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Photographic Research Post #8 - Raghubir Singh

Raghubir Singh is Indian photographer born on October 22, 1942 in Jaipur, India. Sadly he passed away due to a heart attack on April 18, 1999. Throughout his career he focused on photographing the people of India as well as the landscapes of the country. He graduated from the Hindu College in New Delhi with an art degree and also taught himself photography. He takes inspiration from another photographer named Henri Cartier-Bresson, who also took many black and white pictures of India. Singh actually met him and was able to watch how Bresson approached his work. 

In one of his early books Ganga: Sacred River of India,  Singh photographed ceremonies associated with the river, and the culture of the Indian people who made the river a part of their spiritual life. Singh shot these pictures in color unlike his inspiration,  Henri Cartier-Bresson. Because of this and because of the era in which he was a photographer, Singh became somewhat of a “pioneer of color street photography”. He worked with a handheld camera and used color slide film. His use of color was always very vibrant, peculiar and bold. Although he lived away from India for most of his life, he was always very drawn to his home country and enjoyed taking pictures of it.

I like his work a lot because it really expresses the different aspects of India and its culture along with its people. I love seeing how the people dress and the events that they take place in because it is important to them. The pictures feel very raw because of the action and the expression on many of the people's faces. I think that Singh’s work can influence my creative process to play with color and use it to create beautiful photos whether they be landscapes or people. Lastly, another reason why I like his work is because I enjoy learning about other cultures and I think his photos represent India in a beautiful manner.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Raghubir-Singh

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/online-features/metcollects/raghubir-singh

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Photographic Research Post #7 - John Ganis

John Ganis is a professional American photographer who was born on July 15, 1951 in Evanston Illinois. Ganis earned a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University, in 1972 and he also earned a Master of Fine Arts in 1980 from the University of Arizona, Tucson. In 1974 he decided to focus his photography on the environment and the effect that humans have on its natural ecosystems and supply.

In his work, he often shows houses and projects that were abandoned by humans and left to decay and waste away. is photographs show how this is deteriorating many once beautiful places and how humans are polluting the earth. In his book called 'America’s Endangered Coasts’ he shows photographs of American Coastal areas that are being threatened by rising sea levels. He photographed places along the coastlines that are being overdeveloped and that will eventually not be suitable for living due to climate change. This book contains the information of each coastline, including the elevations, locations, and sea levels. Ganis created this book with the help of Dr. James Hansen who wrote an essay contained in the book about climate change and ways we as a society can improve the situation. This photobook is also a way to spread awareness and warn us about what could occur in the future if we don’t act now.

The reason I like his work is because it is beautiful in a sense. Even though he photographs places with human pollution and waste, since most of it is in the middle of nature it actually looks pretty to me. It reminds me a lot of Chris Jordan’s work. I also really appreciate that his work serves as awareness for environmental issues. It really makes you think how we take this planet for granted and don't respect it in the way we should.

https://johnganisphotography.com/book-info/

https://prabook.com/web/john.ganis/1719109

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Photographic Research Post #6 - Gregory Crewdson

Gregory Crewdon is a professional photographer who was Born in Brooklyn, New York, Crewdson is a graduate of SUNY Purchase and the Yale University School of Art. Now he is the director of graduate studies in photography there. He lives and works in New York and Massachusetts. Gregory takes more of a directional approach to his photos. He creates his own stories and makes extremely large sets renting whole street blocks at times. Because of this his pictures are very unique and have their own energy to them.

He usually works with a large team to help him create his sets with their film equipment. He also pays attention to every detail in his photographs to make sure they are exactly how he wants them. He controls the color, light, and scenery to achieve his “dreamlike scenes” that create a sense of mystery. He likes to mix aspects of real life with fantasy.

I really like his work because since he has the creative freedom to make whatever he wants, he can create made up worlds and scenes using real life objects and sets instead of using photoshop. I think this is very cool and many of his photographs remind me of the show “Stranger Things” where the teenagers live in a small, spooky town. I think that his work could influence my own creative production by inspiring me to attempt to create my own scenes around my house and photograph them to appear real. One of my favorite genres of art to create is fantasy and so him being a photographer that somewhat relates to this genre is also what draws me to his work.

https://gagosian.com/artists/gregory-crewdson/

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Final Theme Project Proposal

What I plan to photograph is myself lifting over the course of a couple weeks. I am into powerlifting and weightlifting and I workout my legs 3 times a week. I also do upper body twice a week but I am more inconsistent with it. I take lifting very seriously as I have been working out for about 2 years now and I love it. It is a time where I can forget my problems for a little bit and clear my mind.

I want to photograph this because it is something I don't normally take pictures of. I think it would be very cool to capture the essence and vibe of when I am working out alone. Being older and entering college came with more responsibilities, and the gym helped me find peace within myself and learn how to relax and let go of things I was anxious about. The gym is truly something that I care about a lot, and everything I do when it comes to my workouts is to become better than I was before. I not only want to reach my limits but I want to attempt to break them and do things that my younger self would have never thought possible.

I will take photographs of my workouts over the course of 3 weeks. I will set up my tripod so that I can take pictures of myself with a timer while I workout. I will take pictures in the afternoon and at night because those are the times when I usually lift. I will shoot a wide variety of exercises and moments where my face is grimacing during the workouts to express the effort that I put in. I don't need permission from anyone other than my sister to help me take pictures. There are some exercises that I perform very fast so setting up a timer will be hard and if my sister takes pictures of me instead, this will make life easier.

My objective for this project is just to share with the viewer my approach to lifting and how it improved my life. I don’t intend to persuade anyone to workout or change their views about the gym, simply to just inform them on my experience.

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Photographic Research Post #5 - Chris Jordan

Chris Jordan is a professional photojournalist who is based in Seattle right now but he is living in the southern part of South America for one of his projects. Both of Chris’s parents were artists but they wanted him to pursue a career that was more traditional and more of the “business” type. Because of this, he attempted to become a lawyer but he realized that it was not his calling and so he pursued his passion, which is photography.

 In the zoom lecture I attended of Chris Jordan, he talks about his projects and how he approaches photography. He stated that he wants to show the issues that are present in society and the effects that these issues bring to the world and to future generations of people. He wants to find ways to prevent them and he emphasizes that even though we are “insignificant”, collectively we can still make a difference because the fact that we are even alive is a miracle in itself. He talks about how we should enjoy the world and love life. He also told us at the zoom meeting to not be discouraged by failure, and told us stories about times his work was rejected. 

In Chris Jordan’s works, Intolerable Beauty and Running the Numbers and Running the Numbers II, he photographs enormous piles of trash, flocks of dead birds, and large amounts of the waste that humans produce on a daily basis, from plastic bottles to landfills. He rearranges the objects and takes many pictures of them. He then uses photoshop to stitch the pictures of trash and birds together to visually show the amount of species being killed every month or the amount of trash that is produced every single day. In his works that are posted online, there are videos that start very zoomed in on his photographs and slowly zoom out more and more revealing the immense waste that humans create that one cannot even comprehend. This helps the viewer realize the magnitude of these issues in society.

I really like his photographs because they are honestly ironically beautiful. I like that his work is made to spread awareness and to call for change. I also will say this was my favorite artist lecture out of all of them because I just really resonated with what he was saying.

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Photographic Research Post #4 - Keliy Anderson-Staley

It is stated that Keliy Anderson-Staley grew up off the grid in Maine. When she was older she studied photography at Hunter College in New York City and right now she currently lives in Houston. In her book “On a Wet Bough” she uses a long exposure  process to make tintypes. The way this happens is that actual light strikes the subjects, bounces off of them, passes through the lens, and strikes the liquid emulsion on the plate. This is a photographic process from the 19th century.

The subject matter of her work “On a Wet Bough” has to do with mortality and transience. Anderson created her pictures in a specific way to serve as a reminder of the passing time. She stated that, “At once contemporary and timeless, these portraits raise questions about our place as individuals in history, and the role that photographic technologies and the history of photography have played in defining identity.” 

The layout of this book consists of one photograph per page, and each name of the person in the photograph below it. I like the visual design of the book. It is very simple and clean cut.

I like the work a lot, I really love the quality of the pictures and how alive the people look. The eyes in a lot of the photographs seem to pop out and appear very vibrant, drawing you to them. You can also see a ton of detail in every person's face and I think it is cool that every one of them has their own story. I also like that she had a long exposure time because it makes the pictures look different from most things I have seen before.

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Photographic Research Post #3 - Bill Owens

Bill Owens is a professional photojournalist that was born on in September 25, 1938. He was born in San Jose and raised on a farm. He eventually attended college but ended up dropping out and went to explore the world. Once he returned to the United States, he began working as a photographer in the Bay Area. Owens released a photo book In 1973, that showed many pictures of people in suburban America in the town of Livermore, California. He had a big influence on how the middle class was portrayed during the 1970’s. The pictures in his “Suburbia” book were taken with large format hand held cameras. He also used a fill-in flash for all of his indoor photos.

The subject of the photographs are mostly people living their everyday lives. Some are gardening, cleaning and watching television. Others are posing for the camera and smiling. Some of the photographs are of the messy rooms of the people or wide shots of the neighborhood. The photos are in black in white and show how people in this suburban area of northern California go about their day.

The layout of the book is fairly simple. Most of the pages have one or two pictures and a caption for each. Some of the captions are funny because they are quotes from the people in the photographs complaining about their families or talking about struggles they face. The overall visual design of the book is appealing.

I like this work because it is simple and funny. There is not a lot going on and the pictures and captions are straight forward. It helps me appreciate the essence of the photographs. It is interesting to see the humor and values that these people had 50 years ago. These pictures make me think about my old home in Texas because it was also in the suburbs and so many of the houses looked similar.

https://smoca.org/exhibition/bill-owens-suburbia/

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Photographic Research Post #2:Anna Palakunnathu Matthew

Anna Palakunnathu Matthew is a professional photographer from the U.K that is of Indian descent. She was born in 1964 and she bases much of her work on her experience as an Indian woman living between two different cultures. One of her goals as a photographer is to bring awareness to her community and to show how Indians are stereotyped.

In her project “An Indian from India” she recreates photos by Edward S. Curtis that he took of Native Americans. She does this because he represented the Native Americans in a stereotypical way and she mocks him by taking pictures of herself that are very similar to the ones he took. The background of her images appear blank and there is nothing going on, much like in the original work.

I like that she decided to take something negative and use it to spread awareness and bring support to minorities. I feel like her gaze in the photographs is very powerful and I think that the black and white adds to the serious dramatic feel. I like the symbolism that she uses in her work and how she mimics the pictures of the Native Americans wearing the posed cultural clothes.

I think that her relationship to history and to the photographic archives is very personal and important. She is shooting things that have to do with who she is and how she grew up. I think that it is very cool that she made this project because she is using her identity to make a statement on how she feels about certain issues.

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Enjoy.

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Photographic Research Post #1 - Ryan Christopher Jones

Ryan Christopher Jones is a professional photojournalist. He is a Mexican American that grew up in Fresno California. In this specific project called “Amados Sunless World”, he focuses on the life of a Mexican American man that lives in the illegal underground apartments in Jackson Heights, New York. The man, Amado, has lived in the U.S for around 3O years, working until 2 in the morning numerous times throughout the week. Amado does this to provide for his family that lives back in Mexico. Ryan took the time to observe and understand the life that the people in these apartments live. Amado has to share a small space with many other people that came from different countries, similar to him. These people are not his friends, rather they are just roommates that all have their own lives and are doing their best to get by. In this photo story Ryan shows the living conditions that surround Amado and the other people. The inside of the apartments are small and the overall city area in which he lives is dirty and crowded.

I think the story and the photos together are very beautiful and very real. I understand and relate to Amado wanting to provide for his family even if it means he has to endure hardship. Mexican culture is something that has been a part of my life and so seeing amado return to his family twice a year and enjoy their company, sparks an emotion of fondness in my heart.

To capture this story, Ryan lived with the people in the building for around 7 months and gained their permission to take pictures of them. We can see the difference in the light, scenery and life between the photos of New York and the ones of Mexico. The pictures from Mexico are much more lively and beautiful than the clustered and dark spaces of Queens.

I think in Ryan’s zoom lecture when he said that he thought of his works as public service instead of artistic was something that I can understand. He photographs many topics that challenge ethics and emotion, and I feel like he sheds light on issues in the world that people may overlook.

http://www.ryanchristopherjones.com/the-sunless-world-of-amado/

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Project Proposal

I plan to do my theme project on my family’s transition from Mexico to the United States. I will photograph my family’s belongings from Mexico and photographs and memories that they have from there. I will also photograph things my parents do around the house that are common from when they lived in Mexico. As well as things they have or do that they have adopted since moving to the U.S. I will also ask them to share with me stories about when they moved here. My parents both grew up in Mexico city and they moved here in their twenties for more opportunities and for a better life for their kids (my sister and I). Both of them could barely speak English, much less understand it. We have family that still lives in some parts of Mexico as well as family friends. I want to photograph this subject because my family’s history is important to me and I am interested in learning more about the challenges they faced and things they experienced while leaving everything behind and moving to the United States. The way that I will take my pictures will be as they happen. If I begin to find it hard to take pictures that help tell this story, then I will direct my subjects. If this ends up being the case then I will set up scenes that fulfill my ideas for this project that accurately convey the theme. I will photograph my family living their daily lives. This includes cooking, working, cleaning, yard work, and leisure time. I will let them know about this project so that they are not confused or shocked while I am taking pictures of them throughout the days. I will need to get their permission but I do not think this will be an issue since they were ok with being photographed in my first project for this class. I don’t think that I will need any special equipment besides my tripod but I would like to shoot on primarily sunny days for better lighting. I want my audience to walk away with an understanding of what it is like to move to another country that offers more for their future. I also hope that some of my audience will relate to my project if some of their families are also first generation immigrants in the United States. I don’t intend to create any specific emotional response but if that is part of the outcome then that is fine with me.

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Weekend Photo Story

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WELCOME🦇

Hi, my name is Leonardo Zafra and this is my blog!

I am a 2D animation major and this is my first year in College. I hope to animate for shows, movies, and video games because I really enjoy creating things. I have drawn and loved art all of my life.

I also love basketball and track and field. I’m really into powerlifting and weightlifting too. I watch a lot of anime and I hope to become a good photographer throughout this class!