final

Portrait Recreation

Tim Tdder - Portrait Recreation

Tim Tadder's work has a definite style.  This is a recreation from Tim Tadder's website Portraits.  I chose this particular piece because of the interesting light and creative filtering.  I found the filters extremely difficult to recreate but managed to get close.  The model for this set was excellent and thought he copied the original expression perfectly.  

tim tadder

Stop Motion

Assignment 5

This postcard was created from two different places.  The sunrise was taken at Lake Lansing and the cityscape of Chicago.  The lighting was similar and thought by combining them would make a perfect postcard. I altered the water and some of the buildings making it a perfect match.  I thought this project was interesting and challenging.  It was time consuming because of the content but because most where straight lines and angles made it easier to change. The class response was positive and I was really happy the way it turned out.

Postcard collage

ciroc advertisement

This photo shoot was the most fun.  I feel my angle and line are improving especially with this advertisement.  The response for these photos where the best I received yet.  I love that they have a retro feel to them.  The quality of the print really shines in these photos.  I did not have to do much to these pictures.  I did sharpen and add a little higher contrast.  The continuity in the color scheme also added to the content of the advertisement. The lighting was successful and highlighted in each photo.  

final creations

Giant

I adjusted the lighting and shot a little more under the subject.  The class was not sure in the first photo what I was trying to accomplish, however, this was much improved.  I thought the more pictures I took the better it got.  Overall, I liked this photo and thought the final print was much improved.

The poster was more of a challenge than I thought.  The recreation of the angle was difficult.  I shot over 80 pictures to get this shot.  It didn't help that the model was laughing much of the time.  It was fun and ironic.  She is not as all a very serious person so it made this shot even more fun.  I enjoyed the using the filters to create this print.  After a few response, I think I could make it even better but overall thought it was a successful photo reproduction.

The class thought that this was a child and in reality was a student.  This was a photo shoot I did not know the outcome of.  I kinda went with the action of the dog.  The lighting was a challenge along with the correct angle from above.  I stood on a table to get the down shot of the student.  Overall I was happy with the shot but thought later by adding something out the window would make it more interesting, like something oversized.  

constructed reality

Constructed Realities - Written Statements

Floating

This photo shoot was the most successful as far as content.  The class responses where in agreement and thought this worked the best.  The lighting being yellow was the most common response.  I did adjust the brightness and move the shadow.  The class response helped improve the final print.

Giant

Ok, this one didn't work so well.  The idea was great but I wasn't able to execute the details.  It was the most challenging shoot- by far.  I re-shot it many times and still wasn't able to get it the way I wanted it.  The class liked the idea but were confused with the angle.  They like this photo the least out of the series.  I did try to shoot from different angles after all the response to make it more interesting but failed.  I have a much better idea if I were to re-shoot this type of shot.  I did attempt to reduce the noise and was slightly successful.  The end result was average.  I had such high hopes for this one.

 Illusion

I thought the night time shoot made this photo more interesting.  I tried a day shot and the Illusion did not make as much impact on the photo as a whole.  The placement of lighting and the illusion itself, visually moves you around the photo.  The responses where positive with this picture.  I did focus on the lighting after the class responses.  I added some extra light for the re-shoot which worked much better.

Floating Energy

I like that this photo as a specific focus.  I didn't intend for it to turn that way but liked it after I saw the proofs.  This was a favorite by the class.  The lighting, again, was an issue because it was outside.  I liked the evening light and purposely wanted to give it some darkness.  I worked on lighting the area and it intruded on the movement of the energy/  The concept was favored but would have liked it more lit.  I will continue to practice lighting but overall thought this was successful.  

Blog Question #19-21

Blog Prompt #19

Can you think of anything that:

1)            Should not be photographed? Why?

As I think of this question, Every time I think of something that should not be photographed I re-think that maybe there would be a purpose for someone else to photograph it.  For example, suffering children, death, or destruction.  We can learn by photographing these subjects.  Maybe it would make more sense to say not to photograph scenes that depict exploitation because exploitation is harmful.

2)            Cannot be photographed? Why?

I’m not sure there is anything that cannot be photographed.  I suppose the senses cannot be photographed, sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. Not without manipulation of some sort.  Because they are intangible would be the reason they are not photographable. 

3)   You do not want to photograph? Why?

I would not want to photograph people or subjects that don’t want to be photographed.  I believe you should have complete permission to photograph a subject. I feel it would be disrespectful not to honor their wishes.

Blog Prompt #20

“We therefore consume images fleetingly and randomly. It takes very special pictures to grasp and hold our attention. We need to be seduced by images that outdo reality through excessiveness—as in advertising and movies”

(Constructed Realities: The Art of Staged Photography Edited by Michael Kohler).

What do you think about this quote? I feel this quote is very accurate.  Americans have been exposed to more every generation, which in turn makes advertisements, movies, photographs and art more explicit as time goes on.  I believe we do need and expect to be seduced by an image to keep our attention. 

How do you think that our lives are changing as the speed of our interaction with photographic images grows? Our interaction with images is growing as technology grows.  This technology changes peoples lives and not always for the better.  Like I mentioned in the previous prompt, because of the need to be mesmerized by images, someone, art, advertisements are trying to shock or out-do one another by pushing the envelope to the extreme.  If you think about the 50’s you would think of a very apple pie America because this is what images portrayed.  However if you think of the 2000’s your image is very different.  I think this type of change is due to technology.

What are your thoughts on “Infotainment” and how it affects our lives?

Infotainment as first glance seems to be twisted reality.  I feel that some of the best movies are a mix of fact with fiction added.  I can understand how this seems like lying especially if you where to question the main character in the fact based story.  However, real life or factual points are not always interesting so the enhancement of an image or advertisement is needed.  I think this affects our lives negatively.  Having to live up to fiction is nearly impossible.

How does it affect the way we see and understand “reality”?

It affects what we see negatively.  We start to confuse what is real and important with what is fake, fiction, and unimportant.  For example, 20 something females in Hollywood getting 10 plastic surgeries to live up to images that are not real.  Images portrayed perfecting because of manipulation and infotainment.

How does it affect photography in general?

I don’t think infotainment affects photography in general.  Photography is more of an expected creative subject.  Images are expected to be manipulated and trickery for the eye, especially in certain settings.   Of course, portraits and more formal settings it would not pertain too. 

Blog Prompt #21

1. In what ways do you “construct” your identity? In what ways do you “perform” in your daily life?Construction of identity starts by making decisions for yourself and taking responsibly for your actions would be one way.  So I suppose that starts at a very young age.  You build your identity through years of experiences, and learning the path you want to take.  The way of performance would be reaching the goals you have set.  Learning from experiences and the way you handle adversity is what I would consider daily life performance.

2. Describe some ways in which your personal culture and social environments are “constructed”.Personal culture construction would include family traditions.  For example, eating dinner every evening at 6:00 p.m. to holiday traditions as attending midnight Christmas mass.  Social environments that are constructed would be holidays, voting, and other social events.

3. Describe some ways in which your physical environment/space is “constructed”.One-way my physical environment is constructed is football.  Daily and weekly schedule are constant.  Another way my physical environment is constructed are daily activities like eating, cleaning, and walking.

4. In your daily life, what would you consider to be “real” and what would you consider to be “constructed/fabricated”?I think spontaneity is probably the best definition of real to me.   Not planning anything and doing what I want at that very minute.  I really feel most of my life is constructed, for example, daily life chores.  These things are real but are all constructed, from waking up by a constructed alarm clock to attend a constructed class followed by constructed football practice ending with a constructed shower, homework and sleep.