A Poem

Torn disaster
Quiet is she
Whose pain
Was tragedy

Assignment 6 - One Shot

I'm pretty proud that I was able to pull this off with only one shot.

I really like that the tree arms are stationary when the background...isn't. At all.

Assignment 6 - Portraits

Assignment 6 - Portraits

For this assignment the hard part was my self-portraits.  I started brainstorming and photographing.  I am not...alone.  I am not...brave.  I am not...proud.  I am not...ashamed.  As I was doing this, however, I thought crossed my mind:  I don't know who I am.  One thing that I am not is 'sure'.  But while I am not sure of who I am, I am also not hiding what is in me now until I figure out myself.  Well, as I went along, it sort of turned into what I am.  I'm not even sure about half of them, frankly.  I don't know about my pictures, I'm not sure if they portray any of that, I'm not sure of anything.  But even if the pictures didn't come out well, I learned something about myself, which is nice.  Who would've thought that Photo Foundations II could also be Psychology 101?

Irving Penn

For my final project, I'm started to get really nervous. Where do I photograph these people? Should the background be the same or different? What are they going to wear? Do I take them outside or stuff them in a corner? Do I photograph their body, an overall image, or zoom in on key parts? Should I continue with my mask idea? For this assignment, I'm taking inspiration from Irving Penn's pictures. Simplistic and raw. I'm just afraid that I'm not going to get this right. It's not something I can come back to this project and re-do it in a couple of years. I have to get it right NOW. I'm going to photograph my first two subjects this weekend, because I know that I can come back and re-shoot them once I'm sure about how I'm going to do it. It's all the other one-time subjects that I'm worried about. If I get it wrong, there's really nothing I can do to fix it, because their images are set in stone and I can't get back my models.

If you guys know somebody who cuts, burns, scratches, bites, or self-mutilates in any way, let me know. With their permission, of course.

Sally Mann

There's something so eloquent about this girl even though she looks lower class and relitavely dirty. The background is so dark and blurry, which makes her stand out even more. I can't even explain how much I love this picture.

Fairy Tales

A couple of weeks ago I was hit by a sudden inspiration for a different final project. Now, I don't want to change my current choice, but I may do it on the side or for a different term. Fairy Tales, coming to life. When I was a wee little lassie I was always interested in Fairy Tales. Mostly because my father was so far away it seemed like they were more likely to come true for me since most of the princesses are parent-less. I think everybody, young or old, has Fairy Tales in the back of their head, wishing for one to come true in their everyday, average, boring life. I believe that stingy non-believers are only as they are because they're tired of waiting for theirs. This is why I decided that it would be a good idea to photograph fairy tales come to life. They're what give everybody hope. The thought of them actually existing in our meek, bland world is such a boost of courage. So this assignment wouldn't be to document anything or to explain how something is in this world. Instead, it would telling a story of what could be.