Kudzanai Chiurai/ Progress

 I have chosen to do the abstract portrature project, and have taken steps to get an array of effects with the style. I think I will use every kind of light I can in these series of photos. And add the option of multiple subjects/ candid photos.

 

Kuszanai Chiurai is a photographer from South Africa and the first Black person to receive a BFA from the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Content wise he takes pictures that reflect the current and past history of Africa. Such as civil war, corrupt leaders black empowerment etc. His style is one that is rather surreal looking. His use of lighting and composition make the environment just as much the subject as the people in the photos. I think the fact he uses low contrast helps the overall aesthetic.   

 

 

New Body of Work Update!/ Photographer

So I have decided to change my body of work. I haven't felt very strongly about the current body of work I have been working on; the nostalgic journey to the beginning of my educational career. About a week ago I was inspired by an online article about a photographer who documents the age in women. So with this new body of work, I'd like to document the scrutiny of women and the process women go through to appear attractive to the public eye. Even though the nostalgic body of work is more personal, I feel like the fact that I'm dwelling on the past is holding me back from being able to work on my potential. I feel very strongly about my new concept and so I've begun a new series. I'll likely come back to the old series but now, my new body of work is speaking out to me to capture it.

Luigi Ghirri was an Italian photographer who was active in the later half of the last century. I was drawn to his skill of capturing color in a natural state in a very dead on perspective. He uses textures and shapes in the landscape to capture his surroundings in an incredibly simple yet elegant way.

http://www.mackbooks.co.uk/books/44-Kodachrome.html

This weeks progress

Progress
This week I really had to think deeply about what I'm doing.  I know what I want, but how to execute it is the question.  I looked to the brothers grim fairy tales for guidance and inspiration.  I have decided to do a spin off of their tales and come up with my own unique twist.  On top of alternating my project I have continued working on my props.  I was able to hand paint the shell bra and received nearly all of my pieces for the first three sets.  I have been sketching a few of my sets out on paper in hopes of pulling it together.

Artist of inspiration
Thomas Kinkade he has inspired me to want to create saturated bright colors.  His paintings are beautiful and bring so much joy to others.

Lise Sarfati

Lise takes portraits of people in minimal outdoor settings. The person in the photo usually is not looking at the camera. They are looking out somewhere past the viewer and completely turned around backwards. An air of mystery is added because of the averted eyes. The viewer becomes curious about what they are looking at beyond the photo field. From the critiques in class it is clear that I need to find other locations for my model other than the cramped room. I would like to perfect the back turned photo near the window and then get outside to surround her with nature like trees or a field to add contrast to the fluffy outfit. The bed, wall, and lounge were all soft and didn't add much contrast. Being outside will add natural light which always makes my photos look nicer than working with incandescent lighting and light coming in from awkwardly cropped windows. 

 

Week 5

Progress

After showing the class my photos on Tuesday I immediately reshot the two scenes. Both of the photos I added an element that was not present the time before to try and tie it in with a deeper meaning. But I feel like the elements are settle and don't over power the image to much. I still want to photograph a scene at a restaurant with an empty places in front of me to see what I will like better. I also hope to start doing test prints in the coming week.

Lise Sarfati

Lisa Sarfati is a french photographer. She is known for her photos of young adults in the Untied States. Her subjects usually have a lack of emotion and the photos themselves are very clean and strip down so there is nothing to distract the viewers eye. I feel as if our styles are somewhat similar in the fact that there is a narrative that we have created in these simple scenes. I myself try to make the scene around the subject simple and guide the viewer a certain way. 

William Gale Gedney

William Gale Gedney was born in greenville, NY and is an american street and documentary photographer. He is from New York and is most known for his work Kentucky. I chose him based on the black and white work he makes because is raw and straight forward.  That's the kind of narrative I want my work to show. 

Photographer and Progress

I have been exploring childhood both mentally and physically, as I make my way around my elementary school. This journey has already become incredibly nostalgic and has inspired me for shoots that I'd like to do, assuming I get permission to do so. I do eventually want to put myself into these photographs, whether my physical body or traces of my presence.

Daido Moriyama is a Japanese photographer who focused on the dark and dreary unseen life in post-war Japan. His snapshot style is not something I do personally, but he has quite a skill of capturing a moment in time that says so much.

My Progress and Inspiration

This past week I have thought a lot about the input that both class have given me and try to figure out how I can create more photos for my series. This past weekend I have taking more pictures working with myself as the subject. I am hopping to photograph at least 5 scenes in the next week. I am really just bring my camera with me and trying whatever I can and see what comes out of it at this point.

Katrina Kepule

Even though I am mainly narratives for my series I find myself coming back to document photographers. Katrina Kepule is a photographer based in Latvia. For her photography is her way of translating her view of the world to other people. She also describes her photos as narratives even though she is a document photographer. Her series "Sit Silently" is what caught my eye. She photographs modern time Europe and how soviet times still have a place in present day.

This week I have been narrowing in on my subject. I want to get closer lessening the amount of background space giving the composition a neater appearance. In japanese fashion magazines points are hi-lighted parts of a larger complicated outfit to show emphasis for something that may be lost in the bigger picture. I would like to focus in on what is cute. Simplified images of the basic elements of cute. Pink things, ribbons, bows, pastel colors, and toys would be some of the items I would be focusing on.  the last critique it was mentioned that I should simplify the background and simplify and unify the lighting.  This first photo has too much going on. Tomoko Sawada is a Japanese photographer who takes pictures so simplified they remind me of a passport photo. Her photos still read as cute without all of the decorative features surrounding the girls.

Progress and Inspiration

This week, I have been thinking of the different ways I can express my masculinity and femininity. I have found that it is hard to capture mannerisms, personality, and self-image, while it is easier to capture specific gender role rebellion. I have captured some images that blur societies gender expectations into fluid masculine and feminine traits. I want to work on narrowing my content into specific conceptual images to show the ways in which I am gender fluid. I have also added somewhat abstract images in an attempt to express my identity. My hope is that these will compliment the idea that my gender, like the yin yang, is fluid and somewhat abstract.

Lately, I have been inspired by the work of Rico and Michael. I found them here: http://www.foam.org/foam-blog/2012/november/nofound-2012. They work with portraiture and self-portraiture that explores gender-identity. I like the way they experiment with lighting and mirrors, and context. Some images are grungy while others are clean. Their work successfully portrays fluid gender, blending masculinity and femininity.

This past week I have ordered my items to create my staged narrative scenes.  I have received a few of my props in the mail so far.  This past weekend I searched for one of my scenes and located where I will be doing my mermaid shoot. I did a couple of practice shots and tried on the tail.  With in the next week or two I will be shooting my three staged narratives.  As for the other two to three I will be planing them based on how well the first three turn out.

what's going on.

Hi friends!

Over the past week I have brainstormed on various ideas for Bristen Krown. So far I have worked out two of them in front of the lens. I also returned to my first location to re-shoot. I'm trying to at least consider anything and everything to incorporate with my idea of the doubled self. I have had some nice surprises too..who'd have thought my own kitchen could have potential.. when all the stuff is cleared out. Overall, I'm excited and I can't wait to see what this turns into by the end.

Recently I fell upon Marna Bell's Imperfect Memories on Light Work's page. I was immediately drawn to this work because almost all of her subjects are caught in motion blur. She says, "my subjects are put into motion blur, not only to allude to the passage of time, but more so, to the fading of memories…the slow shutter speed creates a haunting quality." I've attached a few images below and the link. :-)
-Kristen

http://www.lightwork.org/archive/marna-bell-imperfect-memories/

Week 3: Still Looking At Naked People (not sure why this never posted...)

The photographer I looked at this week was John Coplans, the one Gretta showed us in class this past week. I was finally able to find the correct spelling and name of the series from which she was showing me images. These images are from his book A Body. Coplans began photographing his body at the age of 60 and continued to do so for 20 years. The fact that this series spans across 20 years makes it so much more intimate and raw, almost as if we are not supposed to be looking. I want that sense of intimacy within my photos and hopefully I will be able to establish a rapport with my subjects so that they will allow me to take really tight and close photos in the midst of capturing more portraits. I've made images with one person, but they were nothing of substance. I'm finding that for once I'm feeling incredibly shy and am trying not to overstep my boundaries.... I think I just need to dive in and pretend I'm as comfortable as possible and then they will follow suit.

Week Three Progess

This week has been more of getting my ideas written down for what I want to photograph. I have come up with six drifferent seens in my head that I would like to make pictures of. I have been going back and forth on locations that would be best for the photos. I have reshot the rooftop photo but it is not quite there yet. I need to spend a few more hours at the location and keep in mind gestures of the model and I, what type of clothing we are wearing and the over all composition. 

Elena Chernyshova

After our discussion on chapter two, document and snap, I found myself looking at document photographers and weather they were fine art photographers. When I was looking at Elena Chernyshova she is a document photographer. Her series Days of Night/Nights of day document the human adaptation to extreme climates. The way she set up her photos is something I was drawn to. I personal like to have a little distance between me and the subject I am photographing. This allows me to show the viewer what I want to show them. I feel like Chernyshova is doing the same.

Progress and Artist

This past week I have been designing what my sets will look like for each princess.  I have been searching for the proper props for each set as well as location to shoot on.  By the end of this upcoming week I should have my materials ordered and prepared to shoot a few test strips of some of the princesses.

Annie Leibovitz

I have chosen Annie Leibovitz because I will be doing a similar project to her Disney series.  I wish to create a narrative with the princesses.  

Stephen Shores

This piece makes me think about emptyness and how a person never knows what was once here.  Who sat at this diner and how long ago was it?

richard avedon 

I enjoy watching her hair blow in the wind.  The movement is incredible and will try to create something similar with one of my narratives. 

Joe McNally

I love how a ballerina is on a roof.  It makes a person wonder "why is she there?"  I want to create a question why I make my narratives.  I want to be able to engage my viewer. 

Jiehao Su

            Chinese photographer Jiehao Su knows how to place his subjects in his photographs. Their surroundings are free of distracting extras and nicely frame the subjects. For example the man photographed in the water is surrounded only by his ripples. Another photo shows a girl with flowers around her head. These flowers add an element of cute. The photographs are also soft with medium saturation of color. Most of the subjects are not facing the camera while others are very aware of the photographer. The faces that are facing away make the viewer more curious about what else is out of the photo frame. The faces that are facing forward are more observed as a study of a face and not what the subject is doing because they are posed very still.

 

Helmut Newton

Helmut Newton started making photographs in the 1940s and kept shooting until his death in 2004. He shot fashion photography in a sexually liberated Paris. What I find most interesting about his work is the documentation of a culture experiencing an identity revolution. Gender and sexual expectations for women are often challenged in his work. His photographs include models that are gender fluid or androgynous. I admire the classy manner in which he portrays his subjects, even when the content of the photo is seemingly audacious.