EMPTY spaces OPEN places

self portrait

I wanted to create a self portrait with an emphasis on the textures I have collected over time. The background is a composition of 4 layers which I created. A photo of the ocean, an architectural photo of a modern building, a golden rectangle drawing of mine, and an image of a highway in Pittsburgh create the background. The image of me was outlined in illustrator from a photograph of me. I chose textures based on my aesthetic attraction to them as well as their appropriateness in the illustration. Overall, I wanted this image create 2 impacts on the viewer, one on passing by as an illustration, and then upon second inspection a more layered an intricate composition.

Yours, Mine, or OURS?

In questioning copy right and fair use, I began with an image of a CBS billboard. Billboards almost exclusively use copy right protected commercial material to sell or advertise something. Instead of using this for an advertisement, I manipulated it to be a canvas. Within this canvas, I choose to use a combination of other peoples work. For example, two photographs I took of street art in New York and Pittsburgh create the background texture. Over this I used recognizable logos and advertisements which are directly protected under copyright. When collaged together all of these things form a new image that is mine.

Photoshop: not the source of our immorality

photo creds

I believe that rather than discussing the morality or appropriateness of photo manipulation through the use of photo shop and image editing software in the journalism as well as the fashion world, we should be questioning how significant honesty is to our society. Photoshop would be unnecessary if, as a society, we were more accepting of the truth. In the editorial world of magazines, we have become accustomed to seeing perfection. We do not want to know that our favorite celebrity has a zit on her face or that the candidate running for mayor was wearing red instead of their party color – blue. However, some of these situations are more significant than others.

While working as a photojournalist for a college newspaper, the inability to manipulate our photographs created an exciting challenge that forced us to become better photographers. While shooting an assignment, we knew that the only changes made would be to prepare a digital photograph for print and, occasionally the photo would be cropped to fit into the layout… occasionally. If we missed the moment the baseball player caught the ball, then we missed it. We couldn’t go back and Photoshop a ball into their glove.

I say we “couldn’t” with the understanding of honesty. Sure, I could have manipulated to photograph before turning it into my editor but that would have been unethical. Sadly, there are many people who do not share my ethics. This is where the question of honesty comes in.

Every time I, as a woman, picks up a fashion magazine, I am presented with pages and pages of lies. I know that the models hired are already completely unrealistic in appearance, yet I also know that the pictures taken of them will be manipulated until the creative director views them as satisfactory in representing the unrealistic image they are working towards.

This has gotten out of control. So what is my opinion on photo manipulation? In a perfect world, it would not happen. But this is far from a perfect world. Do I blame the individuals doing the manipulation? Only if they are the ones perpetuating the lies forced on our society. It’s a tough question.

Just like the recycling craze has helped make our streets a little cleaner, maybe this new found craze amongst celebrities who request their photos not be “touched up” will help shine a light on this issue of immorality.

Maybe one day.

Composite image using my photography

final doc size has to be at least 11 x 14 @ 200 pix so can be printed

Has to be some sort of believable scene

has to have background and at least 4 other elements.

has to include something that someone else created

challenge the idea of copyright

Chilean Miners: The Newest Celebrities

I made the miner a little bit bigger in the top image.

The news has made heroes out of these 30 men who spent months held up in a cave. The background image is of photographers at the end of a fashion show runway.

Doug Bucci: An Inspirational Man

Lecture 10/5

You should feel uncomfortable...

If you do feel comfortable then something is wrong.

If this isn't the definition of the last 2 years of my life then I don't know what is... maybe when it rains it pours. Sometimes you need someone to come in to speak to a group of over-worked, underfed, stressed out art students to keep them from exploding. I think - and perhaps this was a particularly bad tuesday - but I think that these words were very important to hear. We've chosen to pursue something that takes an enormous amount of self-motivation to succeed in.

I have undoubtedly learned the most during times when I am super uncomfortable. When I am so far out of my comfort zone that I am forced to teach myself how to do what I need to do or deal with the situation I am in. I think this might be the tactic that my parents used in raising me and I, at age almost 21 am beginning to understand this was an extremely effective way to get the job done. If it weren't for this mentality then I wouldn't know how to change a tire on the side of a highway in the rain, live with a sociopath, change a watch battery, create a social marketing and brand identity campaign by myself, be a photojournalist... ect (not trying to toot the 'ol horn). The point is, I've seem to have found myself in extremely uncomfortable situations that have taught me some serious life lessons in my day to day life, yet more importantly in my career.

Doug Bucci, thank you for reiterating and allowing me to hear that I'm in this extremely uncomfortable phase in my life and that it will end, however, realistically, it also won't be any harder on the other side. Although this doesn't sound inspirational, it's reassuring that my hard work right now will pay off. So thank you.

Working for the feeling of being...

flow

work.

With 2 graphic design jobs taking up the free time that I don't have, I'm having a love hate relationship with my computer...