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.