Author: ssbalkaran

ARS 381 – Task 6 Final Project Proposal

ssbalkaran

PROJECT TITLE  “Seek to Find”

PROJECT DESCRIPTION 

For my final project, I intend to photograph little items/trinkets/memories inside my house by composing the still life with fabrics and colored backgrounds that interact with the items in a dynamic way. I would like to explore complementary and analogous color combinations in a fluid way that doesn’t seem mechanical or forced. My reasoning behind the subject matter is emphasized by my restriction to my house due to covid19 quarantine. As I cannot take to the streets and photograph my community or people as I used to, I am forced to seek beauty within my own house- which can be very difficult at times (especially as it is so overlooked due to the mundane humdrum of everyday life. I’d like to challenge myself to find certain items that look beautiful or remind me of beauty, and position them in ways that can reflect that intention. This is challenging due to the fact that these items on their own sit as junk or clutter, or perhaps something so unoriginal and small that it couldn’t possibly be seen as art. Additionally, l would like to have a major theme of emphasizing shadows in my series of images. Be it through the fabric folds, the position and intensity in lighting, high contrast etc. For images where I do not (or can not) use fabric as the background, I would like to explore “clean” backgrounds of solid color planes which will interact with the subject matter in an arresting way.  

 

REFERENCES

I really enjoy Richard Avedon’s work, and especially love his images such as the Beekeeper portrait with a sterile white background. 

I am also heavily influenced by Martin Parr’s Retrospective at Barbican, London in 2002 where he photographed vintage themed household items. You can see it at this link: 

https://www.martinparr.com/archive/exhibitions/retrospective/ 

 

ARS 381- Task 3 Natural/Augmented/Artificial Light

ssbalkaran

1.) Omnidirectional natural light 

 

 

2.) Directional natural key light (large windows that gives daylight direction, or point source)

 

 

3.) Natural light augmented by the inclusion of an artificial light source (in/out of frame) 

 

4.) Single artificial light source (use of only one color profile such as one household light bulb, tungsten, flash, lighting equipment, fluorescent, LED, halogen, candlelight, screen-glow, in/out of frame)

 

5.) Multiple artificial light sources with the same color profile (use of multiple lights that share the same color profile [several lights of the same kind] within a single image, in/out of frame)

 

6.) Multiple artificial light sources with divergent color profiles (use of multiple lights that do not share the same color profile [e.g. candle and screen] within a single image, in/out of frame)

 

7.) Experimental/Complex Artificial/Natural lighting (use of experimental techniques: e.g. flare, silhouette, trial and error)

ARS 381 – Task 1 Presentation

ssbalkaran

Google Drive Folder: Link

David Flynn was born in Chile and lived in many countries all over South and Central America.  Many years ago, he studied Latin American History & Journalism in the US, and went on to get his masters in advertising and marketing. He spent around 20-25 years in this field, with a focus on the Hispanic market. This clearly transitions into his photography, as most of his subject matter depicts Latin American countries, and the people who live there.

Danza de Amor, Peru

This image depicts a child dancing the “Dance of Love” situated on the upper part of Colca Canyon (which is the deepest canyon known to man).

 

Dos con sus cafés, Colombia

Flynn said “the smell of roasted coffee fights for attention with the scent of flowers in the main square” and that Colombia IS coffee.

 

Old man in a doorway. Hotel Azul, Nicaragua

Flynn  got the consent of the hotel to be there the whole day. He got over 200 shots in, but this was the last photo during that session. 

 

Downtown Jardín, Colombia

 

Child in a doorway, Nicaragua

Flynn describes it as a “humble home” due to its lack of ornate furnishings.

 

Boy walking, Colombia

The hallway pushed the viewer so far back, and the dim lighting added to a sense of isolation

 

Bike picks up cardboard to recycle, Nicaragua

I enjoyed the markings on the walls more than the main subject matter.

 

Neon car passes through El Laborío, Nicaragua

 I enjoyed the juxtaposition of this high tech car next to a run down house. The green stands out a lot compared to the muted reds and browns.

 

Taller, Colombia

I was intrigued by the lack of color variation. I think the lighting is interesting as it fades to a darker shadow in the background.

 

Hombre con sombrero. Colombia

The aerial perspective was an interesting point of view since it flattens the the sidewalk and road- minimizing it to be mere pattern.