Photo II - Week 4

The first photo I selected for tis week is by Hiroshi Sugimoto. It is titled Colors of Shadow C0126 and is part of the collection "Colors of Shadow". Sugimoto had the area covered in a Japanese plaster that absorbs light evenly and then waited for pleasing results. I think what most attracted me to the photo was its light colors. The photograph could easily be a black and white and yet he choose to use color. The colors for me are possibly as interesting as the shapes of the shadows. To see more of Sugimoto's work visit the website here.

The next photograph is by Lisette Model. It is titled Sailor & Girl, Sammy's Bar, New York. The photo is one of the many that Model took in New York City. She frequently shot photographs of people conveying sad emotions such as loneliness. This opposite feeling is what drew me to the image. If Model's aesthetic was lonely sad people why take this photo? At the time did it seem safer or was it just an attractive subject? The print is from the 1940's. To see more of Model's work you'll have to do some searching as it was very difficult to find online. This image is from ARTstor.

My final photo for the week is by Sacha Goldberger. I couldn't find out much about this photograph other than his model who happens to be Goldberger's Grandmother. I think that while the humor of the photograph make the image strong its composition and cool colors make it even more successful that just the "thing itself". To view more of Goldbegers work click here.

Photo II - Week 3

The photograph above is "New York City" by Helen Levitt. Levitt was known for her photographs of New York City and the children there. As I was looking through her photographs I found myself drawn to this specific photo time and time again. The awkward angle of the girls body and it's organic shape next to the very geometric car was a combination I found visually compelling. The fact that Levitt captured a moment that all children experience at some point in such an abnormal looking way only makes the image more interesting to me. The use of a fast shutter speed would be required unless she placed the child there however that would defeat the purpose of her candids. It appears to be that finding Levitt's work online can be difficult however, as DCAD students you can view more of her work on ARTstor.

The first photograph is Untitled work by Cindy Sherman. Sherman is the model for the photograph however she disguises her appearance with a few simple tricks such as wigs and makeup to create memorable characters. Sherman refuses to title her works or put them in any sort of context. While the photograph itself doesn't appeal to me I find Sherman's simple creativity and position on her art refreshing. Sherman's art was difficult to locate. Her personal website which can be viewed here has some work but ARTstor has a much larger selection.

My final photograph today is by Julie Blackmon. The photograph is titled Birthday Girl and is featured in her book Domestic Vacations. The photographs are inspired by both Blackmon's experience as a child being on of 9 children and as a mother of three. The book is also inspried by the Dutch proverb a Jan Steen household meaning a house of chaos. While I cannot say for certain I am almost certain that Blackmon digitally composites her photographs. I can honestly say that I find everything about her photographs appealing from the colors to the light. You can view more of the work on her website here.

Photo II - Week 2

The above photograph is titled "The Wanderer" and was taken in 2003 by Loretta Lux. The photograph is one of the many surreal children's portraits that Lux is known for. While many of her works have a very obvious feeling of cut and paste to create the surralisim this particular photo lacks that feeling. It's transition from background to figure is much more smooth than Lux's usual style. That lack of seam is what attracts me to this photo however. I find the believability to be incredible and highly interesting. One can assume that Lux photographs her subjects in their unusual costumes in one location and then composites it into the background. However I am unable to say wether she does this in photoshop or in a darkroom. To view more of her work you can visit her website here.

This photograph is titled "Adolf Bolm Ballet Intime Dancers" and was taken by Imogen Cunningham in 1921. What I find most attractive about this photograph is the use of the scale and space. While the dancers are meant to be the main subject their scale is so minute that your eye is first drawn to them and then, even with the front dancer pointing, your eyes are drawn up and out of the frame. In order to create the photograph Cunningham would of course have to watch her composition but also her aperture. The depth of field of this photograph is also important. In order for the dancers and their surroundings to be in focus Cunningham would have to use a long depth of field and a narrow aperture. To view more of her work you can visit her site here.

The final photograph for this week is titled "Revelations" and was taken by Jill Greenberg in 2005. This photograph was taken for part of a series Greenberg did called "End Times". The series was meant to show the raw emotion of children (none of them were harmed in any way in order to get the desired photograph) and a mothers fear for her own children's future. The photograph was clearly taken in a studio environment and its tonal ranges pushed to the desired effect. Wether Greenberg chose to use film or digital to record the photos I do not know. To view more of her work you can visit her site here.

This photograph was taken by Lauren Greenfield who is a photojournalist. Greenfield tends to photograph subject that depict a specific idea of human behavior. The following image is of 4 year old Allegra playing dress up. I believe the image was used in Greenfield’s book Fast Forwardwhich depict children growing up under the influence of Hollywood in California. What I find interesting about this image is just the purpose it was captured for but that it’s meaning can be seen without Greenfield’s captions or ideas being added onto it. The image conveys the exact idea. In order to create the image it appears Greenfield used natural light however, it seems that light wasn’t bright enough to use a fast shutter speed and an aperture that would capture the items Allegra was trying on. Therefore it appears that Greenfield used a slower shutter speed to get the depth of field she wanted without compromising sharp focus on Allegra’s face. To see more of her work you can visit her website here.

Jerry Uelsmann is a photo manipulation photographer known for his surreal images that he crafts in his personal darkroom. First to discuss what attracts me to the image I find the mixture of textures and the dramatic lighting very beautiful. The texture of the gritty sand against the smooth walls is something that I find really incredible, mainly because it is so believable. While most photographs are of things that are already existing Uelsmann takes random photos that he processes and find ways to mesh them seamlessly. While I do know some of his process I highly recommend looking into a book we happen to have in the library titled “Uelsmann: Process and Perception – Commentary and Photographs”. The only thing I can say with any confidence in order to get this photo was to create masks from black paper to create harsh edges. To see more of his work you can go to his website here.

The following photo is by Benoit Paillé. While I know less about his reasons behind his photography I have found myself frequently inspired by his work, specifically his Rainbow Gathering work. The photo above interests me because both the rarity of a photo from these types of gathering and because of its clean and crisp feel even though the subject is standing in a wood filled area covered in paint. While I don’t know much about how the photograph was taken I can say that I am almost certain it was taken in natural light using a digital camera. Paillè also admits to editing his photographs out of camera so I can assume that he did so with this image. To see more of his work you can visit his website here or his flickr.