The Chinese Photobook at Aperture

On our first trip, we went to The Chinese Photobook at Aperture Foundation. It shows that  china had a fascinating history of photobook publishing and shows the richness and diversity of the heritage. Each section throughout the gallery tells a story what was going on during that era which was interesting. The way the photographer took photos of the leaders in different angles  gave it a unique look to make the viewers see that leader was strong and brave. Also in my opinion I like the photographer eye of colors which made the leader stand out from background, it was good use of contrast. Overall the gallery was interesting and educational, not only it taught me what was going on during that era but it shows that photography played a great role to capture these events.

Jimmy Nelson’s 

As we went to the second gallery, it shows that jimmy nelson is interested doing photography about indigenous cultures. while I look around the gallery the images were beautiful but one of the images that is above, had my intention. What I like about this photo is the use of lighting and also the contrast of the people and the background. Also in the photo he captured the reflection on the water which was a nice touch to add in the photo.

The other piece I found interesting was this one also. While I  was looking at this photo, thought to myself what was jimmy nelson intentions of taking this photograph. To my knowledge he seem to want the viewers to know women are strong, independent and can be leaders. From the color of the women hair down to their clothing goes well together, it gives the photo a good contrast.

Final Project: Initial Statement

For the final project, I plan on doing a fashion shoot. These images will consist my model wearing urban attire. also I want these photos to come out as if you were viewing GQ magazine or any another urban magazines. the goal is to bring good sense of style in the fashion world. There will be use of different lighting to set the mood of the photos but mostly I would be using the combination of  main and fill lights.

Career goals upon graduation

The main goals after graduation is start my career working for an company which consist either doing photography, advertising and web. During the past few years of attending this college, I learned the fundamentals of my major and it will benefit towards my work ethic. Having a portfolio is a reflection of myself on what I can bring to the table and I want the viewers to  be impressed on the skills I have gained throughout my time in college.

The Chinese Photobook at Aperture

The first gallery we visited explored photographs from China. The style implemented on these pictures was unique. The books displayed in the gallery showed a collision of images. What I mean is that on one page one could fine a variety of images put together in an orderly fashion. On these pages, illustrations could be found. On my opinion, the combination between a collection of images and illustrations create this visually appealing look because the page’s layout looks symmetrical. Moreover, we had pictures form Mao Tse-Tung, who was the leader of China during the Korean War. What I found very interesting about these pictures was that all of them were taken from a low angle, which made the leader look more powerful and confident. Moving on to other pictures, I found more modern, pictures that I found intriguing. These pictures had nude people on them. I believe these pictures are at some level, the reflection of our evolved society. They show how much things have change over the last few years.

Jimmy Nelson’s 

The second gallery offered us a different culture on its photographs. Its focus was on people from Africa. There was one beautiful picture that captivated my eyes. It had three women depicted on it. All of them are giving their backs to the camera. But the main focus on the picture is their red hairs. Also, more colors can be found in the picture like yellow and white. The images in general reflect the beauty of nature and its power, and how insignificant humans are compared to it. The pictures also included Native people with their customs. On these pictures, both, man and nature are convened to create a valance photograph.

The Public Eye at the NYPL

Our last visit included a Library full of amazing photographs. A big majority of pictures were black and white. The first image that captivated my attention was a picture from the Grand Canyon. This picture was taken at the bottom of the canyon, next to the river. From there, the magnificent canyon reviles its beauty and power. The picture also reviles the hand of man by showing a railroad next to the river. Again we see the combination of man and nature, as we have in previous galleries. Additionally, I found another collection of picture, this time; they had Native American on them. I was surprise to uncover that these picture were controversial. It appears that some people felt insulted by them. Some critics said the photographer had insulted the Native American culture. I personally found them very appealing especially because they capture the nature essence of the Native American people. For example, one picture had a Native America woman making diner, which it shows a piece of what their culture is about. Another example was a man on a horse. This shows another adaptation that Native people had to acquired in order to survive­. I personally could not find anything insulting on these picture, but it’s clear they are one person’s opinion.

Final Project Goal

For my final project, my goal is to capture human’s deepest and most hidden emotions. By human emotions I mean mystery, shadiness, secrets and loneliness. I will use lighting to reflect what I need. Furthermore, my human subject will reflect these emotions in front of the camera. My setup will be fairly dark and mysterious. I plan to use dark colors to help me bring those emotions to life.

 My plan when I graduate

After graduation, I plan to work for an Advertising Company. I do not a favorite one yet. I plan to use the skills that I have learned on this class to have a better understanding of how photography works and what to expect from a professional photographers. Moreover, I want to produce my own material, in this case, picture to implement them on my future campaigns.

After I graduate I want to do some freelance work. I want to get as much experience i can because I don’t want to work for a big agency where I wont really have any input beside to do things they ask to be done. I have a couple friends who want to form a small design together once everyone graduates. We can tackle small clients to start and eventually one day own a space where we can expand and hire more designers. I want my portfolio to show clear vision and understanding of concepts. Thinking outside the box and creating advertising that is unique. I’m not sure what photos will convey thins in my portfolio. I would need to do a campaign that is photo heavy or uses multiple photos to create something.  I honestly have no clue of  a project that I can do for final project at this time.

The first show entitled The Chinese Photo book showcased early printing about China from tourist and people who lived there. A lot of the books were decorated around the pictures or hand painted to be in color. The books display China’s heritage and how the culture has had many twist and turns depending on who is looking at it. The many photographers used for the exhibit convey 2 overall points of view. The first is China to the outside person. It is beautiful and exotic to them you see a lot of beautiful landscapes and people. The other is actual people who live in China’s take on China. You see a lot more destruction and pictures of their leader. I feel the pictures that were taken by the people who live in china are as if they were taking them without anyone knowing. China couldn’t publish photo books independently so people who took these photos knew that this had to eventually be seen somehow.

The second show featured photographs by Jimmy Nelson. These photos showcased tribes and other groups of people who live in remote areas. They are no where close to civilization and everyday they find a way to survive. They were beautiful pictures of these people in their natural environment. All of the pictures are from the frontal view. No dynamic angles were used to make the picture seem more interesting because they were already interesting as they were. The use of color and space help to make these photos very appealing. Jimmy Nelson’s pictures convey beauty and get his point across well. His point is that even though these people live in complete isolation, they are still beautiful people.

The final show we saw was entitled The Public Eye. The show showcased different public views of some places. One photographer took photos from the view of surveillance cameras. Another took photos pf his neighbors. The one I enjoyed the most were of the military bases from overhead. These photos are available on public domains but the point of them was to look at the government the way they look at us. A kind of so this is how it feels to be spied upon feel is given to these pictures. The point of the exhibit was very clear as its to how people see us in the public eye. Doesn’t matter if its surveillance cameras or Google earth. All the examples in the exhibit contributed to the point of the exhibit very well.