Silk Screen Puppies ft. Sam

When trying to think of what to photograph for the last part of my alternative processes assignment, I realized I had not yet used my puppy, Sam, for any of the past units. I set him up in front of a white sheet and despite his growing annoyance with my camera and I throughout the "photoshoot", I came up with a few good photos that I thought had the correct lighting and colouring to be turned into a silk screen. 

Just a couple of examples of how angry he was getting at me...

I decided I was going to create a silk screen with this photo, but didn't want it to only be his face once on the print, so I transferred it four times instead onto my screen. I came up with an Andy Warhol-esque print, which I am quite happy with. I'm not sure if Sam appreciates it as much as I do, but I think he finally forgives me for sticking a camera in his face for an hour that day...

 I first transferred it onto a piece of paper, then onto a section of canvas to get a different texture.

The Blue Steps: Cyanotype

My cyanotype began with a picture that was taken in Greece this past summer, which was never really intended to have anything to do with this photography course. However, looking at the hundreds of stones and dimensions of the photograph, I realized how interesting it would look inverted and turned into a cyanotype. I had never created one before and didn't really know if it would turn out the way I hoped, but took my chances.

Apparently I was lucky, because after only the first try at this, it came out the perfect shade of blue and had been exposed for just enough time. I was very happy with the final result and even more happy that I did not have to make several attempts at it before getting a good end product.  It really reminds me of Europe and all of the amazing, historical sites that have been there for ages and ages because of its distressed look. The cyanotype was my favourite of all the alternative processes because of how different and imperfect it is to look at. With all of the shades of blue, it makes the image go from a simple photograph to a piece of art.

Get Your Own... Makeup Brush Holders!

For my acrylic lift, I wanted to combine photographs from my favourite unit so far in the course to create something that was more than just a single picture. I took the following three photos using a Nikon D3100 with an aperture of f8 and a shutter speed of 1/60s, from the Studio Lighting unit and photoshopped them together.

When I completed this, I realized that this acrylic lift would be perfect for creating a marketable item; because of the glittering faces, I could make something related to makeup. I attached the acrylic lift to a ceramic container, put some makeup brushes in it and voila! A makeup brush container. I thought that the fact that the girl's face was so natural with that dusting of glitter on her cheeks, it was perfect to incorporate with something related to makeup, which gives women that little boost of colour or definition and gives them an extra hint of confidence. I was very satisfied with the finished product because I think it is unique and turns a plain white container into a much more interesting item that could be successfully marketed to women of all ages. 

Breaking the Rules

When you've constantly been reminded about taking into consideration rule of thirds, balance, line, and other rules of composition when taking photos, and suddenly you are given an assignment where you are expected to do the complete opposite, things get a bit difficult. Especially when the photograph still has to have good lighting and focus, making other aspects of it bad proves to be extremely challenging. In order to take these bad/good pictures, I realized I would have to look through my lens, find something I would take a picture of if I were trying to make it good, then move the lens or some of the objects to break the rules.

This photograph breaks the rules, "Line" and "Balance". The lines are very awkward and obscured by the busy background and jumble of different objects in the picture, and do everything but add visual unity. There is no balance in the photograph either, as the shapes of the different objects do not compliment each other at all. However, if the picture had been of only the red ball and the pinecone, it would be an example of asymmetrical balance.

Canon Rebel XS, shutter speed: 1/50, aperture: 3.5 

This photograph breaks the rule of "Simplicity". There are too many different shaped objects in the picture, which offset each other and confuse the centre of interest. The background is complicated and the main "centre of interest", if it can even be justified as that, is right in the centre, which lessens the dynamic of the image. 

Canon Rebel XS, shutter speed: 1/60, aperture 3.5

This photograph breaks the "Rule of Thirds" and "Line" rules of composition. Rule of Thirds is broken because the centre of interest (the red ball) is not placed on any of the imaginary lines. Instead, it is placed in a very weird position at the bottom of the picture. The composition of lines is also incorrect because they do not lead to the centre of interest and the mixture of straight and curved lines are misleading. 
Canon Rebel XS, shutter speed: 1/6, aperture 4.5

You Are Not a Robot

For my proper studio lighting portion of this unit, I decided to do something different; something that people walking by might find weird but that I thought would end up looking interesting in the end. I didn't want to simply take pictures of a subject sitting on a chair with nice lighting, so I incorporated glitter and rhinestones, knowing they would make the photos stand out. I was inspired to do so by Marina and the Diamonds music video to the song "I Am Not a Robot" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_oMD6-6q5Y). After uploading them to my computer and editing them, I'm very happy with the final product. I had no idea how to properly light a photograph and I definitely have a better idea of how to do so now. I love that the faces in the photos are so natural and that the glitter/rhinestones are not there to make the photo glamorous, these pictures are rather something that can be described as if even the most simple things or the most contained people have something inside them that makes them special and makes them shine. I used a Nikon D3100 to take these photos, with an aperture of f8 and a shutter speed of 1/60s. 

Painting with Light

For the painting with light assignment, I was really trying to avoid the typical, unoriginal ways of displaying this type of photography. I came up with these three photos, which was not easy, and a way to describe them. The idea is that in the first photo, the light around the person is sparkling and bright, until the third photo, where they are noticeably letting off less light. I thought that this could be a way of explaining self-confidence through photography, when people are brought down by others and left feeling very unsure of themselves. People can be left feeling subconscious or torn down and avoid doing things that will make them stand out if they are put down by another person. In taking these photos, I realized it was very difficult to get the subject in focus because if the person so much as moved a finger it could ruin the entire thing. After many tries, I got the hang of the light and how to use it to get a better picture. I used a Nikon D3100 to take these photos with an aperture of f22 and a shutter speed of 12s. 

Mixed Lighting

My inspiration for the mixed lighting section of the Studio Lighting unit came from the upcoming holiday season. I wanted to incorporate the cold, wintery outdoor light with a warm glow that reminded me of sitting in front of the fireplace on a freezing night in December. Although unintentional, the scarf added to the holiday feeling with its soft colour and cozy material. I used a Canon Rebel T2i to take these photos with an 18-55mm lens, aperture at f8.0 and shutter speed at 1/60s. All three pictures were taken using the natural outdoor daylight and a tungsten light source from the lightbulb, which created the warmer effect. I would have liked to have done something a bit more original with this assignment, rather than the typical in-school, standing beside the window closeup on a friend's face. Next time, I would think this assignment out more and figure out what I could do to make it a bit more creative, however, I worked with what I had and am satisfied with the result. I especially like the lighting in the last photo and the noticeable difference between the glow of the lightbulb and the natural outdoor light. 

Rest on the Flight to Egypt

Title: Rest on the Flight to Egypt

Artist: Parmigianino

Completion Date: 1524

Style: Mannerism (Late Renaissance)

Mannerism is a period of European art that emerged from the later years of Italian High Reneaissance (around 1520). This period lasted until about 1580 in Italy, until a style similar to Baroque replaced it. However, Northern Mannerism continued into the early 17th century throughout most of Europe. Mannerism involves a variety of approaches influenced by harmonious ideals and restrained naturalism and may include: clashing colours, figures with abnormally long limbs, emotion, and bizarre themes. 

Girolamo Francesco Mazzola, also known as Parmigianino, was an Italian Mannerist painter and etcher born in Parma (hence the nickname). He painted accomplished frescoes displayed in two chapels in Parma as early as 1522-23. In 1524, he moved to Rome and his work became an even greater success under the influence of artists such as Raphael and Michelangelo. Parmigianino was later imprisoned for breach of contract when he failed to complete his work.

I chose to use this painting because I think that the colours are very different and beautiful and I thought that the lighting would be interesting to mimic. I wanted to figure out how to use studio lighting to achieve these colours, and at first had a somewhat difficult time doing so. However, when I figured out how to accomplish this and then incorporated my photos into this painting with Photoshop, I began to understand more about lighting and how to adjust it to look right and compliment your subject. 

Camera used: Canon Rebel T2i with an 18-55 mm lens

Aperture: f8 

Film speed - 1/60 

My Name, Recycled

This week we began using our digital SLR cameras, which I thought would be extremely easy as I have been using one for a couple of years now. We were assigned a task that seemed simple, but proved to be very difficult once you were actually trying to complete it. We were told we had to find the letters of our first and last name in objects and shapes that were not meant to be that letter. 

In completing this project, I learned that you need to use your subconscious mind to find this type of thing, and really look into objects that don't seem like they could be anything to the naked eye. You have to stop looking at objects as what they are, and instead think of what they could be if you thought of them in a deeper way. This assignment really makes you look at objects and shapes in a new perspective, as things you never thought could be significant can suddenly turn into a letter, making up a name, a sentence or even a story. I think that the completed look was well worth the effort put into finding all of the letters...looking at them, you can see where the person discovered these hidden shapes and the places they went to do so. 

Introducing...

 pho·tog·ra·phy/fəˈtägrəfē/

noun: the art or process of producing images by the action of radiant energy and especially light on a sensitive surface 

 pho·tog·ra·phy/fəˈtägrəfē/

 To me, the art of photography is a person’s ability to capture a moment in time and make it look beautiful, no matter how simple the subject is. There are so many different directions you can take when freezing time and saving a split second forever on your memory card or filmstrip. Whether the mood of your photograph is emotional and has deep meaning, it is an advertisement for a product, or you are a tourist taking a picture of the Coliseum in Rome, each and every time you press the shutter release, you are saving a little piece of something you did at some point in your life. Photography is a way of expressing yourself, something I would rather do through a picture than through voice, and I know many people feel the same. A photograph can exactly describe your current state of mind without even speaking. To me, photography is an artist form of communication.

While I studied in Europe for a month over the summer, I had the chance to take a ton of beautiful pictures, but did not even have a second to stop and think about techniques or lighting, which would have made my photos a lot more professional. Nonetheless, I ended up with over 2000 photos, professionally taken or not, that will always remind me of the best month of my life spent in Rome and Greece.