Ok So The Holidays Long Gone... However....

Ok so it's a few months after the Christmas season and so much has gone on since warm turkey dinner's. What I do remember about this past Christmas is the over overwhelming feeling that I needed a break from everything. School and work were swallowing me up and I wished I was at a cabin in the woods with no phone or computer or for that matter any form of technology. Instead I had to work like crazy to keep my head above water. One of the few nights I did get to relax was Christmas we went over to my uncle's house for dinner, everyone bringing some yummy treat to share, nothing like a huge family potluck and silliness to help re-fuel my soul. It was also really special as it was my boyfriend Morgan's first time spending the holidays with my family. It went well I got the expected questions about school and the disbelieving glances that it would amount to anything. I also go no help from my ever loving family to set up some nice family pictures. It does not matter if your considered a photographer from everyone else they still see me as a little girl. Needless to say every photo of my grandmother was of her sticking out her tongue at me. Once I kind of gave up on the photo's and just relaxed the evening went more smoothly.The best part of the evening for me was watching my dad play a game where he had to hum a song and we had to guess the title it was so funny that all 20ish so people were in tears. What Christmas reminded me of was that in my family a good sense of humor is priceless and I would try to remember that over the next few months when things got to be overwhelming again. The lesson was to play and to be silly as that was the best stress  relief that I could ask for.   

WHERE DID THE TIME GO?

 I had a friend ask me what I learned so far this year. How can I respond to such a question.... I told her this  silly story to start off the explanation. I have always felt a connection to bears so when I get stressed out all I want to do what I call bear caving or hiding in my den (not great for helping with my creativity). When I get angry or frustrated I want to give someone or something a bear swipe  ( not so good for my computer). This year though I have felt like I am a bear constantly standing in the middle of a really big wind tunnel, my ears folded down and turned back which makes it harder to hear everything I should and my face looks like my cheeks are going to blow right off my eyes squeezed shut  watering from all the wind not so good for seeing and understanding all information hurtling my way. The good thing is that I have a good solid grip with my claws on a solid tree so I'm not budging I am going to get through this wind tunnel I'm just not sure what I am going to look like or remember after I have survived it. Then I just thought it might be  more helpful to list my top 20 things I learned this year. So here I go....

1. Be extremely nice to your friends so when you ask them to help you at 2 in the morning with a photo shoot they will say yes.

2. Don't be green with envy. Just because there are days you think your stuff sucks and everyone else's work is way better then yours, chances are they also have similar days and have also felt the same about your work.

3. Take the time to look to explore in places you would never have thought of for a photo shoot such as a salvage yard you would be surprised at how creative a new place can make you. 

4. Don't be afraid to get dirty. We are so use to looking at things from one height that a simple modification like getting on the ground can give you a new cool perspective. 

5. When you need some extra fun take a day trip with some friends sometimes it helps to have them around to bounce idea's off each other. 

6. I found on days I was really stressed and or it was minus arctic ass outside in the middle of winter, I often went to the conservatory in the park it helped to be around green again and seemed to always lift my spirits. 

7. When renting gear from the school DO NOT have multiple cameras in your pockets and around your neck and lean way over the animal cages. Chances are you will drop one on the other side of the fence... thank goodness for tall friends and it being a gofer area and not the lions den.. 

8. Zoom Burst Rock

9. When shooting very late at night outdoors with lot's of expensive camera equipment maybe it 's not such a great idea to go alone and to not tell anyone where you are.  Just saying...

 10. You can even make a potato look romantic using cool lighting techniques and some imagination.  

11. Taking pictures of small children when you don't have the right lighting or fast enough lens is not a fun thing to do, there will be tears and they will not all be from the 2 year old.

12. Just because your a professional photographer does not mean that your family will make it any easier  for you to get that good shot.  

13. Getting together with other photographers and well trained make up artists can result in great photography.

14. Being open minded to other peoples idea's can help you get new and cool results. Also doing favors for others such as hairdressers or Make Up Artist can help when you networking.

15. Pay attention to line, form, colour, shape and texture it makes all the difference. 

16. Using   gels can create some depth and interest in an otherwise boring object.

17. Doing something your passionate is extremely important. 

18. Shooting a product may look simple but is in fact extremely difficult and you need to pay attention to all the little details.

19. Wear the proper clothes when shooting outdoors it will make life so much better. 

20. I have so much more to learn but now at least I am starting to understand that learning is forever so it does not seem so intimidating.

Before your time

I love this photograph, the beauty of the dancer's movement without any movement at all, is stunning. With this image in our minds only as I had no copy to use while shooting my friends and I re-created a feeling. I enjoyed this project and will be continuing down this path as it's something that really catches my eye and imagination. Dancer and how they are able to move the body are going to keep me busy for awhile.

Movie Week Extravaganza!

The movie War Photographer starts with a Robert Capa  saying "If your pictures are not good enough, you are not close enough."  In the movie The War Photographer we follow the life of James Nachtwey  James along with his camera are always in the middle of a dangerous  scenario with very little regard to his own life. I have very strong admiration for his obvious passion he feels for what he is doing. I was glad that I had watch the film though I might not agree with everything that was conveyed it seem that he really cared about the people and situations he was shooting.  What I do agree with is using the camera as another of my many tools for doing good. Helping people, telling there stories and finding the beauty in all things. 

                                      

 Born into Brothels, a look into the lives of children in Sonagachi, North Calcutta's red light district. London born, New York-based photojournalist Zana Briski was moved by the children's plight. She describes this area as a world within a world, where rules are intricate and compulsory, where violence and abuse are commonplace. Frustrated by what looked to be the children's  future she gives eight of the children cameras so that they might document there lives in the district. I felt helpless watching this movie I wanted to be able to do something that would have impact at that moment. The more i thought about it the more I realized that i need to look around my own surroundings and to reach out. There are people in need right here at home. I know we can all say that we are going to run out and save the world tomorrow with our camera and our hearts but most likely we do not have the money or the no-how to accomplish that huge task. what I can do is cherish each moment I have and express it to my family and friends how grateful I am to have them in my life. I can be more receptive to people who are in need and offer what I can. I can also look more closely around my neighborhood and see what is needed. I can look people in the eye when I pass them on the street and they ask for spare change, understanding that they are human beings with a story of there own. Small steps but each could have a huge impact that I might not ever know. I need to put my ego aside and open my heart to all the possibilities life had to share with me and when I loose my glasses for the second time in a school year understand that life is not over and count my blessings and get over myself. 

                     

Ok so I'm going to be short and sweet with this movie. It was not my favorite of the three but it did have impact on me. We as in you and me use to much shit. We then throw it out for more new shit and then complain we don't have enough shit. This is something I struggle with every day. I am a girl who loves to buy new shiny things and want more and more just like most everyone else. I have come to realize that stuff is not making me any more happy or having a greater sense of fulfillment. This movie sort of makes it seem like the problem is far away but it is anything but.... In manitoba most of the stuff we think is recycled is actually thrown away. Almost every single person I know has a computer and we have to replace them every few years because of the purposeful plan of planed obsolete is in full force. Meaning that people who design things don't make things so that they will last for the next 50 years or longer they make it so they last 2, 5 or 10 years if we are lucky. This makes me fill sick and I do not have all the answers but i do know that each dollar that you spend is like a vote and that makes me spend my money a lot more wisely then i ever have. I found the images in this movie interesting but over all the movie a bit boring... funny how we as a society are so easily board with killing of our planet it's so 1990's right?

On The Anniversary Of An Icon's Death

For this assignment it seemed obvious to use this remarkable image of John Lennon shot by Annie Liebovitz on the anniversary of his murder. Remarkably this shot was taken just hours before the tragic event, leading to the magazine Rolling Stone to publish it without any text involved. The image stands alone, Lennon was telling the world he was not afraid to show his vulnerable side and holding onto his women. The unexpected intimacy portrayed was partially created by Liebovitz capacity of being unobtrusive. She had to have gained the trust and confidence of the couple and to truly understand what it means to capture a moment. The shot is simple, you see the bed with clothes strewn on the edge and the simplicity of background ,a neutral carpet, give the image context and pulls our eyes right to the subject. This was a shot that Liebovitz thought of and planned out but gave room for the closeness of the couple to shine through. Overall this is a very strong and passionate image that gives us a glimpse of a man who hours later would no longer be with us.  

Photographic Hero

After having taken a closer look at Yousuf Karsh's work with a more technical perspective the first thing that jumped out at me was that Karsh is a master of studio lights. Karsh had a gift for capturing the essence of his subject and would meticulously prepare for each so he could have a list of questions to ask and put them at ease while they posed for him. He was fascinated with experimenting with artificial light with a particular fascination with stage lightning. Karsh practiced using artificial light in the 30's when many photographers only used natural light.. The main light unit he used consisted of a stand made by Dyna Lite Inc., a light box manufactured by colortran Inc. and a Mylar diffusing screen. 2 meters high, half a meter long and almost half a meter wide The light box is painted navy blue on the outside, white on the inside, he used 5 tungsten 250watt bulbs. The large unit stood about one and a half meters to the right and slightly behind his camera.The second light a fill light put behind the camera was similar to the first except slightly smaller and used 3 clear bulbs.He could add a spot light or over head light depending on his subjects.  Karsh did not set up his own equipment but had an assistant do that work and would then go in and test everything using his assistant to test angles and where the light was going to fall on his subject.  Throughout most of his career he used the Large format 8×10 bellows Calumet camera to document his well known High contrast gelatin silver prints. Karsh printed in the darkroom with assistants. His photographs are signed in black ink on mount au recto (front), usually imprinted with a studio stamp au verso (back), and mounted to 100% rag board. Some earlier prints were signed in white ink on the photo.

 I love this photo of Winston Churchill it captures his essence of disapproval. I love the background lighting.it is stunning. You can see how the back lightning helps make Churchill pop out of the  wall. Some of my favorite things about what Karsh does it that he has such a range between his brightest white and he blackest black. Also i love in this image how he has made the face a bit on the sharp side with side lightning and the over all somber mood of this photo. The well known story behind Karsh taking this photos is that he only had two minutes to take Churchill's portrait, and he managed to capture the scowl  by plucking Churchill's cigar from his mouth moments before taking the photo. Karsh saw an opportunity and then captured it on film in a superb way.

 
The Image of Humphrey Bogart seems to be more dramatized and pulls us in by the way his face is highlighted. I love when I found out that Karsh used separate lighting for his hands in many of his photo shoots. I think this image is a perfect example of this. I love the lack of background information so are kept just focused on the subject however he still creates a non- static photo because of the cigarette smoke movement.Once again I enjoy the huge range of contrast here. I would assume he would be using some kind of magenta filter in the darkroom process.

  For my last image I chose the Queen of England and her husband not because it was my very favorite but because of how Karsh used his lightning technique. I Liked how it seemed to me that there are two different lights used on the two subjects. For some reason the Queen seems more regal to me, maybe because of the effect of the almost halo look skimming her head. I also like how it seems that that Prince Philip is a thinker with the highlight hitting his forehead.  The composition of this image is also interesting as it looks like the Prince has the Queen's back and is going to protect her from anything. I love the soft light on her face and the more tonal depth on his, there seems to be a big play in light and dark between them. The lines in the background also help pull our eye to Queen Elizabeth.

Love, Envy, and Peace Oh MY!

What a Challenge this assignment was for me. I racked my brain for days trying to decide what Love, Envy and Peace meant to me and how I could portray it through photography. What ended up happening was the night before it was due I  staying up till almost 3 am to finish it on time. OK So I'm pretty sure that I'm not suppose to optimize my picture so much that I'm green but it was so fun it was impossible to resist. What I loved about this assignment besides doing it after 7 hours of school then 4 and 1/2 hours of work and many cups of tea later, was the play involved. I drew up a final plan the night before and then took the time to frame each shot. Some were a bit more easy and others I might re-think next time as shooting a self portrait was extremely taxing and many images were unusable as they were out of focus. This is my favorite picture simply because it was great fun getting into the role of Envy she is dangerous and can take over anyone of us at anytime. I took a lot of examples trying to achieve the right mood, angle and overall composition.
 
GODDESS ENVY