Last Impressions

Reading over my first impressions of the Photography class was very interesting. I think overall the reasons that I took the class remained the same. I was about to learn how to use the camera and I really hope to continue using it after the class ends I also learned how to set up pictures technicially and with different compositions to create different and meaningful photographs. Therefore, I feel as though the reasons I took the class were fulfilled.

I definately exceeded my expectations. It was more work than I ever thought it would be. Also taking this class pass/fail I thought it would be different for me. However, the photos were my personal work and since it was a class unlike something I had ever taken I loved creating the photos and developing them so I was always challenged to do my best work. I wanted to love the pictures and wanted others to form opinions whether good or bad on my work as well.

Over the course of the semester I filled my personal goals. I also saw a lot of improvement in the quality of my photos from the first assignments to the last. I learned not only how to work the camera and create different photos, but I really learned how to play around with the machines. I tried out different aperatures, filters, exposure times, etc. to really create the best pictures that I could.

After leaving class tonight, I realized how much I am going to miss this class and being able to develop my own photographs. I really plan on continuing to take pictures in the future and maybe in a few years might take some more photography courses on my own.

Artist Statement

Portrayal

My final photography assignment depicts men and women in photography. Originally I was going to take photos of different aspects of rush hour, however, when thinking about the theme nothing excited me. After my internship one day I was going to head into Boston, so I started to look up different black and white pictures online to get a general sense of what I wanted. I noticed that I began to focus on very specific aspects of photography. I was looking at pictures that portrayed inequality or the differences among ethnicities, religion, or gender. These pictures made a statement and really said something to me. Thus, I decided to do my final project on the different aspects of men and women
After shooting a few rolls I came to the conclusion that I wanted to show the portrayal of men and women in photography. In my project I intended to show how women are seen as mostly seductive, vulnerable and depressed in photography, whereas men display more charming, strong and angry characteristics. In my pictures the women take up less space then the men. They also are either not looking at the camera or their body is turned away. Men have their whole body facing the camera and are looking directly at it.
The placement of men and women together in photographs is also controversial. So I decided to take some portraits of different couples and depict different scenarios. In my photos along with many others, women usually have their arms around the men, or are leaning into them. The men usually hold onto the women or encompass them in the picture. The women are often portrayed as weaker and dependent to the men based on how they are positioned.
Overall I enjoyed working on this final. I wanted to create a controversial final project, where I was able to express something I am passionate about. These photos do not express what I feel is ideal, instead a lot of what they portray is what is still unequal today and can be seen in a majority of the photographs taken.

Deidre Hussey

the blog itself

I was not one to blog often before. Recently I have been blogging clearly because we all need to blog, but I think there is more to it now. I finally am starting to enjoy the pictures I am printing and finding other art I appreciate or not like as well. I think coming from a different major, I came into class thinking I was just going to take some "cool" pictures. However, it has become more than that. I want to find something I love in the photos. I hate when they come out crappy and I have taken an awful role. It has been hard trying to buy supplies and keep up this semester. However, I think I have come to respect fine arts majors more than I ever did before. It truly takes so much time to create a final project you love and even then it might never come out before. Like Sonia was saying before she wanted a project to express her family and it took her years to finally capture what she wanted. One of my best friends is a fine arts major and every year she has spent hours upon hours on her projects. I always appreciated the art and the work that goes into it, but taking this class you realize how much more time you have to spend. You honestly can only study for a test for so long and work on a paper for so long. People could argue my point and state you could always do more but I do not agree. The topic is not going to change. There is only so much information you should put in papers or only so much information you can learn for a test. However, with art you have so many options and might be changing your idea up until the last second, which can be such a stressful situation. It is just very different than any class I have had before and although I really loved it, it was a lot of work and I will never take for granted photo processing again! :)

Olympia, Manet

When talking with Sonia last class, she encourged me to check out the picture of Olympia by Manet. At the time it challenged what was normal in pictures. Especially what woman should look like. At the time he was hated for this portrait. The woman as you can see above is facing the straight on, naked. This is not typical of a woman. She is ususally not taking up as much space and looks softer than this painting. She is ignoring the flower bouquet the maid has for her. She is just staring at us naked in the bed, not an angellic type either. It really challenged the portrayal of woman at the time, and although it would be accepted now, we rarely still see that in paintings or photographs.

My Final

I really enjoy the final I am working on. I think that it really portrays something that I care about. I am getting slightly annoyed at some of the random marks on the picture, that I have been working to fix. It just annoys me because I clean the negative and all I need to do, but sometmies this one little spot can ruin the picture. Hopefully I can get them all to go away! However, I really love the pictures I now am able to make. I really wish I took this earlier so that I could have made more pictures during my time here at Stonehill. :)

Placement

While taking pictures for my final I had to think a lot about placement of people within the photo while trying to capture the emotion or feeling that I wanted. It was hard to put people into position or with other and try to make it look real. It made me think a lot about the pictures of the Civil War by Matthew Brady that Sonia talked about. When you first look at the photos you would think they are candid and are a part of the war in a shot. However, when researching about them you realize he moved people around and set up situations. Although it was probably not much movement in some and more in others, they were still set up to characterize what he was feeling. An example of one of the photos is below. This is what I am hoping to get in my photos. I am placing people and they are not necessarily candid. However, I am trying to portray men and women in different ways. I was to capture there essence in a photo. Therefore, when people look at them I do not want them to look empty or as if they were just placed there for no reason. I want my work to say something.

Response to Marine Wedding

I was just checking out the class blog and looked at Nina Berman's Marine Wedding photos. One word really comes to my mind when you see them and it is haunting. These photos are what I really enjoy about photography. They are expressing a view or passion that the photographer holds. Sometimes it is harder to grasp, but there is a point to that photo. The photo below is one that I found while searching different photos that reminds me of that wedding album. It just disturbs me the faces and terror in the children while the soldiers are following behind. They seem so nonchalant in comparsion. I also like that this photo is in black and white. It gives a more dim feeling of the photo and the dark background behind the people makes me wonder if there are bodies lying all around there. The middle child who is naked scares me more than anyone. You wonder what happened to him? Why is he upset and naked? There is just so much to this picture that bothers me and what makes it worse is that it is reality.

Some Words

For my final I am working with portrait pictures again. I really enjoyed taking the portraits this time. Instead of trying to find creative and different things I just starting snapping shots and really focusing in on different aspects of each of the people. I was really able to get into the project and enjoy the pictures I am taking. When looking at the contact sheets I am finding pictures I enjoy that I took. I also started taking numerous pictures of the same people. I had to get over the taking all different portraits, but instead taking numerous of pretty much the same idea, but different emotions or positions. I am really starting to get into my project of the portrayal of men and women in photos. While taking the photos as well I have noticed that I am taking a lot of different aspects of relationships, whether trying to show them in individual/couple pictures. I am looking forward to finishing up this project! :)

Final & Photos

I have been looking at different types of photography portaying men and women in different lights. It has been really hard to try and figure out what I am going for and what I want my photos to display. I have many ideas but when trying to take the picture they do not work for me. I do not want to just do a project on some theme without any reason. I am very passionate about equality and human rights, but I am having trouble finding the types of picture I want around Stonehill and locally. Also I do not just want to take just random candids. I really would like to express the essence of men and women through portraits, however, I had trouble with that project a few weeks ago. When looking through the different types of black and white photography I came across these three images. The bottom one I felt was interesting. At first I did not notice the man staring at the women in the back of the photo. All I noticed at first was a thin women in a formal outfit, but it is flying up inappropriatly. I also did not enjoy the second image. I feel like this is not what I want. It is just a portrait with a girl looking upset, and it does not display anything to me at all. The picture above that I loved with the face of the man and woman merged. You can still tell it is a man and woman but they also displayed simliar characteristics which is more the feeling or mood you get from the picture. This project is still a work in progress, however, I know I need to finish it soon. I just am having a lot of trouble getting what I want to get out of the project and not just to complete something for a grade.

Photos from blog

Venice Through a Pinhole, Part 1

Mayfair, London




Ironmonger Lane, London

Photos from Rob Gardiner

I was just looking at different types of Black and White photography trying to look for ideas for the Final Project. I came across this blog by Rob Gardiner. It is the link below..
http://www.nyclondon.com/blog/

One of the first things I noticed was his blog about Venice through a Pinhole. These images were well done and I just remembered the trouble I experienced with my pinhole camera. One of the images I loved, and it is above. It is of a long narrow sidestreet, with apartments and buildings on either side. The dark and gray tone of the photo makes the sidestreet look lonely and depressing. It almost seems abandoned since there is no existence of people in the photo. However, the white and black striped Barber poles give some life to the picture. Although they are small it is really the only white white you see, so they stand out. Since they look like Barbor Shop poles to me, it makes me think everyone is in on this gross day and give the image a different feel.

Another photo I loved in his blog was in his Mayfair London album. It is a tophat onto of either a coat or hat hanger. However, the way the hat is perched makes the hat seem like it is on top of the hanger. Therefore, it personifies the hanger as if it is alive with a hat on top of it. This reminded me of the photo I took where I gave one of the pillars at Donahue feet, looking as if it could walk right off. This photo is above as well.

Another photo that struck my attention was of Ironmonger Lane in London. The picture is of a road heading down a alleyway. The picture has the road curve adn within the curve is the most light. I think I love the composition of the picture. The way that the road is a little offcentered but the light is pretty much directly centered is what attracted my eye. I love again how it is of a street in a city, however, no one seems to be there. It makes me wonder where is everyone? This photo is put above as well.

I think I really enjoyed the photos in this blog. He does a great job of using contrast and composition to set his pictures up in different ways. He also uses a camera and a pinhole to get different takes of places. He also takes different perspectives of different events if you continue to look at his Sultan's Elephant pictures as well as his pictures in New York.

Communication Pictures

The above image is an example of how a photo can display a memory. This group is clearly taking a photo to remember their group in the future.

This photo "A Wounded Solider is Taken Prisoner by German Soldiers in WWI" by an Unknown Photographer 1914-1918. This photo is taken to maybe remember the event, but also tells the story of the solider who is taken captive and the German Soldiers. The expression on their faces shows how serious they feel, and the wounded soldier looks beaten and tired. This photo makes you wonder what is to come and communicates to me the pain and brutality of war.

This photo "Approach to Fear: Voyeurism" from 1976. It is a feminist portrayal of fear. This could express fear of rape or oppression. However, someone else could look at this photo and think she is just hiding from someone or maybe from herself. This photo is simple but is communicating to me the struggles she goes through as a woman.

Communication in Photography

Photography has always been something I have enjoyed. Although before this class it was just with my digital camera setting up perfectly aligned photos, it is something that to me captures a memory. If you had asked me this question before taking Photo I, I would think that photography is about just displaying memories. Taking photos is a means of capturing the past to help you recall the events in the future. Most of the photos I had seen up until this point, were different events or places in which a memory is formed.

However, now when I think about photography and communciation it is very different. A quote I came across while reserching the history of photography I think portrays a lot of what photography is about. It stated that, "Today, photography has become a powerful means of communication and a mode of visual expression that touches human life in many ways." It is not only about creating and saving these different memories but also photography itself is a method of communication, whether it be to a friend, within a country or across the world. When you really look at a photograph whether it is of a simple tree, or a person crying, there is something more to those pictures then meets the eye. You have to really sit back and examine the photo. The photographer in the photo was expressing some point, whether it is that they themselves liked this scene and wanted to take it, or like us students, trying to create a perfect picture that represents light and shadow, or displays different aperatures. The photo could just be of a birthday party and was only created for the memory. No matter what the photo was taken of, it is expressing a statement that the photographer felt at that moment. I can't remember at the moment, but when we were in class there was a photographer who would tell different stories through his photos. This made me think about that even when you are taking a photo to express some feeling or story, that someone else could get a different feeling or story from that picture. Photography is truly a way to communicate with one another. A photo could be taken here in America and someone in a different country who speaks a different language could get the same feeling from the photo, which is amazing to me.

Photos Along With Library Assignment!

Child with Hand Grenade in Central Park, NYC 1962

A Child Crying, N.J. 1967

Library Assignment

At the library, I looked through mutiple photo books and quickly was able to decide if I enjoyed the style or not. The first book I looked through was by Alfred Stieglitz. The photos were ok, not my favorite. I really enjoyed one photo called The Steerage, 1907. However, overall I thought the photos were a little boring and did not really capture me, as others might.

Another photographer I looked at was Graciela Hurbide. Her photos were a blend of Mexico and her own thoughts. However, I thought they were a little repetitive. I felt that some were really well done and different but overall it would be like looking at another photographer who took pictures of Mexico. I did enjoy however one picture called procession, chalma, state of mexico, 1984. I really enjoyed the way the picture was taken at an angle and really showed a candid view of Mexican culture.

I also did not really enjoy Edward Weston's photos as well. They were a little bland and did not spark my interest.

After looking through more I realized I enjoyed the candid shots, or portrait shots that seemed true. Peter Hujar's portrait pictures I liked. The people or animals he took photos of were usually alone and either gave the feeling of lonliness or a peaceful feeling. They either seemed content alone or unhappy alone. The catacombs pictures were really good and sparked my interest.

Arthur Tress was a photographer that I really enjoyed. His pictures were very theatrical and stood out to me. One I thought was hilarious. It was one of my favorites. Although it was wierd it made me continue to look and laugh. It was called "Man with Mickey Mouse" New York 1976. It was really interesting and different. It was a man naked on a bed with a goofy hat on looking at an inanimate Mickey Mouse. However, some of them were also plain photos such as the "woman sleeping on lawn, san francisco, california, 1963. However, I still enjoyed it because it seemed sincere.

The photographer I enjoyed the most was Dianne Arbus. She had a wide range of photos but they were all taken randomly. She states that "the subject of the picture is always more important then the picture." She seemed to take pictures that reflected the feelings from the person or scene versus a specific feeling of hers. My favorite picture from all was A Child Crying, N.J. 1967. This picture was the most honest and that is why I think I loved. It was so sad to look at but true. I liked Mother holding her child, N.J. 1967 and Child with a toy hand grenade in Central Park, NYC, 1962. They were all different pictures throughout the book but really captured the subjects or scene. They had a wide variety of people which captured real life versus the small old people in the pictures.

's

"Patience is a virtue." That line never meant so much to me as it does today. I thought this photo class would take up time, however, this pinhole process has been a long frustrating process for me. After spending the entire weekend and beginning of the week at the lab, facing late nights and exhaustion I kept getting to the point of giving up. During the pinhole process I went through three cameras. Finally I got my granola bar box to work. In the beginning I had no negatives that developed. Eventually I made another camera and the negatives started to come out, however, they were warped. I was not sure why this was happening. It was now Sunday afternoon and still no pictures to use. Therefore, I decided to create my last camera. Finally the negatives were coming out but it was a process trying to figure out the exposure time, ghosting, etc. Making the positives was another process, while trying to figure out test strips, filter level, etc. Finally at the end of the process I was happy with the photos I finally was able to achieve. It took a looonggg time and I was starting to get impatient and frustrated I was wasting paper. However, I waited and continued with the project and finally had pictures I was proud of and that related to each other how I wanted them to. Overall this first project made me love and hate the photography class. There were many emotions that came to me during the photography process. However, I feel that in the end, it teaches us about patience and not taking for granted the actual cameras we are going to use and to really focus and work hard until you find that perfect picture. No matter what obstacles you face with the process you need to just keep going!

Expressions of Myself

While searching to find different black and white photos, I had a hard time connecting them together and trying to create a "dialogue". I realized I was overthinking what I needed to do. I was trying to "create" creativity. However, during this project I realized that it is something that comes to you, and you work with. So then after letting myself just look at different pictures in different ways, I came up with 5 photos by 3 different photographers that express I an inner peace in myself. There are certain spots or scenes that I would love to truly be at or in. These places would be were I would be able to be completely at peace. The following pictures althought different, all come together in a story. This is becasue I feel they represent the previous feelings I described in the way they are captured, the scene itself and the contrast of the black and white color, which at the same time really separates each picture as well.


The photo above was taken by Ansel Adams. This picture really stood out at me as gorgeous. A feeling of serenity overcomes you when looking at this picture. One of my favorite parts is the mist floating above the crashing waves. I think that really represents the peace I get from the photo.

This next photo is another black and white by Ansel Adams. The reflection of the mountains in the water brings the peaceful aspect to the picture. This picture completely represents somewhere you would go to find a part of yourself. The reflection of the mountains in the water that was captured in this picture is so clear and perfect which I find beautiful

The next two photos I feel incorporate a true happiness from withing myself. I love the country of Ireland and while staying there for a semester truly found a special part of myself. I felt completely whole there and now truly feel the country has become a large part of me. Therefore, when I found these photos, I felt they were places I could sit alone and reflect. The two photos portray different shots taken in the country.

The photo above was taken by Philip Pankov. The line of trees represent for me a welcoming path or entrance to something. The trees seem to hover over the path in a protecting manner for those who walk down it. This photo has great contrast within it, but there is still this overlying calm to the photo.

The photo above was also taken by Philip Pankov. It is a photo taken of a landscape in Ireland. As I mentioned before these shots of the country make me feel whole. They represent a definate place I would enjoy at any moment. I completely feel at peace looking at this photo. The variations of the black and white coloring in the sky I find beautiful and are my favorite part of the photo.

The photo above was taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt and is of a reunion on V-day. This photo you may think stands out from the others since it is not of a landscape. However, this black and white photo is one of my favorites. It may be a cliche, commonly used picture for many things, but I feel it is truly a classic and gives me that same peaceful feeling like the others. I think it is because although they are in a crowded busy street, it seems as though just the two of them are there. They are blocking out the world and finding an complete love for one another. There is a true beauty to a photo like this where although busy there is a main focus emphazing life and a completeness.

First Impressions

There are a few reasons I decided to enroll in the Photography class. I have always been interested in photography and learning how to really use a camera to create different and meaningful pictures. I have always thought that you can capture the most amazing moments or important events in a single shot. Therefore, I really wanted to take this class to learn how to take and develop these types of photos.

Before attending the first class my expectations were pretty high. I expected to be spending time really learning to take and develop photos. Also learning how to really operate the camera to take so many different shots. However, my expectations are now even higher after the class. I realized it is going to be even more work than I had anticipated but it seems that it should be worth it in the end.

My personal goals begin with planning to work hard and do well in the course. I also really hope to learn how to operate the camera and learn all the different techniques. I really want to capture some great pictures this semester, but also see an improvement in my pictures over the semester.