Digital Imaging: October 2013

Monday, October 28, 2013

Monday, October 14, 2013

The Quad

Reading Response for Chapter 3

To be honest, I did not find the first half of the chapter particularly as interesting as the others. Architecture makes up so much of our world, however it is easier for me to relate to photographs that evoke a particular feeling through the actions of people or an object that has sentimental value to me. I did however find it interesting how Deadpan photography has a way of capturing the essence of the material world. Even though it is not what draws me in, the material world shapes the past, the present, and the future. I was happy to learn that the second part of the chapter gave examples of photography that commented on natural landscapes and also images of the raw nature of human beings, such as in Rineke Dijkstra's photographs of the naked women with their babies. I found those images very intriguing and beautiful.

Reading Response for Chapter 2

When doing the reading, I wanted to find specific conceptual and stylistic examples that I could incorporate into my photograph for project number four. In chapter two, the book said that "One of the great uses of tableau photography is as a format that can carry intense but ambiguous drama that is then shaped by the viewer's own train of thought." I enjoyed this characteristic of the tableau photography genre because I value photography that provokes me and causes me to evaluate different aspects of my life. I enjoyed Liza May Post's photographs that have elements of surrealism and uncertainty. She dressed up her subjects in androgynous clothing and placed them in positions where it was impossible to know what gender they were or what they were doing. I liked how she played with form and the body. Her photographs leave the narrative up the viewer's own personal interpretation, which I hope to aspire in my project. Another point that I want to use in my photograph is the idea of an "otherworldliness found in contemporary life [...]". I definitely found some interesting ways to push my idea further through the reading.

Final Proposal for Project 4

For the fourth project, I would like to experiment with the extended image. I was inspired by Cornelia Hediger’s work because of the ‘slightly off’ mood and the intricate way she sets up the stage. I want to have more experience in creating scenes, moods, and themes by combining different elements to create a dreamlike and surreal photograph. I love how Hediger’s images are playful, strange, stretched, distorted, and layered. To apply my own twist to, I hope to use a model who will be put in a surreal scene instead of a more realistic scene. This model will be facing away from the camera, however her movements and actions will be the main focus. She will be introduced to herself and other objects that she will interact with.