...again

The first research studio project of the semester (or the last, depending on how you look at it) is to record the deterioration/growth/evolution of something over the course of the semester. It was set into motion last week and will culminate at the end of the semester in May.

I have chosen to count how many times my professor says the word again in my colloquium class which meets for up to two hours every tuesday. Sometimes he is one of three instructors speaking and only uses about 30 minutes. Sometimes he is the only speaker and uses the whole class. Sometimes he does not speak at all. However, I have noticed that he says this word A LOT.

I started doing this on October 17 last semester and I am excited it has turned into an art project. (I will only use the count starting from this semester however). At the end of the semester, I will total up the amount of times he said the word and create a portrait of him using that specific amount of words.

I will keep an updated tally of the amount he says it. Check back each week if you are intersted.

Feb. 10

30

Feb. 17

90

Feb. 24

0 -- He did not present today.

Semester Total

120

Jumpology

This is an interesting concept I learned about recently in Art History. The photographer Philippe Halsman did a lot of work for Life Magazine in the 1950s. He usually would ask his subjects, which were celebrities, politicians, scientists, etc. to jump. He believed that at this moment, the person's "mask" was removed and you could see their true personality.

Philippe Halsman and Marilyn Monroe

This type of psychology analyzed such things as arm and leg positions, and facial expressions.

Edward Steichen

IDK who this is :/

For an extra credit assignment, we had to take our own jump portrait and analyze it using Halsman's techniques. Here's what he probably would have said about me:

*My arms suggest that I am trying to support something, such as family or friends. They are also trying to propel me upward, suggesting I have a plan or purpose in mind.

*My open hands tell the viewer I am relaxed.

*My legs are not held together but not spread far apart either so I am not reserved but I am not concerned with appearing masculine either.

*My smile says I am open to new experiences (such as jumping for a photograph) and me looking at the photographer means I am interested in what other people think of me.

Well at least that's what Philippe Halsman probably would have said.

Half & Half

First Design Project of the Semester:

Splice two images together 50/50 in a meaningful way.

Iceberg Cone

Italian Leather

Birth and Death

Science vs. Religion

Spring will come!

I HATE HATE HATE the winter. Its cold and miserable. I'm definitely a spring/summer boy. This Tree reminded me that spring will be here soon enough. If it can make it through the winter and still have such a beautiful, warming color hiding underneath of its white outer skin, then I can surely make it a couple more months too. I can't wait for warm sunny weather and the lush colors of spring!

I hate the cold, but the snow isn't so bad...

What do you mean no color!?

A friend of mine suggested I make this a black and white image. I am always afraid of going in that direction because I love color and I suppose I think black and white photography is more difficult. I feel as though it requires more talent.

I agree that this puddle looks great in black and white; it lost the golden quality that I really liked but still remains its luminosity which is really strong in these shots.

I want to venture more into the realm of Black and White photography, but I really need to go out and shoot some more. Maybe I will once it gets a little warmer; I really hate winter!

Photography

Here are a few shots that I took this past semester that never made it up onto the blog.

Grass near the dining hall. I took this for the aperture project.

Swirly lights. Taken for the illustrator project. I liked the graffiti-like quality that this has.

A water fountain, penny and shadow of my hand. I love the colors in this picture. It was a part of my self portrait project.

The rose window at St. Johns church on Main street. This was shot for my lyrics project but I ended up not using it.

Originally a "y" for the alphabet project until i was told that tree branches are too common. I still like the colors and silhouette though.

Magazine Cover

I was bored today so I decided to create a magazine cover using pictures I already had on my computer. The only piece of it that I got from the internet is the Seventeen logo. I created it on photoshop.

Old

"Yellow Brick Road"

I was reviewing all of the pictures I took this semester and I stumbled across this one. I took this October 2nd at 12:44 AM. I like how the lighting created a golden quality on the bricks and I also like the clarity of the reflection in the puddle, yet you can still see through it to the bricks underneath. Most of my shots from this early in the semester aren't very good, but it is fun to come across one that I like.

Impressive Instant

I don't think this one's finished. But I'm struggling with what to do. I'm thinking about using different fonts instead of it all being the same, but I don't know if that will break it up too much. The lyrics are "You're the one that I've been waiting for... I don't even know your name."

I also wanted to add some yellow green in somewhere, maybe like swirly lines, but I'm not really sure the best way to do that.