Final Presentation

Thesis Statement:

Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams is a great inspiration to my work. His photos have some of the best values I have seen in photos, values that I would love to imitate. I admire his use of manipulation in the darkroom to create the photos the way he wanted to, rather than relying on the often disappointing view of the camera alone.

Jerry Uelsmann

Jerry Uelsmann is a man that inspired me very differently from Adams. Rather than capturing images of how they are, Uelsmann created supernatural and surrealistic images. He also only used the darkroom, a feat that astounds me.

Projects

Depth of Field

This project helped to remind me about the ways in which to operate the camera. It also reminded me of how I could manipulate the photos through it. I also was able to use

Strengths:

Clear understanding of DOF, with a focal point in the foreground.

Weaknesses:

I don't believe there is enough contrast in either photo. I would like to see more dark blacks and bright whites.

Looping

This project allowed me to manipulate photos in the darkroom in a way in which I had never done previously. I discovered ways of doing double exposures that allowed me to create an infinite loop of Carley changing into an owl and back. I exposed each paper fully under the enlarger, after matching the features of the owl and Carley precisely. This process took much time and effort but the rewards much outweighed the cons. This project was greatly inspired by Jerry Uelsmann's work.

Strengths:

Transitions are well done, there are good values in each of the photos, strong contrast

Weaknesses:

Using What you Got

In this project, unlike many of my peers, I wanted to continue my work in the darkroom. I enjoyed getting to know the enlargers and the processes by doing it myself, as compared to just watching another artist do it. I used the negatives I already had to begin this project. I did reshoot, but those photos did not make it into the grouping because I felt that none of them fit properly with any of the other negatives I possess. I used a different for of double exposure, this time only exposing half the paper each time.

Questions:

Do you recognize any simmilarities across your work?

Yes, I do. I find that I enjoy the shallow depth of field throughout my works. This began in the Depth of Field project, and was retained throughout the remainder of my projects. I prefer having the subject be the sole focus of the viewer, and I believe I find the details in the background to be distracting in what I am wishing to convey.

How successful do you think you were in designing for and with the techniques covered?

I believe the design was a difficulty for me. In prior projects that I have chosen not to display here it was very hard for me to create images that I geniunely loved. As I progressed through the stages of our projects and learning how to manipulate images through the camera and the dark room, I felt my success grow. I became easily excited to work in the darkroom utalizing the tips and techniques shown to us. As I did more and more artist research I also found my inspiration coming more quickly.

What are the benefits/drawbacks of this discipline for visual communication?

I believe that

Conclusion

In the past few months I think the greatest thing I learned was to have patience and faith in yourself. Things may not work out they way you planned or wanted them to, but it's only because you are on your way to discovering something even greater.