in the darkroom at the national gallery of art

although i wasn't able to go with the whole class, i really enjoyed the In the Darkroom: Photographic Processes Before the Digital Age exhibit. my favorite part was being able to see the progression of technical developments not in written form, but all illustrated by actual images shot by great photographers. it was awesome being able to see images that we've discussed in class, up close and personal. the Ansel Adams photos were absolutely breathtaking in person because of the extreme amount of detail in it. it really made me appreciate his, and the other photographer's work even more because of their lack of use of anything digital.

photojournalism: a holi-day?

The Holi Festival (Festival of Colors) in India is something I've always wanted to experience. The festival of Holi is a religious festival. People gather and sing bhajans of Radha and Lord Krishna and it marks the beginning of the Spring. I chose a couple of photos shot by Poras Chaudhary that were really striking because of the action and color.

see more of her work: http://www.photoshelter.com/c/poraschaudhary

f64

the photo i chose to represent early 20th century art with is one that might not exemplify the subject matter that the f64 group chose to use, but technically has some of the same characteristics. this image is one that i shot of a friend's wrists with her fists clenched. i believe that stylistically this is a good representation of weston, adams, and cunningham because of all the details. the shot is a very tight one, taken close up. you are able to see all the wrinkles in the skin and the shadows from where the skin folds and creases. besides that the contrast and sharpness is in the same fashion of these photographers.

just for fun

collage project i did for another class

killers+noisettes= amazing

biiig fan of au naturale

this is an example of the type of thing i want to be a part of.
i think Glamour magazine should be applauded for showing the public that beauty isn't just what is seen on the runways and in the media. these women are all exceptionally gorgeous, seriously, look at their faces they're stunning. don't get me wrong, i'm not saying i'm against any retouching or editing, but most photographers and publications take it way too far. i think that the people who deserve to be in spreads and on the covers of magazines should possess true beauty. companies like Dove & Nike just to name a couple have begun to embrace the "realness" and have launched campaigns with curvier women. i'm not out to completely change the game, i think models are models because of the way clothes hang on them and how they work it, but taking things to either extreme (pin-thin or extremely overweight) is just unattractive. i really could go on for a lot longer about standards of beauty, what they were in the past, and the extent to which they have come, but i'll save that one for another day. for now, i just want to say good job Glamour.

from the november issue










from the september issue

something like a phenoma, baby

shot by contemporary photographer, Ian Cameron, "peacock feathers" is an innovative take on landscape photography. Cameron spent a lot of time in Scotland photographing breathtaking vistas during very harsh weather. this particular image was captured in Applecross, Highlands, Scotland. "The scallop shaped depressions are large undulations in the red sand beach and the black scallop shapes are distorted reflections of the silhouetted hills on the far side of the bay." explains Cameron. this shot caught my attention more than the others because it has one of the photographer's signature traits, which is capturing a view that could be interpreted as something else. the depressions on the beach look like peacock feathers rather than just plain sand. his point of view makes landscape photography more interesting to me.

check out more of Ian Cameron's work: http://www.transientlight.co.uk/index.php

on a side note

i'm twenty years old!








*not my photo

there's no subtlety when it comes to this one

The portrait I chose is entitled "Lusty Spring", shot by one of my very favorite photographers, David LaChapelle. This photo of the famous actress, Angelina Jolie, was shot in 2001. I’ve always been fascinated by LaChapelle’s work and the risks he takes. I would actually consider this one of his more modest images. In this photo, LaChapelle captures Jolie in a moment of pure ecstasy. She is nude in a field of flowers on a beautiful, cloudless day. To me, this image depicts pure bliss. It is an unconventional photo, especially of a celebrity such as Angelina. Rarely do you see people in the limelight let their guards down and let that moment be captured, but LaChapelle managed to do so, and he executed it quite beautifully. The subject is almost perfectly in the center of the photograph with just enough negative space around her. The way she is hunching her shoulders creates beautiful shadows from her collarbones and neck. The contrast of the color of her skin and the bright yellows, oranges, greens, and blues make the photo a captivating one. It almost looks like a still from a very pleasurable dream. The fact that she is in focus and the background, although vibrant, is blurry, really gives the photo dimension. LaChapelle is a great example of a contemporary portrait photographer who is not afraid of pushing the envelope. He began his career in the 80’s shooting for Interview Magazine and since then has been taking more daring and head-turning photographs. He has been published in various fashion magazines shooting editorials, but he is still best known for his portraits.

eu dexei meu coração em São Paulo

i left my heart in São Paulo. here are a few pictures i scanned from my stay there.
camera used: 35mm Pentax

fall editorial?

model: mohammed aliyan
photographer: veronica sequeira

taking advantage of a beautiful day/an example of the type of work i want to do.

credit to mr. aliyan

just wanted to share this photo my friend shot in georgetown. it was just a spur of the moment, taken on a iphone, kind of picture but i love the separation of the different materials and textures in the photo. to me it just shows that beauty doesn't have to be conventional and can be found where you least expect it.

contemporary portraiture: martin schoeller

This past week I made my way over to the portait gallery in chinatown. I already knew who I wanted to write about before I got there. I’ve always been interested in Martin Schoeller’s work ever since I learned about him in high school. This contemporary, german photographer is well known for working with Annie Leibovitz and for his large scale, close up portraits of celebrities and people. When first walking into his exhibit, it’s a little overwhelming. You’re surrounded by very large, very bright body-less heads floating. Schoeller chose to shoot some of his portraits in black and white, but the ones that striked me the most were the colored photos. Other than the fact that the camera is extremely close to the subject’s face to the point of seeing every wrinkle and imperfection, I think the color photos help to capture even more detail from forehead to chin. The image that stood out to me the most was of Jack Nicholson. I feel like Schoeller very easily could have chosen to capture the actor with his infamous grin, but decided to take another aproach and shoot him with a more serious, straightforward pose, not unlike his other subjects. It’s interesting to see this side of Nicholson. Schoeller portrays the actor as a human being rather than as this persona that he has made for himself. Seeing all the celebrities close up like this makes them rather vulnerable. There’s no hiding behind shades or hats, no caked on makeup to hide their imperfections, it’s refreshing. I definitely recommend this exhibit to you guys, there are also other great images that are part of Portraiture Now that are worth checking out, including Steve Pyke’s outstanding black and white images.

geisha and lilies

the photo i chose is by a Japanese photographer by he name of T. Enami (1859-1929). Enami was a prolific photographer who opened his studio in Yokohama in 1892.

Enami was distinguished by his stereoviews of Japan and Japanese culture. those stereoviews were later taken and skillfully hand-tinted into glass lantern slides. above is the raw, undisturbed stereo proof and on the bottom left is the tinted version.

i chose this photo mainly because of the subject. Enami seemed to have a fascination with geishas, but most often than not, he captured them in a more serious state. i loved how even though she really is a geisha, she is dressed as more of a common woman at the time, and the expression on her face is one of pure happiness and amusement. the way she has her arms up helps frame her face, which to me is the focal point of the photo. the tinted version of "geisha and lilies" is simply beautiful. the contrast of the soft pastels and whites against the rich blacks of the background is very striking. even in the raw proof of the photo the contrast between the dark brown and white of her clothing and lilies is prominent.

allow me to introduce myself

my interest in photography started years ago when i discovered boxes full of my mom's old photos. i fell in love with the ability to capture people's expressions and emotions at any given moment. cheesy? maybe, but it's true. i love how i'm able to pick up a photo and remember what was going on and how i felt at that moment. i believe that too many people these days take life's little pleasures and moments for granted, and photography helps preserve them.

with all that talk you would think i would choose wedding photography or event photography as my career, but no. i want to break into the competitive field of fashion photography. my dream is to eventually work for various fashion magazines shooting editorials and traveling all over the world. a girl wanting to work in fashion, how original right? my ultimate goal is to try and stir things up by changing the industry's view on what is beautiful. i feel like i have a fresh eye and a unique perspective on beauty that can help break molds that exist in the industry.

this is my first year at nova, but not of college. i went to old dominion university right after high school, but it just wasn't my thing. i made the great decision to take a year off from school and spent almost half a year living in sao paulo, brasil. i just got back about a month ago, and am very excited about being back at school, working my way towards my a.a.s. in photo and then into art school.