From Above

I started taking some aerial shots and was pretty pleased

with the results. It definitely helps to present these objects
in a different perspective in order to bring something more
to the table other than it being just a picture of a toilet.
It becomes more of a scene that the viewer is looking on.

As I have been trying to figure out what I'll be doing with this summer, I have been given cause to reflect back a lot on last summer. Over these past couple weeks on facebook, I have been beginning to see many of my friends from the place I worked last year talking about going back there again. I have been thinking about the camp my family will be running back home. Thinking about how my sister will be working as a nanny. I just find it so exciting that while we are in school, there are so many possibilities for just being free to go wherever we need to or want to with our months off from classes. We don't have housing holding us back, or families of our own yet. There is just so much that can be done.

I especially like these two images out of the many that I shot last year. They really captured the feel of where I lived and worked. The rustic-ness, the warmth, the colors. I feel that the first one exhibits a strong composition --- but it is also just very typical of the types of people that I found myself surrounded by in Montana/Wyoming.

New Project

This is one of the portraits I'll be using for my final project.

My project is kind of hard to understand...and a little hard to execute. But I'm in the middle of the process. I like the way the lighting looked in this image. Studio shots are definitely my calling lately for photography projects.

Corey Bienert

lights, camera, fashion.

This photo is of my dear friend Meredith. I've been experimenting with some studio shots for my final project, focusing on fashion-like styles of photography. I'm not sure exactly how it will turn out yet, but it is an exciting new way of photographing for me. I have never used any lighting equipment before so this has been a very good experience for me. One of the most difficult parts is just photoshopping out the unwanted background, yellow wall, or lighting equipment you happen to get in the frame. Despite the long hours I've already spent figuring out all of the new techniques I have to learn, this project is so far, so fun.

Spring Fling

I was social this year. Watch out, people. I have never been to Spring Fling, Homecoming or any kind of dance. So this was fun. Anyway, it was interesting seeing all the different people socialize, or not socialize. Usually, they just stayed in their own group and didn't mingle too much with other people. Very interesting. After the movie was over and most everyone had left, my friends and I took pictures. There were several spotlights in one of the hallways, so I had Anne stand under one and look up. I love this picture. Reminds me of something off of Broadway. 

I really like the light in this picture, that her face is fully lit. The shadows provide drama and an interesting texture to her outift. It is a very simple image (because of the plain background), yet it is complex because of the dramatic lighting. 

oh, studio

I took this image at the end of Freshman year. Personally, this photo reminds me of what happened in the Design II class I was in... total craziness. I hated and loved that class at the same time. This is an image that makes me remember both of those times, as it's not possible for me to think about one without the other. I thought the forms and shapes created by the many models and drawings were really interesting and I also liked the repetition of the desk lamps. Overall, it is a warm image because of the yellow background, but there is a touch of coolness with the green cover on the desk and the blue light cast coming in through the window which is out of the frame to the right.
This image is interesting to me because it not only shows our process as artists and designers, but it also shows what we poured our lives into just to have them sit on random desks for most of the time. The project was completed, and then we had these small evidences of that time in our life that suddenly became just objects that we made and no longer need. We tend to pour ourselves into various projects or tasks that consume us for so long, but then eventually become almost worthless as we move on to other things. What we hold as important one day could be worthless the next depending on how we feel or what someone says. I want my work to impact someone because without that goal, I wouldn't be a designer, but most of all, what we make should glorify God and should speak to His glory whether people recognize it or not. We can't create things that will last forever. All we can do it use what God has given us to try to communicate who He is. Our creations are like us, flawed and temporary, but if we let Him, He can shine the brightest through the most imperfect of people and things.

This is a project I'm doing as a part of my Methods and critique class. Most of my projects for the class thus far have been ones meant to speak for themselves. I don't want to give the viewer an extensive artist statement because I want them to have their own, unguided experience with the work. There is a series of images like this that all are a part of the project.

What I like about these images is the simple beauty of the way the light is interacting with the material. I love that it's achromatic so that the only thing shouting at the viewer is the form and the light. I think both compositions are interesting for their variety in textures, hierarchy, and forms created.

A photograph I took on my daily commute to and from school and work. In the midst of the crowded traffic where everyone had somewhere to be and get something done, I caught this moment where, despite all the traffic and rush of life, there was a tranquil and calming scene to digest.

Filet-o-fish

I was looking around to shoot some things for the social landscapes when I came across this little treasure. As soon as I found that Filet-o-fish box I started hearing that stupid commercial in my head. It has been over twenty four hours and I still am singing that song in my head.

untitled

There have been flowers around the apartment lately because my room mate just had her senior show. I didn't think much of it until I was taking these photos. Then I thought, it's a little odd that these things, which were once living growing things, have taken on an entirely new social and physical meaning. They're not really plants anymore, but symbols of well wishes or maybe longing (my room mate bought some of them herself). At the same time, though, they're so short lived.

albums

For the Social Landscape project I have been putting together a scrap book of the people I hang out with. I have been documenting where we go and what we do for a couple weeks now and I have really enjoyed making my project into something personal. One photo opportunity was last weekend when I got to do a little harping with the Hudson Branch. It was an exciting experience to have with the guys.

Doing this project has made me realize I would love to do more photo albums. I would love to have digital copies of the pictures I want to keep, even though there may be copies online somewhere. There is something about a printed photo that is so much more personal than a facebook photo.

Human Nature

While exploring the process of documenting the social landscape, I discovered my interest in the way humans present their inhabited living spaces. The facade of these creations feel empty and mechanical with only the presence of colorless concrete and distancing fences. Through the integration of nature, we are able to incorporate a sense of life and color.

Corey Bienert

John Hancock

I had never been to Gino's East before.

There is SO MUCH character there! I walked away from dinner last Friday night wanting desperately to go home and write on every surface in my room (and maybe in the elevators and hallways, too --- just to see if anyone would join me ...)

This particular snapshot, containing the smallest fraction of the overwhelming amount of signatures commanding the walls at Gino's East, drew my attention because of the color it contains. The expressive nature of the types of writing creates a very organic nature in this image that makes it feel very approachable.

I was completely in awe of how many people had left their mark. On lights. On tables. On picture frames. On the stair rails. There was a sense of excitement in leaving something behind that you might be able to come back to someday, or at least to leave as a testament that you were once there. I went with someone who had last visited the restaurant when he was 8 years old. He is now 23. We quickly realized, based on the number of people that the waiters seemed to be expecting on a Friday night, along with the amount of signatures on the wall, that they must paint the restaurant over at a rather frequent interval - so were unable to locate his name.

What are the things we hope to come back to someday? We seem to leave them in the excitement of a single moment, wondering if we will ever get to look at, and experience, them again ....

Remnants

While out photographing for our landscape assignment, I ended up taking photos of this abandoned missile base that dates back around 40 years ago. A piece of history that still remains, at one time this was part of an elaborate defense system that was supposed to defend our country. I find it interesting that this land used to be heavily guarded whereas it is currently being used for recreational activities which is a heavy contrast to it's origins.

Shoes

My landscape is about shoes. It took my a long time to wrap my mind around landscape not being traditional. But when you think about it...those shoes can take us to any landscape in the world. So how can they not be a landscape in themselves? So many things can be a landscape, but shoes really can show off a person's personality and where they have gone. How do they treat their shoes? Have they gone far? It is very interesting to see what kinds of different foot wear people own, or how many they own. Some only two, others have two of each pair. Shoes can show so many things. I think it would be really interesting to be able to go to different countries with this project in mind (as would it be with any project)....maybe one day.
As for the technical aspect...I really like the bright circle in the middle of this image. You automatically know where to look. The intense color and target-shape really draw the viewer's eye into the image. There is also a lot to look at in the picture. There are a lot of details in the shoes that we often miss on a day to day experience.

Hidden and Gross Places

This image is one from my landscape project. I really like the feeling of claustrophobia this composition makes. This was one of the most interesting spaces I found in downtown Elgin. Formally I like the bold colors and the asymmetrical balance. The colors really stand out from the monochromatic background of the brick. The bars at the top of the picture help to create a pressing down on the viewer to create a more pronounced claustrophobic experience.
Throughout this project, I have been looking in historical areas for places that are interesting based upon their grittiness and unkempt atmosphere. I find it ironic that these spaces are in areas that are known for their historical quality. Yes, that means they are old which is part of the problem, but other areas are very well manicured. Whether it is a place to put garbage or a door into an apartment, some places are not deemed as important and are somewhat hidden, so they are ignored. There are places in our lives that this happens. We think that certain parts of our lives are important, so we pay attention to them, but there are other parts of our lives or personalities that we neglect for various reasons. It is our priorities that determine these things, but I'm not sure that it is valid. We will always have nasty parts to our personality because we are fallen creatures, but I don't think our attitude should be so nonchalant. We can't do it on our own, but those nasty spaces in our lives need to be paid attention to. We need to recognize their existence and do something about it. We have to give them over to the one God who can heal everything.

Spring reflections

Josh and I had just gotten home from a week of traveling over spring break. We pulled up to the unloading spot alongside Volkmann and I was reveling at the beauty of the colors brought out by the coming of spring and the gloom of an overcast day. The site looked ethereal to me and too good to pass up capturing more permanently. I liked this image in particular because of the complementary colors between the green/red (water/grass and hillside) and the orange/blue (gazebo and the water) and the overall composition. I like the horizon line in the middle of the image because it gives the water more importance and I hoped that the viewer would look closer at what is going on with the water too.

This is a portion of what was once my installation in the atruim. I found this image interesting for the ambiguity, the contrast, and the forms. The texture really drew me in and suddenly I was excited to expand on a project I thought was dead. Oh how I love art.

Man Looking in Mirror

This is from a recent photo shoot I was

doing the other day for a project of mine.

I took a plethora of photos and this is one

that didn't work very well for my specific

project however I still liked it.

Around Us

After getting used to the studio lights, it's a bit of an adjustment to shoot with available light again.

I've become so accustomed to shooting with the harsh of light of the outdoors, and the minimal light of indoors. But now that I've been experimenting stretching my abilities, I find that going back to the way I used to do things is always a nice change of pace.

It gives a totally different feel to the picture when it's shot in the light we're used to seeing around us daily.

Corey Bienert

fog

I spy a decaying deer.

I'm starting to wonder if my project has taken on a morbid quality.

I rarely regret bringing my camera places. Often I will leave it behind when going out because I assume it will be a nuisance. Usually the case is that I wish I had it with me. Whenever it's in my hands I seem to find things to photograph.

Not Sure of How This All Going to Turn Out...

This is a photo of an abandoned building in my hometown. It's really awkward because just down the street on the other side are really nice buildings with high-end shops in them, but then there's this place. I'm not entirely sure of where my project is going right now. I have some ideas, but I'm kind of waiting for the photos to make up my mind for me. I enjoy the complimentary color scheme, the angles in the brick and cement, and the perspective as formal elements of the composition.
Conceptually, I like the grittiness of the image. Photos like this one are far more interesting to me in what they could be saying about the environment than ones of pristine buildings. That kind of decay in such close proximity to somewhere that appears to be an apartment is disturbing because it shows the lack of care for something that was made by humans to begin with. We often take so much care to make something, but do we take as much care after it has become something usual to us? When something becomes usual or normal to our existence, we often don't care as much about it or even realize it exists anymore. In the wake of being assaulted by so much visual noise every day, we often don't see what is around us. How many aspects of our world do we miss because we try so hard to tune out the unwanted noise in our lives?

Respect

While out driving, I happen to notice the sites where we bury people. What I find interesting are the locations which we happen to bury the dead and how many times they don't make any sense. This site has been here longer than the structure that is standing in the back, and I wonder if there was a better solution in terms of planning this site. Either way, I think it's interesting to see what people care about, and I think this situation speaks some truth.

Let the stormy clouds chase ...

Saturday afternoon I found myself in downtown Chicago ...

Smack dab in the middle of the annual turn-the-river-green-and-chaos-of-thousands-of-people-going-through-an-identity-crises-thinking-they're-Irish-and-loving-every-minute-of-it day.

And yes, I realize that this image looks neither chaotic, nor Irish, nor green.

I was fascinated by how many different kinds of people there were out on the streets that day. It's like they all came out of nowhere. There was such an overwhelming mixture of ages, cultures, and personalities. I enjoyed simply observing how each person was responding to the festivities.

Some, like the man above, just seemed to take in all that was wonderful about the day. He didn't seem bothered by the rain. Didn't seem overtaken by the screaming youths around him. Didn't let the pushing and pulling crowds engulf him. I turned this photograph black and white because I wanted to just rest in the expression on his face. That is all.

There is just a peace about it. I love opposites, so I am drawn to the fact that this photograph goes against everything I, personally, experienced that day - Because it obviously was the opposite of what this man experienced. And that notion just kind of stuck with me when I saw this.

Not everyone is having the same kind of day that you're having.

Food Prep

This image is one I took while making homemade carmel rolls. It is quite the process, and involves alot of different ingredients. But I love making them and could spend all day in the kitchen. Anyway, why I think this specific picture is interesting is because of the leading lines in the image. The fork, measuring spoon, cup and edge of the bowl keep your eye moving.

clouds

I took this photo on the beach during spring break. During the summer, messes like this would get cleaned up by the lifeguards right away. I enjoy seeing what the beach looks like untouched. I brought these photos home to my friends and family who frequent this beach in the summer, and they were amazed at how cold and lonely it seemed at this time of year.

Social Landscapes

I have two project ideas for showing social landscapes right now: bathrooms and floors.

Sorry, I have to send you to one of my blog sites because this won't let me post an image: kaiariane.tumblr.com

Broken

I took this image a couple summers ago when we had a horrible storm at our house. Our house sits on a beautiful yard that has been described as "park-like" by several people. This storm was devastating to the trees in our yard. It also broke a hole in the roof of our garage when a large branch came crashing down on top of it. This image of the bent tree is a more mild example of what happened, but I like the angle it creates and the leading line from the stream to the sharp angle. It creates interest because viewers automatically know that something is off and this image is showing something that is different than we think it should be. I also really enjoy all the tones of green. They seem to kind of blend in together, yet every separate element can be discerned apart from the others.
Images of broken nature always make me think about what happens to us when we go through hardships. It is most often the way we react to situations that determines our outlook. However, no matter how we react to situations, we often carry the scars from past experiences for the rest of our lives. They are often helpful, but they are just as often hurtful. We are shaped by what we go through and how we behave in those situations. This tree could have been completely lost and broken if it had snapped off. Instead, it was flexible enough to just bend, however, it's scar is that it stayed there. It was not able to right itself. It is still there today and it will leaf out again in the spring. Our experiences have a very large impact on who we are and what our lives are like, but that doesn't mean that we have to bow to those circumstances and be changed negatively because of them. We have to make the decision in how to react to what is happening, and although we will probably carry the marks of that experience, the way we react can make all the difference in what those marks mean.

Blue buckets

I chose this image because I really like the bold colors in the composition. The reddish container adds to it as well, since it is almost its complement. I like that there are strong curves, but also hard lines in the background.

Self Portrait

Totally forgot to post a picture.. so I

decided to post a self-portrait I took.

I was playing around with reflections,

and wanted to try something different

with it. I liked the composition I created
and just was trying to have a fun with it.

Trial And Error

I've been experimenting trying to take more traditional portraits. Working with the lights has been really fun for me. I've been playing with light figuring out the specific ways that it falls on the subject. It's fun to try new things by turning off some of the lights in the set up getting a whole new feel for the image.


Corey Bienert

stick to the shade

This photo is from the Hudson Branch show at the Bottom Lounge last weekend. I've seen these guys all over the place for the past year and the more chances I have to photograph them the easier it gets. It can be a challenge to photograph moving subjects when there is inadequate lighting, but these shows have been a good opportunity for experience.

Photography is such a personal practice to me. I want to sharpen my skills enough that I can keep quality memories from events in my own life. I love getting to look back through pictures with many stories associated with them. I want to have a detailed record of who my friends were, what they did, and what we did together. Photography is the perfect way of achieving this.

This was a project!

This for sure was a project for two reasons...

A. I helped out a friend with his project by taking this picture....
B. It took a long time just to set up the shot lighting wise, and even longer to get the shot we were looking for.

We never really got that perfect shot, but this picture represents for me the toil and pain to get this picture, but also the sweetness of what I had accomplished. There are a lot of pictures, but here are two just to show you a little bit of what we got.

Bigger Resolution Links
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/4404648654_2dd069b62e_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4404648588_dd0288901e_b.jpg

Juggling Normal

This is not normal.

But it is.

The other day I found out that a friend of mine juggles. Another of my friends, I just discovered, speaks Russian. Still another is a twin. One of the guys in studio really likes to cook, and another guy loves to dance hip hop and salsa. One friend sings randomly with her sister when she gets home.

I love that we have these vibrant aspects of our personality that go unnoticed, simply because they are not "normal" things that come up in everyday conversation. I am really captivated by the use of color in photographs. I find it to be such a fascinating challenge when one is incredibly intentional with it. Also, the broken line of the ankle in this image creates an interesting compositional tension.

The above image is my "normal."

What is yours? :)

Community

Since it is midterms, I thought I would post a picture of

someone studying/working on a project.

Now, usually when I think of studio, I think of hard work and the craziness that comes with it. (Think back to Design freshman year) However, as intense as studio can be, it is also pretty awesome. There is plenty of community and usually if you ask someone will be able to help you out. I liked this picture of Rebecca, because just one minute before, she had been intently working on her sculpture, but then someone came in the room. It wasn't long before they were talking about projects. I think our program has an excellent sense of community and it manifests itself through this image.

However, take a major like, say youth ministry. Sure, there is teamwork involved in class (and definitely once out of college). But in homework? What do business majors and psychology majors do for homework? Papers and tests. Not much community in that.

Cookies

I decided for this week's post to deviate from the portraits I had been working on. So this photo comes out of my archive from Christmas break. Every year, my family spends part of Christmas Eve decorating cookies. However, there are no frosting bags or cookie decorating tools. The rules are simple, we can only use table knives (and toothpicks for the more creative of us). It is so fun to see our personalities come out in the cookies we make. We never make the same one, but it is often very obvious who made which cookie. I like this photo for the variety in unity. There are many different shapes, but they are held together by the common colors and accents on each cookie. I like the fact that although they are very different, put together, they create a sort of rhythm and pattern.
People as a whole are like this. We are all so different, but when we are in a crowd, it seems that the individuals are no longer seen or deemed as important. We become a group. Only the ones that are really different get noticed and possibly not for a good attribute (like the cookie with the cashew eyebrows). However, God calls us to be in the world not of it, which requires us to be different. There should be something noticeably different about Christians than other people in the world. While we are belittled for being different here on earth, that is the exact response that we should be getting because Jesus wasn't accepted either, so it's actually a good thing for us to be made fun of.
So maybe the cashew eyebrows aren't so bad after all.

Reflection

As a photographer, I find myself comfortable behind the lens of my camera. There’s a certain vulnerability to allowing yourself to be photographed. My comfort level behind the camera far surpasses my comfort in front of the camera.

For this series I chose to develop a hybrid of traditional portraiture and traditional self-portraiture, the latter of which in my experience with photography is a highly underdeveloped craft.

By integrating myself into these portraits, I am reflecting the truth of the scene in which you are seeing. When looking at a portrait, you escape the reality you are seeing. You are presented with a portrait, and you accept it solely as so.

Through incorporation of my reflection in this series of portraits, I am revealing one of the most crucial details of the moment…myself. The scene in which you are used to seeing always includes the photographer taking the photograph, but always out of the frame. This is my way of presenting my own response to the image I am creating.


Corey Bienert