Monday, December 5, 2011

final....photobooth

Every photographer has that one model who you have to guide through the shoot. Those are usually the shoots that generally produce no frames worth using(most of the best shots are candid). My idea for this shoot was to let the model(s) have fun with their  time behind the camera, and give them alittle control over the shoot. This in turn, made my job a lot more fun. This shoot was basically my attempt at a collaborative effort between my models and myself.
Influences I used for this shoot came from a google search for "unique photography" and came across a few pictures that had bright colors and an overall overwhelmingly happy emotion. The Photobooth is a fun shoot for models to pick their own props and show off alittle of their own personality. I believe that if the person behind the camera is able to be themself, their energy and positive emotions, and the person that sees the outcome will feel joy by looking at it.
I tried to acheive this by surrounding the models with generic colors with brightly colored props that they get to choose and pose with. I provided the ladies with numerous props and costumes, and told them to put together their own looks. The shoot was a very lighthearted, fun experience.









I like the first one best. 

Have a good Christmas break! :)




Thursday, November 10, 2011

artists statements.


JAMES NACHTWEY
"I have been a witness, and these pictures are
my testimony. The events I have recorded should
not be forgotten and must not be repeated."


WALTER ASTRADA
I DO NOT HAVE A SPECIFIC ATRISTS STATEMENT FOR WALTER ASTRADA BUT I STILL CHOSE TO PUT HIM UP HERE BECAUSE HE OFFERS A SUMMARY WITH HIS COLLECTIONS AND I THINK THE EXPLANATIONS OF THE EVENTS HE IS PHOTOGRAPHING PAIRED WITH THE PHOTOGRAPHS....SPEAK MUCH LOUDER..SO HERE IS HIS WEBSITE. GO AND BE TOUCHED.

WALTER CHAPPELL
“Camera vision operates as an intelligent function between the human eyes and the totality of understanding in a moment of active awareness.”
("mother and child"-top left)

WERNER BISCHOF
 "I felt compelled to venture forth and explore the true face of the world. Leading a satisfying life of plenty had blinded many of us to the immense hardships beyond our borders." 

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

BRASSAI

BRASSAI 
(1899-1984)
French, born in Transylvania


An interesting fact about him: BRASSAI actually didn't like photography at all until he was inspired by Andre Kertesz and his work.
This man named himself after the town he was born in, Brasso. He studied art at the academies of Budapest and Berlin before moving to Paris in the mid-1920s. 

In about the mid-1930s he started photographing the more......."colorful" night life of Paris. This left the subjects of his photographs being mainly, what is to be described as a gaudy, "tawdry" collection of prostitutes, madams, pimps, transvestites, apaches, etc.(you get the point).  These photographs were actually published in Paris de Nuit(a highly looked upon photographic book) in 1933


He used a simple tripod and opened his shutter for as long as necessary and used a flash bulb to set his club, bistro photographs.

I was really impressed with BRASSAI. I tried really hard to pick a photographer whose pictures weren't black and white because it seems like everything I do or pick is B&W. But for some reason I'm drawn to pictures of scandal also, so a scandelous picture that happens to be B&W wins. I think this artist is a controversial artist, basically because the subjects of his photos are taboo in modern society and he portrays them as art; So much that these photographs of this scandal are published and seen as art. I'm a firm believer that anyone can call themself an artist and see what they see in their own art, but a true artist makes everyone else see what the artist sees, no matter the subject.

But anyways...I think he was a pretty talented artist.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

David Bailey

This gorgeous phoograph of Jean Shrimpton was taken by the english photographer,  David Bailey. I orginally googled photographers of the 1960s, because I find that time period fascinating and revolutionary. I also just happened to stumble on David Bailey by clicking on him randomly and read alittle about him and googled some of his image.

I was impressed with his work because of all of the photographs I sifted through about...80% were black and white, and as I stated in a previous blog..I love black and white photography.

I was also impressed with Bailey because he is a fashion photographer, and that is what I want to aspire to become.

Bailey became a photographic assistant at the John French Studio in 1960 where he paired with 2 other photographers worked on a collection called Swinging London. He was asked to shoot for Vogue Magazine in 1961 that gave him that opportunity.

But I am out of time so research him alittle on your own :)

Monday, October 10, 2011

what is in a name

"A picture's worth 1,000 words." How many of you have heard this saying? Basically everyone I'm pretty sure, and this photograph by Robert Doisneau is a perfect example of this figure of speech. I started the article not sure of what it could be about and thinking "I'm probably going to be bored of of my mind reading this, and I won't really care about it enough to write on it" (to be honest). I guess I can start out by saying that this photograph, I believe, is very complex. This gentleman does certainly appear to be making some sort of offer or gesture to this woman, whom seems very "shut off" to what he has to say.

This article showed me that so many people either see or believe certain things because they were lead in that direction in the first place. I think to put it with an article without the consent of the photographer, and in the wrong context is offensive. This woman was called a prostitute, and probably looked down upon based solely  on the article it was paired with. Photographers take pictures for a reason, they see something in the image they have captured that possibly no one else could ever understand.

I think part of the appeal of photography to me is the body language and emotion that can be displayed through not only the photograph, but the editing and work you put into it. I feel like it is so wrong to put something that should be able to speak for itself with context, unless it matches the true meaning of the picture.