Project 8- Portraits

For this project, we had to shoot both Fine Art Portraits and Commercial Portraits. It was interesting to learn the difference between both styles of portrait photography. This project also took a lot of creativity and technique. I've always loved portraits, so this is a really fun project for me. I thought I would prefer taking Fine Art Photographs, but I actually loved shooting Commercial Portraits. 

Fine Art Portraits

Commercial Portraits

Project 8: Portraits, Pre-work

Fine Art Portraits

Lipstick, Marc Lagrange

I really liked how creative this fine art portrait was. It gives us insight on the woman in the photograph and we are told a story through the image. The white-pink used in the background lets us focus on the woman, but the realization that the woman is breaking through paper gives the image another edge, which separates it from most magazine portraits. I enjoyed that it was different from most portraits. 

Linnea Lenkus

I love how unusual and put-together this portrait is. When I look at this photograph, I feel that there is another deeper meaning to it that gives it multiple dimensions. This though is provoked by the blank expression on the woman's face and the transparent hands trying to cover her face. I think that the black and white really enhances the mood of the portrait.

Commercial Magazine Portrait

Vogue, Anonymous

This is a great example of a commercial magazine portrait, because the portrait creates an obvious focus, Vanessa Paradis. The simple, monochrome, background brings out the black of the jacket and Vanessa Paradis. 

Erik Madigan Heck

I love how simple this portrait is. I think that this is exactly what a commercial portrait should look like, because it forces us to focus on the subject of matter. The contrast in colors and simpleness does just that. In addition, the cover is extremely clear and I know exactly what it is going to be about. 

Project 7- Surrealism and Photo Montage

For this project, we had to create surrealist images and photo montages. We had to be extremely creative to make individual images that are out of the ordinary, as surrealist photographs should be. We cut out multiple images to create a larger piece of artwork. During this project, we had the opportunity to experience with a lot of elements and photoshop. It was one of my favorite projects this year. 

Imagination

This photograph shows the imagination and personality of my little sister. I included elements and objects of her daily life, and things that represent her as an individual. I wanted my image to be very colorful because she is full of life and color. I also added many elements and cut outs in my photograph to give off the affect of what goes on in our minds; we think about so many things at a time.

Fishbowl

For this photograph, I wanted to show the girl looking through a fishbowl, but I wanted for the viewer to see her from the point of view of inside the fishbowl and across the glass. As for the surrealism, I put in a photograph of branches and the sky instead of the water. In addition, I made the fish see-through. I wanted the fish and the background to become a part of the girl. 

Project 7: Surrealism Pre-Work

Surrealism is a famous art form from the 20th century. It became a large artistic and literate movement at the time. In art and literature, elements are often juxtaposed in an irrational, dreamlike, and imaginative manner to create a creative piece. 

Examples of Famous Surrealist Artists From the 20th Century

Rene Francois Ghislain Magritte: Born in Lessines, Belgium (1898-1967) 

La reproduction interdite (Not to be Reproduced) (1937)

Le fils de l'homme (The Son of Man) (1946)

Marc Chagall: Born in Liozna, Russia (1887-1985)

The Solider Drinks (1913)

Peasant Life (1925)

Today's Surrealist Photographers

Lara Zankoul (Lebanon)

Ronen Goldman (Tel Aviv, Israel)

Brooke Shaden (Arizona)

Project 6: My Photographs

For this project, we researched multiple alternative processes and reproduced them through digital means. Some of these processes were Gum Bichromate Prints, Cyanotypes, and Wet Plate Collodion Prints. I really enjoyed experimenting with new brushes and textures. 

Gum Bichromate

Cyanotype

 Wet Plate Collodion Print

Wet Plate Collodion Print 

Vandyke 

Miscellaneous

Project 6: Pre-Work

Wet Plate Collodion Print

Joe-Wet Plate Collodion

The wet plate collodion print process was originally introduced by Englishman Frederick Scott Archer in 1851. He used soluble iodide and mixed it with cellulose nitrate. This solution was painted onto a piece of glass and then was immersed in silver nitrate to form silver iodide. A few other solutions were added to create an image as shown above. The process now varies, and it can even be reproduced digitally.

Cyanotype

Anonymous, urbantrip: Cyanotype

The cyanotype process was first introduced by Sir John Herschel in 1842, but since then, many artists have reproduced this process in diverse manners. Today, the cyanotype process can be reproduced through a digital process. Originally, cyanotypes where created by mixing Potassium ferricyanide and Ferric ammonium citrate. Cyanotypes are always a shade of blue, and part of the original image is covered by this blue color. 

Gum Bichromate

Billy Mabrey: Gum Bichromate

The gum bichromate process involves using a sort of dichromate, pigment, and gum arabic. This process is often produced on paper or glass. A gum bichromate print can have many take many forms and have many various colors, depending on the pigment used. Fox Talbot is best known for his gum bichromate process. 

My Brush Practice

Project 5: Multiple Image Techniques

This project was all about exploring more advanced photoshop techniques. More specifically, we learned all about HDR, panoramas, and double exposure/multilayered images that can be created through photoshop. Although really creative looks could be achieved thanks to HDR and panorama, I really enjoyed learning how to create a double exposure image with layering.