Portraiture Task

Between these two portraits they both emphasis the human body in a unusual way. The first one is a photograph of an x-ray or a photograph that was mocked to look like a x-ray. With the second image it was taken with a human subject but has different filters on it to give it a peculiar effect. Maybe a posterize, black and white, or both effects were used. The first image tells me that the person who had the x-ray done had a deformity or maybe an illness that effected their body majorly. The second image tells me a story of a younger aged african-american. Visual clues for the first one would be that its an x-ray. This shows that there is something wrong with the subject being photographed because you only get x-rays taken if something is wrong. I think it gives a little insight on the photographer by leading you to believe he/she knows a person who is ill, is ill, or maybe believes in causes working for ill people. For the second image, the tight cropping gives me clues to what I think is emphasis on discrimination towards african-americans. I think the photographer was trying to tell the viewers that non-african-americans only see african-americans for their skin color. This could reveal that the photographer has dealt with discrimination or knows someone who has been discriminated towards.

Self Portrait

Portrait Index Print

Cause photograph

Cause Index Print

Critique Two

When I first look at this photo the color of it, is the first thing that hits me. The second thing thats very prominent is how cartoonish the image looks even though its a real photograph. It was taken for national geographic for their magazine but the photographer is unknown to me. The sea turtle is centered in the image engulfed around a bright, vibrant, blue sea. The turtle has a 3D look to it with a crystal clear focus. The photographer captured the sun shinning down in the water, perfectly. The color is very vibrant which I think works negatively towards the image because it gives it a fake appearance. The lighting, exposure, and contrast for this image is only left to one word- perfect. When examining this photo I get a very calming and happy feeling. The subject and color settings used help evoke those emotions. The image to me does not really tell a story.

Critique One

When first looking at this photo I feel very happy. The position of the polar bear makes me feel like it is waving at me, bringing joy to me. The image is of a all white icy area except for a couple of dark spots where the water from under the ice is showing. On top of the ice is a cream colored, fluffy, polar bear standing up with one paw up in a waving position. I know the picture was taken for National Geographic but unknown to who took the picture. After closer examination, the image has crystal clear focus, I can see every detail perfectly. Natural lighting with a higher exposure and low contrast was used to capture the all white image. This image evokes a happy delightful feeling from the polar bear being in the center of the image putting all its focus on to it. I think a story about a young polar bear surviving in icy waters is being told.

Blur Index Print

Blur

Painting Response Continued

The images are a fusion of installation, painting, performance, photography, and video art. The are created by combing two-dimensonal objects with 3-dimensonal subjects. The subjects in the images are human beings that were painted with oil painting to look like a painting.  This is what combines 2D and 3D together. The artist is trying to create life on top of life. The images play on the tensions between being  and the state of unchanged. I think without reading what the authors intentions are with the images its hard to pick them up.

Painting response

The mood of the models look harsh. The first lady with the blue clothing looks very serious and stern. Her posture is very stiff and structured. The other lady who looks like she has no clothing on has an expression of I don't want to be doing this. Her facial expression makes me think she is saying are you being serious right now or you have got to be kidding me. Her posture is slumped and not straight. The images look like they were created with multiple painting techniques. Their bodies look as if they are painted with oil pastels. Now the hair looks like it was brushed with much accuracy. I think for the first image with the lady in blue clothing the red background helps evoke a strong emotion. It evokes her stern look more. The other lady with no clothing, has the background take away from her emotion. Her facial expression and body language do not incorporate well with the background. I think it makes her evoke a conflicting emotion. I think the artist was trying to evoke a emotional response from the images. I believe that the artist was mostly success in evoking a emotional response. I know while I was looking at the images my emotion and body language changed. If the second image with the reddish, orangish background would of matched better with the subject in the painting I think the response to the image would of been better.

Principles of Design

Elements of Art

What Killed Them?

History

Q1. Who is Louis Daguerre and why is he so special? How did he become independently wealthy?

 A1. Louis Daguerre is a man who invented Daguerreotype photography. Daguerreotype was the first publicly announced photographic process and the first to be widely used. He became independtly wealthy by sellling the rights for the daguerreotype to the French government and published a booklet describing the process.

Q2. What types of photos did people have take when photography was first invented? What were some difficulties they had to endure?
A2. The types of photos that people took when photograpghy was first invented were portraits. They had to sit in seats with neck braces, preventing them movement just to obtain a clear photo. 

Q3. Name three different types of early photographs? What do they look like? Why were they called what they were called?

A3. Three types of early photographs were Daguerreotype, Ambrotypes, and Tintypes. Daguerreotypes, always had a frame around the image because they were very fragile. It was named Daguerrotypes after Louis Daugerre, the inventor. Ambrotypes were glass negatives, that were named after J Ambrose who created the technique. Tintypes, were developed on to an iron plate. The process involved tin giving them the name tintypes.

 

Q4. What is a Kodak Brownie? How did it work? Can you buy one on ebay? How much?
A4. A kodak Brownie is a long-running, extremely popular series of simple, inexpensive camers made by Eastman Kodak. The camera took a small hole with a lens to let in light and when you take a picture it moves a blocking board protecting the negative paper then is exposed to the light capturing the image. Yes kodak brownies can be bought one on E-bay, the cheapest one I found was $30. 

Q5. Who were the Dadaists? What was their photographic work like? Why are they considered "important" in the history of photography?

A5. The Dadaists was a united group that protested against war. The images this group made were a combination of multiple images into one mixed up image. The dada group is important in history because they created a new form of art work, collages, photomontages, assemblages, and ready-made.

Photo Manipulation

I do agree that a photo journalist should protect the truth and represent it as accurately as possible. To achieve this, there is no room for expression or creative license in journalistic photography. If there was room for expression or creative license in journalistic photography the images we saw on magazines would always be corrupted. This would create false advertisement or misleading truth to the article the image coincided with. For example Matt Mahurin manipulated the front page image on TIME magazine of O. J. Simpson to create a more "artful" look because of this viewers of TIME magazine felt they could not trust the creators of the magazine. The situation became even worse when Newsweek made the same image their front cover with no manipulation.

I think the nine journalistic photography guidelines the NPPA laid out is the best way to achieve accurate photographs from their employees. Also, that all journalistic companies should create guidelines that their photographers have to follow. This would not allow anymore inaccurate or manipulated photographs to be published.

Forced Perspective

Is It Art?

Art in my opinion has to have a conceptual meaning to the image. The image that is being presented does not have a strong conceptual idea that appears. When I look at the picture I can not tell what I should be focusing on. To me the image presents more of a mockery for something then trying to make art. I also define art by evoking an emotion in the viewer of the image. When I see this image it does not give me a sense of emotion, I just think hot I do not like the picture.

Food Face

 Each image in the series has a human subject covered in so much food you can’t even tell its a real person until you see the bare skin. The reason these images are not just a group of images and are a series is because each one involves food. Each photo has the same concept and look, making it a series. I think the photographer was trying to convey emotions in a unique way. If that was his intent with the series he hit it right on the money. Even though he conveyed what he wanted very well I find these images repulsive, they make my skin cringe.

Compare and Contrast

The composition of the first picture by Steve McCully is an informal photograph but the photo by Annie Levibovitz is a formal photo. Photo A is unposed and in the moment, where photo B is thought out and posed, this contrasts the two pictures. Photograph A and B are asymmetrical, but photo B has converging lines making it look almost symmetrical. The image by Steve McCully has a tight, cropped look which is portrayed by looking out of a car window with no depth of field behind the subjects. The photo by Annie Levibovitz is a open image taken far away with a long depth of field behind the subject. Also, image B has the rule of thirds in it from the buildings but image A does not have the rule of thirds.

Photograph A and B have opposite content in them. Photograph A has a women holding a child in it that is taken spontaneously, presenting a very strong emotion. Photo B is thought out with a planned emotion. The image has a posed subject in front of two buildings, one on each side of the masked women. I think each photos are very different with very little similarities. The only similarities I see are that they both have human subjects in them. Differences in the two photographs include emotions conveyed, posture, setting, exposure, and clarity. 

I think in photograph A the photographer, Steve McCully, was trying to evoke a strong emotion. Maybe curiosity, sadness, or a sense of being lost. Mr.McCully was really focused on the realness and emotion of the picture. Annie Leibovitz the photographer for photo B was trying to have a more artistic image; Its very posed, thought out, and structured. The photo has almost an empty feeling but very artistic. 

EMOTIONS

Anger

Anxiety

Fear

Grief

Joy

Love

Surprise

Trust