Selfie #4

5 mornings a week I sit at the kids bus stop, waiting in my car or van while Porter runs around with his friends and Emily waits in the car too. This morning I'm headed to the gym (why I have no make-up on).

Selfie #3

The other class I take at SCC is Ceramics, something I was good at in High School. I took a 15 year "break" before having the opportunity to sit in front of a wheel again last Spring. Right now I'm working on bowls. Lots of bowls.

I was inspired by The Singing Butler

I signed up for my Advanced Digital Photo Independent Study course for this semester because I wanted something creative and outside my comfort zone to work on. It was nice having a semester break to catch my breath, but by Christmas I was feeling unproductive. For anyone that knows me even  remotely knows that I am a productive person... but there isn't much to show for surviving holidays, touching up scuffed walls and the daily grind of family life. I needed something to motivate me to create, but I had no idea what when I started class a week ago and was hoping something would inspire me. I'm interested in documentary and travel/culture photographs, but they don't push me- I'm very confident in my abilities concerning that type of photography. Posing, setting up and creating a scene is where I hide in my bubble. Because I don't do anything small, as many of my friends tell me, I of course chose something time-consuming and not very smallish.

When I was a teen/young adult my mom hung a painting in her living room that has stayed with my over the years. Its by Jack Vettriano and titled "The Singing Butler".

I've always pictured this scene played out in real life, by whomever, and I imagined they would really be in love and that made me happy.

As I sat at my desk brainstorming ideas for my project I kept coming back to this image. I may not have a beach (or servants) but somehow I am going to reproduce this scene with real people and take a photograph. And I'm going to do that with other famous paintings, 20 total, which is going to be an undertaking...

If you have suggestions on paintings I can replicate, or want to model, let me know. If you think I'm crazy, let me know, but give me some other ideas while you're at it!

If you want to learn some interesting facts about this painting and its creator you can visit http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2012/07/jack-vettriano-singing-butler-art
I really enjoyed this paragraph:
"At least Vettriano skeptics cannot accuse the prolific artist of sloth. “I like to look at a painting and see labor,” notes Vettriano, who usually works from photographs he himself has staged and shot. His virtuoso effects of moisture and light on flesh, sand, hair, and metal, which often recall the look of vintage Hollywood movie posters or pulp-fiction covers, are accomplished by dragging a small stiff brush through semi-dried, still-tacky pigments—a technique he modestly likens to blending makeup. Not surprisingly, Vettriano venerates the Ruskinian craftsmanship of midcentury American pinup master Gil Elvgren and, “dare I say, Norman Rockwell.” For Vettriano the idea that his easel paintings, which cost between $48,000 and $195,000, are more accurately classified as illustrations is meaningless. “I don’t make a distinction between painting and illustration, and we shouldn’t get hung up on arguing the difference.” He is more acerbically opinionated about the conceptual approaches of such acquisitions-committee darlings as Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons, both of whose hands-off methods he considers “morally corrupt."

Selfie #2

Today is a sweatshirt and pony tail kind of day...made even better by some homemade bread!

The Daily Selfie Assignment

My photo professor showed the selfie clip I blogged about a few days ago (http://unlooker.com/selfie/) and assigned our class a "daily selfie" for 2 weeks, starting today.

Todays submission- I ran to pick up my cuckoo clock from the repair shop and snapped a pic as a I ran by the clock out front. My life is short on time many days, so I thought it appropriate!

Lewis W. Hine

You might recognize this image of a Empire State Building construction crew eating their lunch on beam 1000 feet above 5th Avenue:

It was taken by Lewis W. Hine, who took this image from a basket, also suspended 1000 feet in the air. He was an American sociologist and photographer who photographed immigrants coming into Ellis Island, steel workers in Pittsburgh, red cross relief in Europe and drought relief in american South during the depression. The most influential body of work he accomplished was for the National Child Labor Committee from 1908-1920. His photos were instrumental in changing child labor laws in the US.

Lewis Hine's work was a precursor for documentary photography, something I greatly respect. I enjoy the creative process and artistic medium of photography, but what has driven my passion for photography is the influence it can have on society when its used for a purpose. When I feel emotionally drawn to an image and it inspires me to help Gods children I love the talent I have pursued. Lewis' work is amazing as a piece of art, but it's brilliant in how its influenced generations of children in America. I am overwhelmed at how far our country has come in 100 years, but I know there is so much yet to improve. As I think about what children face today my heart aches for the ones still facing poverty, starvation, physical and emotional neglect and abuse. What impact can I have on society in changing this? How can I use my camera as a tool for social reform? 

Lewis Hine is the kind of legacy I want to leave as a photographer.

The avoided "selfie"

I'm not a fan of "selfies". I think they're poorly executed and done way too much. I'm tired of hearing the word, like I'm sick of hearing about Justin Bieber. The angles are bad, the quality is crappy at best, and no one looks good with the duck pout thing. I see selfies on Facebook and think "do you seriously think you look GOOD in that photo?!" I wish I could do people a favor and remove it.

So now you're probably thinking I'm a snot. And when it comes to photos I am, because I'm a photographer and I've been trained to look at things like angles and posing and little details. I strive to make people look good. I try to make the good look better and hide the perceived flaws.

I admit I tried to take a selfie once (over a year ago) because I thought I was looking pretty hot that day and my husband was missing out (he was deployed at the time) and I wanted him to remember how nice I could look. I was disappointed with the outcome and I don't remember if I even sent it to him. I never tried another selfie again, not with my iphone or my professional camera.

Today, as many days happen to go for me, I was humbled and taught a good lesson. I watched a video clip a friend shared on Facebook, which I rarely do: http://unlooker.com/selfie/

I realized a selfie isn't about good angles and composition and flattering lighting. Its about being confident in ones own beauty. Its about sharing how you feel at that moment. Its about trusting in the people who really love you and find you beautiful, flaws and all.

I feel beautiful because I have a wonderful husband who tells me I am. But sometimes I lack the confidence in capturing that in a single image and sharing it with the world. If I can't make myself look good in a photograph how can I do that for others? (I won't let someone with bad hair cut and style my hair)

I think its time I schedule me for a photo session and SEE the beauty for myself.

This is the "selfie" I thought was bad. What do you think?

Back in blog mode

I'm back in school at SCC after a semester break and taking an Advanced Digital Photo class with Kate Sanker. That means I'm back to blogging every week, much to my dismay. Its not something I feel passionate about so if no one follows me religiously I'm okay with that. But if there's someone out there who likes random photography blips this blog might have some use outside fulfilling an assignment and my own personal research. If not, at least my mother-in-law will read it...