UNH Concert Choir- Artist Lecture

I went to see the UNH Concert Choir as my 2nd artist lecture. The choir performed in the art museum and really impressed me. I am not schooled in voice or any type of choir- but I can appreciate talent when I see it. They filled the museum with their voices and really captured the stage. It was not what I would consider "traditional" choir singing- but then again- I don't have much background in this subject. I wouldn't consider it traditional because it was sung with many different types of languages- so I didn't understand anything they were singing. However- I feel like on the flip side- it added to their performance because it made me focus on the raw singing instead of the words.

Though most of the choir was what I would consider flawless- some of the performers could probably work on their stage presence in the future- but I can understand it would be extremely difficult to get so many people on the same page in terms of their stage presence- and honestly I don't think I could ever do what they did- so I commend their efforts!

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1: Why We Make Pictures: A Concise History of Visual Ideas

This chapter is a great opening to the textbook. It discusses how people started capturing images almost from the beginning of time. And it quickly brings up a great point, “They all make photographs because works cannot always provide a satisfactory way to describe and express our relationship to the world.” This chapter also describes the history of different types of photography. One of the many types of photography listed in this chapter is New Media- and that is what I believe our class will revolve around- but I feel like photographers need to keep the others steps in the Evolution of Photography in the back of their minds.

Chapter 2: Visual Foundations

This chapter is all about the visual component of photography and how one goes about communicating their message through that design. Through reading this chapter- one step in the visual component in photography-really stood out: Composition. I have taken some black and white photo classes before- and I feel like I am constantly working to create a better composition. I need to work on subtractive composition, which means learning what to subtract from the picture- things that are not necessary to my main subject/composition. The golden mean is a big subject of this chapter aka the rule of thirds. The GOLDEN MEAN PROJECT we did as an assignment really helped me understand this chapter more.

Chapter 3: Image Capture: Cameras, Lenses, and Scanners

This chapter focuses on the hardware component of photography. The Camera serves are the key component of the photographic vision. I feel like different cameras can create different messages- because not every camera can do the same functions. I started off in this class with a Luminx point and shoot camera. Though it was a great camera and it could do a lot of different things I choose to upgrade to a Cannon Rebel DSLR. I am very happy that I upgraded because I feel like it has helped me grow as a photographer because I have learned how different functions can change an image- and message. Experimenting with aperture and light balance will continue to help me grow as a photograph throughout this course and beyond.

Chapter 4: Exposure and Filters

This chapter is absolutely correct- proper exposure technique is the technical prerequisite to the process of transforming ideas into photographs. And though it is easier said than done- camera light meters, and digital imaging software offers aid in that department. Though I knew what a camera light meter was before reading this chapter- I did not know how it worked. Understanding that it reads all the light reflecting back from the scene shown in the viewfinder to generate a “mean exposure from all reflectances within the entire scene.” I feel like understanding how my camera functions, is only going to benefit my work in the future.

Chapter 5: Seeing with Light

“Light’s multidimensionalism can reveal any subject’s many diverse realities, which are as fleeting as light itself.” The definition of photography is capturing light- so in the end- every photograph is about light. Using different lightings can help convey a message- and help the audience feel what the photographer is trying to convey. Just the differences of the time of day/types of light can really change what a photograph says. Before sunrise, morning, midday, afternoon, twilight/evening, and night are all different times of day that create different types of light- though I have worked with daylight the most- I really want to focus on twilight and night photos in the future- because it is something I have not done too much.

Chapter 6: Observation: Eyes Wide Open

Though I consider myself very literate in terms of words- this chapter focuses on the art of learning the language of images---to be visually literate. Our critiques that we have after each project really helps me grow as a visual literate person- one very meaningful component to reviewing our own work and the work of others. And when I look at a scene- this chapter suggests I determine what exactly interests me—and to visualize how and where my content and background are going to appear in the final image. Visualizing is something that has helped me greatly throughout this course so I can correct actions and behaviors to create a better image in the end.

Chapter 7: Time, Space, Imagination, and the Camera

A camera can stop time and add to the aspect of physical dimension within a framed area of visual space—giving photography some properties other visual media may not have. Though a camera can capture a period in time and attempt to “freeze” the scene- forever. On the other hand- a camera can mimic a human eye with its lens- not just freezing a point in time- but showing a particular moment from a specific vantage point.

Chapter 8: Digital Studio: Where the Virtual Meets the Material World

Though digital photography has a long and complicated history based off of film photography- digital imaging makes picture making and viewing instantaneous-but it also makes the distribution simpler and quicker. It captures the subject as a series of “pixels.” Though this chapter touches on many different subjects that would be tough to convey in only a paragraph- the section on pixels and image size was very helpful in terms of our digital photo class- It helps me understand how resolution and pixel dimensions relate. Though this chapter really helps me understand the connection- it also helps work within Photoshop to create the final image. Though I work better from experience- this chapter will be a great resource in the future.

Chapter 9: Presentation and Preservation

A very large component in digital photography that I have learned so much about this semester is the use of digital retouching an repair. Though I enjoy shooting the images I want to convey more than the retouching aspect- I have learned retouching the image is half the battle. When I am taking a photo- one can not always tell if there is anything slightly off. Correcting and visual defects before the final print can be critical- because those defects can take away from the overall feel of the final print. Though this chapter has a lot of information- it will be a great reference to look back upon on storing and the distribution of materials.

Chapter 10: Seeing with a Camera

This chapter builds upon what many of the other chapters have tried to relate to the reader- “one of the fundamental tasks of any image-maker is to define what the exact subject of the picture is going to be.” Angles of view are a very helpful subject in this chapter- because just slightly tilting the camera can convey a new-more dynamic image as a final print. I wanted to base a project around a “worm’s eye view” because shooting from a low vantage point- can create a subject from a different angle- that as adult humans- we are not used to.

Chapter 11: Solutions: Thinking and Writing about Images

“Visual thinking involves an imaginative and resourceful interaction between an image-maker and a subject.” Coming up with ideas for projects as the semester goes on- becomes more difficult. Something this chapter suggests that would probably be of great help for me in future projects- is using a notebook and a journal to take notes on ideas and subjects that inspire me. And though I didn’t quite keep a running journal- I would quote often take notes on scrap pieces of paper- so maybe if I collect those scrapes- I can create a journal. Though generating an idea is only one of the first steps—approaching the subject and tying it all together, reviewing, and a final evaluation are also critical steps in the creative process.

Chapter 12: Photographer on Assignment

This chapter focuses on portrait research. This may include: self-portraits, portraits of other people, environmental portraits, etc. Throughout this semester I feel like I did a lot of portraits- just non-traditional ones. First, with- the scan-o-gram and then with the 7 deadly sins. And portraying oneself for the camera has been a staple of photography since the beginning. With the scan-o-gram project- I used my hands and props to convey my own self-portraits. Also portraiture can be the capturing of social identities- and be used to convey questions—portraits are always changing- the subjects that is- just not the way about it- I look forwards to working with portraiture in the future.

Caught in the Moment Shots

Gluttony Repost of Seven Deadly Sins

Final Project

This final project turned out a lot more difficult than I first imagined. I had a lot of ideas floating around in my head and I couldn't nail down just one. I started off with taking pictures of christmas decorations around town and then realized I liked the christmas lights- but I would need a tripod and I needed to adjust my subject a little. So I went with an idea that revolved around christmas lights in unconventional settings. I had a tragic family death 3 years ago occur right around christmas time and though christmas can look wonderful on the outside- this shows a darker side of the holiday- and unfortunately it also reflects how people may not feel so "jolly"- christmas time can actually be the most depressing time of the year.

Class Head Shot

So this assignment- to morph the class photos into one face. I had a hard time matching up the different facial structures to match- I didn't end up using everyone's face- but I used about 10- Also I could have blended the faces and shoulders better together- but I like the different colors the shirts with the different layers make. I wouldn't mind re doing this assignment as I get better at photoshop- in the future.

Social Narrative

This assignment was extremely difficult for me. First off- I had a hard time determining what the assignment meant to me. I at three scenes overall: A baptism-church, a bar, and a graveyard. I ended up going with the graveyard for my final project. I wanted to portray life through what other leave behind. And in a graveyard- this is the final resting place- and the final words the individual leaves to the world. I decided to shoot in the old part of this particular cemetery. The first image- of some stones portrays what most see when they look at a graveyard. The second- a stone with one name only- "Sarah." This stone was one of many that struck me- no dates, no last name, and no epithet. Maybe Sarah was young, maybe her family didn't have the extra money to have it engraved further, or maybe no one knew her last name and birth date. The third was a statue on top of a family plot- it almost looks as though she is looking down upon the fourth image- the broken tomb stone- maybe out of sadness because someone's monument was destroyed. And the fifth image maybe just an engravement on a stone- but the words "hope" means to me- that maybe there is hope even in an environment that usually houses death.

notes: Though in class this critique held a lot of criticism- I thought this assignment helped me grow- it challenged me- and I portrayed an environment that once scared me- and made it seem beautiful- the skies in the first and last photo were stunning- and even though it was dusk- it did not hold the feelings of fear or darkness to me. I really struggled with the idea of a social narrative but I am very happy with the result.

Creating a Shadow

Today we had to use photoshop to create a shadow. I thought this exercise was very interesting and I learned a lot. I used different layers, the transform tool, and different blurring tools to help blend the "shadow." After learning this- I really think I will implement this in the future.

Janice Nowinski Artist Lecture

Still Life with Card (1999)
oil on canvas 26 x 28 inches

Janice Nowinski

Let me start off saying, I know very little about painting and still life paintings. I went into this lecture not knowing what to expect. Though I could not relate to the painting aspect of her lecture I began to relate to other parts of her life that helped contribute to her painting career. Someone in the audience asked her if she grew up wanting to be an artist and she promptly said, "No!!" When she was about to graduate high school she didn't know exactly what she wanted to do- but she knew she didn't want to go to college. And I can relate to that right now- I am finishing up the first semester for my senior year and I have no idea what I want to do- I thought I wanted to go to grad school but that has recently changed- at this point I know I don't know what I want to do- other than not go to grad school. She explained how her path eventually lead her to more schooling and how she received her MFA from Yale University.

I was blown away on how long it took to complete her paintings. She showed one slide of a still life that she considered her "first mature still life after grad school" and how it took 3 years! I had no idea how much work and time went into that piece- but it made me appreciate her work a lot more!

Another tactic she mentioned in her creative process was- she starts with any idea and as she continues with the project she gets another idea and starts painting that- it was a tactic Picasso was known for. I can really relate because when I start a photo project I might have a direction but as I start- that idea an direction often changes- so it is nice to know even great artists like Picasso didn't always know exactly where they were going with their work.

Why Photograph?

People photograph for many different reasons. But from my perspective it boils down to--they take the pictures to capture that moment in time for a memory. Whether it is a group of friends enjoying a evening together, a structure, a tree, a beautiful landscape, or any number of different objects... it all boils down to capturing that subject as a living memory. That living memory can serve a documentary purpose or even more- maybe a different perspective on something that is considered quite normal. Other people- the viewers look at these pictures to open up their imaginations-- and photographs can change and alter their perspective and help them grow throughout life.

I want to take pictures of landscapes. Though it is something I usually reflect in my photography projects- I want to learn to operate my camera and use software to better my images as a whole. It is a process- and I am constantly learning and growing as a photographer. Something that I am not really exciting about it staging photos. I enjoying walking around and trying to capture just the right moment- it makes it that much more special that it was natural not staged.

Inspiration~

I gather a lot of my inspiration from music. I listen to music on my way to class or work, while I am walking from the parking lot via my ipod, when I am shooting photos, writing a paper, or even cooking or cleaning. It helps me zone out a little so I can focus on the task at hand. I know one time last semester my ipod went missing and it was really tough for me. I found myself on the bus or walking to class feeling like something was missing. I know now that I need that to help me through my day. It isn't one particular song, or one particular genre- it really depends on my mood and the activity at hand.

Creative Process

When it comes to creating some piece of work it starts with a lot of thinking on my end. I first think and think on what I can possible base my finished work around and once I have that spark I usually start off with whatever I am trying to create. Whether it is a thesis for a paper, an idea for a photo shoot, or any number of different ideas I bring to life in life or related to school- I need that spark. Very seldom does that original idea hold up until the finished product. It's all about the spark and the evolution of my original idea that helps me develop as a thinker and a human being.

Seven Deadly Sins

The Seven Deadly Sins project was very difficult yet in the end- very rewarding. I chose to use only the portrait of legs and not the face because I felt that I did not have the eye or resources to properly convey the face in this project. Even though I did not have the proper resources to do a full face frame of these sins- the legs portray a more dynamic feel and I do not think I lost anything in the process doing it in this manner. Some of the sins are stronger than the others- with my favorite being Gluttony.

Gluttony

Lust

Pride

Envy

Wrath

Sloth

Greed

Building Architecture Portraits: Kingsbury

Imagemaker as Flaneur

I really chose to shoot many different subject of my environment for this project. Though through the critique from my peers- I learned that I should have probably had an underlying theme to better pull these images together as a series. THough each image is strong on its own- I will work on pulling a project together as a series in the future.