Montage: Activity 1

Activity 1: Blog Entry

• Briefly discuss why you think painters of the Victorian period might have criticized these early photomontages and why the pictures were popular with the general public. (This technique of piecing together separate images to create one picture is again very popular with both artists and the media). 
• What two reasons can you think of for this revival of an old technique? 

For us today montage is a type of photography that is used quite often, but that has not always been the case. In the Victorian Era when they started using this technique it was heavily critiqued. The reasons for this is probably and most likely due to the fact that everything in this era was about elegance and class and this strayed away from that and they were probably offended. Once it was taken away it was later brought back by the modern era. This could be for two reasons, we were making more different art forms that strayed away from reality such as movies and television and they wanted to include photography, or that someone saw that this was of post processing is art and should be celebrated rather than suppressed.

Portraiture and Studio Photography: Activity 3

Collect four portrait images with two to five subjects.In at least one image the subject should have been placed in the foreground.Comment on the arrangement of the subjects in relation to the camera and the effectiveness of the design.

Lee Jefferies

This image shows two people who seem to be madly in love and have been for awhile. The photographer put them in the front so that they fill the image and it gives the photo a more personal feel, almost like you are hugging them. It is a good way to make the image have a more homey feel.

GQ
This is a classic family photo setting. They are all center and have room for a border so that the image isn't filled completely. This is what you can expect to see off of the self of any family home and overall just a really traditional photo.

Graham Nash

Although there is only one person in this photo, there are two subjects. The man in the background which you don't look at or pay much attention to then the other man in the foreground so that once you look at this image you are immediately drawn to him and not the rest of the image.

Adelphi

This image is similar to the last but it actually has two different people. The first man is in the foreground and he holds the viewers attention while his friend lives in his shadow. It really has a classical meaning where you have one person who shines and someone else who just lives in their path.

Portraiture and Studio Photography: Activity 2

Find four portraits that demonstrate the different ways a photographer has framed the image to alter the design and content. Discuss the vantage point, depth of field and subject placement in all of the images.

Martin Schoeller

Martins style is very recognizable. The depth of field is not a factor since she is the only thing in the frame. Her hair is actually the frame in this photo since it is so close to her face. It just shows that the photographer can do what ever they want in order to get the image framed in a way that they would like.

APN

The photographer used the persons hands as a frame to her own image. This is a very creative way of framing an image. He set the camera up straight so that the focal point is dead on to the persons face.

Macy Young

This image is different from the others. The photographer used a great depth of field in order to get the subject in full focus with her standing inside the door frame so that the yellow building frames and compliments the colors that she is wearing.

Trey Ratcliff

The last image is the most different from the others. The photographer used a shallow depth of field so that the subject is the only thing in focus and is framed using his natural environment so there is a sense of freedom in the image.

Portraiture and Studio Photography: Activity 1

Look through assorted media, magazines, internet and collect four portrait photographs. The environment should be a key feature in two of the four images.Describe the subject’s character in each of the images. What can you see within each image that leads you to these conclusions about the subjects’ character.

Grecco

For me this image screams "I DONT CARE" this man could be homeless, or weird it doesn't matter. All that matters is that this man is wearing next to nothing in public and could not possibly care less about what anyone else says.

smith

This person is obviously homeless and in a bad place. Setting that aside, he seems like all he cares about is that dog. He could be bitter or mad but he loves and cares for something other than himself even when times are tough. That is a strong person and i admire it.

sinopix

After something as terrible as a tsunami hits your home town it takes a great person to still get dressed up and go to work. HE knows that sitting around and waiting for change wont happen so he took it upon himself to keep his world going.

Pannecouke

If you live in a third world country there are not as many luxuries as we have. This man knows of a guitar so he made one up himself. It is all about imagination and making the best out of a bad situation so that you live a peaceful life

Time Activity 5

Create four images that contain a mixture of solid (sharp) and fluid (blur) forms. Using the camera that you have been check out, create these four images as creatively and artistically as you can!

I enjoyed making these photos because it added a fun and "action" packed set of photos that make me feel like they are still moving. 

Self Image 3

Consider some of the social pressures that you think may shape your behavior and personal image. List the images most commonly associated with the categories or ‘boxes’ you have already listed in Activity 1. 

How have you responded to social pressures to conform by adopting an appearance that relates to the categories that you feel you have placed in or have chosen? 

Some social pressure that have i have seen or experienced is a pretty common one which is body weight. With our society today there is an image of perfection that we all try to get. For some it is to lose weight and for others it is to gain weight. Now that might be muscle or fat but most people can say that they would change something about the overall look of their body. I have not experienced much of this first hand, though I fill in more, but I have seen friends suffer from this. I don't think this is fair but sadly it is the way that it is.

Leonardo Da Vinci

Self Image 2

Find images in the media, which have been used to represent attractive and unattractive aspects of the human face. Examine and record carefully the photographic techniques used to accentuate both these qualities, drawing up a list that relates to the images you have found.

Photoshop Lady

 

1. Do you believe that media images or public opinion are responsible for the characteristics of beauty becoming universal stereotypes?
   In this photo we see two images, one of a natural human and another with a person after they have been"fixed". I feel and see that a lot of times in the media we see people who are "wrong" or "not pretty" and they try to use photoshop to make them seem like all of the other post processed people in the world. I personally don't like this because if you have a person who is beautiful because of who they are why would you want to change them.
   
2. Do you believe people admiring media images of glamorous models can do any harm?
   The media is greatly hurting the way that young members of our society feel about themselves and i don't think that is right. Personally she looks better the way she naturally is. This message is generally hard to reach our youth and it leads to serious health problems. It is very upsetting to know that our media is hurting our society.