Austin Rich Post #7

Watershed: Jeff Rich. Jeff's photo journal documents the life and spaces along the French Broad River Basin, spanning through North Carolina and Tennessee. This series resonates with because of the exploration into the richer (water) and how it affects its environment. He goes into detail describing the people flock to its waters. The homeless as well as home owners have set up their lives along its banks. The water is used for recreation or industrial dumping. Jeff talks about how the water represents a passing of time, death and rebirth. He puts emphasis on the rivers use, abuse and preservation.

Mollie Schaidt Week 14

Peter Beste

Peter Beste is a photo Journalist who concentrates on music, and documenting different music scenes around the world. He documented the iconic Houston rap scene that has been very iconic in Hip Hop. He showed not only a side of the Houston rap scene that a lot of people don't realize.  He did a lot of portraits which gave you a sense of who the people in these communities are. He got very intimate in a lot of the shots, and gave you a sense of what that area of Houston is like.

Jeffery Wolin

Jeffrey Wolin photographed people in low income neighborhoods, and wrote their stories about who they are, and what they have been through and writes the stories on the images themselves.  The text on the picture gives the image, and the whole piece a whole different meaning, and feeling when the images are seen. Adding text makes a image a little something more. It raises questions, and thoughts that people don't always see from what is shown. Not because the image isn't conveying it but it is the internal thoughts of a person. This isn't just a piece of paper it is a object.

Mollie Schaidt Week 13

Joseph Rodriguez

Rodriguez chose to document "Spanish Harlem", a place that he was familiar with. These photos probably could only be captured due to his connection to this place, and the people. These are very intimate look on people and the lives they live. Rodriguez choses to get up close and personal with each of his subjects to capture what their lives are like.

Stacy Kranitz

Stacy kranitz, is a documentary photographer who focuses on people, and places. She did this series on the people of appalachia, and wanted to debunk the idea of the stereo type of "mountain people". I really enjoy the quirkiness of these photos, and yet they seem very familiar. These people have a sense of pride of who they are and where they are from. They seem very open and not trying to hide anything.

Mollie Schaidt Week 12

Katy Grannan

The way I respond to these images is that I find them interestingly beautiful if that is a way to put it. The technique in which the images were taken highlights the personality--not only the person. It gives a new perspective on how to look at the theme of the series-- the harsh life of the dreamers. The technical elements and the subjects are not so beautiful, but I feel that's what makes it beautiful. It gives touch to reality of the situations that can be covered up by a thought of a dream. 

Philip Lorca-diCorcia

The choices of images that I selected were because of the message I thought they conveyed. The first image has the subject in front of a Del Taco drive thru sign; which displays a metaphor to what the subject does for a living. In regards to his value of himself through quick and cheap gratification like what a drive thru is-- somewhere to go to get a cheap and quick meal.   The second image of a African American male I thought looks into the homophobia in African American culture. Also that image made me think of the recent sex scandal Bill Cosby is currently involved in; which I thought made the image even more interesting in topic. The last image I thought was weird because I didn't think of sex when I first viewed it. The image gave me a sense of fear, but a welcomed fear. What I mean by a welcomed fear is that the door is wide open like the subject is expecting someone, or anyone is welcome. The spot lighting on the subject is what gave me the sense of uneasiness like something bad is about to happen.

Mollie Schaidt Week 11

Justin Dingwall

Justin Dingwall is a photographer from South Africa who created this series called Albus with the intention of spreading awareness and acceptance of albinism--deficiency of pigment in the skin. In many countries people with albinism are hunted by witch doctors who believe their limbs have supernatural powers. Their lives are not only threatened, but they are discriminated against.

Melissa Kaseman

Melissa Kaseman is a photographer from Oakland, California. He usual themes for her photography are design, color, and light. Kaseman says she sees beauty in the "mundane". These images are subject of he 5 year old son and the treasures he collects everyday at preschool. These treasures are placed on top of a clean white background, and look as they are photographed from a aerial view.

Mollie Schaidt Week 10

1. Missy Prince
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Missy Prince is interested in capturing urban and rural landscape. Prince likes to take photos of things that suggest a narrative. Her photos seems to be about the details of a place and all have the same mood of abandonment though they are of different objects. Prince captures places that have a sense of embrace, but like I said previously abandonment. How people use the land that surrounds them, and how sometimes it is misused and not taken care of. Her photos have a mystery about them which suggests a narrative of what is going on within the photo and where is the place she photographed. What had sparked my interest with Missy Prince's photo is the quirkiness of them. How each seem to have evidence of human presence, but no people are ever pictured. Also I feel as if I can relate to the photos of a small run-down town surrounded by nature-- like where I am from.

Sara Cwynar

Sara Cwynar is a Canadian photographer who uses both a mix of film and digital. Cwynar is inspired by the look of old film photography. She creates still-life images of "found elements", sets them up and the produces them in chromogenic prints. Cwynar makes c-prints of still life's which are manipulated in Photoshop. Photoshop takes part in every photograph she makes. Cwynar plays with the image enough so there is balance of reality and her power to deceive through manipulation. The photos that were chosen are from two different series, but the same process was used for each. My first reaction was "wow"! I love the idea of Cwynar uses old and new, and how the effect of the digital manipulation makes the photograph amazing. It seems as the photos are letting the viewer enter another realm of photography purposely deceiving the viewers eye. These images remind me of a hologram how when you move it, it changes the perspective of the picture. 

Mollie Schaidt Week 9

Glen Erler

Glen Erler's,"Family Tree" caught my attention by his unique use of lighting and the composition of his subjects. The natural warm-toned lighting gave a sense of uneasiness like the sun was going down, and time was passing. Each image seems to have a lack of connection between artist and viewer. What I mean by that is the viewer is left with a really vague narrative that the image is trying to convey, but yet it works to its advantage. It draws the viewer in more asking questions about what is happened to the subjects, and what is the story behind the way they present themselves.

Lucas Blalock

These images are from a book called, WINDOWS MIRRORS TABLETOPS by Lucas Blalock. The artist uses objects such as patches of colored fabric, faux-wood veneers, foam bricks, rope, scissors, different color fields, plastic, and colors of mass production, to create a animated image. The objects are rendered digitally to the image. Blalocks' images create happiness yet confusion, but his work seems to be all about perception. Some believe that these images are "metaphorical and figurative" talking about consumerism. These photos can be  perceived as distracting by the objects, and subjects placed within the image. In an era of mass production--buying things that we really do not need. These images can be compared to the distraction of consuming objects of mass production.

Mollie Schaidt Week 8

Curran Hatleberg

These are photos from two projects called, The Crowded Edge and Dogwood. I believe the artists technique behind his work is simply exploration. The willingness to be able to travel and accept the many dead ends and wasted times to capture moments in others lives. The artist's concept behind these photographs was to show the what this countries recession has done to working class communities. He didn't want the viewers interpretation to be guided to just one region/area/state. He wanted to show the wide-spread hardship; which I think by the artist doing this makes it easier for the viewer to relate and connect more to the images. The reason I was attracted to these images is because it felt like I have come in contact with these same situation before-- I have seen similar scenarios. When growing up in a lower working class community I have seen the rough and not-so-pretty struggle to make it. In each of these photos I see disconnect, yet pride and acceptance. In disconnect I mean a disconnection on what is going on around them, and a acceptance for this is what life is-- rough and not-so-pretty. The artist really wanted to convey the hardships of what this countries recession has resulted in communities around the U.S. I believe that the familiarity of these photos is because I am apart of a community struggling by this countries recession. 

Alec Soth

Alec Soth's technique is driven by curiosity, and wanting to see something new. He uses large format cameras, and also medium square format cameras. He uses his 8''x10'' camera as a tool to shape the experience he has with his subjects. The old fashioned camera takes awhile to set up, so he says it gives him a chance to study the subject, and also for his subject to relax. The concept that Alec Soth tries to convey in his photography is the difference between rhetoric and reality. The idea of America and the actual lived experience through its people. Alec Soth focuses on individual instead of a community. He shows American photography in a way of describing hopelessness instead of hope. My thoughts on the images I chose for this particular artist is that I can get a sense of passing time. The passing of time and nothing seems to change-- like a slower pace of life. The artist wants to convey hopelessness, and I think he is successful in doing so with these images I feel saying that the passing of time can go along with that theme. When living a slower pace of life nothing much changes, and nothing new happens; which is my definition of hopelessness because you know what to expect. These three photos make me feel some type of empathy, and sadness like this is someones reality.

Mollie Schaidt Week 7

Anca Mitroi and Edd Myspys

Anca Mitroi and Edd Myspys are Romania-based photographers who merged to make a body of work titled, Sadness Overload. Mitroi and Myspys capture images separately, but then they come together to pick which frame will be added to the series. This is ongoing series and they might not make new photos for months at a time it all depends on when sadness strikes. So this series is based solely on emotion and when it appears again in their lives individually. Mitroi and Myspys inspiration for this series is their own private mourning--dealing with guilt and betrayal. Mitroi and Myspys always place themselves inside the frame, so it is a self portrait. Though this is not who they are in real life this series is the description of the lingering emotion that follows them "like a shadow". This is look inside the mind of the artist and what they carry with them constantly. The artist say they do not even like to look at these photos because it is a reminder of the sadness. What attracted me to these images is sense of wonder questioning "what is happening?" and that is what makes it attractive. Before even reading the description about these images I didn't think that it was two different photographers capturing them. The third image I chose is my favorite it is so surreal, but creepy at the same time. What I take from that image is that is a mask of who he once was either as a child--carefree! Also, maybe that is where the sadness derives from that particular photo on his face.

Thomas Kiefer

Kiefer's technical choices in his work were to document items taken from illegal immigrants by the US border control that were said to be, "non-essential". Displaying the items in a orderly fashion with a background that compliments the object. The images are taken straight on; which I believe shows the details in each item. The collection would sometimes take weeks to make, and a single photo could take hours to capture.El Sueno Americano, or The American Dream by Thomas Kiefer chose to document items confiscated from immigrants trying to seek freedom in American. Kiefer a part-time janitor at the US border control mentioned that these items are deeply valued. These are someones personal items and all that they decided to bring with them. Kiefer strives for people to show empathy and realize how little things like this can be taken for granted. My reaction to Kiefer's series of images really caused me to think about all that I abuse just because it is so accessible. I also chose these certain images because I found it amazing how immigrants trying to come to America for a better life come with just the shirt on their back. Also with just a simple item such as a spoon to eat, or gloves to work. I feel like it really shows the mindset of the people that come to America illegally--they are here to try and work hard, and possibly make a better life for themselves and their families. These are possessions that they will never see again and it was all they had, and for Americans to say that their items of value are not valuable in their eyes speaks to me a lot.

Katelyn Curtis Post 14

                                                                     Ben Huff

                                                                The Last Road North
                 
                                                                   By: Katelyn Curtis

                                   

         Huffs photography shows a cool central composed pictures that forces you through the isolation of his travels and forces you to see his message in each photo. Each photo is well balanced and allows the viewer to keep moving their eyes from one corner of the page and back again in hopes of finding something that doesn't make us feel so unwelcomed. Besides being a documentary photographer, he also is a audiophile, musician, and an educator.
         This photo documentary was completed on the Dalton Highway which is 490 miles, nicknamed The Last Road North. Each photo he chooses to show us stakes a temporary claim on the land, and even further, the people before the item was here, had intent of staying and staking land. The promises of having a new future and leaving the past behind was a mirage. He furthers to explain that even in the vast emptiness we still want to regulate everything and be so involved but in the wilderness and isolation of the wild west, it is not possible. He shows the cars repeatedly through his series to show that they are the only indispensable means of travel and survival on the Dalton Highway.
         Personally, I  really enjoy the isolated factor and the quiet that comes to my head. So many things today are fast pace and noisy, this is the complete opposite. Huff points out the beauty of the wild but also warns travelers to be cautious of human promises to the wild in tough rugged land. People always have an air about them that they can overcome everything, but when it is below zero, no food for survival, and trying to obtain promised land that was the Indians before you, it just unrealistic.