In addition to furthering my understanding of light, vantage point, depth of field, etc. I enjoyed the challenge of working with color in my photographs. Color to me is a very interesting way to communicate, and in this class I learned how important color can be in a photograph. This image is my favorite from the semester as far as color goes– I like the clash between the synthetic turquoise and the natural green.
This prayer can be read and speak for itself. It was my own way of crying out to the Lord on behalf of the people of Japan. I know I may not have any idea at all of what they must be feeling, but I know the least I can do is pray for them. Showing the numbers/statistics of people killed and they size of the earthquake is just to hit things home for the viewer. It feels so much more real when we can put a number and a visual on it. So, be encouraged. Pray for Japan.
Once again I found myself thinking about the things we take for granted, though the subject matter this time around is a little heavier than the last. I get letters all of the time from people that I love and that love me, though I rarely give it a second thought. This project comments on a few things including the matter of being able to communicate with those you love and the implications that come with not receiving a letter that perhaps was expected, especially in times of tragedy.
For this blog post, I wanted to focus on a prayer for Japan. Something that I translated in different languages: Japanese, English and the language of the icon (symbols that can in theory be used as universal ways to communicate.) Working through the translation of these three different studies of the verse Psalm 23:4 helped me to reflect on the tragedy even further and to pray that the Lord would continue to renew and sustain the Japanese, possibly bringing them to Himself in the process.
I think that a general theme to my reactions that I've been posting is hope--hope of a change in the future that things will improve. I think that an attitude that many eventually adopt after a crisis is that life goes on and we must carry onward and make the best of it. I feel this attitude is usually beneficial, but it often takes time for this realization to set it, to see that this is your life and you're going to have to make do.
The New York Times posted a photograph of six soldiers carrying a casket through a mass burial grave site. The photograph is striking for its order and symmetry. The earth is dark and the white sheeted caskets settle into the ground in a geometric pattern. Each grave is paired with their individual shovel. I sketched the subject in charcoal to describe the moment between procession and when the burial is completed.
In my previous reaction to Japan, I used physical media (collaging, paint) to express how the people of Japan might be feeling, emphasizing on the emotion of distress and perhaps even pessimism towards their current situation. For this post, I wanted to again show how I think these devastated people may be feeling, but in a way that also instills a feeling of hope about the situation using digital media.
Following behind my last response, I was thinking more about the frailty and the fleeting nature of all that we think we know. Here is a can, something that we are all familiar with, and by our very nature we consume and then destroy it. The parallel, and yet tragically disconnected event in Japan is reflected on a colossal scale in that so many things had just come to an end, as if they had run their course, served their purpose, and then were disposed of. Also, I have decided to stick with the color red to tie the series together.
This set of four images were taken from the New York Times. In church this week, our pastor mentioned the passage Matthew 24:7 which talks about the end times being signified partially by earthquake and famine. Whether or not these series of earthquakes is signifying that, it is a thought to ponder and to not take lightly. I chose to overly the verse in both Japanese and English, stating that this is a world event, effecting the Japanese first and foremost but the world as well. There is a new worldwide community that has been built up over the past few years because of all the natural disasters and the willingness of nations to help others in need. Although this tragedy in Japan is great, I do not think it will be long until the next one takes place. Because of this, our faith and the way we are living with our time left on earth should be handled with the utmost care and obedience to our Maker. (At least this is my view on the matter.)
I chose to do take a photograph like this because I didn't want to pretend like I've ever experienced a disaster of the magnitude that Japan is experiencing right now. Instead, I took my thoughts inspired by the images we looked at and reflected on the damage that water is capable of. This poster serves as a reminder, at least to me, of the extremes of water when it comes to life and death, and also of how often I consider myself to be in control of my surroundings.
This photo represents the impact of Japans' recent tragedies on many people lives. The main photo is to display the emotions derived from the tragedy along with the tragedies displayed within the layering of photos. With the layers interacting with each other it was to describe the impact on her life.
This is an image I took on our 16 hour drive to Florida. The green grass and scenery was just beautiful to look at as we drove that long way. It was literally a breath of fresh air. The sunlight showing through the clouds was so beautiful. I shot about 80 images of this sky as we drove, watching different things pass underneath it. Originally, this image began as exploration of the social landscape project. I have a huge appreciation for simple and beautiful landscape images such as this and am excited to continue to explore it further.
Here again is a view of the record store, i'm sorry for the repetition. I'm not sure if this is a landscape or a still life (?). I posted this, I enjoy this for again the fluorescent light as the harsh leading line, the colors, patterns and textures. And, I'm drawn in by the two mechanical utilitarian figures that seem to be trying to project their personality and even worth.
This is an image I took a while ago. Going back through pictures, this one caught my eye because she's looking directly into the camera. It's very confrontational. She isn't really reacting. She's just looking at you. It's an interesting contrast because she has such a sweet face, yet you don't really know what's going on in her head. But she's obviously thinking something.
I chose this image mainly because of the interesting perspective. There are very few visual clues as to where my brother-in-law is in relation to my sister, making the proportions of these people a subject in itself.
music as a social landscape.... exploring different ways of reflecting social habits, interests, and lifestyles. I enjoy this photo for its depth, leading lines, and color palette.
This is a photo I took of one of my closest friends, Alanna. Four of us girls took a 16 hour road trip to Orlando, FL. Alanna and I shared the backseat and we were dancing to music the entire trip. It was a great time and this picture including here facial expression and air about her is showing how contained we were in the car but how much fun we had regardless...
I chose this image specifically because of the vibrant color present in it. The flower came out very clear and yet the viewers attention is drawn to the highlights behind it. This is a very interesting focal confrontation to me.
This image is simple and shows how tiny things can seem bigger and and beautiful than they usually appear to us. This fly is shown in an epic pose, ready to take off. In reality, he is dead and just happened to stay in this position after he passed away. The computer cord in the background adds a subtle break in the picture plane and gives in a soft middle ground. The colors are very soft and the strong contrast makes this fly come to life (so to speak).
I chose this photo because it was decided that it was the strongest from my group of photos. The project was inspired by Dauwood Bey, and the lighting, neutral clothing, and the natrual lines from the surrounding area created a simliar asthetic to the photos that Bey takes.
I took this image as I shot pictures for the Color Portraiture project. I really appreciate the warm wood tones in this color image. I see my brother Matthew here quite a lot. He plays on his iPod touch whenever he gets the chance, and if you are looking for him, he will probably be in this chair, where his iPod plugs into the computer. I captured him at a time when he was deep in playing a game so he does not look happy in this photo. He normally doesnt like his picture taken, but seeing him in this photo after having taken it, I like the movement in his body and the lighting that shines on him as he plays his game.
This is a thumbnail shot of the mess that my room is right now. It is by far my greatest weakness and frustration in life. I have a smallish room and a lot of stuff and keeping it clean is a daily challenge that I fail at time and time again. This is an interesting picture of how this chair has been used for holding stuff instead of for sitting on. Its use has been shifted and re-evaluated to fit my every day need for it. I feel as if this happens with a lot of things we own. We own too much and don't use very much of it half the time. I thought this picture was a good example of that lifestyle and a good reason to evaluate what we own and how we use it.
Sometimes we look in the mirror and forget who we really are. This image is meant to be comical and at the same time a harsh reality. This funny looking mug is looking at himself for the first time and the facial expression shows a very real human emotion. Compositionally it is set up to bounce the eye back and forth between the object and it's reflection which keeps the eye within the picture plane.
I enjoyed the challenge of trying to take a sincere portrait of someone who is not a fan of being in front of the camera. I was trying to use the toned down color scheme and the environment to say something about how I view the subject. I thought this composition was the most successful out of the portraits I have taken so far.
