artist statement v2

I take my work seriously and myself less so. I think it’s important to have a sense of humor about everything: self-seriousness almost always leads to unnecessary stress. Still, I like to produce the best quality work that I can. I’m no master of photography, but I enjoy challenging myself with new photographic pursuits, even if I complain about them to my photography teacher.

Ultimately, whether producing it or simply appreciating it, I’m a huge fan of art.

artist statement

Despite my intensive training at the esteemed CVS Photo Lab, I’ve never considered myself a particularly creative or daring photographer. I work well with guidelines: I’m comfortable completing assignments with specific directions. But when my photography assignment was as nebulous as “mastering a new technique,” I was at a loss.
Fortunately, when I approached seasoned photographer Telayah Sturdivant, her help was invaluable. As it turns out, Telayah is as good a model as she is a photographer. Poised and confident in her vibrant red dress, she made shooting portraits—something I have had very little experience doing—easy for me.
Both photographs were taken in the school, which, behind the lens of a camera, turned out to be a much more interesting place than I thought.

Art Night Proposal

For art night, I plan to take a nighttime photograph of my front door, and the lantern beside it, in particular. I experience this strange light when I walk my dog every night, and thought it might be fun to photograph. My house is rather bland on its own, but I think that the eerie light of the lantern by the front door could make it seem somewhat creepy and interesting. Extensively Photoshopping the image will be essential to creating the desired effect.
Though I can't pinpoint a particular technique, I strive to achieve the effect that is in my two reference photographs. The photographer seems to have upped the contrast and desaturated the image (I might keep a bit more color in mine) to emphasize the effect of light in darkness. Vignetting the photograph will increase the effect.
I plan to shoot on Thursday (?) night. I will use a tripod and take the picture when the sun sets at different times (probably around 8:30 - 9:00). This way, I will have a gradient of darkness levels and will be able to choose which one provides the effect I want the most.


I can't seem to post the reference photographs, so I'm giving you links to them instead:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spacelion/226051724/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rborja/1827815257/

Photo Document Proposal

For my photo documentary, I plan to document the subculture of the cafe-goers in Saratoga. More specifically, I’m going to take pictures of the people who work at and frequent Saratoga Coffee Traders. From what I can gather, this group of people includes college students, intellectual homeless people, wealthy tourists, and just regular townies. I have always found the “Coffee Traders crowd” to be an likable although rather elusive group of people that will hopefully prove interesting to photograph.
There are a wealth of things to photograph at Coffee Traders, ranging from coffee to bins of colorful vintage candy to just interesting-looking people hanging out. Given the friendly and accommodating aura of these cafe-goers, I don’t predict having difficulties photographing them. In order to seem more casual and less like an intrusive photojournalist, I might try talking to them for a bit before I commence picture-taking. This way, they will be less inclined to change my behavior when photographing them.

The attached reference photographs have both the subject matter and the warm aura that I'm trying to attain.

3

(detail of birdhouse from one of my storybook photographs)

Take away the birdhouse from this photograph, and it would be dreadfully boring.

Like the jar that Wallace Stevens places on a hill in Tennessee, or the sculpture that Maeve photographed, the birdhouse rules the picture.

The birdhouse is small, yet extremely powerful. Stevens' jar is similarly small. But once he places it on the hill, there is order. If there were no birdhouse in the picture, we would not know where to look. The birdhouse, like the jar, creates a focal point; once it is there, we know where to direct our eyes, and we have, to some extent, created order in the wilderness.

2

The Anecdote of the Jar
Wallace Stevens

I placed a jar in Tennessee,
And round it was, upon a hill.
It made the slovenly wilderness
Surround that hill.

The wilderness rose up to it,
And sprawled around, no longer wild.
The jar was round upon the ground
And tall and of a port in air.

It took dominion every where.
The jar was gray and bare.
It did not give of bird or bush,
Like nothing else in Tennessee.

The wilderness, however vast and powerful, is subservient to the jar.

By placing the jar, Stevens has rearranged his M&Ms by color.

Is the jar civilization?

1

"The spontaneous direction of energy flow is from organized to less organized forms."
- the second law of thermodynamics

It is human nature to try to organize things, to create order from disorder. Even adults will acknowledge the temptation to rearrange their M&Ms by color.


(photograph by Maeve Gilman, Emerson '10 art major; edited by me) This abstract sculpture is placed on a mount and, accentuated by the rather dubious placement of a trash bin, dominates the landscape. Without it, we would see a field with a few trees spaced at random intervals. But instead, the angular, unnatural stone sculpture takes precedence over the natural forms. I find the sculpture rather unpleasant. But undeniably, it creates order within the disorder of nature.

Monday

I am critiquing Jack Bryant's photobook, "Monday." It depicts the mundane and somewhat depressing routine of a high school student on a Monday morning. I think it's noteworthy to include that the book from which he made the cover is called The American Revolution Reconsidered.

The photographs in the book are taken from multiple points of view. At times (e.g., in photograph 7) it seems that the photograph is taken from the perspective of the worn-out high school student himself. Some other shots (1, 2, 5) are close-ups, and the subjects (which are quite average-- a showerhead, a bagel, a notebook) dominate most of the frame, emphasizing the morning routine. Jack's choice of lighting also reflects the subject matter: the first photograph has rather flat lighting, and the shapes seem to nearly blend into the background; this effect seems to emulate the groggy tiredness that one feels when just waking up. The treatment of light in the second photograph casts special attention to the texture of the cream cheese; it is emphasized against the black background, and I can't decide whether it looks delicious or slimy and somewhat repulsive.

Of all the photographs, I find #7 the most interesting; it ties the rest of the photographs together. It relates to photograph #3 (the dog), as we see the same collie stare longingly out the front door, as if saying, "don't leave!" We're sure that the student feels the same way. The square-ness of the windows and doors is balanced by the roundness of the soccer balls, giving the photograph variety and balance. The most interesting part, I think, is the movement of the flag. Especially when one considers the title of the cover-book (The American Revolution Reconsidered), the flag is particularly resonant. As the morose student heads to school and falls asleep during class (photograph #8), we wonder, "Is this Monday routine the American ideal?"

My gut reaction was that the book told a story, and I think that some of the photographs (e.g, #4 and #6) are mainly used as means to progress the story, although Jack does pay attention to the composition of these photographs. Upon closer examination, however, I found that there was a lot more going on in these photographs than simply storytelling.

Ultimately, Jack's last photograph depicts a student falling asleep (in class? in a cafeteria?), which I think serves as a rather depressing end to a Monday routine.

Note to Ms. Macwright -- Unfortunately, I'm sick and won't be in school tomorrow.

Photomontage Project

For my Photomontage project, I plan to photograph the eerie, creepy, industrial boiler room on campus. It's very cold and machine-oriented; there aren't very many bright colors. For this reason, I think it might be effective to grayscale them after shooting. I will have to make sure that I have a tripod, enough natural light (sunny days would be better for shooting), and the correct white balance when shooting.
Ariel's previous Photomontage of a beverage cooler somewhat reflects the cold, industrial look that I'm going for.

Dave Hill Photograph - Erika

Reflection on Dave Hill Photograph

(Ms. Macwright--I don't know how to isolate the photograph! It's on Page 2 of his Advertisements, and it's entitled "Shannyn Sossamon.")

Dave Hill’s photography is ideal for advertising for several reasons. I do not know what this photograph is advertising, but regardless, the style of the photograph is effective for any kind of advertisement. Hill’s lighting (which, to me, seems almost Gregory Crewdson-esque in its surreal treatment) illuminates everything in the frame while providing the most contrast between light and dark on Shannyn Sossamon, the subject. This unique lighting is not something that we are likely to witness in everyday life, and is thus very cool and, by extension, memorable. It transforms a rather dilapidated stoop into an exciting visual treat for the viewer. Rather than viewing the photograph as a picture of a pretty girl on a dirty urban stoop, the light and editing make it into a surreal and interesting place that seems like fun to explore. We wish we could join Sossamon in her world that is decidedly different from ours.

Photobook - edited pictures

How much does clothing tell you?

Excerpted from Schuman's blog, regarding the pictures below:

“Where to start? - the "retro" extended shirt collar - the 3-pc. suit worn without a hint of stuffiness - the simple brown/grey color story - the playfulness of purple socks But the single most important element of this look! - the masterfully/effortlessly rolled (almost punched) brim of his hat. Really, doesn't that one element of his look tell you everything you need to know about this gentleman?”


These photographs are very much in the style of Schuman. His pictures are much like the style that he describes of the people of Milan: many variations on a single style. Nearly all of Schuman’s pictures follow the same format: a clear subject taking up most of the foreground, and a blurred background that complements the rest of the photograph nicely. I especially like the placement of the cardboard box in the second photograph, which provides necessary balance.
But these pictures cause me to wonder how much we can learn about somebody through their clothing. Not as much, I believe, as Schuman thinks. I realize that clothing is a mode of expression, and that what we choose to wear does, to some degree, affect how we are perceived. But is our attire really such a definitive indicator of our personality? Theoretically, if this well-dressed gentleman were to find another man who is homeless and dressed in tattered rags, the two could switch clothes. Now, which one is the classy, understated, collected, somewhat playful gentleman? Though clothing is a reflection of our persona, I think that Schuman ascribes it too much power.

Who does the work?

At first glance, it may seem that Schuman’s subjects do most of the “work” in his photographs. He merely takes their picture; they are the ones who wear such tasteful attire. Upon closer examination, however, it becomes evident that Schuman is doing much more than simply portraiting people who he thinks have good taste in clothing. First, it is clear that he pays attention to the treatment of light, as we can see in pictures like this:

Also, Schuman is careful about the composition of his photographs. His doing so is as subtly appealing as is the style of his subjects. Note how in the photograph below, the woman’s bright red purse creates a triangle with the red stoplights, directing the eye in a triangle that outlines the woman.

The Sartorialist - General Thoughts

I am very detached from the world of fashion and style, so the Sartorialist’s photographs, which predominantly feature the best-dressed ladies and gentlemen in town, are especially interesting to me. The ability to spot somebody who is well-dressed as opposed to somebody who is simply wearing quality clothing is a skill I do not possess and thus fashion is a sort of arcane interest to me.

Though if asked I would probably say this man is well-dressed, I would not be able to explain why. This may be why if I were to photograph individuals who I thought had good style, my photography would not nearly be as popular as that of Schuman. His love for fashion and style is very evident in his photographs.