Final Reflection

My experience in this class, to say the least, has been a wonderful one. I am so happy to have had the opportunity to combine my love of photography with giving back to the community and helping others. While I had no initial reservations on the photography aspect of the course seeing as I used to avidly study photography in high school and my early years of college, I did have some reservations on the service aspect of the course as I had never worked in a medical clinic before or with persons who have disabilities. However, my reservations were immediately put to ease after our first trip out to UCF. The course opened my eyes to see that there was really nothing to be apprehensive about, these people were people just like you and me and talking to them was relaxed and informal and in fact extremely enjoyable.

My experience with my client was also wonderful. She is such a kind hearted, strong, driven, and talented woman. Always with a smile on her face she perseveres through every task given to her. She showed me how no matter what obstacles life throws at you there is always a means to overcome them.

I remember as a child visiting my grandmother in her nursing home and looking at the patients, many of whom now I have come to realize had aphasia, as people completely unlike myself and the people I knew. However, working with these patients (and also growing up) allowed me to realize just because we experience tragedies in our lives it does not make us any different than everyone else in our hearts and minds and we will always still remain people who share similar emotions, fears, joys, and trials.

This course has been a wonderful way for me to wrap up my experience as a student at Rollins College. I am so happy I can graduate knowing that not only did I go back to my photographic roots but I did something that helped someone else, and that feeling of accomplishment will always be with me.

Independent Project

My independent project is complied of a series of photographs dealing with the different stages of our lives and the way we express these stages outside of the use of language. It shows how a snapshot of one certain act, expression, embrace, or physical suggestion can allude to the emotions we feel in certain stages of our lives. And, how through our actions rather than our language we revisit these different stages of our lives in our journey of growing.

The first image, Boy in the Sand, conveys the struggles we endure as children when trying to grow up. How our young bones can take the falls that teach us, and persevere to try and try again until we learn to do the tasks that we will later deem as easy. In this photo, the boy struggles and falls to the ground to catch a ball almost the size of his body. In photographing this boy he fell down over and over again, never giving up until he successfully caught the ball. Later in life, catching a ball this size will come easy for him, but in this photograph we see the learning process when young isn’t always easy.

The next image out of my project I have posted, The Release, shows the joy we have in the acceptance of all the stages in our life and the action of the subject hitting the piñata shows we are never too old to experience the joys of youth. While the child sees the adult as somewhat as a separate species, the adult views the child as a memory.

The Last image I have posted, the cycle, seeks to provoke the idea of Just as when we were young we were taken care of, we grow up to be the caretakers and in a sense return to the childhood we remember by sharing it with another.

I feel the images are able to allow the viewer to be empathetic with them as they can relate to all these different stages of life and also show how sometimes the use of language is completely unnecessary to convey and express these emotions and experiences associated with these stages. The pictures are our unspoken words on our reflection of our lives.

Final Top 10

Hey Guys- Instead of giving away the theme i wanted to see if you guys had any clue to what it was first. Let me know your thoughts!

Assignment #4- The Narrative

For this assignment we were asked to tell a story through our pictures. I chose to document something that I, and everyone else, does to start their day. We wake up, we take a shower, we have our coffee and breakfast and we leave. Living in an historic apartment I used this opportunity to also portray the timelessness of this routine.

The first picture is the foot of my claw foot bath tub. I loved the texture in the foot on the tub and the way it contrasted with the tiles. I also liked how it wasn't so obvious and the viewer has to think about the shower connotation within it.

The second picture is of my coffee and breakfast. I liked the contrast between the round coffee cup and the scalloped edges of the bowl. I also thought the angle was interesting as we don't usually look at our breakfast from a birds-eye view.

The last picture is of the stairs leading down to exit my apartment. I thought the lines and shadows of the stairs made for a great picture, and playing with the angle and framing i was able to include the stairs above which i thought added to the composure of the picture.

Final Project: Work In Progress

For my final project i plan on focusing on the individual and the emotions we as people can convey without the use of spoken words. I feel this will go along well with the cause we've all been so passionate for all semester. I've attached some images below to show what I've been working on thus far and i wanted to get some feedback from you guys on what you think. Also, if you have the time, i have a few questions for you all:

First of all, do you think my topic is too broad and i need to narrow it down to one specific emotion or act in people? If so, which emotion would you suggest to focus on?

Secondly, do you think i should compile multiple photos together to tell a specific story about something or someone? I was thinking of doing this but with the final assignment being the narrative i feel it may be too repetitive....let me know what you think

Lastly, let me know what you think of these images. It would really help me with my project to get some feedback from you guys telling me what emotions are evoked in you when you see these images.

Assignment #3- The Home

For this Assignment I explored aspects of my own home and also submersed myself in the home of a culture I experienced for the first time on the island of Anguilla. I found there were many photographic opportunities within my own apartment and the historic aspect of my building allowed for a lot of cool shots. In Anguilla, most of the pictures I took were at a sea side bar called Banke Banks, where the owner, Banke Banks himself, actually lives. I also photographed some of natures creatures in their homes on the island to give a variety of definitions of the term home.

I chose the picture of my backgammon board because I feel it is an important part of my home away from home (my apartment at school) and my home in Connecticut. I grew up playing backgammon with my mom and dad and the game is a big part of my home and one of my favorite games. I don't think i'll ever own a home without a backgammon board in it, and i also thought the angle of the shot was very interesting.

The picture of the door and the white wall with the artwork on it was another one of my favorites because it shows my taste in art and i also thought the lighting in it was great and loved the light-pull dangling in the background against the white shower curtain. I also liked the contrast between the brown of the door and the white of the wall and the framing the art work does to the left side of the image.

I really liked the picture of the claw-foot bathtub. I think the bath/shower is a very important place in the home. It is where we either start our days or decompress after them. It is something we all have in our homes and I chose to photograph mine for this purpose and for the purpose because the claw foot makes it unique and interesting, especially against the tile floor.

March 3rd 2010

Today was our second critique with our UCF clients. Again, I was extremely impressed by their work and their progress thus far. I loved my clients picture of her and her husbands hands interlocked together with their wedding rings in clear site. I loved how she was able to go outside the normal definition of "portrait" as simply a picture of another person and came to a deeper meaning of the word. Her portrait showed love without words, showed people through their emotions opposed to their physical attributes. Her photograph corresponded perfectly with the theme of my blog, "Our Unspoken Words." Through that picture love, emotion, age, loyalty, security, and compassion were all expressed without the actual use of any of these words. The picture evoked these emotions within us and allowed us to gain insight into her relationship with her husband without language.

Another photograph that interested me was one a client did of his wife. The subject was placed in the left side of the frame with some negative space to the right and created a wonderful and fluid c-curve. This photograph was particularly interesting to me because the client said it was by accident that she was placed in the frame this way and attributed it to his lack of function with the left side of his vision. I thought this was wonderful actually because it shows that through art our flaws are able to create beauty. Something he though handicapped him was in fact a tool for creating a wonderful piece of art. I hope it made him as happy as it did me to see this take place and witness finding the good in the things we sometimes perceive as the bad.

All the pictures the clients took this week were beautiful. I loved the picture of one woman's grandchild. It was a beautifully framed shot of a beautiful baby and again was a way for her to express her love for her grandchild without the use of language. I also loved the picture of another man's dog. This photo too also showed the love he has for his pet and is very interesting because it shows a love that also needs no words.

24 February 2010

During our visit to UCF yesterday I was amazed how much my client has progressed. Whereas before she was only able to get out a few words and maybe a complete sentence, she was putting together full sentences and holding conversations wonderfully. Not only that but her photography skills are getting seriously good! She has such a strong personality and drive in her and it continues to impress me every week. She even figured out a trick to the camera that none of us were able to figure out--student teaching the teachers! She is such a kind hearted and wonderful person and it truly makes me so happy to see her progress so wonderfully. I can tell she really has gotten to enjoy photography and the workshop we do. Also from her pictures I can tell she's really bringing her camera with her everywhere she goes and taking some great pictures along the way showing a true dedication to her work. With the progress she has made so far I can only imagine what's in store for the future!

Assignment #2

For this assignment, we were asked to take portraits. I chose to use one of my best friends, eric, as my subject. The final three pictures I chose of him represent some of the different aspects of his personality that I love. The first being his serious side. The picture that is in color, of him in the back of the truck with a strong gaze into the camera shows his serious side. The side of him that is so deep and thoughtful and pure- also the side of him that is so strong. In his eyes I can see the struggles he has dealt with in his life and his ability to remain the strong and stable person that he is. The picture of him and his dog, Wimbly, show his loving and nurturing side. Just as he holds Wimbly with such care and love is how he treats me- he is always dependable and loving and there to take care of me and the look he is giving his dog and the way he embraces Wimbly portray this. Lastly the picture of his back of his head lying relaxed in the back of the truck show his easy going and care free side, the side of him that will lay relaxed and at ease with me all the time as we simply enjoy life.

Not only do these three pictures embrace three different aspects of Eric's personality but them embraced the different aspects of all human persona. We have our intense sides, our loving sides, and our care-free and relaxed sides. I feel that the pictures express emotions without words, something that I feel our clients are able to do through their photography as well.

10 February 2010

Today our clients shared their work so far with us, and I must say I was very impressed with the pictures! My client had a great picture of her husband with his motorcycle and I'm not sure if she realized how well she did on the assignment but she framed her husbands arm beautifully with the shelf in the background and also framed the bike along the vertical frame in a very interesting way. I could tell she was proud of herself and it made me so happy to see that in her eyes. She also did a great job talking about the other patients photos and I was impressed by how well she was able to articulate. All of the pictures were great and I can't wait to see what future assignments hold for the clients as I'm sure they can only improve from here!

On another note, I'm heading to New Orleans this weekend and am excited for the opportunity to shoot in such an amazing city. Hopefully someone doesn't spill their beer on my camera...

Reflections

Just thought I'd take a moment and reflect on my feelings about this wonderful service-learning class so far. Since we've started to go to UCF I've gained a new found appreciation for those suffering from aphasia. I remember when i was younger my Grandmother had a stroke. Being only 7 years old at the time I never really understood what was going on, or why she only said the word "yeah" and nodded her head. Because I was unaware of her condition, I always treated her in the same way. I think that's why she always enjoyed my company over the adults. The adults used to talk to her like a baby- whereas I always just saw my same old "oma." I try to keep this in mind when working with our patients. I can see in the eyes of my client she knows whats going on and when she tells us stories of her pre-stroke life I know that just because she's endured a stroke doesn't make her any different of a person. I look forward to getting to know her better and more importantly helping her find her way to express herself through photography.

The Photographer's Eye

William Smith: View across Chain Bridge, Washington, DC., c. 1863 The Library of Congress


While reading "The Photographer's Eye" by John Szarkowski there were many images that caught my eye but this one in particular really did because of what it creates. Szarkowski writes that the photographer starts with a frame and within this frame. creates the shapes that surround objects and edits the meanings and patterns of the world through an imaginary frame and this frame is the beginning of his picture's geometry. In this picture, Smith took a bridge and framed his picture in a way that created a pattern and geometric pattern. The two sides of the bridge make up the vertical frame and emphasize the pattern of the top of the bridge which makes up the vertical frame. The way he framed this picture almost morphs the reality of it and creates a pattern out of real life. The people in it are also placed along the frame and the horse in the distance gives a starting point for the depth of the picture and allows us to see the pattern continue into what looks like oblivion.

Edward Weston once said "Putting one's head under the focusing cloth is a thrill...to pivot the camera slowly around watching the image change on the ground-glass is a revelation, once becomes a discoverer... and finally the complete idea is there..."

To me it looks like Smith did just that in this picture. He moved around the camera and the image of the bridge changed into a pattern. He took life and made it art- made it geometric. And the result is extremely aesthetically pleasing.

Assignment 1

When shooting for this assignment I tried to look at things from a different angle/perspective. For example the fire hydrant. I chose this object to photograph because it is an everyday object we often encounter in passing but never really stop to look at or appreciate it's use. I framed the picture to focus on the handle and the pressure dial to emphasize the importance of these two aspects of the object. In the picture of the window i thought the lighting in this really created interesting colors and the angle i took the picture at i feel morphed the image a little bit to almost give it a fish eye effect, and the way i framed it cut off one of the windows and put the second one just inside the frame drawing your eye to the full scope of the picture. Lastly, i chose the picture of the wheel for emergency water because, like the fire hydrant, i thought it was an interesting perspective on an everyday object.

Garry Winogrand- "Texas State Fair, Dallas, 1964."

This image was of great interest to me because it reminded why I got into photography in the first place: to capture that one moment, that one second, in time where the world creates its own natural art. The brim of the cowboy's hat and the cow's tongue collide together perfectly creating their own triangle somewhat here and the fluidity of it is beautiful. Also, the expressions of both the cowboy and the cow are perfect for the picture. The cow, although an animal, looks somewhat amused, while the cowboy looks a bit annoyed but you can see the laughter and kindness towards the cow's affection in his eyes. This picture for me embodies the most beautiful part of photography, capturing the natural world and turning it into art. InStephen Shore's "The Nature of Photographs" he writes: "Where a painter starts with a blank canvas and builds a picture, a photographer starts with the messiness of the world and selects a picture." Not only do I LOVE this quote but i feel it is very applicable to this particular photograph.

Something to think about: How could this picture, or this moment of time, gone differently? Do you think the picture would have a similar affect without the collision of the tongue and the brim of the hat?