Author: heberli2@uoregon.edu

P R O J E C T   O N E
T H E   O L D   V S   T H E   N E W
“|S|E|E|I|N|G|||B|E|T|W|E|E|N|||T|H|E|||L|I|N|E|S|” 
by Chelsie Heberling 

Untitled 35mm black and white analog. Matte paper prints.
Chelsie Heberling. May 2013.

Untitled four-image series via Instagram in color.
Michael James Photography. June-July 2013. 

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            For my piece of work, I have selected two photographs that were taken during my black and white photography class last term. It was difficult to choose one, because I felt that together they complimented the pattern of style I focus on in my work by showing repetition of line and pattern. These photographs were handed in with my final portfolio with a series of four other images, also having a very linear affect.

            If someone were to ask me what my favorite thing is to take pictures of, I would probably describe it as patterns/symmetry/lines/textures. Abstract “things”. I remember explaining to a professor how I really enjoyed capturing the beauty of something so simple, something that is art within itself, and something that often exists unnoticed. I believe that almost anything can be made into a beautiful photograph. I am not sure where this inspiration came from, but it is definitely something I enjoy incorporating into my photography.

            The photographer I chose who I feel inspires me most goes by the name of Michael James. He is a photographer from my hometown of Roseburg, Oregon and owns a small photography studio downtown. Most of his professional photos take on a vintage look, making the photos as artsy as can be. And I am a huge fan of those pictures. But the photos I decided to share are actually within a four-image grid montage I created of four images I selected from his page on Instagram. These images caught my attention because of their simplicity, and the fact these are things he capture during his daily life. The pattern each image shows makes me feel like I am looking through the his eyes. These are not images that another person would replicate; these are photos of every day sights that often go unseen by the average pedestrian, and the photographer here decided to capture what they saw and make it into something worth its beauty.

            The style of these images greatly inspires me because of the fact that they display simple linear patterns that have come from simple every day things. I can easily compare my style of work to these images. The reason why I have chosen these photos and this photographer for a model of how I want to become better as a photographer, is because has a different way he looks at things. My goal for this term is to try to look at things closer, notice the more minute details, and capture it and make it into something big and with technique. I like the idea of daily life photos. I also want to improve editing color, DSLR cameras are not like Instagram where you can automatically choose from ten different filter styles. I’d like to learn how to create these visual effects manually through Photoshop. I plan on sharing my work with Michael after this class is complete. And I hope I can compare my future works to my old works and feel I have improved into the place I want to be and that I have learned a new point of view through the eye of a camera.