blog prompts 5-18

Blog Prompts #5, #6, #7, & #8
#5. Think of various cultural, religions, political, personal, scientific associations and symbols of “light” and “darkness”. Discuss some that come to mind.
Light is always associated with heaven while dark is always associated with hell. When images are light they give off a divine presence while dark images give off bad connotations, and uneasy feelings.

#6 Think of some experiences that you have had in which you felt a sense of “lightness”. Describe one or some of these experiences.
I feel a sense of lightness when I’m outside and the warm sun is shining on my face, when I’m at home with family, or out for a walk with friends. Lightness is always associated with the sunshine for me, and being outdoors.

#7. Think of some experiences that you have had in which you felt a sense of “darkness”. Describe one or some of these experiences.
I feel a sense of darkness during the winter days when you don’t see the sun, when I’m anticipating something dreadful that I don’t want to do, or when I’ve missed a deadline.

#8 From the reading on light and shadow, pick an artist/photographer whose work inspires you. Describe why you like her/his work.
Ansel Adams. He is the perfect artist to describe light and shadow. He manipulates his images to show every detail in every shadow and even in the lightest areas. I am inspired by him not only by the beauty of his prints but also by his technicalities. After learning to develop my film I have a deeper respect for Ansel Adams and his achievements in light and shadow.

Blog Prompts #9, #10, & #11
9. Pick a sculpture that you like. Write a description of how you might use 3D modeling in Photoshop to make this sculpture part of a photographic image.
I really enjoy a sculpture I made in construction and fabrication. A piece about my mom made with twine to form the figure, laced with lights and handmade flowers from my mothers clothing. Using photoshop it would be interesting to bring this sculpture to 3d digitally.

10. Describe an impossible scenario. Describe how you can create this scene using digital photographic compositing.
I could never be sitting on lake tahoe working away at my computer but with photoshop I could easily place myself in that scene. Lighting would be a challenge but it would be cool to see the outcome.

11. Collages, montages, assemblages, and composites often bring together disparate items, objects, scenes, places, and people. The process of combining seemingly unrelated or unexpected items can be inspired by spontaneous thoughts/experiments. Describe some ideas, thoughts, and things that come to mind when you think of “combination” or “assemblage”. Try to perform this brainstorm using a stream of consciousness technique in which you list anything that comes to mind. You can add to this list… Here goes… fractured/combined identities, old newspapers + grass, constant bombarding of images via mass media, looking through a kaleidoscope, doll + baby, cut a bike in half and add a tree, etc. …
fabrics, patterns, designs, old photographs, scrapbooking paper, embroidery, thread stitched on paper, flowers, wrappers, stencils…
Blog Prompts #12-#16
#12 Describe some differences between still photographs and moving images.
Still photographs can be static and capture a moment in time feeling more like a memory while moving images tell more of a story and entertain a concept.

#13 Describe some similarities between still photographs and moving images.
Both can have a sense of motion and tell a story.

#14 Describe some links between photography and the concept of “time”. Describe some links between photography and the concept of “stillness”.
We view our memories in a series of photographs, never a full scenario is played out in our heads but instead more of a stop motion than a real time movie. Photography is a way to capture “stillness”, to capture a memory or moment in time.

#15 Describe how you can you “activate” a photograph that you have already taken. In other words, how can you transform a “still” image into a “moving” one?
You can easily manipulate a photograph to make pieces of it move using photoshop or other programs.

#16 Describe how you might take a “moving” image and make it “still”.
taking a screenshot of a motion picture or moving piece can capture a piece of it and make it still. Also photographing a moving animation will make it a still.

Blog Posts #17 & #18
#17 What do you think the next technological innovation will be in photography? What is the "future" of photography? What will photography become or how will it evolve in the next 100 years? How do you see photography melding with or distancing itself from other types of media?
I see photography moving more towards moving images. All photos will look like a photograph at first glance but aspects of that image will move and go further into telling a story. I think photography will meld with motion graphics and movies but remain separate because of the concept of a frozen moment of time.

#18 Create your own definition of the word "photography".
Photography to me is a capture of that exact moment in time, viewed separately from the time it was taken and able to be revisited physically, not just mentally.