somebody by ki...

By Kimberly Marie Allen

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final project: shoot 1

There are two ideas i am trying to decide between for this project.

idea one: Again

My first idea is a box about multiples and repetition. Pictures of multiple things (a pictures with 5) and multiple pictures of multiple things (5 pictures of 5 different trees). I would like to look more into common things that we see every day, and see how when we take them out of context, they mean something. I imagine taking pictures of things like keyholes, doors, windows, etc.

idea two: The Abstracted World

My other idea is a play off my first project i did this semester (the one with the bras, and capturing them in a way that they don't look like bras.) I want to try to capture this allusion in many other everyday things. I want to do some that have one image filling the pages, and do others that are like a series of 8 pictures running across the page, so that if you see all the pictures together, you might be able to figure out what they actually are.

Every Idea Has An Expiration Date

http://www.blurb.com/books/831027

This is a book about everything that expires- from a manual typewriter to a completed crossword puzzle. I really liked this theme because it makes you think of a every day word, "Expire", in many new ways. I really loved the full page pictures that went from one page to the other. I also really liked how there wasn't any text- it was just the images that were important.

There might be Photographs Inside This Book

http://www.blurb.com/books/902515

I thought this was a really neat format for a book. It seemed as thought so many of the things were coming off the page, and the text made it appear almost like a scrap book or sketch book. It had a very raw feeling to it that i really enjoy.

Looking at Lines

http://www.blurb.com/books/922453

I really liked this book simply for the concept. Its neat to think of things we look at everyday as art- and this was a really neat tribute to this.

the portraitist

http://www.blurb.com/books/107115

I really liked his play on number of pictures on a page. i like how he uses negative space in alot of his layouts, and use of a series of pictures on one page is really interesting. I also really like how the back cover thru front cover is a series of pictures. That is a very interesting idea.

Man.hole

http://www.blurb.com/books/902515

I thought this book was really interesting because it photographed something so minor to society, in such a way that it seemed so important and artistic. You see man holes everywhere but rarely do we think twice when driving over them. This author thought twice, and captured them beautifully. I really liked how the layout was of this. How some pages had a full image of the man hole. And others has a series of 8 running on the bottom of the page. The author photographed it in context as well as as you see it closely. It was amazing how many wonderful pictures they got of something so ordinary.

project 2: The Portrait

FINAL IMAGES:

FINAL DIPTYCH:




ARTIST STATEMENT:

The concept around this piece revolves around body image and individual’s insecurity with their own body- specifically in the male. This is a subject that goes relatively unnoticed or discussed. The male population however goes through body image issues every day. An unrealistic stereotypical “good looking ideal” exists for a man just as much for women.

This series is about the male body, and the raw awkwardness of insecurities. I shot these pictures in color so the body was an emphasis, and the unedited texture and flaws of the skin was evident. I shot this with the white background because I think it added to the overall awkwardness of having your imperfections exposed.

I wanted to capture very simple composition to put even more emphasis on the imperfections and raw untouched feeling of the contours of the body. I wanted to see the emotion and insecurity by the minor differences in the posture of the body.

I also wanted to show that even people that seem confident, and attractive have many issues with their body too, just like everyone else. Many have a fear or letting themselves go. Body image is a real life issue that people battle every day.

Entry #4.

Sam Wagstaff, 1979, Photographed by Robert Mapplethorpe


a.) The primary subject in this piece is Sam Wagstaff.

b.) Formal elements: light and value, texture, point of view, distance of camera to subject matter, frame and edge.

c.) interpretation: I love Robert Mapplethorpe's series on portraits. They are all of very famous people and he captures them in a way that suits their personality. He captures Princess Gloria Von Thurn und Taxis in a very elegant and peaceful way. He captures David Hockney with a sense of humor. My favorite of his photographs is this one of Sam Wagstaff.

d.) Form: The light and value created by this studio shot is very powerful. The contrast in the light hitting his eyes, eyebrows and face are exceptional, especially where the wrinkles and bags under his eyes stand out. The lack of negative space in this piece is very important because it creates an emphasis on this figure. The way he was so close to the subject also had a great deal to do with this. The way the subject is cropped more to one edge of the frame makes this pictures very intriguing.

subject: The subject here is this gentleman.

interpret:I think this photo is simply about this figure, about his life, about his expression and about how it has all been depicted through his expressions throughout the years.

refined: This piece has such a stoic feeling. It feels almost like this guy is staring at you, scolding at you, annoyed with you. When looking at this picture it is hard to not try to figure out what this figure is thinking. You don't need to know any background information about this character to have a want or need to figure out what is going on in his head. It sure is an intriguing portrait.

about his style:
In my next project I really want to look into his style a little further. I want to see how it could help my photography. Perhaps in this portrait project i will try to investigate getting really close to the figure so that it is all about this person. Not about what they are or where they or going or where they have been. It is about all that summed up on their face. This will be an investigation on what does come out on the face of someone who has traveled such miles in life.

entry #3.

http://www.benjaminkrain.com/

Benhamin Krain, Katrina, 2005


a.) The primary subject in this piece is the houses reflecting in the flood water.
b.) Formal elements: texture. point of view, focus, depth of field, relation elements within the frame.
c.) interpretation: I think this artist's series on Katrina is simply gorgeous. They are so powerful and so strong that it is just so jaw dropping to see so much evidence for such a tragedy. The houses look so absolutely gorgeous even after this tragedy that it is sad to think of how they looked before the natural disaster.
d.) Form: The colors in this picture are very limited. The houses reflection in the water is absolutely stunning. There are a lot of lines created from the house. The lighting on the house that creates the reflections into the water are very powerful. The texture on the house make you feel like you could be looking at this scene. The way the reflection fills what would otherwise be negative space is very powerful as well- especially in the railings of the house. The depth of field is very powerful because the houses are so intense and the reflections are so out of focus. The scale of these houses taking up so much room in the frame is very important. especially that the water is so prevalent in the piece. It provides an emphasis on the flood. There is a splendid about of balance in the piece because of the three houses and their reflection into the water.

subject: The subject here is the houses and the devastation of Katrina.

interpret: I think is photography appears to be about the the houses and the glass reflection of the water. Prehaps this is a reflection of the tragedy of Katrina. However the thing that is still in tact is the beauty of this place. This piece might also be a piece about the devastation of such a beautiful place.

refined: This piece has such a stoic feeling. Everything seems so still. Almost as thought everything is alright, or that nothing wrong has happened. It almost seems surreal– almost like a dream. The way Benjamin Krain captured the reflect, and the composition, and the natural lighting and the frame it was shot in all helps create this feeling. Also, it has a sure feeling that something just isn't right. It is such a beautiful image, it leaves for so many interpretations.

entry #2.

http://www.ppmag.com/folio-gallery/

photo by: Noel Del Pilar, July 2007
taken with Canon EOS-1D Mark II digital and Canon 17-40 mm with photoshop Cs2


entry #2.

a.) The primary subject matter in this photograph is a combination between the bride and the architecture.

b.) Most relevant Form in regard to the interpretation of this piece would be:
color, point of view, distance of camera, depth of field, frame and edge.

c.) Interpretation: I think this piece is such a interesting piece because it isn't your average wedding picture. It is a piece about architecture and portraits all at the same time. I would love for my wedding pictures to be as creative as these.

d.) Form: This piece has a great sense of line. There is a lot of repetition in these lines that create. The color is very vibrant as well. It creates a very strong contrast to the white bridal dress. The repetition in the architecture creates very rapid textures contrasting very smooth ares as well. Everything appears to be in focus and the off set bride in the frame makes a very interesting composition.

Subject: The subject is this woman and her wedding in San Juan Puerto Rico. This photographer followed a young couple around San Juan in the days following their wedding ceremony in what he calls The Day After Session. Del Pilar presented his series of photographs as a wedding gift to them.

Redefine: I think this piece has such a interesting turn on wedding photos. First, it is very interesting that this bride seems be alone against such large amounts of architecture. Often times wedding pictures are taken without a plain back drop and also with the groom or family. However this one is different. This is more about the place that has affect the bride and who she is today. Its not about her completely on this day- it is about her heritage in this place that has made here who she is today.

entry # 1.

entry # 1.
David Levinthal, Barbie Millicent Roberts, 1998-99.
http://www.davidlevinthal.com/works.html




a.) The primary subject matter in this photograph is the Barbie doll.
b.) Most relevant Form in regard to the interpretation of this piece would be: point of view, distance of camera to subject matter, scale, negative space and motion.
c.) Interpretation: I think this piece is a play on the Barbie doll in the social aspects of girls in society. I think the way David Levinthal captured the Barbie doll in a portrait type of setting is quiet intriguing. I think there is a lot of meaning behind the composition of the Barbie and how he portrayed the doll as real. In society so many little girls play with dolls such as this one and have the idea that this is the "ideal". One day too they wish their portrait would look like this. It is a very thought provoking picture.
d. Form: This piece has a very limited color pallet. There is a lot of negative space because of where the subject is composed in the frame. There is a slight shadow on the subject. The black dress provides contrast for the black background. This is down at the level of the doll and taken close up to the doll. The picture is flat. The subject displays no motion. Part of the head and bottom half the body has been cropped from the edge of the frame. The figure is the emphasis.
Subject: The subject in this piece is the Barbie doll, in a studio setting.
Interpret: Because of the way the artist captures this doll in a realistic portrait type of frame, I think this is a comment on the way the dolls play a role in children’s perception of the human body “ideal”.
Redefine: The elements in this piece help show the importance of the figure in society. The doll is the focal point. The whole piece is talking about the doll and its story. I feel that the story with this piece goes along with the idea of the “ideal portrait of a person” and how so many pictures nowadays are of models trying to look a certain way, dress a certain way, act a certain way. They almost look like a statue or perhaps a doll. This I believe is what this picture is all about.