Reflections-last digital images

Past Reflections to go with the previous research, except all these images are from my journeys to Vancouver, and not other peoples images.



Interior reflections snapped as I noticed my roommates microwave was reflecting the kitchen and surroundings, within it's graphic frame. I was also testing David's theory regarding focusing on reflections that are farther away than the object within the frame that has the reflective surface. I had to focus at a 7 foot distance to achieve a sharp reflection while losing the focus on the microwave which was 2 feet away.

Class trial-Sunny day with Flash

More fill flash trials!

Reflections

Description: Reflections

Intentions: to find examples of reflections

Good/Bad: all are good to me, no bad elements- except adding more details to the blacks

Evaluation: a bit too conventional I'll look for more tension causing and experimental shots next time:)

Flash Trials

Description: Medium portrait of Emily Hull experimenting with my new eye apendage which is a Steve Mann-type invention. The eye apendage has multiple uses and the design allows the user to decide it's function on any given occasion. Emily is trecking out into the urban wild to learn more about these humans we call city-folk!

Intentions: To use flash in a composition that would normally be reserved for studio portraiture. Also I'm attempting to create an intriguing image like that by Diane Arbus and other photographers who use on-camera flash to fill-in their subjects and highlight certain elements in the frame.

Good/Bad: The flash creates a flat lighting effect so I could have asked Emily to turn her shoulder to the camera to create more depth and intrigue. I could have experimented more with covering the flash in area's to highlight certain parts of her face and avoid lighting the background.
I really like the effect of the orange lights which creates a warm glow around her (no colour correction attempted). Also her smile is coming right from her and not coaxed by me at all because tow homeless men had just passed by and made some cute comment about Emily's head-gear that she just had to break out in that fabulous smile!

Evaluation: I want to experiment again with flash by creating a higher contrast between subjects and backgrounds which being more selective about where the fill flash should fall.

Unnatural Flash-Mary Ellen Mark

Amanda and her cousin Amy, Valdese, North Carolina, 1990
All photographs ©Mary Ellen Mark / American Odyssey, Aperture, 1999.

Description: Mary Ellen Mark was documenting American lifestyles in the modern times using Diane Arbus' style of on-camera flash and Dorothea Lange's style of societal documentation from the 1930's depression era who documented the poor conditions of the migrant workers for the F.S.A. (Farm Security Administation).

Intentions: To show the character and attitudes of young women within their 'natural' enivronment.

Good/Bad: The placement of the pool and background objects compliment the subjects to create negative spaces and breaks up the monotony of a soft focused dark background. The characterizations of the girls which are shown tell so much about their personalities, the rebel smoker versus the shy, follower who cautiously won't be sucked into dangerous activities unlike her cousin who will probably try anything once!

Evaluation: I really like the concept and composition of this image. The social idea is shocking to see a young girl smoking, and it seems like she's emmulating her mom's behaviour or that of a women that she greatly admires and wants to become.

Easter Snow sticking around

Description: Close-up of the Atwater Bridge

Intentions: To show how the ice clings to the cement and the difference in texture created between the rough concrete and the smooth bright ice

Good/Bad: needs a focal point, or more space around it to show the conxtext of the ice, perhaps a train passing on the bridge would have been a complimentary subject that could have been used as a focal point. I enjoy the dramatic effect of large pieces of falling ice and the organic nature of man-made objects clash nicely with the geometric and naturally created ice sculptures.

Evaluation: Getting a ladder and being closer (i.e 1 foot away) to the ice and having a shallow focused image of the ice with the bridge in background would have been more effective to emphasize the fact that the man-made objects are less important than the natural sculptures. With this angle I'm emphasising the linear lines created by the bridges composition in contrast to the strong and bright columns holding the scruture from falling. In contrast the ice has no support against destruction and will fall down eventually alluding to the passage of time.

Animation- Class Activity

Using Image Ready I've animated a series of shots from the Dawson atrium up to the 3rd floor. This is the same path as the Shooter from Sept. 2007 at Dawson supposedly took to get to the cafeteria- just as a side note!

Classmate Critique's

Maverick's Shot near Atwater and Fort St. 2007

Description: Moment between two homeless Natives chilling by the native graffetti wall
Intentions: To capture the rawness of the men who are weathered by the elements
Good/Bad: Great tight composition, although needs to be lightened to bring out more texture in the skin tones of the men
Evaluation: I really want to do a Documentary on the homeless people in this section of downtown and I appreciate anyone who takes the time to notice them- as I'm sure they enjoy the attention and acknowledgement as well!

Lino's Old Port Shot 2007

This shot is similar to my Old Port Post 2nd image, great minds think alike!

1st Canadian Female Surrealist

Clarence White photograhed by Margaret Watkins, 1923

Description: Sepia tone is due to the printing process since Watkins abannoned the silver gelatin print for palladium printing paper. The shallow focused image really helps to reduce background clutter and allow the reader to focus on the subject.

Intensions: to have a strong composition where the viewer can see aspects of the person's character by their placement and stance in the image.

Good/Bad: Shows how White is connected with nature while still sticking-out and being an individual through the clutter that surrounds him. I would have liked to see both eyes of the person to get a better feeling for their character and less of their surroundings.

Evaluation: Very strong image created by the placement of legs, arms and clothing which match the tree and seem to be the foundation for White- as he leans heavily into the trunk to survey his surroundings, in relaxed anticipation of a great event that will occur any minute.


Margaret Watkins (1884-1969)
Self-Portrait 1919, Glasgow

"[Clarence] White hired a woman, Margaret Watkins, to teach advertising photography at his own school of photography in Manhattan in 1914- at the time [when teaching photography] was thought to be exclusively a male dominion. Women also formed a significant proportion of the membership of Pictorial Photographers of America, organized by White and Margaret Rhodes Peattie in 1916; in the year after its founding 53 of the 157 members were women" (109).

[Rosenblum, N. 1994. A History of Women Photographers. New York: Abbeville Pub. 109, 159-60, 324, 346, 159 p.]

Place Jacques Cartier- Old Port Montreal

Description: Image is very graphic with intersecting lines and organic architecture that overlaps and reduces the depth between the ornament on the stairs and the building on Notre Dame St. in the background.

Intentions: Wanting to capture texture and detail at the Old Port

Good/Bad: The parrellel lines of the structures are very strong and pulls the eye to the upper left corner and back down to the crest on the bronze ornament. Tones are mostly midtones which gives an even feel therefore more contrast could be added using photoshop.

Evaluation: This shot is a slightly shallow focused image and really leaves a mark in my mind right after I 'snapped' it I knew this image had strong graphic lines.


Extra black and white images of close-up details at the port.