Self Portrait Idea

For my more metaphorical/artistic self-portrait, I want to shoot different parts of my body (hands, feet, eyes, etc), then add some sort of writing piece talking about how each part defines me. Ideally these photos will be in black and white film, though I might shoot digitally first to figure out exactly which photos I want//to make sure the person taking the pictures can capture what I want. I could also venture outside of my comfort zone and shoot in color film, but I might want some more practice with it first. 

Brian Leighton- Body Parts

'We're All Gonna Die- 100 meters of existence'

I love this piece by Simon Hogsberg. He shot in the same spot on a railroad bridge in Berlin to capture a massive variety of people. It's a completely different style to what I'm used to. Not every shot is framed well; heads are chopped off, people are blocking others behind them, there are unfocused figures in the foreground. It's also digital, without much alteration, which I tend to find boring. I feel this way because it's as if there's no aspect of "art", you're not creating something so much as capturing a moment, producing exactly what your eyes see. And most of the time the things we see everyday are boring. But that's why I love this piece so so much. Sure, it's capturing a moment in time, but the point is that in a given moment there are a million different people doing a million different things, ordinary or not. It's an idea I'm interested in exploring and also a style I might want to try, which would challenge me to figure out how to shoot digitally in a way I don't find boring. 

Independent Project Inspiration and Research

Edward Weston Nude Photographs

-Nude 1925-

-Nude 1936- 

-Nude 1934-

-Nude 1925-

Carl Warner Bodyscapes 

-Shin Knee Valley-

-Headless Horizon- 

For my independent project, I'm hoping to explore the human form in some way. I love the idea of photographing bodies in a way that they're almost unrecognizable, similar to the style of Carl Wagner's bodyscapes. I then want to project these images and shoot portraits. I intend on shooting the bodyscapes with black and white film, then using a digital camera to shoot the portraits. 

Thinking Sideways

Taken lying prone after waking up. This is of my cat Buster walking across my bed.

One of the photos I took in my kitchen. This is of an old jar used to hold mixing spoons. 

Taken outside on my deck, lying prone. 

Also taken outside while I laid on my back. I tried to use the shadow of the plants above me to emphasize/complement the print of my dress. 

Another photo taken on my deck while lying prone. This is of a curly willow plant. 

My Summer

Oregon Coast

 -Gearhart Sunset-

Oregon Coast

-Afternoon on the beach-

Oregon Coast

-Kite flying with Liz-

Oregon Coast

-Kite flying with Liz, Tess, and Jaclyn-

Wallowa Mountains, Eagle Cap Wilderness

-Moccasin Lake-

Wallowa Mountains, Eagle Cap Wilderness

-Glacier Lake-

 Wallowa Mountains, Eagle Cap Wilderness

-Chipmunk on Eagle Cap Peak-

Wallowa Mountains, Eagle Cap Wilderness

-View from the top of Eagle Cap Peak-

Wallowa Mountains, Eagle Cap Wilderness

-Mirror Lake- 

Though I spent most of my summer relaxing in Portland, I was sure to bring my camera the few times I ventured out of town. The photos taken at the Oregon Coast are from a trip to Gearhart my friends and I took just after school ended. I used color film and focused on my friends as subjects, with a few landscape photos of the sunset and ocean. In August, I took a five day backpacking trip in the Wallowa Mountains. The Eagle Cap Wilderness is easily the most beautiful place I've been, and I'm now regretting leaving my film camera at home. I still took plenty of landscape shots with my digital point-and-shoot camera, and edited them slightly by increasing the contrast.