#23

1. In what ways do you “construct” your identity? In what ways do you “perform” in your daily life?

How you present yourself to the world-- be it visually or verbally. You construct and maintain your identity daily by how you dress and how you speak and respond in any given situation. It;s almost a kind of branding process. I think that social media provides a good summary of this branding information. For instance, on Facebook you can see what images a person wants to be represented through, what their interests are, how they spend their time and who they spend it with, what they think is funny and how they respond and communicate with other people.

2. Describe some ways in which your personal culture and social environments are “constructed”.


I suppose this connects with a lot of the ideas in the questions above, but there are many outside influences that help to construct how we want to present ourselves. The values we value, the environment we live/grew up in and the people and ideas that we admire are just a few contributing factors.

3. Describe some ways in which your physical environment/space is “constructed”.


A combination of controllable and uncontrollable factors. Personal preferences in decoration. The purpose a space needs to serve. 
Functionality.

4. In your daily life, what would you consider to be “real” and what would you consider to be “constructed/fabricated”?


I think the real aspects would be how everything actually is. As for constructed/fabricated, I think of all the times I might overanalyze or misinterpret a situation.

5. Describe a narrative tableaux that you might create to be captured by a photograph. A narrative tableaux can be defined as “Several human actors play out scenes from everyday life, history, myth or the fantasy of the direction artist” ( Constructed Realities: The Art of Staged Photography Edited by Michael Kohler , 34).

6. Describe an idea for a photograph that includes a miniature stage or still life. A description of such an image is “The tableaux reconstructs events as in the narrative tableaux, but in miniaturized format, using dolls and other toy objects” (Kohler, 34).


I think that it would be interesting to recreate a famous movie scene this way. You could do all sorts of scenes this way, depending on what materials you are using. I think it would work well as a series.

David Haxton

Haxton was born in 1943 and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. He primarily works with raw materials, (mostly cut paper) to create a kind of sculpture. He then pays close attention to the backdrops and lighting. As he describes his process: 


“A large format camera is placed in a dark studio. Photographic backdrop paper is arranged and cut, lights are placed in the space and the film is exposed...The slashes and cuts in paper are a record of a performance for the camera.”


David Haxton currently resides in Winter Park, Florida where he works as a professor of photography at the University of Florida.


http://www.davidhaxton.com/

'The Morning After "He greatly daring dined"'

This photograph (taken in 1845) by Robert Adamson and david Octavius Hill laughs at Hill's experiences with hangovers, and serves as a general statement about excess alcohol consumption. Hill is seated at the left, and his hand is being held by surgeon and anatomist James Miller, all the while the Roman bust looks away in disgust.

It has apparently been documented that Hill definitely did enjoy his drinks.

#21

A. Series: Brainstorm various ways to make a “series” of photographic images.

Focusing on different aspects of one location

same subject, different locations

focusing on a single person or group of people and their environment

Coming up with different ways of portraying a single theme

B. Final Project: Your final project in this class will be designed by you. If you could tackle any photography project, what would it be? You could combine other media with photography (video, sculpture, drawing) or you could take one of your earlier assignments and expand it to create a larger project. If you are expanding an earlier project or creating an entirely new series of images, shoot for a series of at least 5 images. Describe an idea you have for your final project.

I like the idea of discovering and exploring a place. I think that what I am leaning toward doing. It would need to be someplace on or near campus, but I'm not sure if I want to document a favorite place I'm very familiar with or someplace brand new. 

Assignment 4(0) Recreate Popular Media

Tanning. People will go to many lengths to have that golden glow. It is one standard by which society and media gauge beauty and health.

I've never been a fan of this fad. Not only have I witnessed my grandpa have potentially cancerous sun spots burned off of the top of his head with liquid nitrogen, but frankly my skin has never been able to handle all that much sun exposure anyway. I'm not especially allergic or albino, but I've just got the skin that comes with naturally blonde-haired, blue-eyed persons. Therefore, you won't ever find me at the beach looking much like the woman shown in the ad above (for more than one reason). I generally look something like the photos below it, though I have slightly exaggerated my appearance. I take a lot of care to prevent sunburn, meaning hats, sunglasses and several applications of a relatively high SPF sunscreen. It sounds pretty lame, but I don't care. Hey, at one time it was cool to be pale.

#20

Describe some common aesthetic aspects of “news”-related photographs. 

People/place centered. The object of news photography is to tell a story, and give faces/images to a story so that readers can better relate and understand a situation. This means capturing what might be the essence/tone/emotion of a place. They are usually pretty direct. You don't want a reader to misinterpret an image-- the goal is to produce a powerful image that tells a story, and relates the tone of a situation as directly as possible, not leaving much room for misinterpretation. 

Describe some common aesthetic aspects of “snapshots”.

Candid. That's what comes to mind first. Unplanned, perhaps blurry, not always well framed or composed (though sometimes they come out better than expected) and most importantly, genuine. You can often capture the most natural moments and features of people when they don't know a photo is coming.

Describe some common aesthetic aspects of advertisement photographs. Fashion photography? Product photography?

I think that lighting is a big part of advertising, fashion or product photography (aren't these all selling a product?) I associate this type of photography with great (and unrealistic) lighting conditions to best display the product. I think that the word 'unrealistic' is a good way to describe advertising photography, both in the display and the people that are used to advertise the product.

Describe some common aesthetic aspects of film or movie stills.

I think that there is a definite mood that is set in film stills... whether it is bright and sunny, foggy, windy, rainy, cold... snowing... night or day. Obviously I think weather plays a large part in this! I think there is also a way the camera is set up to provide for movement across the frame.

Describe some common aesthetic aspects of yearbook photos and/or senior pictures.

I think that there is a certain cheesy and unrealistic feel to these photos. I remember guys who normally ran around looking rather unkempt would magically look suddenly very cleaned up for their senior pictures. You aren't usually dressed like you normally are, and you've got a smile plastered on your face. This sounds pretty negative -- there are very genuine, well done senior pictures that are done, but it just seems that these pictures are made to please a certain set of people... mom, dad, grandma... and don't always portray a person't real personality.

#19

1) should not be photographed? Why?
2) cannot be photographed? Why?
and
3) you do not want to photograph? Why?


1) I think that the answer to this question is dependent on the situation. In photojournalism, this is a continual discussion in ethics. Usually, death, young children, obscenity, and gore are all things that tend to be avoided. Editors have to decide whether a photo is being shown because it is sensational, or because it genuinely adds to the story being told. 


Sometimes photos are not supposed to be taken due to security. An organization might not want to disclose the location of a person or a utility station to help ensure the safety of that person or a group of people.


I think that most anything goes when someone categorizes something under the word 'art', even if it is something that will make most people uncomfortable.


2) Wow. I'm having a difficult time thinking of something that can't be photographed. I think that sound is the sense that is the most difficult to capture in a photograph. I can see a texture and easily imagine what it feels like... I can see a person's face or body language and feel an emotion... you can suggest movement in a photo.... you can communicate a message.... But for some reason, sound doesn't come as easily to me.


3) Ha. I suppose, going back to #1, anything that makes me uncomfortable. Definitely naked people. When I took drawing I, I was terrified that my professor would bring in nude models. Also, any person or animal that is in pain, whether physically or emotionally. I would feel like I was taking advantage of that person.