Abstract macro shots of eyes presented in a three-by-three grid form next to one another. It’s a simple idea that I chose for the aesthetic patterns of the iris.

The idea initially came from seeing my iris changing when I turned the light on. I took photographs holding the my camera lens back the front in order to get closer photographs of the pupils. I waited for the lens to focus since I had to do everything manually by physically moving the camera backwards and forwards (ie. closer and further away from the subject).

I took various shots of my friends looking in and out of the sunlight and changed some of the colouring of their eyes in the editing process to look like I got shots of several different people.

 

 

I can’t remember the name of the photographer who took this photograph. But I know he soaked his images in water for an extended amount of time. At first I wanted to take portraits and soak them in water but for shorter amounts of time to see if I would still get a similar effect, but because I was only printing with paper whenever I put small amounts of water on the images, the paper would soak up the water and become crinkled.

So then I came up with the idea of quickly placing the water droplets on the photograph and freezing them. Ideally, this would only work when the photographs were on exhibition in a frame that kept that same temperature. (Otherwise it could also be a ‘performance’ kind of piece where the tears eventually melt and drip down the face of the portraits).

 

I had three photos to be presented together but two of them melted into the paper as I was shooting the first one so I’ve just included them here in the preliminary process…

Before initial editing…

 

After photoshop…

 

 

 

  

(How they would be presented if they were printed out)

I printed all three images on colour paper (if I were to do the same project again I’d leave enough time to print larger images and print the photographs in a store)

In the final stage when I took photos the next morning the lighting was very orange (since I only had the overhead light in my room), so the focus wasn’t on the tears in the photo. Because of this I decided to edit them to black and white (but I think it suits the melancholic tone of the image anyway).

In the end, I could only get one final image but since it’s more about the concept behind the image and because this is almost a performance kind of piece to watch in real time I’ve included extra shots as the tears melted and some video footage.

 

(Final image above)

 

 

‘Tears’ Man Ray, 1930

Visually similar looking photograph (with the black and white and concept of glass tears on face)

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Australia halloween isn’t a big thing. It’s quite rare to see someone older than the age of 8 wearing a halloween costume and I only ever remember wearing masks from a halloween store with normal clothes and a cape.

I initially wanted to create a photography essay that documented experiencing halloween in New York city for the first time, but due to the time constraints I opted to take photos of my friends and I in our halloween costumes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Popart costume

 

Photoshop Halloween Portrait (EYES)

 

Mermaid (Photoshop enhance scales on face and add hook with blood)

 

Styles and Proportions Ideas – 

Layering different colours, introducing watercolours

Proportions slightly like Lemony Snicket and Tim Burton characters (overexaggerated to the point of looking ridiculous)

 

Eugenio Recuenco is an award-winning fashion photographer from Spain. His unique style has been referred to as “cinematographic” and “pictorial” and his work has been featured in magazines such as Vogue and Twill.

http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/magical-fairytales-eugenio

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Insight from a shelter manager…

How would you feel if you knew that there’s a 90% chance your dog/cat will never walk out of the shelter it is going to be dumped at?

They always tell me: ‘We just don’t want to have to stress about finding a place for her we know she’ll get adopted,’

Your pet now has 72 hours to find a new family from the moment you drop it off (sometimes a little longer if the shelter isn’t full and your dog manages to stay completely healthy). If it sniffled, it dies.

 Your pet will be confined to a small kennel in a room with about 25 other barking or crying animals.

It will be depressed and it will cry constantly for the family that abandoned it.

It doesn’t matter how ‘sweet’ or ‘well behaved’ they are.

If your dog/cat doesn’t get adopted within its 72 hours and the shelter is full, it will be killed.

If the shelter isn’t full and your dog/cat is good enough, and of a desirable enough breed it may get to stay, but not for long.

 

Most animals get very cage protective after about a week and are euthanised for showing aggression. Even the sweetest animals will turn in this environment.

If your pet makes it over all of those hurdles chances are it will get an upper respiratory infection and will be euthanised because shelters just don’t have the funds to pay for $100 treatments.

Here’s a little euthanasia 101 for those of you who have never witnessed a perfectly healthy, scared animal being ‘put-down’

First your pet will be taken from its kennel on a leash. They always get happy, thinking they get time out of their cage.

Until they get to ‘The Room’

Every one of them freak out and put the brakes on when we get to the door.

It’s strange, but it happens with every one of them.

It must smell like death or they can feel the sad souls that are left in there.

Your dog or cat will be restrained, held down by 1 or 2 vet techs depending on the size and how freaked out they are.

Then a euthanasia tech or a vet will start the process.

They will find a vein in the front leg and inject a lethal dose of the ‘pink stuff’

Hopefully your pet doesn’t panic from being restrained and jerk.

I’ve seen the needles tear out of a leg and been covered with the resulting blood…

and been defeaned by the yelps and screams.

They all don’t just ‘go to sleep’

sometimes they spasm for a while,

gasp for air,

and defecate on themselves.

Remember,

You took responsibility for this pet.

Their lives depend on YOU.

The End.

Please help promote responsible decisions by helping to educate people

BEFORE they make a decision to add a pet to the family.

Please promote ADOPTION FIRST

You can find ALL breeds of dogs, cats, rabbits, etc at shelters.

There is no need to buy an animal.

You might save a beautiful, innocent life.

The Idea behind ’72 Hours’

The sequence was originally going to be titled ‘The Last Day’ and would show the routine of the same animal in a shelter across 24 hours of its last day, ending with a photograph of an empty table where the dog/cat was euthanised. When I arrived at the animal shelter I realised they weren’t a ‘kill shelter’ (ie. they only take as many animals as they have spaces for) so I ended up taking various photos of the cats (all the dogs out the back had gone to sleep).

I think I’m going to rename it ’72 Hours’ based off a facebook post from the director of an animal shelter. Much of what was posted will be included above in the captions for the photos. Here is the original link if you’re interested; https://www.facebook.com/notes/tranquility-trail-animal-sanctuary/the-sad-reality-of-what-happens-to-most-animals-surrendered-animals-at-shelters-/451654852874

I haven’t edited these photos yet but when I get the time I want to change the white balance so the photos aren’t so yellow.

SAVE-A-PET Animal Rescue and Adoption (business card description) I may or may not include the card as the last photograph of the sequence

At Save-A-Pet we believe it is our moral responsibility to protect and improve the lives of abused, abandoned, and homeless animals, and to place the in loving permanent homes. We provide spray and neuter services and any necessary medical care.

We work diligently to educate the public, especially children, on the importance of pet sterilisation and responsible pet ownership.

Save-A-Pet is a non-profit IRS approved organisation