Joseph Colon Weekly artist post 1

Joseph Rodriguez

1. Joseph Rodriguez uses a very intimate approach in the way that he captures his subjects. He gets very close, and very personal with people that many of us wouldn't encounter on a daily basis, to give insight into what these peoples lives are really like. For this series Joseph initially wanted to use black and white film but decided color would be the better option because he felt that the colors in the subjects were important.

2. Joseph Rodriguez a native born New Yorker. He chose to document people of "Spanish Harlem", a neighborhood that he was familiar with as a kid. Joseph wanted to give insight into what this neighborhood really is about. He didn't want to focus on the negatives aspects of the neighborhood, but showcase them in a more beautiful artistic way.

3. What I enjoy about Josephs photos are that you are taken into a world that you have never seen before or that you may have thought never existed. For me i can relate to his photos, because I grew up in New York my whole life, and i've seen a lot of stuff that he has captured with his lens. These pictures have a deep, beautiful and powerful meaning behind them.

Deborah Schoen - Weekly Post 1 - (NO CAT PHOTOS!!)

Manny The Selfie Cat / Yoremahm@Instagram

Technique: Manny, a rescued gray Tabby cat, has become an Internet sensation with his technique (obsession) with batting at his owner’s GoPro camera. Meanwhile, he has mastered the camera’s shutter to take self portraits...or "selfies." Manny's person, Yoremahm on Instagram, has no problem giving full credit to Manny's ability to capture the world with his “selfie” theme.

Theme: Manny is not just an ordinary house cat he is a cat photographer. He has spent years documenting his life and a well-known stereotypical archenemy; dogs. His work debunks the myth that all canines are vicious predators and that grey tabbies are aloof and boring. His experience offers a different perspective, one that portrays a heroic, adventurous, and playful feline. 

Thoughts: Manny's work captures content that is rarely seen in today’s households. I particularly enjoy the fisheye effect in his compositions. He seems to stay true to the common poses of selfies: aerial shots with long arms, typical blank stares and kissy faces. He obviously pays attention to the depth of field and the effects of light in his imagery. Personally, my favorite images are the ones he takes with his canine subjects; they challenge the fear of oblivion.

Christina Crespo-Weekly Artist Post 1

Robert Frank 

1. Robert Frank used a Leica III camera. The black and white film that Frank uses gives a documentary style which suits his style of work. His photos have a snap shot esthetic showing people in a moment and not always engaging the viewer. 

2. The images above depict different lifestyles. The photos are not staged. Frank seems to make his pictures of the not so glamorous life and instead makes pictures of a more gritty lifestyle. The subject seems to be addressing diversity. 

3. What I like about Frank’s photos is that they are not of a fairy tale world. Frank’s pictures are of real life struggle and an in your face, reality. I also enjoy the fact that his pictures are black in white. This gives a more matter-of-fact point of view rather than a glorified perspective. 

Bradley Manley - Weekly Artist Post 1 (1-3)

Shirley Baker

1. The images I have chosen are the candid shots of the slums of Manchester 1960s made by Shirley Baker. These documentary images taken during the post war era. The pictures includes kids growing up in the slums and rebel of Manchester. The kids utilize the resources around in order to stay entertained.

2. Shirley Baker's documentary shots include subjects of all ages. Although her subjects are living in poverty, her images display a different mood. Her images show a sense of happiness and the people don't really seem affected by their circumstances. By coming together as a community and work together, these people find a way to make it through the day. Shirley Baker's work shows scenes light through darkness and thankfulness.

3. I personally enjoy Shirley Baker's work. I love how she can capture those moments of joy through struggle. To be able to capture that happiness through hard times is difficult, The last thing people often do is smile. The subtle hints of poverty such as the umbrella and the rebel do not overtake the sense of joy the kids have. Her subjects seem very comfortable. I find her photos amazing.

Bri Carpenter - Weekly Artist Post 1

Ansen Seale

 

1)  The photos I have chosen to show are of a genre called slit-scan photography.  Ansen Seale's images are not manipulated, his camera captures images in a way that a panoramic camera does.  All of the "distortions" happen in-camera.  Seale invented his own dual-mode digital camera to produce panoramic and slit-scan photos.  The camera's sensor only accepts light through a tiny slit and the camera has an internal motor that can rotate the camera. 

2)  Seale is concerned with ideas of time and our place within time.  His photography examines time as it is passing rather than capturing a single moment.  In the first photo, the model had to move in order to be captured.  Seale believes that his camera captures a hidden reality that lies beneath our everyday experience.  He is fascinated by the idea that our everyday experience may not actually be reality and with his photos he can reveal a different reality.  He compares his camera to a microscope or telescope, making the point that "the machine expands our ability to perceive more about the nature of reality."

3)  I chose Seale's photos because I couldn't believe that they were not manipulated and I could not wrap my mind around how he creates these images.  His slit-scan photos are so different from anything I have seen.  Even knowing he uses a special camera, I'm still amazed at how the images appear abstracted but are taken from reality.  I think he is successful in conveying his idea about moving through time.  I think it's cool that he challenges what it is to take a photograph, because typically when you think of photography you think capturing a moment.  Seale captures time as it unfolds and that makes his work really unique.
 

Shane Rocheleau - Weekly Artist Post 1/11/16

Shane Lavalette

1)  Shave Lavalette uses color film and a 4x5 field camera.  Many of his compositions are centered and still.  As he is using large format, It is safe to assume he uses a tripod.  etc etc etc

2)  The images I have chosen seem to vaguely address issues of childhood, a loss of innocence, and the reality that dreams and the tangible are not necessarily overlapping entities.  The boy with the basketball kneels on tire tracks.  Evidence of both his wishes and the apparent tragedy that those wishes may one day be run over.  The Mercedes, an icon of wealth, is dingy.  And the little girl is care free; however, in the context of the project, one might assume she has a tough road ahead.

3)  I really love the choice of color film.  The orange basketball in relationship to the green trees makes me think about difficulties of leaving comfort for danger.

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