning," there were not many comments on that.
Evaluation: The clarity and contrast in this photo is something that I believe is working very well. The light source highlighted small textures that give this image something extra. What might not be working is the image being so up close. Next time I would back up a little and not have the bottle fill the frame so much.
Extension: A jumping off point from this image could be a concentration on glass and liquid, dealing especially with those two things in architectural forms.

ekblad_slspeed_instability
Composition:  Balance and contrast are the most unique and important elements of this photograph. Because of the general chaos, there is balance throughout the frame. And my choice to show little contrast is because I wanted a more painterly effect.
Concept/Aboutness/Idea: This image is about a chaos occurring in nature. Even though this was a healthy tree, it now stands blowing in the wind, its inner support system exposed, almost taking on a vein-like effect.
Method: This image was created using a slower exposure and a tree on a blustery day. The more stationary parts (the branches) were kept dark and more clear, while the leaves were in constant extreme movement, blurring and lightening their presence.
Motivations: My goal for this image was to create chaos in a place one would normally never find it.
Context: I believe this photo looks at chaos and instability in a new way, discovering it in strange places. And as mentioned above, it relates to the issue of nature and the green movement.

Part 2
Interpretation: This image was interpreted just as I had hoped. Many people saw the chaos of the tree, or had no idea what the subject even was because it was so distorted.
Evaluation: My exposure and black and white processing of the image are working very well. Without it being too high contrast, it still shows a great amount of detail and strange forms. What might not be working so well is the composition. Next time I would try taking a few more angles or cropping this image.
Extension: Jumping off from this image, I would create a series of photos about chaos in nature, all involving blur and longer exposures. I could look at crowds of people, leaves falling, fields of grass blowing, etc.

“If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug around a camera.”

“If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug around a camera.” ~Lewis Hine



Do you agree or disagree with this quote? Why? Describe situations when photographic images reveal “the story” (as compared to words). Describe situations when words reveal “the story” (as compared to images).

I would agree with this quote sometimes. There are occasions when just words are appropriate, or just photos, or a mix of the two. 

For an example of when images reveal a story, I think of taking photos at a birthday party. At a young age, we may never remember the moment, but when a photo is put in front of us, our memories could come back to life. "OH! I loved that robot dinosaur" or "I remember being mad when you dressed me in that stupid suit!"

An example of when words reveal a story could be poetry. Poetry has the ability to create images and meanings in one's own head. Poetry can be abstract or blunt, while with photos, according to the last blog post quote, nothing is what it appears to be.

“Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be.”

“Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be.”~Duane Michals. Do you agree or disagree with this quote? Why?

I agree with this quote becuase for example, I could go outside and take a picture of a tree. Someone can look at this photo in many different ways. They might say that is appears to be just a tree, and that is that. Or, they could look at the composition and the background and attach some sort of social or cultural meaning to it. Anyone could interpret this photo of a tree in a different way. Even the author could attach meaning to a photo that no one else may ever know. Maybe it was a tree that the author had his first kiss under. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Assignment #0: Recreate

Sleeping Beauty

My goal for this recreation was extreme contrast.

Henry B. Major photographed a scene much like this one in 1880. It featured a sleeping woman laying limp across a luxurious piece of Victorian furniture. On the other hand, here we find a passed out college student sprawled out on a decade-old futon, looking not so "fresh."

Describe what the word “photograph” means to you.

To me, the word photograph means (here it goes):
A seemingly insignificant piece of paper or digital file that contains millions of pixels that each come together to tell the story of one moment in my life, a place that I was, or something that I was doing so that I can, at a later point, come back to that moment and remember it fondly, with embarrassment, or use it to further my career path.
-phew-

Imagine a world with no photographs. Describe what this world would be like.

In a world without photos, there would be few to no memories. Except the the occasional person with a photographic memory (showoffs), the long-ago past would be difficult to visualize in our heads. I know personally that without photos, most of my early childhood (birthdays, holidays, the first day of school) would be something that I assumed happened, and not something that I could take myself back in time to through the piles of photographs my mother took.
Also, in a world without photos, media would have to take a whole new approach. Being an advertising major, this would have an enormous impact on my career. I suppose drawing and illustrations would become the new means for preserving our thoughts, ideas, and memories.