Book Layout Idea

I've chosen to showcase my photos on pieces of black mounting/presentation board. Since the theme of my project has to do with showing the beginning to end timeline of eating breakfast, I will have the photos placed in chronological order in a horizontal timeline. It will show the break fast meal transitionally eaten away. I will separate each photo to its individual panel, then tape the panels together that way they are foldable like a book.

2 IDEAS FOR FINAL BOOK PROJECT

1. B&W Textures
One of my ideas for the final book project would be to shoot closeups of various objects to convey different textures. I would choose to put the photos in black and white.

  ISO 200  S1/19

 ISO 500 S1/14

 ISO 250  S1/19



2. Still Life of fruit in B&W
My other idea for my book project would be to photograph still life of fruit primarily in black & white against a black surface.

 ISO 100 S 1/29

 ISO 100 S 1/29

 ISO 100 S 1/29

Assignment - Lighting 

PART 1 – QUALITY

Hard/direct Light

ISO 200

SS 1/14

Soft/Diffused Light

ISO 200

SS 1/14

PART 2 – DIRECTION

Light from the front

 ISO 160,  SS 1/29

Light from the side

 ISO 200,  SS 1/14

Light from above

  ISO 200, SS 1/14

Light from below

 ISO 200,  SS 1/14

Light from behind

 ISO 200,  SS1/14

Barrett, Chapter 5 - Photographs and Contexts

Response to Reading

In Chapter 5 of Terry Barrett's Criticizing Photographs Barrett addresses the context to photograph relationship. In order to really understand and classify a photograph, it's necessary to understand first the question of who, what, when/where and for what purpose to which it was created–or it's context. As Barrett claims, "knowledge of context can help to enrich the meaning of the photograph." (108) Terry breaks down 'context' in photography in three separate categories: Internal, Original and External. A single photograph can be analyzed through these three contexts. Internal context, as Barrett explains, is considering what is shown in the photograph. In Edward Preston's Pepper No. 30, we are shown the forms, curves, textures and color of the pepper. Drawing upon our own knowledge of basic elements of design, we are able to understand the photograph's main intent--its aesthetics. Original context becomes relevant when a viewer couldn't simple rely on what they observe to grasp a photograph's intent/meaning; they would need "some information beyond that which can be gathered through observation." (107) The example of Sherrie Levine's "After Walker Evans" photograph goes to show that without having a context to Levine's artistic style in her copies of Walker Evans' photos, a viewer wouldn't grasp that they were in fact copies. By not knowing Levine's art, a viewer may be perplexed by why copies of Evan's photographs are displayed as art. Knowledge of this kind wouldn't possibly be attainable without further investigating Sherrie Levine as an artist. A key aspect in understanding the original context is understanding what was psychologically present in the photographer's mind upon creating this photograph. Along with that, it is necessary to know who the photographer was and the social status in which they were relevant. The External context refers to how and where the photograph is presented. The power of external context is such that its outside surrounding can radically affect its overall meaning or the vision which is to be implied by the artist. An example of the misuse of external context can be seen in the example of Pat Ward Williams' "What You Lookin At?" mural; What is meant to question the media representations of African American males, became an offensive take on a hostile statement given by African American males. What radicalizes its meaning was its surroundings, since the mural was carelessly displayed facing the outside window, open to the people of New York City passing by. Photos which are camouflaged into the piece are sympathetic to the plite of African American males and are noticeable at a closer distance, but become unnoticeable from far away, therefore misconstruing its intended meaning. 

10/29 – Oral Presentation Topic

I will be choosing to do my presentation on photographer Kevin Carter. Carter's work fascinates me because of its interest in bringing awareness to worldly issues. Carter's work made incredible strides in bringing to the surface the poverty-stricken countries, like Sudan, in Africa. He brought about widespread controversy and shock by highlighting the realities of human suffering in poor countries. 

Assignment 10/22 – Color

1. Complementary Color

ISO: 100   SS: 1/59

2. Analogous/Monochromatic Color

ISO: 800  SS: 1/50

3. Patch of Color

ISO: 32  SS: 1/50

Assignment 10/22 – Categories of Photographs

1. Descriptive

Untethered Space Walk, 1984

February 7, 1984

Accessed 10/22/17

http://time.com/3880755/astronaut-bruce-mccandless-first-ever-untethered-space-walk/

Unethered Space Walk, 1984 represents Descriptive photography for its descriptive emphasis, with its purpose to depict an accurate record of subject matter (and not to elicit emotional reaction or focus on self-expression) This photo was taken by NASA in order to capture the first ever "untethered space walk" in human history.

2. Explanatory

Seed of Plant Growing from Soil on Ground

Kittipan Boonsopit

August 8, 2012

Accessed on 10/21/17

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/seed-of-plant-growing-from-soil-on-ground-kittipan-boonsopit.html

This photograph fits under Explanatory category because it obtains scientific accuracy. The photo explains a very specific subject matter--a plant growing.

3. Interpretive

Lara Zankoul

The Unseen

2013

Accessed on 10/22/17

http://www.larazankoul.com/the-unseen#

Interpretive photographs must deal with a personal subject matter and offer subjective interpretation to the viewer. Zankoul's The Unseen deals with an uncanny, not obvious, subject matter that is poetic and highly subjective.


4. Ethically Evaluate 

Kevin Carter 

The vulture and the little girl 

1993

Accessed 10/19/17

http://100photos.time.com/photos/kevin-carter-starving-child-vulture

The vulture and the little girl best fits under Ethically Evaluate photography because it takes on a social/economic context. Its effect elicits emotional/passionate response. It desires to display the harsh reality of human suffering.

5. Aesthetically Evaluate

Peter Lik

Phantom (Antelope Canyon)

2008

Accessed on 10/22/17

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2014/12/10/worlds-most-expensive-photo-depicts-antelope-canyon/20203093/

Lik's Phantom depicts an aesthetically pleasing view of the Antelope Canyon in Arizona. By looking at this photo, its screams aesthetics and form over anything else.

6. Theoreteical 

Richard Prince

Untitled

2011
B&W photography and stickers

Accessed on 10/22/17

http://www.richardprince.com/new-work/#/detail/1/

Untitled by Richard Prince is an example of Theoretical photography as it is a photograph about a photograph which is manipulated. Prince's photographs evaluate the ethical stand point of photography itself. 

October 16, 2017 Homework - Composition

1. Line
 ISO 32  SS 1/159 
2. Shape
ISO 32  SS 1/159

3. Repetition
ISO: 32  SS: 1/62

4. Contrast
ISO: 160  SS: 1/29

 ISO: 32  SS: 1/62

5. Texture
ISO: 32  SS: 1/79
 ISO 50  SS 1/29

6. Rule of Thirds
ISO : 50  SS: 1/647

10/2 Classwork

Different types of Lines:

Assignment 3 – Depth of Field

ISO 200

SS 1/50

ISO 200

SS 1/50

Reading Assessment: Barrett's Criticizing Photographs – Ch. 4

This chapter tackles the idea of categorizing different photography in means to highlight the different types of photography in art. But not to judge the photographer; it is more to help guide the viewer in examining a piece of photography and to have it open the path to analysis. It opens up with the discussion of past “photographic categories” suggested by various artists—for instance, John Szarkowski’s theory of “mirrors and windows” in looking at the context of a piece of photography. The mirror symbolizes the artist’s “romantic self-expression”, or the artist’s means of dramatizing the scene giving us an idea of the artist personally; and then windows relate to the realistic idea of the work that’s goal is to “dramatize less” and provide a contextual subject matter within the world.  From there, the chapter goes on to present newer categories now accepted as means of understanding/analyzing photographs. It explains that there are a total of six categories that help a viewer identify a photographer’s photograph. And these categories are helpful in interpreting the photograph. Descriptive photographs, self-explanatory, are photographs to be produced for the sole reason in showing an accurate record of subject matter. Examples of this include identification photographs, NASA space exploration photographs, medical X-Rays, and surveillance footage shots. Explanatory photographs purpose is to express subject matter that has a very specific context in time and place that is dated with visual evidence, and need scientific accuracy, within the photo. They are most commonly found in newspapers, magazines and books. This is because of their heavily relevant social context agenda. Interpretive photographs provide personal and subjective interpretation, and likewise to the explanatory photographs, they seek to explain how things are with a more poetic gesture. Ethically evaluate photographs are politically engaged, and often incite passionate ideas. They deal with socially relevant ideas, but have a desire to spark an emotional outburst and change. Aesthetically evaluate photographs focus on aesthetic issues only. This photography is more about visual form. The subject matter is infinite, but its most popular subjects include the nude, landscapes and still life. Theoretical photographs focus on the topic of art within how its made, the politics of art, the different ways its represented and its theoretical context. It seems to approach the idea of photography and art more philosophically, tackling concepts like its ideological place in society.

            I appreciated the chapter’s approach in explaining, first, how there were an array of different ideas in approaching how do we classify photographs. I thought the new six different categories were seemingly accurate categories. The author provided both a historical background to each category and clear description of what each exhibits. The images of examples were also helpful in my understanding. I particularly found Szarkowski's "mirror and window" analogy, explained in the introduction, as very inventive and clever. I found I could heavily relate to that idea as a graphic designer. A graphic designer has a specific agenda as they approach creating a page layout, a logo or any form of design. And through that creative process, your own "romantic self-expression" is a heavy influence in what you create. However, you're also working within a social context-- that is a marketing sense (the "window") where viewers are viewing your work in a realistic matter of how the art is relaying a realistic general idea. 

Assignment 2 - Capturing Motion

ISO 320, S 1/60

SLOW SHUTTER

IS0 320, S 1/403

FAST SHUTTER

REDO - Part 2B

Three Different Scenes/Three Different ISO Settings (Extremes)

ISO 160 S 1/297

In this shot, which was shot midday, which was not overly dark or light, I used an ISO of 160. 

                                                                ISO 500, S 1/120

This shot was taken in a dimmer setting, on an overcast day.

ISO 80, S 1/29

This was shot in a bright setting with the natural sunlight beaning in through oculus. I had to use lower ISO.

REDO – Part 2A "IDENTICAL BRIGHTNESS"

As I adjusted the ISO setting, the SS settings had to be adjusted. As my ISO setting increased, my shutter speed decreased to capture identical brightness in all the three images. As I further increased the IS0, around 1200+, it became more difficult to adjust the SS to match same overall brightness.

 ISO 32, S1/19

 ISO 160, S 1/79

 ISO 1250, S 1/501