Alternative Processes: Acrylic Gel

Assignment #12:

This was actually my second attempt at an acrylic gel print, but I lost my first one.  I was afraid that this one wouldn't work out because of the colour ink and the type of printer, but thankfully it did.   This picture is important to me because it was one of the first pictures I ever took with my old camera (which was new at the time).  I was at a farm and this dog just ran up to me and was so happy and excited, so I looked down and took a picture of her.  The shininess in the eyes reflect just the pure happiness that dogs feel when meeting a new person.  I love being able to mold and shape the acrylic gel is fun and functional, making the photo really come to life.  

Alternative Processes: Silk Screen

Assignment #11:

Silk screen was a really fun, yet really stressful process to do.  From the painful staple gun, to the messy emulsion, to the light table and finally to the scrubbing of the screen; the whole process is a long and trepedatious one.  At first I had many ideas for what I wanted to make my t-shirts look like, and deciding on one was a hard decision.  I knew I wanted to do something about music as soon as I heard what this process was all about.  I decided to use two pictures of my main instruments I play, a symbol of music notes to put on the back of the t-shirt, and a quote that I love.  I wanted to be able to make as many combinations of t-shirts that I could, so I had many parts and endless possibilities onto what I could make.  I love t-shirts that represent the wearer, so I wanted to create something that truly represented me.  The symbol on the back of the t-shirt really adds to the uniqueness of these shirts, and I am very happy that I thought of the idea and that it worked out.  I made 3 t-shirts with different designs, but with a sincerity and deep feeling on each.  

This t-shirt has to be my favourite because of the simplicity and beauty that makes me drawn towards it.  I've worn it once, and have gotten many compliments, questions and surprise when I told them that I made it.

I like this shirt because of the humour it gives and how much it represents myself.  This is a true representation of the "story of my life".  

This is my least favourite t-shirt only because it shifted slightly while I was applying the ink, so it is not as nice as I would have hoped, but the idea is there all the same.  I used my whole silk screen for this one (except for the "Weapon of Choice" saying) so it is kind of an important t-shirt.  

Alternative Processes: Multiple Exposure

Assignment #10:

This photo was off something I saw online for examples of multiple exposures with negatives.  It involved sandwiching 2 negatives together and exposing the photo paper through those two.  Though it was hard to predict what the photo was going to look like when exposed, I was interested to see how it would turn out.  

This photo has deep meaning in that it expresses the inside emotions of a tortured soul.  Though the person remains stoic and without emotion in one part of the photo you have a glimpse into the deep melancholy that this person is feeling.  Maybe the world is getting too much for this person and her inner feelings are starting to seep out of her, beginning to crack the thick outer façade of emotions.    

Breaking the Rules

Assignment #9:

The first time I saw this photo, I fell in love with it and I didn't know why.  I started showing it to all my friends, trying to find an explanation to why I was attracted to it.  My friends were saying, "It looks like the subject is looking in the mirror, but they're really not."  The pure emotion that this photo secretes makes this photo so attractive and compelling.  This photo tells the story of a family with a dog and kids, eating a simple dinner at home.  This photo breaks the rules because it is not centered, and shows the story of a family through slightly distorted eyes.  It is not balanced correctly, as the dog on the left contrasts the the empty space on the right, but not quite asymmetrically.  There is no emphasis on any one thing, as the subject could either be the back of my mom, or the face of my dad.  The subject is half-framed, but not quite enough to draw your eye one way or another.  There is no prominent lines that draw the viewer's eye anywhere around the photo, so it creates a sense of unease and uncertainness.  I love it.

 

This photo is another great one.  Though it doesn't have as great a story as the last photo, it is still a good composition.  It tells the story of a dark forest and a pathway that leads to the creepy, dark section of the forest.  It breaks the rule of line, as line is supposed to lead to a certain part of the photo, where the line in this photo leads just to the right of the large, creepy tree that is supposed to be the subject.  The balance is also off because the white sign post is not balanced by anything on the right.  There is no 'real' framing, so there is no real focus point for the viewer's eye.

This photo breaks the rules because half if it is in focus, and half of it isn't.  Usually that isn't a problem, but in this photo, the blurred part of the photo is in the foreground and the background, with only the middle ground in focus.  The foreground is slightly overlapping the middle ground, creating a sense of depth and framing.  This photo tells the story of a basic green house that has dead flowers because it is the winter.  The in focus part of the photo is halfway framed by blurred part, but not enough to have a clear focal point.  There is definitely no definite symmetry, and no clear lines leading to anything specific, creating a photo that is slightly uncomfortable and without point.