ARTO 354 Fall 2013 Bagby

Old Work, New Ideas

After going back and forth between these two images, I feel that they together exemplify what I like to do – borderline surrealism, borderline portraiture. I also realized that the fact that one is film based and the other is digital based makes both images extremely different in my mind, especially when referencing the experience I had in creating them. I think they are (so far) my most successful images in each medium.

Both of these images were born initially out of assignments in photography classes that I had taken at Lane – Fine Art Printing (2011) and Intro to Digital Photography (2012). The first image was inspired by an exploration and infatuation with how and to what extent reality itself can be manipulated through photographic means. I started viewing the camera as a pencil or a paintbrush with which I could extract and realize a vision from my head. I’m a collector, I had many “props”, I made things – I wanted to create images as opposed to just taking them. Expanding on that, the second image was inspired by my fascination with how reality is distorted by capturing moments in time we don’t get to experience. I played around with using slow shutter speeds, finding what I’ve deemed a “sweet spot” – fast enough to maintain “what is”, yet slow enough to capture those moments in-between. I prefer traditional and alternative processes when it comes to image making, however, creating this second image using a digital camera allowed me to freely and endlessly experiment – an aspect of digital photography I have come to appreciate.

Imagine that Joel Peter Witkin and Sally Mann had a baby…I want to be that baby. Why not throw in Francis Bacon as grandpa. Humor aside, I’m influenced by many things. Conceptually, overall, I would say my belief that a camera is a means by which one can transform, manipulate and distort everyday reality and the idea that not all photographers are hunters – many are gatherers.

The image I chose as an example of where I’m inspired to go as I continue creating images is one by Francesca Woodman. Her work inspires me in how she incorporates her subjects into their environment. I have a tendency to create an image within a studio-style space and, therefore, my work is usually very subject oriented. I am deeply inspired by how she takes it out into the world and so beautifully fuses creativity, subject, and place. When I look at her images I just get so many ideas of my own and a world of new possibilities and ways of thinking about what kind of images I can make swell my brain. I am struck by this image in how she used slow shutter to make it appear as if she were coming out of the wall. This idea really got me thinking about how I could use this technique to not just create an image of, but a true interaction between. Above all her work just really makes me want to take it outside.

As with all my influences, her photography is not showing me what to do, but awakens and inspires new ways of thinking in me that I eventually and inevitably will incorporate into my own work in my own way. 

My interest in photography began with my mother’s National Geographic Magazine collection. Consequently, the bulk of my early photographic exposure consisted of beautiful examples of landscape, macro and other nature- and culture-based subject matter. I have always been fascinated by the rhythm and beauty inherent in the natural world, especially when it is captured by photography, as if the photographer, in the act of crafting and capturing an exposure, becomes co-creator of that rhythm and beauty. As I grew older I learned more about nature-photography masters, the works of Ansel Adams being among my favorites. Since the time I first held a camera, I have sought out and tried to replicate the awesome effect had by his great, inspirational works. The photograph shown here, for example, draws on an aesthetic similar to that of many of Adams’ images. Most obviously, the image was captured through black and white film exposure, but more importantly, the subject stands as a testament to the humble regality and unquestionable beauty found in the natural world.

This particular image was taken in response to an assignment I was given in a black and white film photography class I took last spring. The assignment was to explore our world and reveal its aesthetic treasures through the manipulation of our cameras’ exposure tools. As is ever the case, I was eager to be out among the flora and fauna, attempting to capture the choice moments when nature revealed the full extent of her aesthetic prowess. The temporal suspension of such moments is easily the aspect of nature photography that I find most riveting, inspiring and truly intoxicating. In particular, I love to see a photograph that defies the laws of time, making available to the eye a sight that naturally would be subject to change and eventually fade away. Though this image is much more static than some, it too plays with the concept of instance and temporality in nature.

More recently, I have become interested in achieving this effect in constructed images. One such image, the brainchild of the recently deceased master photographer and graphic designer Storm Thorgerson, is shown here. As soon as I became exposed to this man’s work, images such as this one became instant favorites. There are several aspects of Thorgerson’s pieces that draw me in and inspire me to make similar work. Most significantly, I love to see the tension he creates between natural phenomena and deliberate constructions. Because he maintains a healthy respect for the visual power supplemented by a natural scene in the design of his images, Thorgerson succeeds in pointing a finger to the theatricality present in such a scene by juxtaposing and off-setting it with a markedly theatrical subject: in this image, the dancers. Inversely, the phenomenological, temporally-suspended nature of the sunset chosen as the dancers’ backdrop puts the dancers in a similar state of suspension, a visual sensation reinforced by the literal tethers used to lock their motion in place. Due to this relationship, it seems just as likely that one might hap

pen upon the unusual pair as one might happen upon a captivating sunset. This visual pattern is a hallmark of Thorgerson’s work. I find this piece mesmerizing because of the mental torque the two opposing and yet oddly synergetic concepts of nature and construction cause. I hope to make work that accomplishes a similar effect.

I think the key to incorporating Thorgerson’s influence into my own practice without merely imitating his work is to recognize and build upon these basic conceptual principles, rather than rely on the specific subjects and layout designs that are unique to his work. That way my exploration will grow from an underlying conceptual framework rather than established visual references.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Untitled.  Alex Jordan. 8 x 10. 2013.

Thomas J. Abercrombie, National Geographic. St. George’s Bay, Beirut, Lebanon, April 1958.

Timeless Ideas

A large portion of my past work seems to revolve around the ocean or anything related to the sea.  The ocean and nature in general are two major passions of mine and are great sources of inspiration for my work.  The piece of my own work that I chose to share is a photograph that was taken as part of my final project in Creative Black and White Photography here at U of O.  It  is of the Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Newport, Oregon.  There is a couple in the photo that is holding each other as they walk away from the lighthouse.  I love taking pictures of Oregon Coast scenery, and lighthouses in general intrigue me.  But more broadly, photographing scenery with a subtle human component is one of my favorite subjects.  I love this picture because the lighthouse and the coastal scenery is the main subject but the loving couple give the photo a story, and in my opinion, make it more interesting.  Nature inspires my work, but human interaction with nature is something I really enjoy capturing.

The photograph I chose that is inspirational to me is a vintage, re-edited image from an old National Geographic magazine.  I think the pictures in National Geographic are the best part.  They give so much insight into what different places all over the world are like — culture, landscape, etc.  Specifically the image I chose was taken of St. George Bay in Beirut, Lebanon in1958.  The image at first seems to just be of the bay and some interesting rock formations protruding from the water.  But once you spend a second examining the image you will see a motor boat towing two water skiers that have just gone through a precariously narrow rock tunnel.  The image of the shimmering blue water and cool rocks is beautiful, but the water skiers make it unique.  They give it intrigue; how did those people ski through that narrow tunnel?  This photograph can teach me how to successfully combine landscape, subject, and composition — especially in a photograph where timing was important to capture a frozen moment in time.  This photo is beautiful but also very interesting to me.

Someday I would love to travel the world, like a National Geographic photographer, taking pictures of different landscapes, scenery, and how humans interact with their environments.  But in the meantime, not yet being able to explore the world, I would like to work on photographing people, landscapes, and things and scenes that have a lot of human interest.

 

My inspiration for most of my pieces are based off this idea that I find endearing, which is the idea of capturing the moment in nature. When I say this I mean idea that something is so grounded but fleeting at the same time. I tend to take most of my pictures with the subject matter being nature. This is because nature is something that is around us all the time but always changing. I think in our generation people are so focused on getting everything instantly and quickly that they forget to “ Stop and smell the roses.”  They forget to enjoy the simple things like how a sunset looks after a long day or how rain rests on the leaves. I want to be able to capture these short-lived experiences and have them frozen in time to enjoy.

I decided to choose the image I took of a vibrant orange butterfly as it was resting in the delicate purple flowers. I also selected this one because I enjoy the interplay of the contrasting colors within the image. The orange, purple and green seem to bounce and play off each other. (This image I took when I was on vacation and I was waking a walk outside enjoying the sun). I also chose this image because it is rare to capture a butterfly still and something that most people miss. Butterflies embody fully the idea that something is so grounded but fleeting at the same time. The idea that if you blink you will miss this moment, if you don’t take the time to stop you won’t enjoy some of life’s most simple beauties.

The photographers who’s work I am drawn to and someone I use as inspiration is John Shaw. He been photographing since the 1970’s and has been published in National Geographic.  The nature and animal images the Shaw takes are breath taking to me, they have an emotional reaction within them. Much like what I am trying to capture in my work he finds those fleeting moments and snaps them. What I wanted to take from his work is the rich colors and crispness of his images.I want to be able to capture the warmth or coolness of the colors like John Shaw does. He has an eye for color that I want to strive for. There is something aspiring about his images, especially the image I chose. The image is titled Great Basin bristlecone Pine and it was taken in the Inyo National Forest in California.

When looking more through his galleries on his webpage you start to see a trend within his photographs. The idea that “you have to be the poet, the artist and deal with the emotional, the impressionistic…We’ve all seen technically superb photos with no soul and many intense, personal photos that just don’t communicate because there’s no craftsmanship.” [i] There is an emotional response to his images along with a superb attention to craftsmen ship. As a photographer I want to work towards this kind of cohesiveness, to have an image speak a thousand words but also have the craftsmanship of being an artist.

Dallon Weekes by Shawnie Forgue

Afghan Girl by Steve McCurry

My past work has mostly been music related such as photographing concerts, that’s really how I started. I have also done a lot of portraiture work such as Senior photos, photographing families, or just shoots for myself. Any of my other work I just categorize as miscellaneous. Sometimes I will just bring my camera with me and photograph whatever catches my eye. I try to photograph things from unique perspectives and capture them the way they are. My goals for this class are just to improve and learn as much as I can and expand my photography.

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. 

(this is an example post)

Untitled 37 (from “Varying Degrees of Truth” series). Jonathan Bagby.  20 x 30 inches. Archival Pigment Print. 2013

Evidence. Leigh Anne Langwell. 16”x20”. Gelatin silver print. 1996

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