As the world becomes more and more digital, the masters of Photoshop and Lightroom become more and more crafted at this art. The new artists to watch seem to be apart of the virtual world of GTA A, video gaming. Usually the settings you see on your screen while entering the virtual world is optimized by screenshots and a keyboard. But let's look at Benoit Paille. What makes Benoit so different? He uses a real DSLR camera and then process the images in Lightroom. He says his goal is to“overlay a material reality with a virtual one, erasing the border between the two worlds. [...] I want to show that we can use a virtual space in conceptual photography and approach these areas with the same sensitivity as the physical space.” He, without a doubt, takes his photography very seriously and I can't wait to see more of what he has to offer. Keep an eye out folks!
Jill Greenberg The statement that I love things that are new and unexpected is the biggest understatement. As I was clicking and clicking I came across Jill Greenberg. Her photos catch your eyes with such artistic elements. You can't help but stare. An LA art director says, "Like LaChapelle, Jill has pioneered a new style of photography, and her impact can be seen throughout the entertainment industry", with the publication, Brief, itself characterizing her work as employing "distinctive ethereal backlighting." A president of NBC Entertainment Marketing who has employed Greenberg on a number of occasions due to what he terms her "distinct and innovative aesthetic" observed that "many other photographers follow her lead,'."
Like any other day, I grabbed my coffee and began browsing through Flipboard, an app on Samsung phones. I looked through the news, fashion, and travel tabs then came across Isabel M. Martinez in the photography section. I decided to google her and I'm glad I did. Her photos are phenomenal. As you flip through them, you have this feeling as if you are dreaming or your mind is lost but happy. In addition to her incredible exposures, I fell more in love with her artist's statement:
"My
work deals with the aspects of experience where the real, the known, and the
imagined blend. Perception is a recurring theme within my practice, and has
become a foundation from which I explore ideas that reflect on notions of time,
space, simultaneity and duration. My interpretations are informed in part by
science, philosophy and fiction. Creating juxtapositions that are disorienting
or unexpected, my work engages with the uncertain amid the assumed and probes
the boundary between abstraction and representation, fact and fiction, order and
chaos. Experimentation and process are at the forefront of much of my practice,
at times resulting in ambiguous narratives and hybrid
exercises." I find her work facinitaing and I hope you will too! Happy Browsing!
Looking for inspiration, I used some links Kate posted on Moodle. I clicked on Jennifer Silverberg. She grew up outside of New York City and got her first camera when she was 8. I was drawn to her portfolio which showcased her talent while she traveled to Haiti. I can't wait to travel and her images just captivate you. Her images captures all sorts of emotions from despair to pure joy then empathy and finishes with a smile. It is just amazing. Check it out! Fun Fact: She shot for The Riverfront Times!
Hi there once again! Finals are almost here and with every day I get closer to my big move to Chicago! So nerve-racking, so terrifying, but, most importantly, so exciting! I was pondering how to stay interested in the arts in the new city. I know it is a great city full of various types of art but I want to know how to emerged with new and exciting pieces. As I was going site to site, I found Art Shay. He has a show at Columbia College Chicago Library.
"The nearly seventy photographs presented in My Florence are primarily candid moments beginning with the first photograph Art took of Florence the day they met in 1942 as 20 year-old camp counselors in the Catskills. Photographs of raising their family during the mid-20th century are combined with portraits of Florence with their culturally influential friends, such as Chicago writer Nelson Algren, rock musician Billy Corgan and playwright David Mamet. The final photographs in the exhibition were taken immediately after his beloved wife's funeral in August 2012 when both Art and Florence were 90 years old."
Nigel Tomm is just one of the few artists that appeared in the Google list when one searches "Famous photography in 2014." Although he seems completely mysterious, his work is beyond enticing. I checked out his bio which only had three facts about him: 1. He was born in 1979. 2. He has a PhD in math with the emphasis in the field of number theory. 3. He has the Canadian Sphynx cat named Olivia. This is just two of his images which drew me into all his creations. I leave you only with three facts to draw you near just as the pictures did for me. Good luck and happy browsing!!
My favorite part of this photography course is the chance to explore anything and everything. I have recently been given the opportunity to help some friends plan for their weddings- just the most important day of their life (no pressure or anything...) Upon learning more and more about the special couple they revealed that Hawes Photography created the most amazing engagement photos. Beyond their exceptional talent, they are also really close to home living in downtown STL. The photographers, Aaron and Heather, just moved here and I wish them the most success. Anyways... as I flipped through their album, the pictures were breathtaking! Hawes Photography has this talent to catch the happy couple in the most delicate, intimate moments and transforms the emotion into an amazing exposure. Here are some posted on their blog http://hawesphotographyblog.com/. Can't wait to hear what you think!
So haven't wrote for a while- sorry! Well here we go again I guess, we can make it to the end of the semester. As we have been watching videos of Sally Mann and other amazing photographers, I was thinking of how they became so popular. I don't like to be the last to know who and what is "fetch" so I goggled "Photographers to Watch in 2014." The results were so much fun to look at! Check out http://pdn30.pdnevents.com/gallery/2014/#grid to take a look for yourself. My two favorites were Charlie Engman and Grant Harder. Charlie Engman uses a term "visual gesture" which I love because you feel as if you are moving similar to his model. The photo director of New York Times Style Magazine says his work is "perfectly imperfect." Charlie Engman is a little different with his clients of enRoute and Bon Appetit. His work came from a hobby of over 10 years. After traveling with his wife he decided to make it his career, "But like anything I'd ever done, I jumped in." I have so much respect for that attitude and love his work.
With the next assignment approaching, which is all about light and form, I
remembered one of my favorite America's Next Top Model photo shoots. The shoot
was set up in an open, outdoor space. A piece of lace was held up in order to
cast a shadow which models posed underneath. The pictures, shot by Tyra Banks,
were amazing. I love the idea that the lace added emotion to the picture
without being physical present in the exposure itself. I also was drawn to the
contrast between the delicate lace and the softness of the outdoors with the
emotion portrayed by the models- it is great juxtaposition. It is definitely
going to inspire my next photo session.
After having long discussions about light and shadow, I decided to find
some much needed inspiration. I first began by googling "Brassai" a
famous Parisian photographer who has renowned photographs of the romantic city
at night. His first book was entitled Paris After Dark; it was incredibly
successful-even being nicknamed, "the eye of Paris." I am very drawn
to his photos because at first glance they seem cute and simple but after analyzing
you realize there is something deeper and mysterious about it. You just can't
help but stare.
Spring break is soon upon us which means I take my very
first trip to New York City! Beyond excitement, I find myself googling
everything about the over-populated island. First, I wondered about the renowned
photos taken in NYC. The same old, same old came up then I found the picture
above along with other "random" black and white photos. I fell for
this one because it holds so much juxtaposition. It also expresses the
differences in people in addition to the irony of the "Learn English"
ad behind Mr. Business. As I continued searching I came across 5 Pointz which
is similar to the STL Tag Wall. Although it is closed, it was an outdoor art exhibit
space in Long Island for graffiti artists around the world to create and
express themselves. The colors and artistry is amazing and captures so many
thoughts and emotions. Take a look!
This past Sunday, I had much needed "me-time." And when all else fails, I usually find myself at a bookstore with other stressed book lovers sipping on a grande Starbucks coffee. A table stacked high with photography books caught my eye. As I started flipping through Life: The Classic Collections, I was thinking how raw the black and white photos looked. Absolutely beautiful in unique ways, each one hitting new thoughts and emotions. Then I began thinking about editing photos. How did they do it in the past? How long have photos been retouched? Are there such things as un-retouched photos? So next step I went to Google like every other inquiring individual. I found this has been happening for years! Do you know of the famous photo of Abraham Lincoln's portrait where is standing tall and strong next to a chair? It is not even his body! Photos has been lying to us for years and years. So is there such a thing as a true photograph?
The last few days have been absolutely gorgeous outside and what else to do besides grab a camera (pictures soon to come). As I began to capture some pictures, I began to play with the shadows. It really caught my attention. I came home to put "shadow photography," into my Bing search. These are some images I really loved and may get your creative juices flowing.
Inspiration is rare. Yesterday I came across the blog Humans of New York. It is simply amazing. Photographer Brandon Stanton began this project in 2010.
"I thought it would be really cool to create an exhaustive catalogue of New York City’s inhabitants, so I set out to photograph 10,000 New Yorkers and plot their photos on a map. I worked for several months with this goal in mind, but somewhere along the way, HONY began to take on a much different character. I started collecting quotes and short stories from the people I met, and began including these snippets alongside the photographs. Taken together, these portraits and captions became the subject of a vibrant blog. With nearly four million followers on social media, HONY now provides a worldwide audience with daily glimpses into the lives of strangers in New York City. It has also become a #1 NYT bestselling book.. It’s been quite a ride so far."
I find it so amazing that someone is inspired to shoot strangers; people we pass every day and take it for granted. Everyone has something beautiful to share and to capture their story with a click is an incredible thing. Take a look. It might inspire you to do the same.
As time is simply dragging on, I still am not feeling that perfect mix of inspiration and excitement. I know it will come but it seems to be taking an awful long time. So where to begin? Thanks to my fabulous regulars at Five Star Burgers in Clayton, Paul and Neil have been a huge help disectng though photo 101. Beyond the genuine quality of these amazing gentleman, the books they lent to me have endless photos to get the mind going.
FRANCE. 1932. Paris. Place de l'Europe. Gare Saint Lazare. Magnum Photo
Here is someone I am certain about; I have begun to fall in love with Henri Cartier-Bresson. If you are familiar with photography, you probably know of his very famous photograph that began the talk of "The Decisive Moment." More than that, he has an amazing talent for capturing people's spirits and telling stories. Beyond that you suddenly feel happy looking into these amazing photos. Reactions anyone?
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
So now the time is here where I actually write my blog. Let's be honest- I have no idea what to write. All that I think of is sitting in a coffee house with a beanie, drinking herbal tea while snapping to insanely personal poems. 100% stereotypical- yes. But by no means am I "hatin'." I actually find these people, or more accurately known as artists, to be so amazingly creative. I sit here wondering how they are going to take me, my blog, my ideas, and my outlook. So really my stereotype is created through a complete fear of judgement. But isn't that why we stereotype? We are deathly terrified of people being different- not the norm. That is what is so damn beautiful about life; the limitless ambiance of a culture that encourages individuality. But individuality is a really interesting thing. It is incredibly special and personal. I think that is what needs to be highlighted in life. The individuality of life and people and creations and everything that surrounds us. So this is the mission of the semester, and possibly the hardest assignment I could have put on my shoulders, to highlight the "pretty of individuality" when we don't see it. Whether a person or a mere object, everything has a beauty that needs to be seen. Now we will see how this goes; we might even add a little Carrie Bradshaw twist. Only time will tell. Here we go.
As the world becomes more and more digital, the masters of Photoshop and Lightroom become more and more crafted at this art. The new artists to watch seem to be apart of the virtual world of GTA A, video gaming. Usually the settings you see on your screen while entering the virtual world is optimized by screenshots and a keyboard. But let's look at Benoit Paille. What makes Benoit so different? He uses a real DSLR camera and then process the images in Lightroom. He says his goal is to “overlay a material reality with a virtual one, erasing the border between the two worlds. [...] I want to show that we can use a virtual space in conceptual photography and approach these areas with the same sensitivity as the physical space.” He, without a doubt, takes his photography very seriously and I can't wait to see more of what he has to offer. Keep an eye out folks!
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