Assignment #4: E-portfolio Reflection

All semester we’ve been putting together our e-portfolios. I decided to use Blogger, a Google blog-publishing service for this assignment. I’m not very tech savvy, and was a bit nervous to create my first online portfolio. Blogger proved to be a user-friendly website, and I was navigating around the site with ease.

When I first started my weekly entries, I knew that I wanted to focus on finding interesting new photographers to share with my classmates. I also wanted to keep with the themes that we were exploring in class each week, but found that to be difficult. I would often stumble on a new artist who had no link to the course curriculum, and wanted to share their work right away.

At the beginning of the semester I tried to do a write-up each week in order to keep on top of my work. As the term progressed, other assignments and classes took up my time, and I wasn’t as diligent with my weekly portfolio posts as I would have liked to be. I think that this type of project needs a lot of proper time management and self-motivation. If the write-ups were due on a weekly basis, I would have been more diligent with my posts. However, I learned a valuable lesson when I found myself playing catch-up in order to get all of the weeks accounted for.

Originally I didn’t make many connections between my writing and the readings on the Moodle website. I enjoyed writing about the interesting photographers I had discovered, and got swept away in my personal connections to the artwork. After receiving feedback halfway through the semester, I realized the importance of tying the articles to the photographers and artists I had found. By the end of the portfolio assignment, I had definitely read through almost all of the posted articles which added to my knowledge of photography.

I think that high school students would really enjoy creating portfolios online. It would allow them to collect all of their artwork in one place, and comment on and view their classmates’ work as well. “Electronic portfolios are becoming a popular alternative to traditional paper-based portfolios because they offer practitioners and peers the opportunity to review, communicate and assess portfolios in an asynchronous manner.” (Career Coaching, 2013) Parents who would want to see their children’s progress throughout the school year could also access these portfolios.

An e-portfolio is a smart way to keep all the assignments organized and tidy. I understand why you wanted us to submit our work online, and know that this was much easier than carrying all of our documents around with you in order to be graded. This process was also beneficial to me because it allowed me to stumble on new artists I might never have discovered otherwise. 

Work Cited

Career Coaching for Students, (2013). E-Portfolios – The New Resume for Students? Student Career Exploration and Planning Blog. Retrieved from http://studentcareercoach.wordpress.com/2013/05/05/e-portfolios-the-new-resume-for-students/

Week #11: Write-up

Steve McCurry
"Afghan Girl" 

Steve McCurry
Bayon Temple, Angkor Watt, Cambodia

Steve McCurry
Angkor Watt, Cambodia

Steve McCurry
Angkor Watt, Cambodia 

Steve McCurry
Angkor Watt, Cambodia

Sandra Schreiber
Bayon Temple, Angkor Watt, Cambodia

Sandra Schreiber
Angkor Watt, Cambodia

Sandra Schreiber
Angkor Watt, Cambodia

For my last weekly write-up, I decided to choose an artist who would bring inspiration to a classroom of young students. I looked up award-winning photographers and famous photos in history. Afghan Girl, the amazing photo taken by Steve McCurry caught my attention, and I was drawn into the young girl’s stare. That photo was on the cover of National Geographic in 1985. “McCurry has gone on to create stunning images over six continents and countless countries. His work spans conflicts, vanishing cultures, ancient traditions and contemporary culture alike.” (McCurry, 2014)

After looking through McCurry’s photo gallery on his website, I found myself feeling nostalgic when I saw his Ankor Watt album. I remember when I had the chance to visit Cambodia in 2011, and touring the beautiful temples was definitely one of my trip highlights. I actually stood in the same places as McCurry, and captured the same moments (although he did it with a little more flare).

I would love to show my future students some of McCurry’s famous photos with mine alongside his. It would show the class that anyone could aspire to be an important and renowned photographer. Also, his photography could be used in a multi-disciplinary lesson, and help teach the students about historical events and other cultures around the world. A quote from the Born Into Brothels curriculum guide said, “inspire others to feel, to notice, to challenge, to take action.” I believe that Steve McCurry’s photos could have that effect, and inspire future students. 

http://stevemccurry.com

Work Cited

Briski, Z. Born Into Brothels, Companion Curriculum.

McCurry, S. (2014). Steve McCurry. Retrieved from http://stevemccurry.com

Week #10: Write-up

Pakayla Biehn
"You or Your Memory"

Pakayla Biehn"Ten Thousand Times" 

Pakayla Biehn

This week in class we discussed our final project ideas, and a lot of my classmates were thinking about double exposing their negatives. I thought that I would look up some photographers who use that method in their artwork. I stumbled on Pakayla Biehn, a painter who uses Photoshop to combine multiple photographs together, and then paints what she creates. She was diagnosed with Strabismus when she was younger, and one of its side effects is double vision. She chose to see the positive effects of her “disability”, and incorporate it into her artwork.

Originally I looked at some small thumbnail images of Biehn’s work, and I was drawn to the colours and interesting compositions. When I blew up the images, I was amazed to see that they were in fact painted and not photographs. Her brush strokes became more apparent, and some even had texture incorporated. This is yet another artist who brings up the question of truth in her artwork.

“Adobe Photoshop arrived in the early 1990’s, concurrent with functional digital cameras, and since then critical debates about photography and its interpretations of the world have largely centered on one question: How can we believe in an image as fact if it can be imperceptibly altered?” (Grundberg)

When reading up on the artist, I learned that the original images she chooses are metaphors for her personal relationships. She aims to portray what is real, but her final pieces seem surrealistic and dreamy. She likes to pair the beauty of nature with photos of people. Using Photoshop and other technical methods to combine her pictures, she thought that a photorealistic painting style was the most appropriate so as not to confuse viewers. 

http://www.youshouldtakecare.com

Work Cited

Grundberg, A. A Dangerous Weapon, The fault is not in the camera, but in ourselves. Retrieved from The American Scholar.

Biehn, P. (2014). Pakayla Biehn. Retrieved from http://www.youshouldtakecare.com

Week #9: Write-up

Zena Holloway working underwater

Zena Holloway
Twill Magazine, "Swan"

Zena Holloway
Twill Magazine, "Swan"

This week I was on the hunt for an interesting underwater photographer. I wanted to make this week’s write-up more personal, and incorporate a theme that is important to me. I grew up in a family of swimmers and water-lovers. Knowing how to swim was very important, and I was put into lessons at a young age. I am now a lifeguard and swim instructor myself, and enjoy spending my summers working at a pool, or floating in the waves of the lake at my country house in the Laurentians. I love how peaceful and quiet everything seems underwater, and how light my body feels.

I discovered photographer Zena Holloway, who works solely underwater. She became a scuba diver at a young age, and decided to pair her passion for diving with her love of photography. She fully immersed herself in her art practice, and has become well known in her specific field of photography. “Making one’s own statement as an artist is not a goal to strive toward, but is something that overtakes one in the course of living and working fully.” (Smith, 2011). She has shot cover photos and editorials for many magazines such as GQ and ELLE. She has also photographed a lot of advertisement campaigns for well-known brands such as Speedo, Nike and Herbal Essences. Holloway rents out different types of boats, and likes to work with the same team of professionals when shooting her photos.

The series that caught my attention was her underwater “swan” photos that she took for Twill Magazine. I really liked the contrast that was created between the black water and the white material. There is so much movement created by the flowing dress, and body positions of the model. The girl looks comfortable and warm wrapped up in the material. The photos remind me of how I feel when I linger underwater, calm and serene.

http://www.zenaholloway.com/galleries/editorial/

Work Cited

Holloway, Z. (2014). Zena Holloway. Retrieved from http://www.zenaholloway.com/galleries/editorial/

Smith, M. (2011). On Teaching Photography. Retrieved from http://www.michaelandpaula.com/mp/onteachphoto.html

Week #8: Write-up

Alexander Khokhlov
Weird Beauty series

Alexander Khokhlov
Weird Beauty series

Alexander Khokhlov
2D of not 2D series

Alexander Khokhlov
2D of not 2D series

This week I did a broad online search for black and white photography, and discovered Alexander Khokhlov. He is born and raised in Moscow, Russia, and began his photography career in 2007. He has a passion for beauty photography, and enjoys photographing people. He partnered up with make-up artist, Valeriya Kutsan, to create two separate portrait series that really caught my attention.

The first is called Weird Beauty. Kutsan used black and white face paint to cover the models’ faces with geometric patterns and iconic symbols. The photographer wanted to use the natural contours and shapes of the women’s faces to create optical illusions using line and form. The models’ faces are the canvases to be painted on, but are also an integral part of the artwork. The beauty of the women is accentuated by the beautiful painting on their faces.

The second series is called 2D or not 2D? This is a continuation of the previous portrait idea. Khokhlov decided to use the models faces to manipulate our perception of space and to create 2D illusions. Kutsan painted the faces using multiple techniques such as hard edge painting, dripping and cartooning. This makes me think about our in-class discussions about truth in photography, and should we believe what we’re looking at? Antonia Bardis wrote, “Innocent looking representations of what resemble to be actuality, may in fact be inventive creations pointing only to an illusion.” I think that Khokhlov succeeded in tricking my eye, and making me believe that I was looking at voluminous objects.  I found myself staring at the final images and trying to figure out what I was actually seeing.

http://www.alexanderkhokhlov.com


Work Cited

Bardis, A. (2004). Digital photography and the question of realism. Journal of Visual Art Practice. Volume 3, Number 3. 

Khokhlov, A. (2014) Alexander Khokhlov Photography. Retrieved from http://www.alexanderkhokhlov.com

Week #7: Write-up

Cindy Sherman
Film Still #28

Cindy Sherman
Film Still #48

Lorna Simpson
She

This week I will talk about the artist Cindy Sherman. I first saw her work in our ARTE 352 class, and then I learned more about her photography in my FFAR 250 class. She is a feminist artist who tackles the theme of identity and representation through photography. Her art practice is very lucrative, and her photos have sold for millions of dollars. She usually uses herself as a model in her pieces, and does her own make-up, hair, and wardrobe.

Sherman’s series, Untitled Film Stills, propelled her to fame, and she achieved international recognition. This is my favourite series by the photographer because of her portrayal of “typical” female clichés. There are 69 photos in total, all in black and white, to emulate the photography from the 40’s to the 60’s. Each still represents a vulnerable woman who needs to be rescued by a man. In Film Still #48, we see a woman hitch-hiking on the side of an empty road at night. In Film Still #28, a woman is crying and portraying the damsel in distress. Sherman chose not to title the film stills because she wanted the viewers to come to their own conclusions about the pieces. We can see the woman hitch-hiking as a soon-to-be victim of kidnapping or rape. We can also imagine that the woman crying has just been broken up with. Sherman depicted women as she thought men visualized them in the movies. Women are often sexualized and powerless, while the men are always coming to the rescue.

I want to compare Cindy Sherman to another artist I learned about in my Art history class, Lorna Simpson. I also read about her in one of the articles on our ARTE 352 Moodle website. Simpson is a conceptual photographer who works with the theme of gender, race and identity. She wants the viewers to question typical stereotypes associated with those themes, and challenge the “norms” of society.

“Issues of feminine identity are prominent in Simpson’s work. What are some assumptions, expectations, and stereotypes related to a woman’s appearances that are prominent in our society? How do you see these stereotypes reflected in the media and in advertising? How do you see them reflected in your own behavior or the behavior of those around you?” (American Federation of Arts, 2006).

Her piece She, is a 4-photo sequence that portrays a woman in a brown suit who is sitting for an interview. The faces have been cropped out of the frames, and the viewer can focus on the clothing and posture of the model. By dressing a woman up in a man’s suit, Simpson is playing with gender roles. The word “Feminine” at the top also contradicts the clothing and positioning of the model. Can a woman still be feminine if she dresses in masculine clothing?

Both photographers deal with current issues and their works can be shown to today’s students. Their photography could be a source of inspiration and incorporated into lesson plans.

Work Cited

ARTH 367 Lecture on Lorna Simpson

FFAR 250 Lecture on Cindy Sherman

Museum of Contemporary Art. (2014). Lorna Simpson. Retrieved from http://mcachicago.org/archive/collection/Simpson-txt.html

Assignment #3: Contact Sheet and Print Reflection

Contact Sheet Test

Final Print Test #1

Final Print Test #2

Final Contact Sheet

Final Contact Sheet

Final Photo

After learning about the SLR cameras in class, I was nervous to start this third assignment. I’m used to just clicking, shooting, and getting instant results. Taking photos with an analog camera makes everything a mystery, and the whole time I was photographing, I was apprehensive and I felt unsure. When shooting my test role, I had trouble wrapping my mind around the aperture settings and shutter speeds. I felt like every picture was forced and unnatural, and I had to think about what I was doing for too long. When I took my final rolls of film, I found that I was a lot more engaged with the whole process, and really got into the picture-taking experience.

I decided to use the theme of memory for this project. I knew right away that I wanted to take my photos at the park near my house. I grew up playing there, sledding with family and friends in the winter, feeding the ducks, and walking the paths in the summer. It’s a beautiful green setting right in the middle of suburbia, and shared by all of the local residents. I chose a crisp sunny day to shoot my photos, and decided to walk around the park in search of my inspiration. I ended up stumbling on a large group of ducks along the paths, and used an entire role of film on them. I found myself lying in the snow in order to get down to their level, and I didn’t care that I was cold and wet. After that encounter, I went to the sledding area of the park, and found a lot of children and families playing on the mountains. I took that opportunity to capture three young girls sitting on top of a snow pile. They reminded me of myself when I was younger, climbing in the snow, and spending my Sundays in good company. Again, shooting the pictures came very easily, and I stopped worrying about my camera settings. I knew to keep my aperture small, and took my photos with a fast shutter speed to account for all of the bright light outside.

Developing my filmstrips went very smoothly, and with the help of a classmate, we managed to finish the whole process within an hour. I remember being really excited when I was able to peek at my film after fixing it, and saw that all of my time and hard work had paid off. I ran into a few problems when working in the darkroom, but the photography students around me were very helpful, and made good suggestions to push my photos further.

The chapter written by Bell Hooks on the ARTE 352 Moodle website deals with the theme of photography and specifically how it impacted the black population. She also touched on the subject of identity and memory when discussing the old photograph of her father that was hung in her sister’s home.

“The word remember evokes the coming together of severed parts, fragments becoming a whole. Photography has been, and is, central to that aspect of decolonization that calls us back to the past… Using images, we connect ourselves to a memory that enables us to construct radical identities, images of ourselves that transcend the limits of the eye.” (Hooks, 1995, p. 64)

This quote at the end of the chapter describes what I see when I look at the photos I took in the park. Even though I captured people that I don’t know, the three young girls represent the memories that I have from my childhood. When I look at those photos, I’ll remember the amazing days I spent sledding and playing in the snow with family and friends, and how those experiences have impacted my life today. 

Work Cited:

Hooks, B. (1995). Art on My Mind. In Our Glory: Photography and Black Life. p. 54-64

Week #6: Write-up

Mitch Dobrowner
Chromosphere 
Green Grass, 
South Dakota, 2012

Mitch Dobrowner

Veil, 
Buffalo 
South Dakota, 2012

Mitch Dobrowner

Stone Butterfly, 
Paria Plateau 
Arizona, 2008

Ansel Adams

Clouds, Kings River Canyon, California, 1936

This week I worked many hours in the Concordia darkroom, trying to develop the “perfect” black and white photo for my third ARTE 352 assignment. With that as my inspiration, I decided to focus on a black and white photographer for this write-up. I searched for interesting artists who work solely with 35mm film and develop and expose their own photos. I had trouble finding an artist that I could connect with, so I decided to choose a general black and white photographer in the end. I stumbled on Mitch Dobrowner, an American artist who lives and works in California. He focuses on landscape photography, and his series on storms really caught my attention.

After doing more research on the artist, I discovered that he chases storms all around America in order to capture the beauty of nature (even when it’s being destructive). His main inspiration is the work of Ansel Adams, who also used nature as a main theme in his photography. Adams shot a lot of national parks, and landmarks such as Yosemite National Park in California and The Grand Canyon, which traverses several U.S. states. I compared both photographers’ images, and found many similarities in layout and compositional choices.

If I were to teach documentary photography to a future class, I think that both of these artists would be a great inspiration to the students. I would compare both photographers, and discuss the differences between Adams’ work from the 20’s and 30’s to Dobrowner’s more current photographic practice. As stated in Gina Wenger’s article, it’s important to show today’s students inspirational artwork from the past. This may help them to broaden their opinions and views on the subject.

“The use of contemporary images is a vital and significant curricular need; however, the relevance of historical artworks can offer avenues for analyzing equally provoking issues. By approaching historical artworks that relate to contemporary topics, students may learn more about themselves, their world, and history.” (Wenger, 2007)

http://www.mitchdobrowner.com

Work Cited

Dobrowner, M. (2014) Mitch Dobrowner, Fine Art Photography. Retrieved from http://www.mitchdobrowner.com/pages/4/

Wenger, G. (2007). Documentary Photography: Three Photographers’ Standpoints on the Japanese-American Internment. Art Educ 60 no5.

Wikimedia Commons, (2013). Kings Canyon-Clouds - White Pass Aah16.jpg. Retrieved from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kings_Canyon-Clouds_-_White_Pass_Aah16.jpg