Title: Ambiguous
Media: Photography
Size: 11"x17"
Date Complete: Spring 2013
This was a project I did for Digital Photography III 2 semesters ago. I placed the mask in front of two objects with some relief carvings on them to fill in the eye holes. I placed one small soft box with a flash (strobe) light above, to the left and slightly in front of the mask to emphasize the somewhat "Ambiguous" nature of the objects within their particular context (or setting).
I sharpened the image and increased the saturation in Camera Raw before opening in Photoshop. I cropped the image down to just the eyes to further emphasize the ambiguity of the image. I placed a large stroke around with a gradient to give it a good frame that at least somewhat mirrored the meaning of the photograph.
Title: Shades of Wrath
Media: Photography
Size: 5"x6"
Date Completed: Spring 2013
Shades of Wrath is based on "The Grapes of Wrath", a 1939 novel by John
Steinbeck set during the Great Depression in which the lives of the
Joads, a poor family of tenant farmers experience the hardships of life
during the Dust Bowl. A depiction of the great economic strife
experienced by many of the downtrodden. This description is only for
those who have not read the novel, or know little about the depression.
Shades of Wrath is simply a visual account of the hopes and dreams
expressed by the poor through art and suffering of this bygone era. Many
people became street musicians eking out a living from their meager
earnings received from their street performances.
The photograph was made using the technique of "Drawing with Light"
which I learned in my Lighting I class. The photograph is actually
several photo's taken using a 30 second exposure while "Painting" the
objects with colored lights. There is an approximate total of six to ten
photographs in this final version. I placed the photo's into Photoshop
and used the technique of "Stacking" to create the effects that make up
the whole. I used only parts of certain photo's by layering, masking out
what i didn't want of a photo, and adding adjustment layers like
curves, levels, hue and saturation etc. This, along with my other photo
of a similar style were among my most intriguing photography assignment
of my college career.
Title: Grinding Blue
Media: Photography
Size: 8"x10"
Date Completed: Spring 2013
Grinding Blue, like Shades of Wrath was done for one of my lighting class projects. It is also analogues to the Great Depression. Symbolic of that are the rotting grapes and the title which has a double meaning, the literal for one as in the color blue and the metaphoric reference to the "Blues" and the "Grinding" nature of the horrors experienced by the downtrodden of that time.
The process is the same as for Shades of Wrath. Layers of several images of 30 second exposures to create the final effect. Masking off of unwanted elements etc.
Both images are for a series I am working on and hope to publish some day.
Clara, I love this image it is so strong and yet it also has a mysteriously feminine quality about it. Great job!
ReplyDeleteLani
Thank youLalani! That means a great deal to me as this work is from my heart.
DeleteHi Clara, Your image Grinding Blue is really striking. It is dark composition, and the blue bottle is also clearing very dark. Yet through skillful lighting technique you captured jewel-like color. Nice work. Jaime
ReplyDeleteClara: Your image "Shades of Wrath" is well done! The moodiness of the jewel toned lighting contrasted against the weathered instrument gives off the Great Depression vibe that inspired this piece. You did a lovely job!
ReplyDeleteShade of Wrath is definetly an attention grabber, and I find myself lingering on that picture. The lighting and color brings the right kind of mystery to the picture. I also loved what you did to fill in the eye wholes of the mask. I feel like that was a unique idea.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your comments it really helps boost my confidence as a photographer more than you know=^.^=
ReplyDelete