Contemporary Photographer- Jeff Koons

Biography
Birthdate: 1955
Birthplace: York, Pennsylvania 
Current: New York
Education: Koons received his B.F.A from Maryland Institute College of Art. He also studied at the School of Art Institute of Chicago and again at the Maryland Institute College of Art in 1972-75.

Significance
Jeff Koons is most known for the installations/sculpture within his photographs. One of his most known work is from the 1970s, which was a series of inflatable flowers and toys. 


Composition
Majority of Koons' photographs have a simple composition and subject. The focal point of his photographs are his sculptures so most of the time there is little or no background elements. His work is also has a very commercial appearance due to the limited context and the use of vivid color. 

Method
I couldn't really find anything about his methods, most of the sites I saw talked more about his sculptures. 

Motivations
Koons focuses on the selection, production, and display of commercial products. 

Opinion
Looking through a lot of his work I can't help but question if the photographs are more about photography and capturing an event/moment/object or more about his sculpture. I feel that in the way he photographs his creations they become more about the documentation of a sculpture and less about conveying a message or making a statement through photography. I also find one of his series, "Made in Heaven", to be more offensive and discriminating than an appropriate free expression of art. The way that he posed himself and the model leaves room to interpret the idea that he is superior, as he is making eye contact and the woman is not- making her seem more like an object. 

Made in Heaven
http://www.jeffkoons.com/site/index.html
http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&sugexp=llsfp&xhr=t&q=made+in+heaven+jeff+koons&cp=18&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1165&bih=1199

Historical Photographer- Thomas Eakins

Biography
Birthdate: July 25, 1844
Birthplace: Philadelphia
Education: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts to study art and Jefferson Medical College to study anatomy. He also had about 3 years of schooling in Paris.


Significance
Eakins is most known for his portraiture in both photography and painting. He used photography to study the human body, which he used to help him paint. Due to the controversies surrounding nude modeling and nude portraiture/art forms during Eakins' time,  he was subject to negative ideas of what his work was about. Eakins did not have a problem being undressed in front of female students or photographing his students nude. This was not an idea that was well adapted by society and resulted in Eakins losing his job because of it.


Composition
Eakins photographs have dramatic lighting which puts emphasis on the shadows that define the muscles of the body. Also, his images do not focus on the background, but rather the human body using contrast by placing the body in front of a dark background, or eliminating a lot of distracting background objects. Also, if you look closely, a lot of the photographs were taken in a studio/classroom, which further shows how Eakins used the photographs for teaching/observation.


Method
Eakins used a wooden view camera, glass plates negatives, and the platinum print processes. He used the camera and his photography as a teaching tool for drawing/painting. He did this to provide a tool that would reveal what was actually in front of him; observations of pose and gesture. 


Motivations
As I was reading, I found it interesting that a lot of Eakins' work was of nude models. At the time that he was studying/working, nude models for art classes were rare. Most of the people that modeled were men because the women that modeled were often lower class and heavy set. It was hard to find young beautiful women to model. 


Opinion
I like that Eakins used a combination of art and science (anatomy studies) in his work. In hopes of being a medical illustrator, it's interesting to learn about how artists used to study the human body and how that has changed science and art. 

Commercial Work

Composition: In the frame I cropped out some of the foreground (the bottom of the fireplace) and only showed a little background in order to emphasize the detail in the woodwork. The lighting in the photograph is mostly natural, which created defining lines within the subject and in turn made the image more dramatic.

Method: I took the photograph at a close range in order to see the detail of the wood that would otherwise be overlooked. This photograph was taken with the potential of being used for an advertisement, which inspired me to capture the fireplace in a new way.

Context: If this image was in color I could see it being in a magazine like Better Home and Garden. However, as a black and white photograph I think it stands more as a fine art work opposed to commercial photography.

Interpretation: Mostly everyone agreed that if this image was in color it would be more successful for being a magazine advertisement. The way it stands now reads more as fine art because of the abstraction of the lighting/shapes.

Evaluation: Although in black and white it makes the image more abstract, the lighting of this photograph works for an ad. The lighting emphasizes the detail of the woodwork. 

Extension: This image is one of a series of a kitchen. If the assignment was more specific, I would have printed a mini series to show the overall view of the kitchen and then photographs like the one above to show detail of the work.

Composition: I think this photograph has a lot of visual design elements. One of the reasons this image is attractive is because of the balance of the sky with the ground and the lighting of the memorial. The overall lighting (natural from the sky, artificial from the memorial) and the silhouettes create emphasis on the building.  

Method: Whenever I try to capture the beauty and history of Washington, DC the images usually result with the same appearance as anyone else taking travel photographs. People usually end up being the focal point. What set this photograph a part from those was the lighting. I also tried to capture the photograph at an angle that was not straight on, as that is usually when the people are most visible. The time of day ended up being key for this shot. Not only was it beneficial for the lighting, but it was also a time in which there were not a lot of tourists. 

Context: As soon as I saw this image on my camera I thought it would make a good postcard. Looking around DC there are a lot of postcards with the memorials at night. I think the photograph I took is different in that this was not taken at night, but rather dusk. I enjoy the coloring and that a slight sunset can be seen at the left horizon line.

Interpretation: Everyone saw this as a postcard, but only as a postcard image, not an actual postcard.

Evaluation: The class thought this would be more successful if there wasn't so much black in the foreground, some found it to be distracting. Others thought it would look more like a postcard if there was text. 

Extension: It would be fun to try to take more travel photographs and attempt to make them appear as postcards. I think the interesting thing about postcards is how commercial "common" places look. In this case, the Lincoln Memorial is probably one of the most visited and photographed places in DC, yet not every photograph of it looks like a postcard. 

Composition: The perspective and point of view are important for the concept of this photograph. In addition, the cropping is also important in order to keep out distracting elements. Both enforce the commercial appearance of the photograph, which is also important for the concept.

Method: This image somewhat pokes fun at commercial photography and how advertising can make just about anything seem desirable. In this case I used cafeteria food in a way that would make it appear to be more appetizing than it really is. It was important to crop out the background so that the focus was more on the food than the environment of the cafeteria. Other images revealed the more grotesque perception of the food while this image made it more attractive. 

Context: I think this image deals with the social construction of advertisement and the art of it. Through advertising and art anything can appear different than it is. It will be interesting to see how people react to this based on the appeal it has although the content is not anything special. 

Interpretation: Few people commented on this photograph, but those that did said that it was not very commercial.

Evaluation: People that commented on this photograph did not care for the composition (the fork and the thing "being blurred in the top right corner") and thought it had a yellow tint. While those observations were viewed as unsuccessful, I think that those elements add to the point of the photograph.

Extension: As it stands, based off of people's reaction, in order to make this piece more successful I would try to retake the shot and use more studio lighting instead of the cafeteria lighting. This might help make it read as more commercial. 

Composition: Originally this photograph was simple, with little background information because I wanted to photoshop it to have a completely different background. The framing of this edited image is the same as the original photograph. 

Method: While I was photographing the shoe, I was thinking about how to frame it so that I could later edit in the text. My goal was to make the photograph look unrealistic and have a copy and pasted appearance, the way a lot of advertisements look. I chose the background color to contrast the shoe and give the overall image a commercial appeal. 

Context: I used the recognizable slogan, "Just Do It", with a Nike shoe to make viewers associate my photograph with a Nike advertisement. Although a few things are different, the addition of "Already" and the display of the Nike swoosh, overall I think the feel of the photograph is a Nike advertisement. 

Interpretation: This photograph was interpreted as a Nike advertisement. Overall people thought it was successful in having the copy and paste appearance. 

Evaluation: The addition of "already" makes the photograph more original than only using the "Just Do It" slogan. Someone said that changing the background color would help make it look more commercial.

Extension: Using the focus of advertisements and slogans, I could see this image being a piece of a project that explored the similarities in completely opposite companies selling different products- continuing the play on slogans and products. 

Blog Prompt 23

1. There are many ways in which people construct their identity. One of the most public ways I construct my identity is through Facebook, which allows me to post photographs of myself or things that I am interested in. I put on my Facebook the things that I want people to know about me, therefore constructing an identity. I also construct my identity in the way I dress and the way I carry myself. However, based on all of the above, it is easy for people to perceive me differently than I think of myself.

2. I think that going to school gives people a constructed environment that allows people to socialize in a general way. For example, when meeting someone in a class often you ask, or are asked, the same kinds of questions, "where are you from", "what is your major", and "what year are you?" Sometimes this socially constructed environments are then used as a segue into a less constructed space.

3. My physical space is constructed to fit my needs and desires. For my personal space, like my desk, I enjoy organizing everything in a way that I find visually pleasing, even if it is not always practical. I find this kind of humorous because there isn't a lot about my life that I find organized. By constructing my physical space I am fulfilling my desire to be an organized person.

4.  Sometimes the way I interact with people in a classroom is more constructed than how I interact with people outside of that room. For me, it is hard to get to know classmates because the only obvious commonality is the course you're pursuing. Therefore, I think often times people will talk to classmates about things they do not find particularly interesting in order to make an attempt at conversation, when in reality the only thing you want to do is talk to that individual, not talk about the course.

5. I think an interesting narrative tableaux would be a series of photographs in which my dreams become reality. According to my roommate we have several conversations while I'm asleep throughout the course of a week. It would be fun to create a narrative tableaux in which photographs recreate the images that I'm dreaming about ("seeing") and the imagery that I'm describing.

6. Using the idea above, it would be necessary to use human actors and toy objects/dolls. One of the times that spoke with someone in my sleep consisted of them telling me to go back to sleep and my reply being "what about the little boy" as I pointed across the room. Using a constructed space and a little boy doll in the corner of a room would not only recreate the dream I was having, but would also recreate the imagery of the person I was talking to.

"The Unfortunate Moment of Misunderstanding"

Jim Fiscus' series "The Unfortunate Moment of Misunderstanding" is visually interesting with his play on realism and animation (cartoon-like images). It was interesting to see how all the sets were built specifically for this shoot, however, it was unclear what was real and what was digitally (if anything) manipulated. I liked how he made his models look like mannequins, it contributed to the overall feel of the series and brings about a different feeling than actually using dolls/mannequins. This made it seem darker and more erie.

Recreation 4

Blog 21

A. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of “news”-related photographs.
In news photographs usually people are not looking at the camera. Even if the image seems posed, it seems as though news photography attempts to capture candid moments.


B. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of “snapshots”, including family photographs, cell-phone shots, photos posted to facebook.
Compared to the above, usually everyone in snapshot photographs are looking at the camera. However, I think it is more evident in snapshots that when people are not looking at the camera, the person is truly being captured in a candid moment. These photographs are often intimate or "secret" (i.e. capturing a photograph of a stranger with a cell phone, not wanting to be seen taking the picture) compared with other photography.


C. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of advertisement photographs, including fashion photography, product photography, etc.
Also compared to news photographs, the people in advertisements are usually making eye contact with the camera/photographer. Even if they are not, it is much more posed than news photography. When people are not being used as subject matter, advertisements often use dramatic affects (i.e lighting, vivid color, composition/framing) to place emphasis on the subject being advertised. 


D. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of film/movie and television stills.
Similar to advertisements and fashion photography, film/movie stills are posed. Although they are posed, they create movement and perhaps tell more of a story than other photography. Again, movie and television stills are often dramatic given that the background is probably created with artificial lighting and props. 


E. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of yearbook photos, senior pictures, and team/club/sports group shots.
Usually these portraits are only head/shoulder shots, unless it is a sports or group shot when the entire body is visible. These photographs often seem very uniform, even when you compare different sports teams or different senior pictures. Another common aspect is eye contact of the subject and again dramatic lighting, or in sports/groups shots a large overhead light source. 


F. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of stock images. http://www.corbisimages.com/ http://www.gettyimages.com/
This photography seems very commercial. Many of the images are zoomed or framed with a "tight" crop. Mostly all of them use vivid color to draw attention to the subject. The photographs without people seem sterile in that they have mostly white backgrounds and only one or two objects. Others seem sterile in that they are stable through the use of pattern/repetition.


G. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of fashion photography.
Although fashion photography is a form of portraiture, it is interesting that the person becomes the least important part of the photograph and that instead, the figure as an "ideal" become important. Most fashion photography does not have a focus on the individual, but rather what the person is wearing. This makes the portrait more commercial/advertised than a photograph to document who someone is. Fashion photographs in which people are not involved are still commercial as they often use vivid color, or dramatic tones through black and white photography. Both ways use dramatic lighting, whether it is creating shadows or using over exposure to make the colors more stark. 

H. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of paparazzi shots or celebrity photographs.

Paparazzi shots are often candid and not very attractive photographs. Conceptually they make celebrities appear to be just like everyone else, people who are not glamorous. Ironically, they must not be like everyone else because then nobody would want to take their photograph. Again, these shots often have over exposure and often do not seem like they are staged, in that the photographer probably did not have much time to set up the camera for the shot. 

William Larson

Biography
Birthdate:
Birthplace: North Tonawanda, NY 
Current Residence:
Education: Institute of Design in Chicago (late 1960s)


Significance & Concept
Larson is most known for his constant theme/concept of the construction of time and technology. His work also changed the way that nude models were photographed.

Composition
In his series "Film on Film" Larson uses high contrast with an all white background and dark subject matter. Some of the photographs also have a vignette, which contributes to the contrast and creates a balance.

Method
In order to convey his ideas, in his series the Figure in Motion Larson used a complex method dealing with exposing black and white film through a motorized camera and using the movement of the subject, camera and film. (Choreography)

Motivations
Larson's work is very experimental. The materials he works with are used to create the concept of time. Often times he uses film and plays with the idea of still and motion. In one of the series he did, Larson took several images of the same subject in which he captured the act of opening a door, but the images on the TV in the background was the only thing that actually changed.

Opinion
One of the reasons I was drawn to Larson's work is because of how different it is when compared to other photographers' work. Its scientific appearance and theme makes the work unique and interesting. I also like the concept of his work, especially since I have tried to somewhat work with the same concept in mind on a smaller scale.

Nickolas Muray

Biography
Birthdate: February 15, 1892
Birth Place: Zseged, Hungary 
Education: He attended a graphic arts school in Budapest. There, he studied lithography, photoengraving and photography.

Significance
Muray was part of the first people to photograph in color. He worked for Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Harper's Bazaar taking portraits and advertising photographs. His most popular photograph was a portrait of Frida Kahlo in 1939. Muray is most known for his portraits, in which most of his photographs were of celebrities. He is known for making the first natural color commercial photograph.

Concept
Often times Muray photographed portraits of famous people, ranging from celebrities and politicians. It seems to be a trend for him to combine portraiture and commercial art. The vivid colors of his photographs gives his subjects a cartoon-like look, making them appear like his commercial work.

Method
In some of his photographs, Muray used the Carbro technique, which is a type of carbon pigment process for making colored prints.

Motivations
Muray's extensive use of color in portraits and use of color in commercial photographs leads me to think that color was Muray's fascination. By the end of his career, he had taken thousands of colored photographs. I think his goal was to master color photography, which he did.

Opinion
The reason I chose to research Nickolas Muray was because of the way he used color. Each color in his photographs seems pure, reminding me of color aid/screen print. His photographs range from simplistic compositions to more complex ones, but no matter the composition each color becomes important and no color goes unnoticed.

Places

Composition: To keep this image abstract I zoomed in, cropping out detail that would give the viewer context of what is being photographed. In order to get a different perspective of the object, I photographed the part of the subject that most people do not see.

Concept: I wanted to give the viewer a different experience of something that is seen just about everyday. It was important for this image that it was a drinking fountain because I wanted the object to be something more intimate or involved than something you use only with your hands.

Method: In order take this photograph, I sat under the drinking fountain and got as close as I could. My hopes were to capture the texture of the dust and other filth that covers the pipes of the fountain.

Motivations: I photographed the underside of a drinking fountain to show how grotesque they are. Although people do not touch this side of the fountain, it is disturbing to know that the water you digest travels through these pipes. 

Context: This image fits in with other images I taken of people's feet. Although it does not fit in with the concept of making something grotesque beautiful, it does fit with the idea of giving people something "gross" to view. I enjoy doing this because it gives people an emotion through photography that I do not think is presented often.

Interpretation: People could not tell what the subject matter is, or at least could not tell the perspective in which the shot was taken.

Evaluation: This was successful in being abstract and being unable to tell what the viewer could see. After seeing it in black and white, I'd like to keep it in color. Although there wasn't very much color anyway, I think the texture was more noticeable.

Extension: I see this image as already being a part of a continuous idea that I started with the photographs of people's feet. However, to carry the idea of everyday grotesque, I'd like to look further into finding gross details in everyday things.

Composition: Lighting and distracting elements are important for this photograph. The reflection of the lights creates an illusion, which makes the photograph so interesting.

Concept: This photograph relates to the recreation piece I did of a memory. Conceptually it touches upon seeing two spaces at one time, although only one of the spaces is tangible at the time.

Method: I did not have the intention of seeking out the subject matter for this photograph. While I was in the front room of one of the dorms, I noticed the vine that was growing between the screen and the window. When I approached the window I saw the reflection and thought it was interesting that you could see the interior and exterior spaces overlap.

Motivations: I hoped that this photograph would create an illusion. I like that it was not digitally altered and that there is a sense of existing in two opposite spaces at one time. It creates the experience of a warped reality.

Context: George Rousse is a photographer that creates illusion by altering the space in which he photographs. I like that Rousse creates an illusion with the space that he is photographing, rather than digitally altering the space. This is a similarity with our work, and an idea that I would like to continue using.

Interpretation: Unfortunately, in print this image was really dark and did not show all of the details. However, the people that saw it on the computer thought it created a space that seemed unreal and created a different image. They saw it as an old, long dinner table, not as two different spaces.

Evaluation: Aside from it being dark I think this reflection was successful in conveying my concept. I'd like to reprint this image to bring out the detail in the reflection.

Extension: I would like to continue the idea of using reflections to create new spaces. This image and the door image could be starting points for that.

Composition: Again, the framing and cropping of this photograph are essential. In order to make the subject appear larger in size, it was necessary to have a close crop and minimal background.

Concept: Since there is not much context as to where the subject is and it's such a close up, the plug seems much bigger and more important than it actually is. 

Method: Just as I did when photographing the drinking fountain, I got as close as I could to the subject in order to show a different perspective on an everyday object. Although this perspective does not abstract the plug, it makes it seem important.

Motivations: In order to get the closest view possible I put the camera on the floor and took the photograph from there so that the plug appeared to be larger and more important than it actually is. I also liked that the subject is somewhat abstracted, in that the plug seems more like a box rather than being connected to the cord, which you can see in the background.

Context: On a deeper level, I think that this relates to the feeling of not being important within a group of people/society, when really everyone within a society matters and holds their own role or function.

Interpretation: Surprisingly this photograph was perceived as being an advertisement, sort of a warning. While others saw it as being childlike, making the plug appear as being a child's toy.

Evaluation: Again, in print this image did not have as much contrast. It was very monotone, which made it less exciting.

Extension: I could use this photograph as a starting point for a series that makes small objects seem more significant, or making everyday objects seem to have a different function. It's interesting that the plug was viewed as being a toy, since it is one of the most dangerous things for a child to play with.

Composition: The amount of subject in the frame is important for conveying the concept of this piece. If more of the subject matter had been photographed, it would not convey the feeling it is intended to have.
Concept: Just as the window photograph above, I wanted to give the viewer a sense of seeing a space in a different way by creating an illusion.
Method: I took the image in a mirror so that at first glance you think you're seeing a normal space, but the longer you look at it the more strange it becomes and the more you realize that what you're seeing is not the way you would usually see it.
Motivations: I hoped that this photograph would be a slight illusion, forcing the viewer to think that what they are seeing is normal, however, in the back of their mind think it is not possible for this space to exist the way it is presented.
Context: George Rousse creates optical illusions in his work. However, I like to create illusions with what is already available, not so much by altering a space by completely changing its physical appearance with paint, for example.

Interpretation: People automatically read this as being a reflection in  a mirror. But, I think my concept was successfully portrayed.

Evaluation: Even though this photograph was successful, I would like to edit it again so that the exit sign is not backwards. Doing that would further the illusion of the photograph.

Extension: Again, this photograph and the window photograph serve as a start of a series that uses reflections to distort reality.