Blog Prompts 20 & 21

#20 Describe some common aesthetic/formal qualities, content, and conceptual threads in “snapshot” photography.

I love the spontaneity in snapshot photography. It doesn’t feel manipulated or set up, its raw and fresh. I think that’s what makes it so strong conceptually as well as aesthetically. Its content feels real therefore it’s stronger and more appealing, people can relate to it more than a studio set-up.

#21 Brainstorms! (In an effort to expand, improve, push your thesis projects further, pick 5 of the following to discuss.)

a. Ideas sometimes grow out of irritation. What is a negative thought you are having about your project? What is the opposite of this negative thought? How could you implement a change in your project so that this negative thought will subside?
Negatively I feel like I’m just decorating old work and would love to shoot new work but conceptually this weather does not fit with my piece so I’m kind of stuck in boredom and feel like I’m making myself work on it at times instead of wanting to dig deeper into the project. Opposite of this thought would be that I should look further back into photographs and embrace that they were taken in the past and maybe find older images I have forgotten about to use or go through Grandma’s millions of photos. I think doing this would help me get back into the project.

d. Type twenty words or phrases that relate to your project.
Home. Nature. Life. Family. Friendship. Beautiful. Flowers. Lessons. Words. Sayings. Folky. Old. Snapshots. Keepsake. Scrapbook. Book. Friendly. Light. Sunny. Antique.

e. At the deepest core, describe why you like this project. Dig deep!
It reminds me of my childhood and allows me to revisit that time in my life and relate back to a book that I grew up with and put my own impressions on it. Also, it allows me to go back into pictures and design a layout to make them work with, add in type & textures. This aspect of the project relates to my interests not only in photography but also graphic design.

f. Expand your project. If time, money, materials, etc would not affect you, how would you expand your project?
I would love to go on location in various place that have sunshine! Unfortunately Michigan sucks right now for the look and feel I am going for in my images so I’m forced to use past shot pieces which I do not want to do. For my project I envision fields, flowers, forests, lakes etc.


g. Contract your project. What would it boil down to if squeezed and contracted to its simplest form?
Life’s beauties and lessons.