Grad Reviews

Brooks Dierdorff had some really interesting work displayed during Grad Reviews. His works directed at hunting culture referenced different aspects of the sport and its prey. In one piece a large print was displayed facing the wall and curled back towards the Arrow that pinned it. Another was a segmented print that was divided by two lights, which cast light on the image in order to demonstrate deer vision. On the opposing wall, Dierdorff displayed a series of works that explored the boundaries of inkjet printing. This series of work was particularly interesting to me because it coincided with the same approach that I have taken to my final project. His exploration of color and quality limitations ended up creating beautiful abstract prints.

A couple other artists in mediums other than photography utilized scanners and photocopiers or explored limitations of the digital in their work. Seeing the different approaches and interests was inspiring and encouraging as I continued to work through my final project. It was a bit of unexpected motivation.

Final Project Contact Sheets

Final Project Proposal

For my final project I want to continue to explore alternative approaches to digital photographic techniques. For my last project I utilized a basic at-home scanner as my camera. By removing the lid and lifting it up the scanner provided a very minimal depth of field, which presented a segmented picture plane and a very interesting effect. The movement of the scanner from my inability to hold it perfectly still was registered in the final image as very thin (almost unnoticeable from viewing distance) vertical lines. Similarly, the printable image size was determined through the speed/quality of the scans, which I set relatively low. This was because the high quality scans were much slower and posed a challenge for me to remain still for that period of time. The limitations, however, provided an interesting effect that helped strengthen the final images in the project. For my next project I would like to further explore staging of the subject matter and possibly some still life as well. I am interested in continuing this investigation of different approaches to the digital photographic process and here are some of my ideas for the technical side of things:

Scanning film.

Shooting all of my images using color film, I am interested in setting up staged scenes as the basic subject for the images. From there I want to scan in the negatives and use software such as Lightroom and Camera Raw to manipulate and edit them. By combining the techniques involved in both types of photography I can try to close the division and explore their compatibility.

Over-enlarging dimensions to achieve a pixilated look.

Shooting with the digital camera, I am interested in either starting with a small file format or converting after editing. Then printing at 17” x 22” will create a pixilated effect. This technique would consist of still life shots or landscapes. I think the final images could transform into almost a cubist or impressionistic aesthetic and really draw their strength from becoming abstracted by the process.

Screen shots

Using the web cam on my computer as the lens or setting up the image on the computer screen, I would capture screen shots and then edit and print them. I’ve also been interested in using this technique as a means of appropriating movie stills. Another option is to address how people Skype to spend time with loved ones, screen shots as snap-shots of these moments that we can’t be in the same room for.

Because I am working with the nuances of digital imperfections, I believe these images will be most effective if printed at 17” x 22” on luster photo paper. I think I will begin by exploring all of these possibilities and then continue with one after evaluating how well each one comes across.

I like the idea of utilizing the limitations of digital approach to my advantage. There is a trend that is pushing for the capabilities of digital cameras and software to become more and more flawless in order to achieve the perfect image with the perfect colors and resolution. High definition is becoming the standard and all of the sudden amateur photographers can disguise themselves as professionals because of their ability to purchase the top-notch equipment. Yet, there is also a movement towards the aesthetic of the imperfection and deterioration of vintage photography. I want to address all of the above through embracing the imperfections and deteriorations of the digital world and use them to the advantage of fine art.

Panorama

Gregory Crewdson

Gregory Crewdson’s work is highly influenced by film. His work becomes a full-blown production utilizing lighting equipment, a management crew, and even sometimes a set. And although he isn’t creating a film, his work always becomes a narrative, which pulls the viewer into spiraling interpretations of potential explanations for the work. Drawing influence from great American directors like Alfred Hitchcock and David Lynch, Crewdson’s work also tends to have a dark and mysterious reoccurring theme, which is emphasized by his use of lighting and staging.

I’m really drawn to Crewdson’s work because of its cinematic qualities. I love that he is able to tell a story with one image. Where photography is most frequently understood as ‘in the moment’, he draws out the process (literally) and gains control of every single aspect of the final images. That extent of control and deliberation is rarely seen or associated with photography.  

Project 4 Final Images

5 Rules Contact Sheet

Color Ring Around Contact Sheet

Project 4 Rules

1. No Faces

2. No Flash

3. Explore the scanner as a camera

4. Must be in color

5. Explore staging

Photography Reborn Summary

The reading discusses the transformation of photography from analog to digital. Surprisingly, it considers digital photography to be more of an intimate practice than its predecessor. Keeping with my trend of commenting on the abundance of photographic resources available today, this reading casts more of a positive light on the trend than I had necessarily considered. As technology grows so do the possibilities. Photographers are able to capture, edit, print, and share their work within less than a day’s time. And, although the equipment might be more expensive, the time cost is significantly less because of the increased productivity. I suppose the intimate descriptor makes sense as the increased possibilities make it easy for the photographer to be more involved in manipulation of the image. They can control more variables, elements, and effects.

Perhaps a photographer can capitalize on the fact that digital photography continues to expand its realm of possibilities. Instead of being overwhelming and discouraging, it can be motivating. The digital world is fascinating and seems to be on an exponential growth pattern. And maybe the vast possibilities, which seem to clutter my creative and inspired mind space, can actually become more isolating and intimate than I have been willing to admit.

Seeing In RAW Color Final Photos

Art and Photography, Photography and Art

This weeks reading, Art and Photography, Photography and Art by Andy Grundberg, discusses the evolution that photography has seen as an creative medium. As it traversed different artistic movements it began showing a certain versatility that wasn’t available in mediums such as painting and sculpture. Photography became a means of commenting of culture rather than itself as art. It did not possess the vanity that John Szarkowski believed it needed in order to become the artistic medium that it sought to be.

Photography is unique in that it can not only stand as its own individual medium, but also can take the form of other mediums such as painting, drawing, sculpture, performance, collage, even non-art. It has been embraced by so many different types of artists while still maintaining a very “common” reputation. When I say common I mean that photography struggles to gain prestige in the art world because of its versatility and availability. As I discussed with last weeks readings, those factors become an obstacle as well as a tool for photographers and artists seeking to set themselves apart through the use of photography. Perhaps the key is in embracing the very elements that make success with photography seem difficult

Contact Sheet 3

After Photography Summary

The reading After Photography discussed the transitions seen over time that led to digital photography. The author exemplified the evolution of painting into photography, compared the Internet to society’s fascination with fast moving cars, and also demonstrated the influences that a new medium obtains from its predecessor (TV from the radio, early photography from painting etc.). The reading seeks to demonstrate the increasing rapidity in which mediums are changing “for the better”. It seems to come across that the digitalization of photography (along with the internet) means a different experience aesthetic and artistic experience.

The tone seems to be split between critical and embracive regarding digital photography and what it means for the art world. On the one hand the possibilities are endless and on the other, it’s too easy. Photography, which threatened the success painting, has now split into 2 categories: Analog and digital. The latter seemingly farther removed from painting than the former. As a student of photography developing my skills in the digital age, I have a world of options and tools available for any type of approach I want to take with my photography. It’s not like the original masters who were experts at the fundamentals of photography. They had fewer chances to get it right and therefore had to be as precise as possible. Today, the discipline is much more lenient and could arguably be considered less specialized. The easy access to cameras, editing programs, publishing sources and the ability to self teach photographic skills, makes it much more difficult for photographers today to set themselves apart and create the unique, specialized images of the past.

Contact Sheet 2

Contact Sheets, Assignment 2

Old work/New Ideas

Part A:

This work was done this summer as a series of 3 pieces. It was part of a project for a Digital Imaging course and was supposed to be inspired by time. I was interested in a more abstract approach rather than photographing a clock at a clever angle so I played with shutter speed and aperture. Originally I wanted to use my little sister as a subject and dress her in nude coloring against a white background but she refused to wear anything other than her bright pink dress. So Plan ‘B’ was the family dog, a skittish miniature poodle that rarely holds still. My only constants were a draped white sheet acting as a background and the lighting from the bright afternoon sun; the rest was experimentation. I allowed Connor (the dog) to move as he pleased while I adjusted my shutter speed and aperture up and down until I found an effect that I really liked. It resulted in interesting effects from the shadows of the deck railing against his side, and the play of the light against the white sheet. Connors movement against the white background signified my understanding of time as something separate from any other influencing factors. 

Part B :

I chose Richard Avedon’s Portraits of Power Malcolm X because of Avedon’s talent in portraiture and his execution of this particular one. I am really drawn to photographic portraiture and its ability to draw out the essence of the person being photographed. Avedon’s image of Malcolm X displays a blurry, shadowy figure and comes across very confrontational due to the positioning of the camera. Malcolm X was very much the confrontational leader of the Civil Rights movement and consequently was feared and hated among many of the oppressive white powers. Avedon managed to combine the qualities of a mug shot, surveillance video, and an icon into one image of a man who was defined by many of the stigmas and praises that accompany those elements. For me, this photo speaks about Malcolm X as an ominous but strong figure. I really appreciate how the portrait ties itself together through the approach, execution, and final image in order to mimic the essence of its subject.