Still Life #3

Patrick Nagatani
Image One - Cadillac Town Car, The Great Gallery, Horseshoe Canyon, Utah, U.S.A.,

I think that this is one of the ones we talked about during class. I think that it is interesting because of the car being excavated with Egyptian ruins in the background. It gives perspective on the flow of time and how soon we will be the civilizations that are excavated. 

Image Two - 

I just thought that this one was weird and interesting. 

Ruth Throne Thomson
Image One - Songs of the Sea, 1991

I chose this one because of the fog. It gives it an eerie quality that reminds me of the mental pictures I got when I read old legends.

Image Two - Duet, Wisconsin

To be honest I'm not actually sure what is in this image, but that is one of the things I really like about it. It has interesting shapes, and it is in black and white, which just adds to the mystery of the image.

Sandy Skoglund

Image One - Peaches

I chose this image because, 1. I love peaches.

 2. I like how you can only see the reflection of the peaches, not the actual peaches on the counter.

3. I think there is some sort of commentary going on here, but I cannot put my finger on it. 

Image Two - A Breeze at Work, 1987

I like this one because I think it shows where we would all want to be if we had to work in an office like that. The breeze is breathing life and color into this dreary office, and the leaves are blue.

Still Life #2

Jan Groover

Image One- Still Life with Velvet and Metal Fitting

It took me awhile to figure out where the metal was in this image, but I really do like the contrast between the black fabric background and the velvet in the foreground. I think it almost gives the velvet a metallic feel. I also like the way the light reflects off of the velvet. 

Image Two - Untitled 70-1-78

I thought this image was interesting. It seems like the utensils are hiding under the leaves, like dinner is set under a bush in a garden somewhere, hidden from view. 

Olivia Parker

Image One- Shell Beans

This reminds me of the Anne Geddes photos with the babies, except these are actual beans. To me this image  has an interesting look. At the same time it looks like some of the beans are falling out of the pods, while other a contently resting in their spots. It just looks very interesting to me. 

Image Two - Miss Appleton's Shoes 1976

I think I chose this picture because these shoes remind me of ballet slippers, they are delicate shoes with delicate ribbons. I also like how there is only one shoe in full view, instead of both. It is a nice simple monochromatic image.


Zeke Berman
(I just wanted to make a side note. I went to Zeke Berman's website, and he is by far my favorite out of this group of photographers)
Image One - Maple Branch

I like this picture and I'm not sure why. The planter with the maple leaf branch almost looks like a tea cup that you would use the spoon with. I think the drawings on the table are supposed to be a table and the plant stand. Maybe? But anyways I think it looks awesome.

Image Two - Tragic Spill

I like this one too, because the coffee cup is just hanging out up there on top of the unfortunate spill. Where did it come from? The spill I mean. And while reading the morning paper too. Now that is tragic, what would the world do without it's morning paper?

Still Life #1

Irving Penn
Image One - The Fallen Pitcher  (1980)

What I find interesting about this image is that the fallen pitcher is not broken like the bowl of cherries. I think that is supposed to be milk under all of this. Could it be a play on the saying "Don't cry over spilt milk" ?

Image Two - Italian Still Life, New York,  Sept. 1981

I chose this one because it reminded me of a caprese salad that is missing the basil. I like the stacking, and that the colors go from one end of the spectrum to the other, though white to red is a bit of a leap. 

Image Three - Still Life with Mushrooms (1966)

I will start by saying mushrooms are awesome. This image shows them at all the usual angles, top, bottom, and sides. They are just there. I like how you can see the imperfections, the grains and the splotches. 

Edward Weston

Image One - Pepper

 I honestly cannot believe this was shot in the 1930's. To me it doesn't seem to fit the time period, bringing to light my ignorance in the progression of photography. It is such a bizarre looking pepper, it almost looks like a man-made sculpture. That may be the reason I like it, it does not look like the everyday pepper.

Image Two-  Leaf

The same goes for this leaf of lettuce. At first glance, I did not see a leaf of lettuce, I saw this floating fabric on a strange body or wire. I think this image shows the beautiful flow of nature. It looks so smooth at the top where the light is, but in the darker areas the texture of the leaf comes out. The contrast is stunning and beautiful. 

Image Three - Toadstool

It took me a minute to figure out where the camera was pointing in this image. At first I thought the stem was just empty, not an actual stem. I really like this perspective of looking up at the underside of the toadstool. It makes it look so much more grand than it would actually be looking down at it. 

Lighting Demo Week

Since this week we did a lighting demo, I'm going with the theme of lighting in these images.  I found all of these under 30 Magical Examples of Natural Light Photography. 

Image One - I like this image because of the way the sunlight is streaming in through the trees. The color of the light gives the image a soft and comforting feel.

Image Two - I like this image because it seems like there are only a few things in focus, its like waking up after a nap in the middle of a field. I like the vignettes on the bottom corners, it gives the image a rounded feeling, like its curving out, or is it in?

Image Three- This image reminded me of flying over Great Britain. It just doesn't look real. The light scattered across these partitions of land with precise boundaries, with the trees adding their own. To me it seems picturesque and fantastical. 

Catch Up on Photos- Week 3

We talked about solargraphy the other day after digital imaging. So here are some of the photos that I've found. Let me just say that solargraphy is so cool! It makes some amazing and interesting images. P.S. I found all of these on Google.

Image One

This is a solargraphy image from London, England. The big round thing in the middle of the image is the London Eye. I think this image is really interesting because of the drastic time changes in the season. During the summer it does not get dark until around 11:30 or midnight and in the winter it gets dark around three. I just think it is a really interesting photograph and I like the reflection in the water as well.

Image Two

This one I found on Google was apparently taken in Helsinki  Finland. The reason I find it interesting is the color distortion on the film, frankly it just looks cool. I also like how the path of the sun fits perfectly over the land out in the water.

 Image Three
This one I found that was taken in Stockholm, Sweden. I really like this one because it's in a portrait orientation and the reflection can be seen on the water. Something that intrigues me about this image is that about a third of it is obscured by something and it just adds another level of mystery to the image, that is already created by the subject and style in which it was created. 

Catch Up on Photos- Week 2

For this post I'm going to go with landscapes.

Image One

This image is of the castle Eilean Donan in the Highlands of Scotland. To start off I will go by saying this is my favorite castle in Scotland that I have not been to. The picture shows a view of Eilean Donan that isn't typically shown. Most pictures, the first five pages of Google, are the castle at ground level where  the lochs and the mountains can be seen directly behind it. I'm drawn to this image because it shows a different side to this beautiful castle. It's easier to see the strategic positioning of the castle, and the gorgeous surroundings. 

Image Two

This photo was taken at sunset on Cumberland Island off the coast of Georgia. Sunsets make attractive images anyway, but when they are on the water it makes the image so much more appealing. The tree branch draping over the scene is a nice reminder that this area has not been run over by civilization while the boat on the water shows that civilization is appreciating the area.

Image Three

...And back to Scotland.. This scene comes from Edinburgh. In the foreground is Dugald Stewart monument, and standing there majestically in the background looking over Edinburgh is Edinburgh Castle.  Other than being a great view of Edinburgh it really shows the expanse of the castle. It is huge! More importantly it is still there as the city grows and society progresses. It is a piece of history that will not go away and that is why I love it.

Catch Up on Photos- Week 1

I think I'll try and do themes with the pictures that I post each week. So to start off I'm going to start off with some photographs that are familiar to me both in subject and technique, that may not be the correct word but it's what I'm going with. This week I'm going with black and white photographs. I find that B&W photo are more mysterious than their color counterparts and cause the imagination to wonder, along with the mind

Image One- Kissing the War Goodbye

This is up there on Erin's list of all-time favorite photographs. I love the spontaneity, and the celebration that it represents. It's a classic photograph.

Image Two

This is once again a timeless scene from the Big Apple. I know I would be absolutely terrified to be up there with out any safety harnesses or anything, yet these guys are up there eating lunch like they were at a local diner. That's why I like it, a normal scene in an abnormal setting.







Image Three

This iconic scene from World War Two is just epic. It's possibly my favorite memorial in the DC area, it's at Arlington Cemetery. I just like this picture, and I cannot put my finger on why.