Ray Metzker Getty Exhibit Reflections

The thing that struck me about Metzkers prints was his use of extremely high contrast and how that effected the subjects of his photos. In some photos the contrast would abstract recognizable daily objects to bizarre harsh black shapes shapes. This interested me because it almost seemed to be a commentary of the beauty found in places we wouldn't think to look. Hard lines casting shadows that project patterns of black and white in the architecture of a building or construction of a street. When you simplify and object down to only its shape, it makes it much easier to appreciate the grace or rigidity of its form. Another thing that element of his photographs that was interestingly effected by his abundant use of contrast was the people in his frames. Without a clear view of the person's face displayed in the picture it is hard to discern who they are. As human beings so much of our communication relies of the use of the face and, deprived of this contact we are left wondering many things about a person. Who are they? What are they feeling? In many cases, How old are they? What are they thinking?  As a result, Metzker's human subject become these mysterious shadows of themselves. When I see these I get a sense that Metzker is making a comment on the way these people live their day to day life. Without a clear view of their eyes he prevents us from a clear view of into their soul and by so doing projects an idea that his subjects are only shells of themselves. This coupled with the harsh lighting imposed on everyday scenes gives the impression that these people go about their lives in a sense of a transe. They travel through their commutes without fully being present and are therefore contribute barley more to the world around them then the shadows they cast upon the ground around them. I personally find this commentary very adequate to present day life. We get so used to moving through the motions of our day that we rarely are actually aware of what is going on around us. How often do we sit at a red light and think "wow, I'm lucky to be alive" or go to the grocery store and revel in the fact that we can see so many colors and smell so many things around us? It's nothing more than one task on to the next trying to get to the end of our day and the promise of a soft bed and sleep as fast as we can. When I really think about it, it's a terrible waste of the time we are given, yet at the same time it's not realistic to think that this mindset we fall into will really change.

Final proposal

For my final I want to focus on capturing nature juxtaposed with technology. I've always found the site of trees stuck in the middle of crowded intersection or graffitied and beat down by their polluted surroundings. I've also been really impressed with natures ability to persevere and survive despite the harshest climates and conditions. I find a blade of grass or a flowering weed sprouting from a crack in cement or a birds nest built in the crevasse of a building to be a truly beautiful and inspiring thing. I want to draw attention to these small feats of survival and expose the beauty of the organic life of nature entwined with hard and cold man made things.
In my project I want to make people aware of the sparse nature that surrounds them and respect what little space it has. I've photographed images of litter in flower beds and graffiti on trees to call attention to the carelessness and cruelty we display towards nature. It is important to value the intrinsic and fragile beauty of the world and to appreciate how amazing it's many forms are. I personally find nature to be the most inspiring thing the world has to offer simply due to the sheer vastness and abundance of it's varying climates and species. For this reason I find it really depressing to see more cement than grass in my daily life and even worse to see what little space devoted to nature defaced and disgraced.

A short course in photography: Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Lighting

• direct light:
• high in contrast, bright lights, dark darks
• sharp shadows
• may lose some detail in the darks
• allow you to use fast shutter speeds and shallow depths of field
• try adding fill light to retain details
• directional/ diffused light
• intermediate in contrast
• shadows still present, just softer
• occurs on hazy/ foggy days or in shade
• indoors lit by window or skylight
• using a flash that is reflected off another source
• diffused light
• low in contrast
• colors/ tones appear less vibrant and more muted/ pastely
• light hits subject on all sides
• very overcast day
• does not allow you to use small aperture or fast shutter speed
• use what's available
• if you find a good picture, you can figure out a way to expose it correctly
• high ISO is helpful when light is dim (inside)
• front lighting
• flattens subject
• is similar to flash connected to camera
• fewer shadows
• pointed directly at the subject
• light is usually most pleasing when it resembles daylight and consists on one strong light source
• shadows reveal lighting
• high 45 lighting
• placed high and to the side of the camera
• commercial portraits
• creates roundness
• shows more texture
• side light
• 90 degree angle to the camera
• mimiks sunlight at sunrise or sunset
• sometimes used to dramatize portraits
• backlighting
• also referred to as edge rim lighting
• used in multiple light set ups to bring out texture
• also used to separate subject from background
• top lighting
• when light comes from directly above
• not desired, but not uncommon
• lighting outdoors at noon 
• indoors underneath light
• use fill light to lighten up shadows
• bottom lighting
• looks odd in portrait because light almost never naturally comes from below
• often creates menacing effect
• sometimes seen in ads
• color and b/w negatives are less sensitive to contrast than digital cameras
• when shadows are 3+ stops different than lights, fill light is useful
• better to use fill light than compensate in printing
• outdoors
• use fill light so subject doesn't have to look directly into the sun
• use when photographing small objects up close such as detail in a flower
• a reflector is a good source of fill light
• white sheet
• white card
• aluminized space blanket
• to keep from overpowering subject, fill light is usually farther away than the main light source
• the more simple the set up, the more relaxed your subject will be
• less is more
• indoors a small window will create harder shadows than a large one
• main light plus reflector fill is simplest set up
• main source pointed at umbrella reflector
• another reflector on other side
• continuously burning (incandescent) lamps
• plus into outlet
• excellent for portraits/ still life/ stationary object that allow time to adjust
• exposure determined normally
• flash bulbs
• portable/ battery powered
• each produces one brief powerful flash, then replaced
• older, not used as much
• used by press photographers
• electronic flash
• "strobe"
• most popular portable light
• use to shoot fast moving/ unposed photos
• battery or electrical plug
• come in camera unit, more powerful separate
• cameras with leaf shutters synchronise with flash at any speed
• others can usually synchronise only up to 1/300
• automatic flash
• has sensor that detects amount of light reflected during flash
• flash terminates when exposure is adequate
• may give less accurate reading if too close, too far
• most accurate when subject is centered in frame
• the farther the subject is from flash unit
• the dimmer the light
• the more you need to open the lens aperture
• to calc flash exposure:
• distance light travels to subject
• guide number (rating of flash with specific film speed)
• divide distance by guide number to get f stop
• bounce flash travels extra distance
• same calculation as above, except use distance to reflective surface plus reflective surface to subject
• changing shutter speed does not affect flash exposure
• first time calculating f-stop  use test roll of film with different calculations to see what yields best result
• scene lit by flash may not be evenly lit
• flash bounce from the side gives soft flattering light when taking a portrait
• bounced light from above creates more natural light that mimics daylight
• 
  

Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs

During my trip to Hannon library, the photography book that attracted my interest most was Ansel Adams. I'm really drawn to landscape photography and like that so much of his work showcases the beauty of America's different landscapes. I also love that the work is in black and white. It was really inspiring to look at these photos while in a photo 1 class because it gave me so many more ideas on how to play with texture and contrast.  His work just seemed to combine two things I find incredibly beautiful, the diverse climates of America along with beautiful black and white photography. My favorite collection of photos were the ones taken in Yosemite. I've often camped there with my family and have always been disappointed that the photos I take there never truly reflect the beauty of the national park. However, Adams prints gave me the same feelings of awe that I feel when I'm actually among the nature of Yosemite.

A Short course in photography: chapter 9

Chapter 9: Seeing like a camera

• no photograph is the same thing as the original subject, every photo is a comment
• black and white is more of an abstraction than color
• photographs can be assembled in a series to tell a larger story
• decide what you want before you shoot
• the eye tends to look to the middle of the frame
• most of the time its better not to put your subject in the middle of the frame
• your camera and your eye always crop the scene
• pay attention to the impact the background will have on your image
• use focus
• dim light or slow film may require shallow depth of field
• chose to blur the background or subject but not both
• photographs traslate three dimensions into two
• what kind of experience do you wish to communicate?
• style hinges on 
• understanding of available tools
• sense of what it is important to use these tools for
• meaning can be reinforced by the way you arrange the subject
• supermarket stretching its mouth
• tiny print: intimacy
• large print: power
• a good portrait captures mood, expression, tells something about a person
• take lots of warm up pictures to get your subject warmed up
• don't ask your subject to smile automatically
• pay attention to the effect light has on your subject
• landscapes:
• what do you want to remember most?
• what's your favorite aspect?
• love horsetail falls, oregon photograph
• return to a place when the light is best
• don't be in a rush to take pictures, take time to look and absorb, thats how you will find the best pictures
• time of day effects more than just light but subject content as well
• indoor spaces always reflect those who dwell within them
• watch for unwanted shadows and lookout for excessive contrast from strong side or top light
• the closer you are to a subject, the less depth of field  you will get
• pay attention to depth of field while you're inside because of proximity to subject
• if you have to close down the shutter speed to compensate for light, use a tripod
• pay attention to all different aspects of a photo
• does the technical side take or detract from the photo
• what is the emphasis 
• where does your eye go
• what kind of photograph is it? what is it trying to convey
• what is the emotional/ physical impact

A Short Course in Photography: 5&6

Chapter 5: Developing the Negative

• Consistency and cleanliness pay off, the more dirty your film, the worse your prints will be
• Just be careful me with every process
• Something we don't have in the lab that I might find helpful is a photo sponge, i think i tend to damage my film when I'm trying to get most of the water off and this would help reduce the amount of contact I have with the negatives
• didn't know photo flo was actually an optional part of this
• during the development process
• arrange everything first, make sure you know where all your tools are and that you have adequate space BEFORE turning off lights
• before putting developer into the tank test temp again if the chemicals have been sitting out
• *pour out developer about 10-15 seconds BEFORE the end of the developing period
• when fixing the film:
• check half way through to see if the film is clearing
• if at half way the film is still milky the fixer is exhausted
• after film has been exposed to light it is latent (not yet visible)
• the negative becomes denser and darker the longer it is exposed to developer and with warmer temperatures
• acidic stop bath helps extend life of the fix
• fix dissolves any undeveloped crystals
• development has a big impact on the exposure of the film
• development will control the density of a photos highlights
• exposure controls the shadows
• a normally exposed negative should have:
• good separation of highlights, midtones and shadows
• push processing
• changing the film speed on the camera in order to shoot in very dim settings
• can have effects on developing
• makes it easier to over develop your film

Chapter 6: Printing in a Darkroom

• set up your station so you have three chemicals in a row and the water bath in a separate space
• water bath can act as holding tank and you don't want it getting in the way of your processing
• make sure to put paper in developer EMULSION side down
• don't do the clearing bath until you're ready to put the print in the final wash
• judging exposure
• if pictures look too dark or too light do another test with the enlarger set at a different aperture
• judging contrast
• change paper or use a higher number filter
• density: lightness and darkness of a print
• contrast: difference in darkness between light and dark parts of the same print
• adjust density first, then contrast
• when the print looks good overall, go through and look for places that could be tweaked
• burning versus dodging:
• use cardboard and cover all areas except that which needs to be darker
• vice versa for dodge
• darkening a too light sky or highlighting a face are common ways of applying this method
• cropping works best when you first take the photo
• you can also use sliders on easel to change size of picture
• spotting:
• use liquid photographic dyes and a paint brush to remove unwanted light spots
• the darker the spots, the more diluted the dye
• scratching
• you can use a blade to fine tune and scrape off any areas that are too dark