Blog Prompts #5, #6 and #7

#5 “I just think it's important to be direct and honest with people about why you're photographing them and what you're doing. After all, you are taking some of their soul.” ~Mary Ellen Mark

Back on the days when Photography first began, people believed that you could extract their souls through the camera. Of course, the mumbo jumbo behind this has a logical reason: Portraits can be a powerful tool to deliver a personal insight of the photographed. If used correctly, with a good frame and a great angle, it can deliver not only the feeling but even the real thinking that this person had.


#6 One of the things that I like about photography it's the fact that it can become a reflection of the reality we live in. I believe that the only way to alter digitally a photo portrait is when this reality is in fact, hurting somebody (ex: Car crash photographs on Newspapers or stuff similar to that). Other than that, the reality of the human body and mind is so beautiful, that I don't see why people would disregard it and wanted to minimize it throught the computer.

#7 Most of the portraits pictures I see are either on Facebook or in News over the internet, as well as trough my tumblr feed. Since I live pretty much 24/7 connected to the internet, it's easy for me to see at least 20 of these portrait pictures on my everyday life.

I believe there are substantial differences between all of them, and all of them are related to the fact of the representation. A portrait is the meaningful representation of somebody, using elements of the picture related to the portraited. We can see Facebook requires this picture in order to give you a personality, or a "face", to every word you say, and even if you decline submitting one picture, Facebook will provide you with a temporal anonimous picture in order for users to know who is the one in the other side of the computer.

Most of these portraits pictures are self taken, meaning, they are all were took by the owner of the account and uncously, the owner of the account "imprints" his personality over them: a social person will have a lot of party images and perhaps his profile pic will be that of a party, a serious person will have a standard portrait picture and a misterious person may have a black and white photo. All of those cues are for the user to realize who is the guy/girl the user is talking to.

Now when contrasted with Tumblr portraits: most of them are either from fashion photos, celebrities or art pictures. Most of them will be carefully crafted in order to create and convey a feeling or sensation. It's not about the subject any more than it's about the picture. There is this element of focus over one topic or feeling to explore throught that picture.

Surprise - 2011

Part 1:
Composition: Another high contrast image with a bulb lighting from the bottom a box, surounded by the darkness in the lower third at the center. Taken with large aperture and quick shutter speed.

Concept: Surprise. There is a playful element on surprise that is always delightful.

Method: Again, more experimentation. When playing with light, I decided to "encase" and point the light to a specific spot, however I found that hard and used a nearby box. As I was framing the picture, I couldn't help and try a "sneak peek" sort of composition, that's why I left much of the space of the bulb without showing and much of it darkened in order to emphasize this mystery surrounding what's inside the box.

Motivations: Experimentation and play. I just wanted to play with the light but not by painting with it, but by using many other elements with it. I think it came fine with the limited resources I had.

Context: I wanted to convey a strong emotional feeling of surprise, and I think that symbolically I managed to achieve it, by getting this "mystery" overtone with the darkness and dark grays surrounding a barely visible but well lighted element.

Part 2
Interpretation: Everyone was amazed and wondering as to how I created this picture. I do believe that it was easy to accomplish. I believe that the Surprise element was still there if the public was awed by it.

Evaluation: I would change or try to come with a better exposure so we can capture all of the little details on the bulb and on the box.

Extension: I like the photos where the light is the element, so this would be a good starting point to create a series of pictures where light is the main element or subject.

Instability - 2011

Part 1
Composition: slightly tilted photo with a casual natural lighting on a very slow shutter speed that allows a speed blur on the moving subject that is casually located on the counter side of the window bar, which are carefully located to have this sense of paralel lines, thus giving a sense of balance and composition using the golden points.

Concept: This semester has been in many ways, the end of many things and the beginning of so many others. I think this representation comes carefully as the subject goes out of the frame, but at the same time, it's entering to the frame.

Method: Again, more experimentation using slow shutter speed and lightning. This one came easy because I used the lighting exposure from outside and then, bracketed until I got the right exposure. The pose and models were entirely spontaneous, which is why this one is my top favorite.So I decided for people moving from one place to the other and I found a great spot at International Center were people would not notice my presence (or won't be bothered by) and decided to do as many shots as I could.

Motivations: I wanted to give this sense of "speed" but at the same time, I didn't wanted the old topics. What I really like is this misterious feeling that you can get from the photo and from the spountaneity of it, due the lightning, the tone and the fact that the model is another part of the photograph and not the main subject.

Context: I wanted to convey a strong emotional feeling that could be interpreted in an easier way without going for the obvious.

Part 2
Interpretation: Although it's a very personal photography, few got my idea. However, the idea of being "left aside" and "forgotten" was still present as one of the classmates pointed that she was reminded of a zoo scene, and the picture taken from the reptile zone which is often overlooked or ignored by the public, because the animals are repulsive.

Evaluation: I think that this photo stands on it's own and I definitively like it as one of my favorites. I wouldn't dare to change anything, and although it might have a few errors (as contrast or lighting) such errors work in a fine way that leave a strong impression on the viewer.

Extension: I would like to try and do a project where people actually help me in spontaneous pictures but without being asked for help, and as well, where they are not the main focus of the portrait but an outstanding element of their own.

Light - 2011

Part 1
Composition: A high contrast photo of a light bulb in the middle of darkness, taken with a large aperture lens and at a high speed in order to get the most details without over exposing it. It is placed on a higher third of the photograph because I wanted to convey this idea of illumination being closer to the subject.

Concept: All my life I've considered myself to be an "illuminator"; not a nerdy guy, but rather, a person that can understand really intrincate stuff and make it easier to understand for others, making "light" where there is "shadow".

Method: An experiment playing with light, speed and large aperture. I am a personal fan of light painting, but due my camera constraints, I came up with another creative solution.

Motivations: Experimentation mostly. I love to play and I think that most of the greatest findings in mankind are due playing. Also, due my love to high contrasted pictures.

Context: In this sense, much of my inspiration for high contrast pictures comes from manga and how much can an artist create just with light (paper) and dark (ink).

Part 2
Interpretation: From what I got everyone was pretty much amazed at the idea and how I managed to accomplish this.

Evaluation: I wouldn't dare to change anything, since I think the photograph is powerful and amazing on it's own.

Extension: High contrast photos are somewhat difficult to manage and this could be the starting point for a project on this particular matter.

Ecce qui tollit, Pecatta Mundi (Here lies what taketh away the sins of the world) - 2011

Part 1
Composition: A macro photo with one single light that reflects and contrast the shiny metal objects and which brings the viewer into the photograph.

Concept: Money is a symbol of Power, because it allows you to have endless resources of anything. However, without a society to give that power, it's nothing more than engraved metal. The lack of any other coins in the photo with distinguishable features is what draws the viewer into the original symbol of the eagle on the picture.

Method: I was playing with zoom and macro, looking for subjects and the idea of money came to mind.

Motivations: Coming from another country with different resources, money is a huge deal for me. It has limitated my resources in so many ways and I still don't understand how it works. This is me saying exactly that, it's the origin of my problems, and that of the world. In that sense, it reminds me of the Genesis tale of how mankind had that "original sin", that original thing that started all the problems. That's where the title comes from.

Context: For me, this is a symbolic representation. I think that there is a great power on symbols and the force they wield.

Blog Prompts #3 & #4

#3 “Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be.”~Duane Michals.

I believe it is. Photography is a tool made by humans to convey different ideas through the clever use of lightning and framing. Much of the scene can be seen inside of the frame, but what is left outside this frame?

The interesting part of the photograph usually is this framing: no matter if it's done visually, but also historically or personally: what was behind the subject? to their side? what was outside the lenses or behind him?

There is a lot of stuff that is not said through the photograph and that part is, in my very opinion, the most exquisite one, just because it's the part where the imagination can run wildly and let all of our feelings, desires, ideas and what not reside.

#4 “If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug around a camera.” ~Lewis Hine.

Problem with words, at least for me, it's that they are intricately personal. Unless being utterly specific, when describing a story or setting it, requires quite a lot of description in order for the reader to understand what I as an author try to achieve. Not only that, there is also a big filtering between reader and writer that cannot be overlooked: whether it's the editor or the lack of the knowledge of the reader on what I am trying to say, this poses a problem.

In that situation images are noble and honest, transparent and bendable to the artist that uses them. They reflect what the artist is trying to achieve or say in a very sublime way, almost working with him in order to convey something. And sometimes, working against him again, in order to convey something.

This is why it's impossible to make a faithful adaptation from a novel to a movie. The problem lies that there are so many layers that the original written piece worked on that are being left out on the movie. And the same goes the other way around. In my personal opinion both medium do not blend well together and it takes quite the mastery of the movie makers in order to convey and be faithful to the story, and the other way around. Mastery that nowadays is becoming more scarce.

I personally consider myself a visual artist that is only passing through a lot of media, but at the very end, an artist. And this is why my personal medium is related to visual images: drawing, painting, movies, video games or photograph. Because it's impossible to cheat with images, unless you utterly and specifically want to do it.

Blog Entry #1 and #2

Imagine a world without photographs.

There could be no such a thing. Photography has been part of my life (and thus my world) as long as I can remember. And not only mine, but everyone's.

I believe that we humans are limited. In so many ways more than others and we have such a hard time fighting back that limitation. Time is apparently our only big main enemy.

And when mentioning time, I do not mean scheduling and organizing. I mean the fact that everything changes, everything moves and nothing stays put the same. So we need something, something that can actually placed that time and hold it. It's a way of fighting back time and this constant movement.

Photography has many uses, but almost all of them are related to this fact of "holding" something and having it right with us. Even the little pictures for ID have this meaning of holding someone's face and knowing that person.

This is maybe why some people in the ancient times believed that photography "captured" the souls.


What does the word "photograph" mean to you?

Well, the technical side would be "light print", but for me, the word means a lot.

Again, I've used photography for many things in my life, and most of them are art related and graphic design related. It's part of my job, of who I am and what I do. So for me, photograph would mean exactly that: a tool that I use almost always.

Recreation

Original Picture:



Biography: Clarence John Laughlin was a photographer in the past 20th century.
Born in Louisiana in 1905 and died on January 2nd, 1985.

Something that I'd like to point out, (taken straight from Wikipedia):

Many historians credit Laughlin as being the first true surrealist photographer in the United States. His images are often nostalgic, reflecting the influence of Eugene Atget and other photographers who tried to capture vanishing urban landscapes.

Significance: Definitively the picture given has this particular nostalgic that wikipedia points out, a feeling of yearning for something that is outside of us, or unreacheable. (Perhaps due the main focal point being a person watching at the distance with his head up).

Composition: A well contrasted photograph with mostly grays and a strong focal point at the center of the photograph of a human being with a black shirt. It's notorious that this element is framed in the middle and contrasted against the cloudy soft background and the rough hard textured foreground of a wall.

Concept: Again, nostalgy. There is this underlying feeling of having something, but yearning for something that is either lost or not still reachable.
Method: I do not believe there was any particular method other than the guy doing architectural photograph. However it's important to mention that the architecture happens to lose it's own focal point to the whole emotion that is conveyed here.

Motivation: Again, I think this picture is not thought or produced, but rather, a simple excercise of photography that turned out quite well.
Opinion: I am in love with photographs that portrait feelings. It's really hard to produce a picture with such a result, since most of the work of the emotion is not on the author but on the audience that is looking at.

My recreation for this:

Composition: Behind the picture, I wanted to portray this feeling of missing and I believe that the high contrast of the picture is due the two textures being shown, one being hard and rough and the other soft and faded. This is the reason as to why I used it two elements on the same vein (a window frame and the snow on the background) to recreate this feeling.

Concept: Again the nostalgy, I wanted a human being at the center to place the final element that brings off this concept on the original picture, but lacking the resources (time) I had to come up with a different and more creative solution: a cut out of a character from a magazine, a little kid who is looking on the other side. This just suited it.