Julius Ayo Artist Post 12

Billy Howard

1. The photos above are featured in Billy Howard's Love, Lust, and Lost: A photographic Memoir of the 80's. All of the photos were taken in black and white. With the prevalence of digital photography, this was most likely taken with film. It doesn't appear as though he Howard used a tripod. They all this handheld, impulsive nature to them. For some photos, there may have been usage of flashes for the much darker settings (e.g. strip clubs, drag show backstage). None of the subjects appear to be in much motion so he probably used some slow shutter speeds. There are photos which feature deep depth of fields to show the setting behind the subjects.

2. The photos are very black and white. Though the subjects and the settings are all in these mature and provocative settings, they all seem to be very open to Howard's photography. It has this voyeuristic feel to them as if the viewers of these photographs are given a glimpse to these different kinds of lives in the 80's. In general, photographs are a way for people to capture a memory, but these seem kind of special in their own way. They capture a whole decade full great characters, fashion, stories that are only unique to that time.

3. I would love to have the same amount of courage that Billy Howard had when he made these photos. To approach these people and gain their trust says a lot about how great Howard is with building relationships with his subjects. These people were seen as outsiders and not really accepted by the larger population and their environments and identities had, and still have stigmas. For them to trust Howard to take their photos is something I admire in them and also in Howard as a ph0tographer.

Daniel Brehun - Artist Post 12

Alexi Hobbs

 

   Alexi Hobbs has a keen sense for color within his photography. A photographer that is very open to traveling any distance just to obtain the right photo. You can also very well see the balance as well, the photos seem to have a feeling of completeness. You can see here in the photos the variations of lights and dark's captured in specific areas. 

   You can see that Hobbs waits for whenever the time of day is right to have the photo at its finest. I feel that Hobbs focuses on giving his viewers a sense of emotion and attachment towards his photos. Although she focuses on color you can very well see that with her depth of field. Having a greater depth of field really allows you to see all the variations of color defined within the photos. 

   I personally feel drawn greatly to Hobbs's landscape photos. Just the balance within the photos themselves are magnificent. You can see all sorts of variations of colors that bring your eye to each part of the picture. 

Sarah Ipson Artist Post 12

1. Julie Blagmon is a photographer who takes an interest in highlighting flaws in every day life down to the place that hits the heart, right at home and with the children. Blagmon's intention of this series was to highlight children's joy in a flaw filled world and also to gain reactions of parents all the way around from the least concerning parent all the way to the most protective parents.

2. Julie's goal is to draw attention to the flaws and short comings of every day life. In every picture there are children playing from sun up to sundown just having a good old time, because they don't realize the flaws in every day life, but they have so much adventure and joy in them. In the third picture you'll see a parent nonchalantly reading a magazine whilst the children are outside just playing around. This may or may not have been a shot at neglectful parents or helicopter parents. The Homegrown series by Blagmon as a whole could look to swing one of two ways as neglect or to catch the reactions of over protective parents, but this is left unspecified.

3. The feeling I get from these photos is a feeling of relief, yet a sense of unease. I understand that children have a sense of adventure and at a young age so they should be outside as much as possible from sun up to sundown when they can be, but this is after they reach a certain age (maybe age 6) would be when they should be able to start walking around the neighborhoods and going to parks and things by themselves or with older siblings if they have older siblings. So it's a peaceful yet un-peaceful feeling in a sense.

Nikkia Logan Artist Post #12

Billy Howard













He uses young individuals in their regular environments. Each picture has a living subject which speaks a narrative in a subtle way. The images in this story appear to be underexposed. Billy Howard's work consists of a large amount of portraits. Even in an compositionally bland portrait, Billy Howard knows how to create life and excitement through the human eyes.

These images were a part of an article discussing love and loss in the 80's, in a time where it was particularly easy to contract AIDS. This work portrays feminism and confidence with the way the dancer is confidently standing and looking at the viewer. He chose certain places like strip clubs and drag queen dressing rooms to create his subject matter, in which today those places are categorized maybe with not so good adjectives.

I appreciate the perspective he creates for the viewer with his photography. He created a perspective or walk of life that could pertain to anyone. Of course since I am a woman, I take pride in such images that encourage feminism and the confidence of enjoying your sexuality rather than hiding it.
His portrayal of the life in these certain places create a sense of mystery and story telling.

Meaghan Mozingo - Artist post # 10

Raimond Wouda

1) Between 2008 - 2013 photographer Raimond Wouda, explored film sets in the Netherlands and Belgium. Using a large format Camera he would capture landscapes.

2) Wouda, allowed his audience to step outside the boundaries of the creative reality produced by the film sets. Wouda included the film sets within the landscapes. The Dutch film industry, although they have limited resources, are able to create professional products. Wouda is successful at capturing these fictional islands.

3) The top photo is one of my favorites. The wall of junk creates a nice backdrop. The wall every so slightly droops to the center. the colored items of the wall red, yellow, green, and blue match the colors on the wagon. The wagon is placed perfectly. Although it is centered in the frame, the wagon is at a slight angle so the audience gets a glimpse of the side and its beautiful lines of color. There is a nice shadow on the ground that brings your eye down and caries it around. The color of the sky, besides being intriguing to look at without over powering, matches the light inside the wagon. Visually timing both together. There a a few shadows on the left side of the picture where there is no detail in the shadow and perhaps the item near the wagon is a bit over exposed. But besides that I think it is a well composed picture.
     
    The second photo caught my attention because my eyes were immediately drawn into the photo. The soft green and the symmetrical lines and repeated patterns, the curtain, the ceiling, and the stage Flat carries my eyes back to the curtain at the very back. the atmosphere appears to be cluttered and dusty. the lights spills nicely in the back and the pops of color, red, blue, dark green, and browns, add a nice touch to the photo. There may be two objects that are slightly over exposed. I really appreciate how the compositions resembles a tunnel, with the sides tapering in ever so slightly to the back, and it keeps your eyes continuously traveling around the room.

    The third photo offers a nice contrast between the massive trees and the average size people on the platform. The girls red coat and blue/red hat and the boy's red scarf add a nice touch of color. The boy also has red hair which works toward Wouda's advantage. The red hair has enough contrast against the brown roots of the tree which is in the direct background. If the boy would have had darker hair then it would have blended in with the background. I think Wouda framed this shot well. It gives it a sense of expansion. the car and statue in the background helps to break up the background and gives your eye a quick stopping point. The lake adds a good image and texture along with a nice shape which help to cary the eyes through the photo.

Jessica Manno - Artist Post 12

Marc Yankus

1. Marc Yankus is a photographer and artist who uses digital mediums to create mixed media. In his most recent photo series, The Secret Lives of Buildings he takes pictures of interesting and complex architecture around New York City. Yankus' photos contain no people or disturbances that may cause chaos to what he would like to be the star of his photos - in this case, the buildings. He takes the pictures in vertical and horizontal frames, depending on the composition of the building itself. Many of his architectural buildings have a pleasing symmetry and are either taken straight-on or from below.

2. Yankus wants to be able to preserve the beauty and structural integrity of the architecture that catches his eye around the city. Having absolutely no other person or distracting objects that may come into the scene and ruin the photo was his central focus. A recurring element in this photo series is how Yankus seems to take pictures of older buildings. Rarely are there any modern and sleek structures seen in this photo series. Yankus wanted to capture the essence of the New York City he grew up in, and successfully succeeded in doing so.

3. The pleasing symmetry of how Yankus took the buildings, along with the angles and the kind of light he took them in made me interested to know more about where these buildings came from and who the photographer was. When researching more about Yankus, I learned he was from New York City and thoroughly enjoyed wandering around the streets of Manhattan admiring the buildings. I think Yankus' choices of how he took these photos, with no people present, the framing, and thematic intent inspired me to look more into architectural photography. How Yankus presented these buildings made them look more stunning than I would have ever noticed; especially if I were there in that scene.

Cory Hogan - Artist Post 10

Rusty Wiles

1.) Rusty Wiles is a photographer from Florida. His photos for this piece are all framed at a square 1x1 proportion. His photos seem to be heavily influenced and focused on color and the colors seem highly saturated. 

2.) Wiles works as a firefighter and makes pictures in his free time. He typically goes out during sunrise before his early morning shift. This helps the photos have a nice vibrance and create very long and harsh shadows. His work is described as minimalistic and colorful.

3.) I love how the shadows and colors correspond with each other in these photos. The photos have a very happy and vibrant tone to them. His alignments and arrangements in each of the photos are very nice and each are composed so nicely. I can definitely tell he focuses very heavily on how the lighting interacts with his scenes.

Olga Morozova, Artis Post # 12

 Yannis Behrakis

   1)      Yannis Behrakis is a photojournalist for Reuters based in Athene, Greece. He has been photographing refuges and migrants for over 25 years trying to bring awareness to the big problem that the world is facing. Behrakis is a Pulitzer Prize winner for Braking News Photography in 2015 and European News Photographer of the Year 3 times. For his work he uses Canon 1D Mark IV and 5D Mark III.

   2)      Behrakis states that taking pictures is the least challenging part, even though he has to wait long hours for coming boats of refugees, often during the night. The biggest struggle according to the photojournalist is the emotional involvement: “…it was so sad to see the same thing again and again”. For Behrakis the emotional impact of covering the refugee crisis is devastating.

   3)      Those many photographs that I saw were so incredibly powerful. They show people’ suffering, straggle for the better future and at the same time hope and inner strength. I think, this kind of photography can have a deep impact on people and actually change how they perceive the refugees. It can send a message that we are all the same and there have to be no place for the discrimination based on nationality, religious or any other factors. Yannis Behrakis does his job so the voice of these people could be heard through his photographs and his stories. 

Callie Ward Artist Post #12

Melissa Bliss

1. Melissa Bliss is a local photographer who enjoys making pictures of families/people with great scenery backgrounds. She enjoys showing happiness and a peaceful bliss between family members. She works in both color and black & white. Colored pictures seem to work better for her and her work.

2. Melissa has only worked with photography for five years. For a more dramatic look she will shoot in black and white. By using colored images it makes the scene look more loving, happy and special. She has done graduation portraits, family portraits and other special events.

3. I believe that Melissa has her own style and in each photo they look cheerful. Even though she barely shot in black and white they still managed to be my favorite. I enjoy seeing that dramatic effect. 

Virginia Goode-Artist Post 12

Jeffrey Stockbridge

The series "Kensington Blues" was taken with a 4x5 camera to capture people of North Philly who take part in frowned upon activities like prostitution or drug use.

There is a significance to these photos because the area the photos are made used to be a diverse, working community in the textile industry. After industrial restructuring in the mid 20th century led to an economic decline which resulted in high unemployment and population loss.

Now that I have a better understanding of the thought process before making a picture I appreciate not only the portraiture aspect of it but the framing around the person, the color interaction, the and shadows and highlights. All these characteristics help direct my eyes over the whole image instead of just the person.

Jennifer Livingston - Post 11

Beinot Paillé

1) In the series Château D'eau, Beinot Paillé focused on taking images of dark skinned people after dark. He worked with the people sometimes up to five minutes putting them in the right spot. During this project he specifically focused on the lighting and the placement of people. The people he took photos of during this project were strangers to him.

2) In each of the three images Paillé specifically worked with the neon lights from the shops at night to place the people. The color in their clothing can be seen in places throughout the images, making each of them visually balanced. All three of them are full of color as well. It seems that he intentionally chooses to crop of the top of their hats to get a closer view of their faces.

3) The images that he has taken in his series Château D'eau, he intentionally goes out after dark and takes photos of complete strangers. I really admire his courage to do so, and even the fact that he'll go in a move their heads a little bit to get them in a better spot. 

Julie Blackmon

Julie Blackmon

1. 1.Julie Blackmon studied photography at the university of Missouri State. She aims to mix historical art, and normal art motifs with personal experiences from her past. Her photographs tend to reference classical art, modern art, and even art from album covers. She strives to blend realms of the realistic with the surrealism that comes from modeled/painted art.
2. 2 Julie Blackmon’s most recent work, Homegrown, picks up where her last work, Domestic Vacations, left off. Homegrown follows the same formula as her other pieces of work. This set is reviewed as being her strongest set to date in terms of composition. Homegrown aims to those places outside the house that are common in one’s upbringing. The main streets, salons and fields behind the house are familiar to its audience and shape our childhood just as much as our homes do. It is these photographs that invoke the deep-rooted emotions that we all have for our home town.
3. 3.Blackmon is an artist who attempts to invoke deep rooted emotions in her photography. Although, she may not succeed in reaching every critic, she has reached me. Her art is heavily centralized in her themes, but they are fantastic in their design and understanding

Kimberly Richardson Post 12

Jason Weingart

1.       Weingart uses a 4X5 camera that is portable allowing him to move quickly. He has specific gear in helping him capture his images while keeping the camera dry. He edits his photos in Adobe Photoshop for better quality and picture.

2.       Weingart’s intent is to capture the beauty of the sky of a storm and before the storm.  Capturing wonders of the world far and wide. Carefully watching weather patterns and selecting areas across the united States to capture his images. Taking photos as the storm approaches mainly, but also while in the storm. He captures images quickly to prevent damage to the camera and himself in certain situations. Photo editing them in Photoshop to revel the true quality of the images’ nature.

3.       Weingart does wonderfully I capturing images that perhaps not many people would risk doing. His approach and technique is respected for his patience and planning. One can truly see the love and passion he has for photography.

Calah Jones Artist Post 12

1.     Concert photographer Brad Moore uses a Nikon with 14-24mm with a fast fixed aperture of f/2.8.  He uses this ultra-wide-angle zoom lens to capture unique coverage at concerts.  This lens delivers sharpness, contrast, and color, even in backlit conditions. The camera is thick and tough and would be able to handle crowded events. 

2.     Moore prefers this camera because it allows him to show the whole stage in one image and capture the performer with lots of color and detail if he can get close enough.  His photos capture the energy in the audience, as well as the stage.  The photos are wide and open and capture stillness even in all the commotion.

3.     I enjoy looking at Moore’s photos because they make me feel like I am there at the concert and not like I am behind a lens.  His pictures, despite how dark the room may be, capture the light and shape in every performance.  He captures the energy onstage and also behind the scenes and also in the audience.  The perspective he takes his pictures also intrigues me because they aren’t always from the mosh pit, sometimes it’s behind the stage sometimes its above the performers and other times it’s from the performers perspective.

Feven Asghedom - Artist post #12

Christian Åslund

Christian Åslund is a Swedish photojournalist based in Stokholm. He began taking photography seriously in 1998, shortly after he pursued it as a career and landed a position at a local newspaper. In 2001 he began freelancing and by 2007 he won the Travel Photographer of the year award as well as the Sony World Photographer award. He shot this series with a Nikon, and currently shoots using Sony A7s and A7r. 

The series above is titled Hurricane Katrina. I have see so many pictures and video footage of this horrible tragedy. Christian Åslund is approach is somewhat poetic. The shots are both sad and beautiful. The colors on the fence with a blue car on top of it directly across from a falling flag was framed extremely thoughtfully. 

Åslund believes "Photography is the art of storytelling. A good photograph also contains a subtle story about the photographer". I agree with him. The photographers and photos i am most interested in and get lost in are the ones that have depth. The more i look at artists works the more i realize how critical framing is when making pictures. I like this series and the approach he took in documenting hurricane Katrina. He also has another series called Honkey Kong which is extremely visually appealing. 

Hannah Zach - Artist Post 10

Benoit Paille