Couple of Photographers I'm Interested In

Steve McCurry

Philippe Halsman

Annie Leibovitz

Richard Avedon

Irving Penn

Setup and Concept for My Final

For My Final, as it has come to be, will be themed with emphasis on the eyes and expression combined to create emotions we know through reading someones body language. I feel it would be appropriate to have a cinematic feel, like western shoot off scenes and maybe a dark or light atmosphere depending on the emotion im trying to capture. What I am after is the gaze in which people consider to be able to look into someones soul by doing such. As I create my work, I do need to imagine these in cyanotype so i can get the best quality and detail of highlights and shadows. Working in the studio, I am focusing on capturing the real emotion behind a person and compare to others in three different expressions, then picking what best suits the project.

Final Idea

Proposal

     For this final, I wanted to create and abstract photograph series that stands out with meaningful interpretation of temptation and surrealism. I would like to create a body of work dealing with the close up of objects that become almost unrecognizable to the viewer as well as powerful values and contours of the face. It will also have a a feel like broken glass because of my interest with taking things apart in a destructive manner and then piecing them, just like in life where everything around you starts falling apart although you are still recognizable but not understood.

Production/Timeline

For each class time, till the last week of final, I will be working on photographing more close abstract work that will deal with this series. Photographs including both in Studio and Outdoors. As I work in class, I will be trying paper that can impact my work and find a right combination of simplicity with a meaningful exposure. After the right paper, I will try to find objects or photographs to include with this process that can make piece work together with the rest.

Some inspiring artists

Steve Maniscalco
http://www.stevemphoto.com/photography/cyanotype/, accessed 9/28/10

Gustavo Castilla
http://www.alternativephotography.com/artists/gustavo_castilla/gc_cyanotype4-b.html, accessed 9/28/10

Bruce Campbell
http://www.steelepointegallery.com/Campbell%20photo%20gallery.htm, accessed 9/28/10

http://www.brighthub.com/multimedia/photography/articles/111246.aspx

http://mostfamousphotographers.com/famous-abstract-photographers/

http://video.michaelklothphotography.com/FA380/lecture-13-contemporary-cyanotype-artists/

Blogs of interest

http://www.thephoblographer.com/

http://www.petapixel.com/

http://fstoppers.com/

http://photofocus.com/

http://jeremycowart.com/

Cyanotype Prints

Enlargements from the Dark

Photograms

Working in the Darkroom

Its been quite fun processing my own film and developing these past few weeks and here is some work that I was able to accomplish. Some mistakes were definitely made, but thats what learning is all about for me. It was quite exciting up in the Third Floor doing my own thing and after this I will still be working with film but start my way up to cyanotype.

Week 2: Getting Things Done

     Well after talking to my uncle this week, I found out a lot more information about the business side of photography or at least how he manages his work. Working on events like weddings and birthdays, he mentioned is mainly what he did. As for getting the jobs, he would spread it from those parties to friends with business cards and referrals. Although he did not have a website, he took his portfolio with him to show a physical form of his work to the client, essentially his printed work, and would give them different package examples of sizes. Now, after bombarding him with as many questions I could think of, I asked him if this type of job was his main source of income or if it could be if he dedicated himself just to it. He responded with a questionable but firm no. The way he put it was that there could be a slim chance of this being a main source but there is so much competition out there and when you have a family to support as well, it gets difficult. So with that being said, he does have another job as a construction worker as his main and photography being the hobby-job he likes doing on the side.
   
     This experience hasn't shot me down completely, but really opened my eyes to what is out there and some things to expect as a business. Now, once I am finished with my website portfolio and business website I am currently working on, I will post it here as well as any other work from Advance Darkroom Techniques this fall.

My First Week

My name is Jose Luis Cabrera and this will be my blog for Advanced Darkroom Techniques where I hope to learn unique ways of bringing out true inventive imagination and ways to show viewers distinctive emotions and thoughts in one image. My work will most likely be following many photographers along the way until I have a better understanding where I can say this is where my path leads with my photography using these techniques. As I follow this, I will also be pursuing my own career as a photographer and hopefully getting some answers from people I meet to become better and know how this life could be lead.