STA 370 Final Project

For my final project, I photographed insects with a macro lens and used cropping and color adjustment to draw attention to the beauty and design in the various types of insects. People tend to dislike bugs, so I wanted to make people see them in a new way and appreciate the details that are often overlooked.

Series 1:









Series 2:




Series 3:









Series 4:







Collage



Series 5:

In-Class Critique 4/28

Series 1:









Series 2:



Series 3:

Five Thoughts on my Final Project

1. I want to take photos of insects with a macro lens.
2. I want to "stack" and manipulate the photos in Photoshop.
3. I want to use bright, vibrant colors in my images.
4. I want the photos to focus on textures, patterns, and designs.
5. I don't want the viewer to know what they are looking at. I want the insects to be abstracted by the macro lens and the photoshop alterations.

In-Class Exercise, 4-21-11

Disassemble/Reassemble



3-D



Long Shutter Speed



Verb - "Stomp"



Noun - "Riches"



Adjective - "Curly"

Blog Post #26

Brainstorms! (In an effort to expand, improve, add complexity, and push your final projects further, please pick 10 of the following to discuss.)

1. What is the “opposite” of your final project? How can you rework your project to include the “opposite”?

The "opposite" of my final project would be to show large scenes from far away so that they look very small. I thought about including this in my project by taking normal photos of objects and then comparing them with the macro photos, but I decided to just focus on the macro aspect.

2. What is a consistent theme/visual element in your project? What would be the opposite of this? How can you implement that into your project?

A consistent theme/visual element in my project is up-close, almost abstracted views of parts of insects in vibrant colors to make them look beautiful. The opposite of this would be if I showed clear photos of insects as a whole and made them look gross or scary.

3. Type twenty words or phrases that relate to your project.

close-up, texture, pattern, vibrant colors, repetition, insects, design, new perspective, detail, form, size, scale, shapes, nature, altered reality, photoshop, image stacking, scientific, artistic, new ways of seeing familiar things.

4. Expand your project. If time, money, materials, etc would not affect you, how would you expand your project?

If time, money, and materials would not affect me, I would find the most interesting and unusual insects, photograph them in macro and stack the images to increase the clarity, and alter the background and colors in Photoshop, just like I am doing for my project already. With the extra time and resources, though, I would photograph more insects, and more exotic ones. I might also arrange different ones in a collage, or do different views of the same one. I could also arrange them in scenes, rather than just photograph them on plain backgrounds. Another thing I might consider doing would be photographing live insects and their motions up-close, rather than pinned specimens from a lab.

5. Contract your project. What would it boil down to if squeezed and contracted to its simplest form?

To contract my project, I would probably just photograph different parts of the same type of insect, rather than photographing various types of them. I also might not do as much editing in Photoshop, and leave the images as they were taken.

6. List your assumptions about your project. Reverse these.

My assumptions about my project are that I will have to borrow specimens to use from the department of entomology, that I will have to do a lot of digital editing to my photos, that the photos will end up looking beautiful, and that they might make the audience challenge the way they see things. If I were to reverse these assumptions, I would say that I would not have to borrow insects to photograph, that the photos will be great as they are and won't require any additional editing, that they will end up looking gross, and that they will reinforce peoples' fears and dislike of insects.

7. What would your project look like 100 years ago? What would your project look like 100 years in the future?

100 years ago, cameras had much slower shutter speeds, and there weren't any macro lenses. In order to take a picture of something close-up, someone would have had to take a picture through a microscope. Also, photos were usually black and white, so the photo would have had to be hand-painted in order to have vibrant colors. There was no digital editing, so "stacking" the photos to improve the focus of the overall image would have been much more difficult.
100 years in the future, lenses will probably be available that are just as powerful as microscopes, so it will be possible to take cellular and molecular-level photographs of objects. Digital editing programs will likely be much more advanced and easier to use as well.

8. Remove something from your project. How does it change?

If I remove the image stacking from my project, only a small part of the image would be in focus, rather than the entire photo. It would still give the same effect, but it would have a softer, more abstract look to it.

9. How would you convert your project into a narrative? How would you remove any narrative from your project?

I could convert my project into a narrative by placing different insects in a scene together and changing their positions and "actions" throughout the series. I would remove any narrative from my project by having zoomed-in, up-close views that abstract the subject and remove context.

10. How would you connect your images physically and conceptually? How would you make them disconnected physically and conceptually?

I could connect my images physically by matting them next to one another on the same board. I could connect them conceptually by using common themes, colors, and angles in all of the photos. I could disconnect my images physically by making them all different sizes and shapes and mounting them on different types of materials. I could disconnect them conceptually by using different themes, colors, and angles in each photo. I could use unrelated and dissimilar subjects in each of them as well.

Assignment 5: Constructed Reality

Composition: In this photo, the subjects are crouched down side-by-side near a stream in the woods. I thought this position gave the photo a strange, almost comical feel. When taking the photo, I decided to make the exposure a bit dark so that the masks would not be washed out by the sunlight. To correct this, I lightened the background in photoshop. When taking the photo, I stood at a slight angle to the boys in order to fit all of them in the frame and also to add some depth to the photo.
Aboutness, Motivations, Method: Their position makes the photo seem posed and unnatural. That combined with the forest scene and the strange lighting give the photo an absurd, almost eerie feeling. I thought it reminded me of an album cover or a poster for a band. I wanted it to seem funny, artistic, and unusual, and I also wanted the viewer to wonder why they were there and what they were doing wearing masks.
Context: I really like MGMT's music videos, and they really are very artsy and strange. I modeled this photo after these videos (particularly the "Electric Feel" video, which takes place in the woods and includes puppets) to convey a similar feeling with this photo.
Interpretation: In class, the person who critiqued this photo said that it looked like a normal picture of friends hanging out together, but with a twist. They also said that they really liked the color scheme, but it might be good to have more variation in the background.
Evaluation: Based on the critique, I think this photo turned out well. I wanted to convey a feeling of fun and the unusual, and I think that was successful. One change I might make would be to make the background more interesting.
Extension: I would definitely like to take more photos using masks. Maybe I would do another series that has more of a narrative attached to it.



Composition: In this photo, the evening lighting is very direct, and really brings out the richness of the colors. The vibrant colors really gave the photo a fun, pleasant feeling, so I played this up by slightly increasing the saturation in photoshop. The poses of the subjects are humorous, and add a lot of interest to the photo. They also give the subjects personality. The tall weeds that the "animals" are standing in helps to give the impression that they really are out in the "wild." Therefore, I chose to crop the photo so that the weeds on the right side of the group are included in the frame.
Aboutness, Motivations, Method: In this photo, I wanted to draw attention to the personalities of the various characters. They each show different expressions through their posture and the positions of their hands. I also wanted to give the viewer a feeling that the characters are friends and enjoy each others' company.
Context: To me, this photo is about having fun with friends. It reminds me of friends that have too much free time in the summer and just hang out and goof off all the time.
Interpretation: In the in-class critique, people said that the color was working well in this photo. One person said that it reminded them of an MGMT music video (which is what I was going for in a different photo, but they all have a similar feel). One person suggested that it might have been cool to have the background in black and white and the people and masks in color.
Evaluation: Based on the evaluation, I think I achieved the mood that I was aiming for. I think the colors and lighting worked well.
Extension: Although this photo is already a part of a series, I may want to make another series using masks. It was a fun project, and I would definitely like to do something similar.



Composition: The evening lighting in this photo really brings out the colors in the scene and the masks. The saturated colors really play up the fun, unusual feeling of the scene, so I digitally enhanced the saturation of the colors to make this more pronounced. The arrangement of the characters within the scene is also unusual, and is almost like a posed family portrait. I cropped the photo to exclude some of the background because I wanted the main focus to be on the characters and the tree.
Aboutness, Motivations, Method: In this photo, I wanted to give the reader the impression that this is a tight-knit group that is almost like a family. I wanted to make the photo look like a family portrait in order to make the characters seem like family. In doing this, I wanted to raise questions about what constitutes a family. The different species of animals and their trainer can be a family, even if they are not a traditional family.
Context: To me, this photo is about nontraditional families, and about the strong relationships that can be formed among unlikely friends. In nature, lions kill and eat zebras, and bears would never come into contact with either of these species, but in this situation, they are a family.
Interpretation: The person who critiqued this photo said that it has light humor and looks like fun, but that it would have been nice to see the boys get into character a bit more.
Evaluation: Based on the evaluation, I think I should have tried to take some photos with the subjects in character. That wasn't the idea that I was going for, but I think it would have improved the series.
Extension: I think for my next series using masks, I will juxtapose scenes with the subjects in character with posed scenes to highlight the awkwardness of posing for the camera.



Composition: This photo is cropped to make the "animals" appear to be trapped behind the bars of a cage. I used a stair railing to give the effect of the bars of a cage. Because there is strong lighting coming from the window in the background, the exposure on the subjects is a bit dark. I feel that the dark exposure helps convey the idea of being trapped in a cage, and it also helps the colors in the masks stand out. The fact that the subjects are crowded closely together, along with the subjects' body language gives a feeling of sadness, hopelessness, and anger, which is how I imagine caged animals must feel.
Aboutness, Motivations, Method: In this photo, I wanted to present the emotions of the caged animals: frightened and angry. I wanted to play with the differences between how human emotions and animal emotions are perceived. If humans were crowded together in small cages, people would be horrified, but it is common for animals. I thought the use of the masks also lent a sense of humor to the photo.
Context: This photo started off as part of a narrative tableau, which presented a story of caged circus animals gradually gaining their freedom. The direction of the series changed though, to include more posed "portrait" type shots than storytelling images.
Interpretation: The person who evaluated this photo in class said that the image was funny and made it seem like the boys wearing the masks were out of control, like wild animals. They also said that the cropping and size works well, but that the image seems a bit dark.
Evaluation: Based on the evaluation, I think I could have done a bit more to lighten the image. I probably could have tried to reshoot it when the sun wasn't coming in the window so brightly.
Extension: I think it would be interesting to make a series of people wearing costumes or masks and getting into character.

In-Class Collage Project

In-Class Projection Project

Works in Progress Critique

Blog Post #25

If I were curating a show, the seven photographers I would include are:

1. Klaus Tiedge - His photos of African animals and people are interesting and artistic at the same time. The use of shadow, light, and color gives a certain mood to the photos that makes them seem beautiful and intriguing.
2. Mark Brown - The photos span a variety of topics, and include styles ranging from journalistic to theatrical. Despite the differences, all of the photos convey a lot of emotion and feeling, which makes them interesting and memorable.
3. Ljubodrag Andric - The whimsical childhood scenes in these photos are beautiful. The soft colors and lighting make the photos seem almost like a memory, and the subject and scene give a sense of the magical.
4. Justin Borsuk - The vibrant, saturated colors and the use of motion blur give these photos a feeling of excitement, which makes the subjects seem fun.
5. Sabrina Rouse - Her photos of flower petals make great use of the rich colors and textures of the subject. The use of repetition adds interest and makes for a nice composition.
6. Sheila Janet Kann - Her black and white photos of flowers give a sense of movement, texture, and form. The lighting and position of the flowers are similar to those used for human subjects, and this technique allows the flowers to take on human-like personalities.
7. Sean Williams - These dusky scenes make great use of dim lighting combined with vibrant, saturated colors to create an eerie and beautiful photo.

Blog Post #24

A. Pick two images from any of the “constructed reality” photographers presented in class or linked on the assignment sheet. Describe how you could recreate these two images on a “smaller scale”.

The image of "Don Quixote in his study" could be recreated on a smaller scale by using a doll and constructing a scene around it. You could create miniature furnishings and trinkets that are similar to those in the original photo. Another photo that could be recreated on a smaller scale is the photo of "100 boots." You could take small, doll-sized shoes and arrange them in a scene.

B. Describe your plans for your self-proposed final project (if the plan is the same as before, paste it here again and give a bit more detail). During the final critique for Assignment #5, you will discuss/present these ideas to the class.

I've been thinking about the final project for a long time, but I still am not sure what I want to do for it. I want to use color, and I was thinking about doing something involving nature. That is as far as I've gotten in my planning so far.

Recreation #5: Constructed Reality

Original: The Teapot Opera by Arthur Tress



For my recreation, I printed the image from the cover of Arthur Tress' Teapot Opera book. I then cut out the theater stage. I constructed a theater by cutting a hole in a cereal box and taping the stage to the front of the opening. I then placed an image of a landscape in the back of the box and used a red napkin to create the stage. Once the set was complete, I arranged seashells on the stage.

Semi-Contemporary Photographer Presentation - James Casebere

James Casebere was born in 1953, in Lansing, Michigan. He grew up outside Detroit, attended Michigan State University, and graduated from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design with a BFA in 1976. In the fall of 1977, he attended the Whitney Independent Study Program in New York, and then moved to Los Angeles. He received an M.F.A from Cal Arts in 1979.

Casebere's pioneering work has established him at the forefront of artists working with constructed photography. His work was associated with the “Pictures Generation” of “post-modern” artists who emerged in the 1980’s, which included Cindy Sherman, Robert Longo, Laurie Simmons, Richard Prince, Matt Mullican, James Welling, Barbara Kruger, and others. For the last thirty years Casebere has consistently devised increasingly complex models and photographed them in his studio. Based solidly on an understanding of architecture as well as art historical and cinematic sources, Casebere's abandoned spaces are hauntingly evocative. His table-sized constructions are made of simple materials, pared down to essential forms. Starting with Sonsbeek ’86, in Arnhem, Holland and ending around 1991 Casebere also made large scale sculpture installations.

Early bodies of work focused on images of the suburban home. He followed this with both photographs and sculptural installations dealing with the myth of the American West. In the early 1990s, Casebere turned his attention to the development of different cultural institutions during the enlightenment, and their representation as architectural types. With his photographs of prisons in particular, he critically addressed contemporary attitudes and approaches to incarceration, as well as metaphorically pointing to relationships of social control, and social structure in the broader society.

Since the late 1990’s he has made images whose sources span the globe starting with the bunker under the Reichstag (Flooded Hallway), and the sewers in Berlin (Two Tunnels). He created an expansive and beautiful body of work referencing the Atlantic slave trade. This includes a slave factory in West Africa, (Four Flooded Arches), plantations in the West Indies, Thomas Jefferson’s plantation home in Virginia (Monticello), and other 18th Century American colonial architecture.

The modern architects Victor Horta and Richard Neutra inspired him to create another small, austere group of works that seem to cast a critical eye on the homogenizing effects of globalization.

After 9/11 Casebere turned his attention toward Spain and the Eastern Mediterranean. Several works examine 10th century Andalusia and the flowering of culture and co-operation between Islamic, Jewish and Christian cultures before the Inquisition. Other images depict Tripoli, Lebanon, Nineveh and Samara in Iraq, and Luxor, Egypt. Several photographs of elaborate soaring models of mosques were inspired by the 16th century Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan.

Casebere is the recipient of numerous fellowships including three from the National Endowment for the Arts, three from the New York Foundation for the Arts and one from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. His work has been collected by museums worldwide, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, the Los Angeles County Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, among many others.

Since the late 1990’s Casebere has lived in Fort Greene Brooklyn, with his wife Lorna Simpson and their daughter Zora.