Final Portfolio Reactions

The reaction to my final portfolio was actually better than I expected it to be. Overall everyone seemed to really enjoy my pieces. Most of them actually got very good comments that made me quite satisfied with my work over this semester, and especially how far I have come since we first started. What was especially great to hear is that my pieces were definitely photos, not just pictures.

One major comment that I got again that I had received before is that quite a few of my pieces look like some sort of postcard or advertisement. I was quite satisfied by these remarks, because I feel like that is a great compliment. The works that were most referred to with these terms were the one of the boy fishing off the dock, the picture of the women in front of Costco, and the photo of Prairie Crossing.

What was surprising to me was how much everyone seemed to enjoy the picture of the noodles on the beach. This was one of my favorite pieces, but I was not quite sure if everyone else would see it as being as great as I did, but to my satisfaction they did!

Again people commented a lot on the piece of the boy fishing off the dock, and despite a few small suggestions for improvement such as moving the frame of view downward a bit more, it was as successful this time as when I showed it during the webpage assignment. Another piece from that assignment that got a very good reception was the piece of the old tire sitting in the water on the beach. I thought it was sort of interesting that no one could say exactly why this piece had such good appeal, and I have to agree with them because I have no idea either.

The last piece that I feel is worthy writing on was the picture of my dog sitting in her lawn chair. While at first it did seem to be just another cute dog picture to bring out the "aw's", people found other aspects of it that pointed it more toward being a photo. Whether I completely pulled it off though, I really do not even know, but I know for sure that it was definitely very close to being more than just another animal picture.

Ernst Haas Josef Koudelka

Two really great photographers that I enjoy are Ernst Haas and Josef Koudelka. There really is not much similarity between these two photographers, except that I believe that they are both marvelous at capturing the moments they were, and the people in these times. Haas's work tends to be a lot more optimistic than Koudelka.

Koudelka was from Czechoslovakia, and his most famous works were taken during the Cold War, especially around the times of the conflicts between the Soviet Union and and Eastern Bloc nations. During this time, his photos were known as being taken by the "anonymous Czech photographer." His work, while being not very heart-warming, are spectacular. They definitely seem to show the dark times in these places during this time, and they interest me greatly because this was a dark time in our history. While being dark and showing the darker side of humanity, artists like Koudelka are needed because they document these important moments for future generations to see.

Ernst Haas's artwork is definitely on the opposite pole of style from Josef Koudelka. Haas does not pay attention to the darkness of the world, but instead he captures the more light-hearted goodness around us. His photographs are meant to make people secure in my opinion, and, yes, to even bring out the occasional "aw" from the viewer. I find that juxtapositioning Haas's and Koudelka's works creates a fantastic contrast. They most definitely do not share the same outlook on the world, except that maybe they seek to capture the time and the place they are in. Haas uses very normal elements in his photos. Normal exposure levels, normal levels of saturation and vibrancy (or perhaps raised slightly), and just about everything else normal. He instead uses good framing and the interest of his subjects to keep the viewers interest.

Klein and Erwitt: The Magic Moment

William Klein and Elliot Erwitt pieces are both amazing. Every artist, whether it be photographer, painter, etc., looks to create the one piece that captures a moment, a great moment that inspires and draws the emotions from the viewer out. Klein and Erwitt both managed to do this in my opinion. Definitely in Erwitt's photography and in most of Klein's, a person can see the magic in the moment they captured. While both artists grew up in very different lives, one of Jewish descent, the other French, they both seem to mirror the work of the other. Klein looked to find any time that seemed to be capable of making a great photo and then used extraordinary methods of capturing these, with grainy film, high contrast, or even overexposure. Erwitt's formal art methods were not quite so extreme, but instead he focused more on the subject of his pieces, finding life's ironies and amusing moments to draw the viewer's attention. However, despite the difference in style, they both sought to photo the same kind of photography, the magic moments in life.

Self Assignment

For my project I wanted to capture what it is to be in our word at this time. Most people go to places and do not realize the unique time we live in. A lot of people do not about things such as Walmart that we take for granted, and yet even twenty years ago we did not have Walmart the way we do today. And this is true for many other things that people seem to take for granted. Times will change and I want today to be remembered. So for my project I want to attempt to capture the times today, and hopefully record it so that people will not forget it when things inevitably change tomorrow. I plan to take pictures of the places some people take for granted, and try to capture the people that live today.

My inspiration is from Walker Evans and Helen Levitt, both of whom to me tried to capture the same thing in the respective times that they lived. Things have changed much since their time, and yet because of photographers like them, the people and places of that age have been recorded. People like them are needed so that the history of our culture and people can be remembered, which are just as important as the history of wars and politics. I would like to try to emulate them somewhat and travel around the surrounding areas to try to capture our current culture and people the way that great photographers like them have.

Portrait Assignment Response

For the first portrait assignment I chose a different picture than what the rest of the class picked as the nicest piece. The one I chose is of my friend Nathaniel sitting in a tree looking off into the distance. I liked this piece because I enjoyed the contrast of the colors with the darker browns and greens around him with his lighter colored clothes and skin complexion. I also liked the mysterious gaze that that he has in the piece. It makes me even wonder whether he is daydreaming or actually looking intently in something off the edge of the photo.

 The piece that the class chose as their favorite was of my roommate doing a strange impression of Tonto from the Lone Ranger. They were able to look past the silliness of the piece to see its artistic value. They were intrigued about how he is obviously on a road, but with no idea of what kind. Is it a street in a small town or in a large city. Plus the colors were interesting with the way his clothes were able to match the ground somewhat and still contrast. The one thing that was recommended to change is to possibly move the manhole in the back and to also try taking the photo vertically so that more of the ground in front of him is showing.

My Self Portrait

Words that describe me:
friendly
caring
devoted
emotional
easily addicted
loyal
gamer
musician
artist
sleepy
strong willed
careful
sensible
logical
vengeful

Mary Ellen Mark and Nicholas Nixon

The two artists from the list that I found most interesting are Mary Ellen Mark and Nicholas Nixon. Apart their work is an interesting view of society that most people do not see or try to think about. If their works are viewed together, side by side, and compared, they tell an interesting story that is even greater than apart. Their works contrast in so many ways. Mary Ellen has pieces focusing on society and peoples from nations that are rugged and whose people are forced to live had lives because of the areas they are simply born into. Her pictures of the Indian circus shows this greatly, how these children who are naturally gifted work for years when they are younger to support their families. Nicholas Nixon has work that contrasts with Mary Ellen's, in that he has pieces taken in large modern cities, where opportunities abound, but shows the people for one reason or another who are forced to live a second class life, and struggle to get by.

Their works separately show interesting niches of societies around the world that are often not thought about, but are a striking thing to view. It hits me deep personally to see these people who live in completely different situations and places that still share common experiences. With both of their works being looked at, I feel like they give a combined view of the world that is absent in so many other people's pieces of art. This is not necessarily a bad thing about other artists, but it is a great opportunity to see what these interesting groups of society, whether it be here in the United States or abroad in Vietnam and India, have to experience and live with everyday. It makes me wonder if the artists are onto something. Do people not think about all levels of the societies of the world often enough, from the poverty stricken areas of the northern cities of the United States to areas in Vietnam?