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. 

Blog #16, #17, #18

“I think photographs should be provocative and not tell you what you already know. It takes no great powers or magic to reproduce somebody's face in a photograph. The magic is in seeing people in new ways.” Duane Michals

I agree with this Duane Micals quote.  Anybody can take a picture but not everybody can create a photograph.  Seeing people beyond the physical aspect is what make photographs come to life. 

 “Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer—and often the supreme disappointment.” ~Ansel Adams

I agree with this Ansel Adams quote.  Landscapes are flat in photographs, so making them interesting with dimension can be challenging and disappointing at the same time. 

“Photography can only represent the present. Once photographed, the subject becomes part of the past.” Berenice Abbott

I agree with this Berenice Abbott quote.  A photograph is a snapshot of the present.  It will never be exactly the same.  There will always be something different about every photograph.  Memories represent the past which are photographs of the present.

Blog #11-#15

#11____Memory of a Place: Try to imagine a place from your past. Do you have pictures of this place? Describe this place as you remember it. What might a photograph look like of this place if you were to go back and photograph it? What would it look like in the past? What would it look like to you today? Where are you standing in this place? What other items are in this place? What colors do you see? Are there other people or are you alone? Make a “written photograph” of this place using words/description.

The memory of a place from my past is my grandpa and grandma’s house in Florida.  I remember the house being old and the grass being hard.  If I where to take a picture of it now, I would imagine it to being the exact same.  My great-grandparents never changed anything.  I would be standing in the middle of the yard next to the big tree.  I would see only brownish green grass and the gold siding of the house.  My great – grandparents would be inside on their porch.

#12____Memory of a Photograph: Which photograph from your past do you remember most? Describe this photograph. Describe how it makes you feel when you remember/think about this photograph. How have you changed? How has the place in this photograph changed? What would a reenactment of this photograph look like? Would you act or look differently if you reenacted this scene today?

The most memorable photograph would be of myself on Halloween night when I was five dressed up as a MSU football player.  I was in the living room of my neighbors with all my friends.  When remembering this photograph it makes me laugh because I became a MSU football player.  If I were to reenact the scene of this photo, I would not change anything. 

#13____Human-Made Space: In the past, photographers who were interested in how humans impacted the natural landscape grouped together to form the New Topographics. “"New Topographics" signaled the emergence of a new photographic approach to landscape: romanticization gave way to cooler appraisal, focused on the everyday built environment and more attuned to conceptual concerns of the broader art field.” http://www.lacma.org/art/ExhibTopo.aspx

In addition, at the same time in history artists created (and still do create) “land art” in which they use materials found in the landscape to make sculptures that remain in the landscape. Many of these works now only exist as video recordings and photographic documents.

Pay attention to the number of ways in which you encounter humans’ interaction with nature and the physical land. Write these down. Using these as inspiration, describe an idea for a piece of “land art” that you might create that would be documented by a photograph. Describe an idea for a piece of “land art” that you might make in a man-made landscape that would be documented by a photograph.

An idea for a piece of land art would be a lake.  I would turn the underwater into man-made landscape.  The seaweed would be the human arms and the fish as its teeth.  I would arrange the creatures to document a photo.

#14____Unknown vs. Familiar Space: When photography was invented, it became a way to document and reveal the specific aspects of both familiar and faraway places. Imagine a familiar place. Imagine a faraway place. How would you use photographs to convey the difference? Can you imagine any places that have been “touched” very little by humans? How might you photograph them?

I would convey differences in a faraway place and a familiar place by placing them next to one another.  Making them contrasting in color as well as in style. 

The place I think has been touched very little by humans is space.  I would research the vast space and try to recreate it.  I would model it to make it appear as the real thing.

#15____Collage: Collage brings together two or more items that were previously separate. The resulting piece usually visually references the fact that they were once separate entities. Imagine an important place in your past. Imagine an important place in your present. Imagine who you were in both of these past and present places. Describe two photographs that you might take that could be collaged together to tell a new narrative about these important places and how they relate to who you are and were.

The two places I would describe would be my childhood bedroom and my current bedroom.  I would collage them together by outlining each piece of furniture and fill it with current design and childhood designs.  It would relate to me specifically and what I liked then and what I like now.

Robert Randall

Robert Randall is a working photographer he works mostly in San Diego, Los Angeles and London. He is from California and tries to capture different natural feelings and moods. He also photographs athletic California lifestyes. He specializes in fashion, beauty, sports, fitness and physique photography and my clients include Clairol, Lancôme, Nordstrom, Speedo and magazines such as Glamour, Fit and Natural Health. His recent awards include nine nama regional first place and merit awards, for bayer, and bma national award of excellence at the 34th annual pro-comm awards, for officemax. 


http://www.robert-randall.com/content/

Collage sketch

Drawing With Collage

Blog Question #10

#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 agree with this statement.  A photo can be interpreted in many ways.  I also think a portrait can have a different meaning at different times.  A painter and their paintings, on the other hand, interpret their subject at the time of creation and can be interpreted the same every time viewing it.  More often then not, portrait pictures are not what they seem. 

Blog Question #9

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

This is a statement I completely agree with.  The technical points of a subject can make a simple subject, as a rock, look like an artistic showpiece.  It is in the eye of the photographer that makes a subject become art.

Blog Questions #8

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

I believe this is a fair statement but not for the majority of photographers.  I believe most photographers are inspired by their subject and impose their creative print in their finished work.  The technical aspect of the final print may be more about the photographer than the actual portrait.  I think photographer’s capture the essence of the subject and then produce a finished portrait with their artistic vision and expertise.

Portrait 5

This image was a nice angle but difficult because of the length. After re-looking at it, I thought cropping it in a different location could have been more appealing.  The monochrome color combination worked well and I thought the final image was interesting.   

Portrait 4

The image for this portrait was simple in context but difficult in lighting.  I achieved the angle successfully while showing his face without any obstructions, but found lighting and shadow difficult.  I think this portrait in black and white might have been more interesting. 

Portrait 3

This image was one of my favorite images because of the angle and placement of the subject.  I think the white background gives the picture attitude and a modern feel.  I would have like to spend more time on exposure but think the photo was very successful.

Portrait Pic 2

This picture is a perfect example of “not was it seems.”  He gives a great performance, one that gives the viewer an automatic smile.  Technically, I was trying to achieve a cleaner image but thought the content was great.

Portrait Pic 1

This portrait is a true image.  It depicts him very well, and because of the composition, I think it worked.  The lighting was difficult and I would have preferred to shoot on location.  However, working with an athlete such as this was rewarding.

Blog Question # 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? 

In my opinion, it is beneficial to digitally alter photographic portraits for the purpose of advertisement, commercial, or selling purposes when the person is aware of the changes and approves them.   I think it's inappropriate to alter any portrait without the permission of the person. 

Blog Question # 5

#5 Give your thoughts on one or both of the following quotes.
“I just think it's important to be direct and honest with people about why you're photographing them and what you're doing. After all, you are taking some of their soul.” ~Mary Ellen Mark



Being honest and direct is always a good way to deal with people. However, when photographing them, the unpredictable is what's interesting.  If the subject is unaware of being photographed, I feel the image is more compelling. To see the soul of a subject is to see it in its most pure form.  

Assignment 1

This image was more successful than originally thought.  Shooting the plant up-close made the image much more interesting.  The complimentary colors give it nice balance and the composition gives it an off balance feel, allowing the eye to move through-out the image.

Set 15: ( Complimentary)

This image was shot in the morning.  The fog over the water makes it interesting and wanting to know what’s on the other side.  The mysteriousness of the image is why I picked it.  The dock gives it a calming feeling, balancing the image in its entirety.

Set 2: ( Morning Light) unpredictable

Set 4: ( Indoor tungsten Light) construction

I thought water best describes illusion.  The leaves in the image look as they are still, but in reality where floating quickly through the water.  The shadow of light even gives a simple tree form.  Shooting moving objects was tricky but challenging.  The outdoor lighting made this picture bright and true to nature.

Set 1: ( Day Light) Illusion

Simple color and texture where the focus in this image.  This object, a red pepper, was a perfect object for this Set.  I thought it was very successful in composition and focus was great.  Finding a good angle however, was difficult.  I shot the pepper from underneath to achieve this texture.

Set 19: ( Color Abstraction) object

This image was using mid-day light.  The shadowing was immense but with the right angle was able to achieve a good composition with out making it obvious what it is.  This picture was also interesting to shoot because it was always changing.  I used ice in a water filled bowl, which gave me good light direction.

Set 3: ( Midday Light) secret

Blog Question # 4

“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).


Disagree, When an artist creates a story they think of one thing and have one kind of thought of who the characters are and where they are located. With out photos people have to think of there own imagery and use their own creativity. The real story is shown from the artist through imagery so they understand what he or she was actually thinking. However a deeper message can also be shown through words in a story because you can compare a stories situation with your own.

Blog Question # 3

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


Agree, An artist has the ability to create anything out of one image. Something can look like one thing but only show a little part of it to make it appear like something else. It is all in the hands of the photographer. 

Color Photo Assignment 0

The reaction from the recreation of the original image is the opposite.  Focusing on the image and shapes and not the negative color space.    I feel the focus is on the image as a whole while maintaing the same theme of cut off objects creating the “next scene.”

Color Photo Assignment 0

I observed simple shapes with extreme negative space.  The original image contained images all cut-off the edges with little dimension or depth.  My reaction to the Philippe Halsman image was artistic abstract, focusing on the negative color more than the actual image as a whole.  

Definition of Photography

My definition of photograph is a record of imagery. Or a way to remember or show how something looks from a viewer.

World without photos

A world with out photos would be a very confusing boring place. People wouldn't understand many things we do now. Photography is used in everyday life. People use photography to document, share, sell, and many other things. We would all have to carry around sketch pads and pencils if we wanted to do any long distant comparing.