The Dance

The Dance

Lynda and Tom had met three years ago in junior high when their two small town elementary schools combined for their junior high and high school studies. Up until then, Lynda had seen the same classmates since kindergarten. The same bratty boys had been pulling her hair and dropping worms down her shirt for years so they were the furthest from attractive in her mind. That fateful day in September of grade seven for Lynda, Tom walked in and that was it. Love at first site.

For Lynda and Tom their high school prom had finally arrived. It was never a question that they would be each others date, I mean, come on, they had been together since junior high! Love at first SIGHT! Lynda had been designing her dress for the last year, and telling Tom what tuxedo she would like to see him in. All was set except for one thing that would throw everything for a loop that would be announced at dinner.

“Hi Tom, I can’t wait for dinner tonight I made my Mom’s famous spaghetti” said Lynda bright eyed and bushy tailed as Tom entered the room. “Hey Lynda, I can’t wait” Tom replied before giving her a peck on the cheek. For Lynda, this was the night. This was the night that she was to profess her love for Tom and let him know that she was finally ready. Tom had never pushed her beyond making out in her bedroom, and some heavy petting but she felt like this was the next step. Would her mother approve? Not likely, but Lynda saw herself as modern day woman at 17 years old and confident that she wanted to make her own decision.

Now as for Tom, he had a different bit of news to announce. “Lynda, please sit” he said in a nervous tone as he gestured to the couch. “I’ve got something I need to share with you Lynda” said Tom. “Oh so do I!” said Lynda, “but you go first honey, I think my news might be a little distracting if I go first”. Lynda giggled. “Oh... Ok, ummm I guess I’ll go first then”. Tom started to go white. This is something he should have brought up years ago but this is probably one of the most terrifying things to share in a small town. “Ok, well Lynda, I love you very much, and I’ll still love you very much no matter what...”. Lynda’s eyes started to well up. “How could you do this to me just before prom! You’re such an asshole!”. Lynda ran to the washroom in tears and slammed the door behind her with more force that she had ever exerted in her life. Dust flew off the door frame and finally settled in front of Tom as he stopped in front of the door.

“Lynda, it’s not what you think... Trust me, it’s not what you think”. Although not positive, Tom really just wanted to grab her attention long enough to tell her what he had been waiting to all these years. “What do you mean it’s not what I think!?, what else could it be when you tell me something like I love you and I’ll still love you”. Lynda was sobbing heavily so Tom sat outside the washroom until he could hear that she had settled down a bit. “Ok Lynda, I’m just going to tell you, I hope you understand, but if you don’t, it’s ok because like I said I will still love you no matter what... I... I’m... gay...”.

Silence. Not one sound uttered between the two for what felt like forever, but was really about five minutes. “I.. Wha.. Um.” Lynda was struggling to articulate what she was feeling because he didn’t exactly understand what she was feeling herself. “Lynda, it’s still me, the same Tom from before, just a more honest Tom”. A sigh of relief sounded as Tom breathed in and out after that statement.

It was only two weeks till prom and it took a week before Lynda called Tom. “Tom, I’m so sorry for my reaction, and well, lack of reaction but either way you were breaking up with me, and you know how people are in this town about that kind of thing”. “Yes, I know, more than anyone I know” Tom said in a quiet soft voice. “Tom, it’s ok. I still love you, but...well prom. What happens to prom?”. Tom laughed lightly “Oh Lynda...”. “What!?, that’s a perfectly valid question Tom!”. “Lynda, just because I came out, doesn’t mean I already have a boyfriend!”. They both chuckled and shook their heads. “Listen, I still want to take you to prom, wear the tuxedo you’ve chosen for me, and dance with you until the sun comes up”. A single tear fell down Lynda’s face, and she ended their talk with “Yes, that sounds perfect”.

Prom was perfect. They did everything Tom described, dressed in Lynda’s selections and dancing till the sun came up. The great thing about dancing is that you can be loving, intimate, and have fun without revealing anything to the world. Did anyone know what Tom had told Lynda only two weeks before? Secretly picking out attractive men in the room that they would set each other up with if they could as they spun around the room, this was only the beginning of a new relationship for Tom and Lynda.

What I love is the romance of an empty dance floor at the end of the night. The energy coming from that floor. Secrets whispered between friends and couples as they shuffle around the floor knowing their voices are masked by the music wrapping around the room. Tom and Lynda would have many other dances in their lives, but none as memorable as that one.

Jennifer Hall.

Addendum:

On November 17th we will work through a creative writing assignment that will aid in your narrative explorations for the assignment, In the Library (Scene of the Crime). You are asked to compose a short narrative (min 1000 words) that will give a context for the images to be presented for your assignment. The narrative will begin prior to the images you are producing and will present the environment, climate, context, style, and period of your shot. The narrative will be established and characters will be introduced. This short narrative will act as an outline to a revised short story (min 250 words) which will ultimately be included with your final photographic image(s) and final submission on December 1st.

You will be writing your narrative in groups of two, but no more than three people. Each member is responsible for his or her own narrative however, you are asked to work collaboratively to develop your narrative (basically "bounce" ideas off one another). Each member will be required to include a minimum of 20 images culled from various sources that will aid in the visualization of the narrative and ultimately be reflected in your final photographs. The 20 images will be submitted digitally as source material as an attachment with the final work.

Your narrative and images will be due by the end of the day on the 17th. Please email them to me at justin.waddell@acad.ca

When submitting your final photograph(s) on December 1st, you are to include a fully revised/edited short story (min 250 words) and source images with your submission. You are asked to transfer your images to the ACAD server during class on the 1st.  We will be printing the images in class (pending approval from Dean) as a two-page spread on 11"x16" paper (two facing 8"x11" pages). I would like to also produce a .pdf document of all your collected writings and images and available for download from the ACAD Photo Blog.

In the Library (Scene of the Crime)

Assigned:                  November. 10, 2010.

Open Studio:                  November. 17, 2010.

Due Date:                  December. 1, 2010 (3 weeks).

Description:

With In the Library (Scene of the Crime) you will respond to objects within a space. Consider the object as an index (ie. It “points to something”) and is taking part of a discourse with the viewer (ie. communication). The complexity of the communication will be factored by the environment and context in which it is represented. For example, an apple in a basket with other apples reads one way, and an apple in a raging fire means another. Another example may be an apple at it’s ripest compared to an apple rotting.

Select an object and environment for its symbolic, iconic, or mythic meanings. Blur, focus, or distort those possible meanings with formal concerns such as lighting, aperture, focal range, filters, or other objects and environments, contexts, etc…

Concept and Structure:

After reading The Exhaustion of Space at the Scene of the Crime by Anthony Vidler, you are asked to consider objects and space as being part of a larger narrative.This project was derived in part from location shoots for films, crime-scene documentation, photo-journalism, and filmic montages. Persons returned to a location to document an event in the past tense… the resulting images were equal parts documentary, (auto)-biographical, deadpan, humorous, and entirely serious.

Objectives:

·       To respond to primary conceptions of actual objects vs. final photographic work.

·       To consider blocking and staging of an image.

·       To select objects and environments that the subjects can interact with (lighting, colour, sound, textures, etc).

·       To challenge the possibilities of narrative.

Process:

·       We will be discussing the text, The Exhaustion of Space at the Scene of the Crime by Anthony Vidler, on November  10^th.

·       During the afternoon of November, 10^th you are to begin to visualize your shoot by brainstorming, sketching, researching, and planning your schedule. The instructor will be available to meet and discuss your ideas with you.

·       Studio time will be provided on November 17^th. You are required to work in the studios at ACAD on the 17^th unless you have prior approval from the instructor.

·       There will be additional expectations placed for the presentation of preliminary drawings and research. More information will be provided by the instructor before the second week.

·       Booking of equipment and studio times are the responsibility of the student.

·       You can work in groups to assist one another but each member of the group will have to produce one unique work for submission.

Christina

Natasha's.

Kaitlynn's Photo

Kristen's Images

Jenny Wyma Images

Jen Hall Images

error

Vanessa DeZutter by Jen

My immediate reaction is that it is duplicating a widely recognized iconic image, I knew exactly what image Vanessa was working with. With it being a younger couple, I feel more youth in the image despite how well it was replicated. I notice I have a different emotional response seeing a couple that isn’t famous and that I don’t have a back story for.

The photograph is of Man and a woman laying on the floor. The woman is laying back flat on the floor looking off to the side, the man is cradled on her side, in a fetal position wrapped around her side arm cradling her head. His eyes are closed kissing her cheek very lovingly.

This is a successful modern take on the image. It is very successful because it copies the iconic image, but Vanessa added modern references, ie. Hair style, clothing. Knowing it’s a self portrait, very well done although I would like to see it zoomed out more like the original image, more space around the figures.

Vanessa paid attention to details in the clothing. In her modern take she referenced the purple tones of Yoko Ono’s pants in her shirt, the black sweater, and the ear ring. The lighting is slightly different in that it’s even in the original, and sweeping natural light from the left in Vanessa’s image but she paid attention to the saturation of the image and it’s still a soft light. The shot was accomplished with a tripod and timer as this was a self portrait or her and her partner in the privacy of their home. Derek was hesitant to participate but relaxed and settled in to the project as they went along.

As it is such a recognizable image that is iconic on it’s own and even more so with the people in it, the story of the image with a modern couple interacts with viewers more personally than the original. With Vanessa and Derek in the image, being a regular, non famous couple, the viewer can associate the passionate love story of John Lennon and Yoko Ono to a real world couple and imagine themselves in the image. Vanessa chose the image because it was an image in a coffee table book in her home as a child, and at the time she didn’t understand who John and Yoko were, why they were naked, and the importance of the image. Now that she is grown up and knows the context of the image it has deeper personal meaning both nostalgically from her childhood, and in association with her current relationship.

Christina Hills

Christina Hills Untitled written by Laura Ambrosone

Selected to recreate an Annie Leibovitz photograph.

Objective description

The photograph is of an extreme close up of a white tulle material, showing detail in the foreground then gradiating to a lighter blur and a soft yellow background. The image displays a high tonal spectrum starting from the top and darkening towards the bottom .There is a slight white vignetting surrounding the image

You who think that this would be the beginning of a long spiral of financial troubles …but miraculously she’s still with us today without cement shoes. I thought that Christina’s execution proved to be successful it that it mimics the Annie’s photograph very well, with its hues and tones it creates.it appears to be and extreme close up of the dress worn in the original shot. I found it interesting that she has taken the focal point away from the model and given it to something that equally shares the spotlight but is often overlooked…the dress detail. First time I looked at this image I thought of a snow covered mountain scape being warmed by the spring sun.

Formally I thought the gradiation of tone and blur enjoyable. I thought that the material Christina used describes the original dress material well in texture and hue. The only issues that I have would be the vignetting, shown on the lower area of the image. I find it to be a bit distracting and unnecessary though it could possibly act as a reflected light on the right side. The other minor issue I have would be some of the lines just barely touch the outskirts of the image create a bit of tension (for example- the top left).

While communicating with Christina she explained her photograph as a homage to Annie …describing how much she enjoyed the backlighting Annie had executed and the atmosphere Annie created explaining her style of photography to be clean, dreamlike and extravagant. It was mostly Christina’s process that we discussed she explained her scouting of different stages, one taking her as far as Banff springs hotel. Christina ended up scraping her initial ideas and decided to use acads table top studio, so she could be able to manipulate her subject matter without constraints of an environment (light position, availability). The tulle (which I believe was lended from a friend) was to now to become her centre focus (which originally was black before Photoshop stepped in with its desaturation options !). Through a large amount of tests Christina realized that the extreme close up would be her final image.

Cydney Toth's Recreation by Dana Prediger

Cydney Toth’s Re Creation of Raducarnaru’s Work

Written by Dana Prediger for Justin Waddell, Photo 2^nd year

Immediate Response:

Cydney obviously waited until the right moment to take the shot and that is clearly seen in the connection between the sun, sun-flares and the model. The luxurious, silky quality of the work seems rich with possibility. I notice the setting sun as next my eye moves to the warmth of the royal mauve pleated gown and colour of her hair. I see how Cydney’s sky is uplifting in its directs of clouds that has this lovely open “v” air. My initial uncensored thought is that this work is more elevated in mood quality than the original, still theatrical but more grounded in the real world. Fun and passionate.

Framing Within Picture:

The model is in the right third foreground, the sun is in the left third background and the condo skyscraper is in the mid-ground. The sun and the model are connected diagonally with transparent but lightly colored sun-flares. The essence of last light from the sun is showing as highlighted shadow on the side of the condo facing away from the sun but in direct view of the model. The model is dressed in a pleated, royal mauve satin strapless gown, whose arm is on left hip and whose body is perpendicular to viewer and condo in mid-ground. Her face is turned away from camera and body is giving an air of leaning towards the balcony railing. The railing is creamy white and runs low and horizontally through the picture. The sky is a yellow haze in the deep low background but sweeps blue with wispy white clouds overhead right into the right upper foreground.

Formal Complaints and Praise:

Cydney has done an excellent job of pulling the formal aspects like the light, position of model, elevation of body from the ground level, and placement of the city background. What I feel is the most key aspect of the work is the connectivity felt between the model and the sun via the sun-flares. The commercial richness via the saturation of colour add depth and dimension. She carefully considered the technical aspects of her work but added her own wash over it by changing her mood quality. I feel like the original is frought with anxiety over being exposed while Cydneys is rich with drink of real life. It would be worth perhaps considering moving the model out from under the jet-stream of cloud.

The Process:

For Cydney this work is not so much about considering the technical aspects, though she did so, so much as wanting to use them and reconsider them through changing the mood. For her she wanted an open, softer look instead of one that was more resistive toward the environment around her.

She took 5 days to complete the process, and did an HDR effect by combining 6 images for the background and then taking her own self portrait indoors and then combined the two images. Most of the background on the right is added in. She used two lights to light herself and used the lens flare filter to recreate the sun-flares.

How does it connect with the rest of the world:

I feel like this work connects on a level with advertising work seen in a rich looking fashion or an Illustrators magazine. It is set up wonderfully for adding typography that would likely sell the glamour of owning a condo, being rich and single but grounded in who you are but still living it up. It would be an excellent real-estate advertisement. The intent to change the mood, if advertising based, would potentially change the target market.

Cydney found this work by surfing fashion blogs.

Tavis Morly

Tavis’s image is a low key black and white photo of a hand playing the neck of a base guitar. All that is seen is one hand, four strings, four dots, and eight vertical lines of the base. It appears to be coming out of the darkness from the corner of a soulful jazz house. The hand and only a few key elements of the guitar contrast against a black background.

Upon immediately viewing the image it appears as though Tavis has faithfully recreated an image of a close up base guitar player without deviating from it. However, there are subtle differences and it is in those differences that she has adapted new content and meaning.

Because she chose to use a darker base it immediately changes how the image is read from the original. We inherently see less shadows on the guitar and the hand seems to pop, this giving the image a stronger sense of mystery and darkness.

Most of the differences from Tavis’s image to the original stems from the subtle change in angle, at which the base is placed. From the way the fingers stretch across the neck, to the way the light wraps around the fingers. Tavis’s model is a base player and says that the model in the original image was not actually playing. The way the fingers are stretched and the angle of the guitar would render this so called musician unable to perform. Although her goal was to interpret the original with a new direction she attempted over 260 times to get the exact angle and lighting as the original, which served as a personal technical challenge.

It was about capturing the moment of making music for Tavis which is why her model was playing as she took this shot. Her image brings a sense of spontaneity that is missing in the original, that seems more contrived. Hers has a stronger essence of street photography. This becomes more apparent when she explains her motivation behind this image. She was inspired by a close friends photo that was an image of a homeless man playing the guitar. She wanted to recreate a similar image but in a different style when she stumbled upon this one on the right, she knew it was the photo she wanted to investigate.

This image relates to other successful portrayals of music in that it evokes mood and emotion, capturing music’s most important principal.

By Renee Hopper

Jenny Wyma: Wilkosz and Way

Jenny’s image reveals soft pastel colors giving the viewer a feeling of contentment along with a want to inquire and find a hidden meaning in the image. The photograph feels surreal as the color of the models skin is de-saturated, and the lighting seems to be coming from the skin rather than an off camera source. The models expression plays off of the light pink and green gradient background, as well as the situation revealed. It is a captured moment of balance with two eggs stacked on the top of the models head, illuminating a sense of play and uncertainty. In its impressionable atmosphere, the image also creates depth and maturity through the way the figure is portrayed- a young woman holding on to a sentiment of liveliness and realizing the importance in that awareness. The decisions made by the artist in the composition are very carefully considered. The placement of props directs an unease and tension as if the eggs were seconds from falling out of the picture frame; the twisted line of the figures shoulders and neck create an ‘S’ curve which reveals a feminine and classical take on structure, at the same time, this also builds on the moment of tension and movement. The balance in the composition is following the rule of thirds; the focus of the photograph is off center and allows your attention to move from detail to detail with ease. The production of the photograph shows an obvious skill and technique, which exemplifies the quality and appreciation for the work. The color palette Jenny used is very soft and simple which allows for more attention to be drawn towards the figure and situation in the photograph.

The artist’ style, in reference to this image, represents an interest in a quirkiness and refreshing originality, these are obvious traits in the work. Fashion photography also holds a place in the artists’ creative disposition, and the production of this image has embodied fashion and a new style to the world of beauty and fashion. Jenny’s attachment to the photograph titled ‘Glove Hat’ by Wilkosz and Way was used as a reference to re-interpret the style and idea behind their portrait. The likeness of the model in that original image is incredibly similar to the artist herself; the decision to photograph a self-portrait shows a closeness and interest in the work of Wilkosz and Way while also showing a confidence and the representation of a contemporary self. The production of her photograph embodies the style, technique, talent, and surreal qualities in the artists own way. The image is very successful in that it reveals a curiosity, and an everlasting impression on the viewer. It serves as a beauty and fashion narrative while also reminding us that holding on to our vitality is an important thing, as we are constantly surrounded with a violent, and degrading society. This image also successfully serves as a critique on advertisement as being realistic or manipulative in a way of playing with the consumer’s perceptions on what is reality and what is believed to be a reality. Jenny has captured a moment that reminds us of our love for life, and to allow for personal growth and metamorphosis into a refreshing outlook on authenticity.

Renee’s Crit - by Tavis

1.The immediate response I had with Renee’s piece was shock simply because it is a nude photo, right after it was respect. Because there is a trust and a relationship that has to be in place for a photographer to take a nude shot of someone. I also notice the obvious differences in the work, however I appreciated those differences. What stood out the most to me was the two different poses the models posses, the original photo has that first impression of hopelessness, where as Renee’s photo has that body language of freedom, no boundaries and a big breath of fresh air.

2.A woman sitting nude atop a cliff, with a light snow fall around her. In the edge with complete serenity and empowerment to jump or stay. A power line sweeps the top of the photo from top right slopping down left to disappear within the tree line. A lake under the cliff, and a small city in the far background.

3.Renee’s effort in this image triumphs and complaint I would have. After talking to Renee she felt that the lighting was the technical part of the photo she felt she failed at. However I feel that with the diffused light in a natural setting she achieve a great affect for what she had to work with.

4.Renee was drawn to the image because of the lightning and the organic quality’s of the female figure. She felt at first glance that the woman was venerable and suicidal. However the more she looked at it realized that in fact the woman was not tied down and nude, meaning she was in control of the situation. There was a sense of empowerment from the woman lying on the tracks, nude completely within her will to get up and leave or stay. What also drew Renee to the photo was the train track and the fine line that was between that sense of nature and man. That because the woman is nude she fit more organically with nature than with the train tracks. The power line in her recreation show this sense of danger for not only is the model on a cliff but she is close to a urban area where someone could walk by and that sense of secluded nature has disappeared.

5.Renee’s work could be a piece of art on someone’s wall or a postcard depicting a serene place, or even an advertisement for the great outdoors or how someone would feel after retreating to a secluded spa. Renee’s photo has lots of versatility. It can connect with the classic portraits and paintings that included the female form and yet have a context to in which fit in the modern world.

Lauras Crit.

Laura

As I first approached the works Falling by Boofhead and Pushing Limits by Laura I had to admire the similarities between the two works. While looking at Laura’s work my initial response was that this is a lighthearted humorous image. My initial reaction was mainly caused by the expression of the person falling and my position as the viewer. I also got the feeling that the image was suppose to be seen as older because of the grayscale tones of the image. The technical skills are another of the many things that draws me into the image. At first I was questioning how the image was taken that’s how believable it was. Overall the image was engaging and humorous at the first encounter.

The image it’s self is composed of three main elements the camera, the person, and the building in the background. The camera is in the lower half of the image and placed in such a fashion that it appears as if the camera is falling onto the viewer. The camera is an SLR with a neck strap with clearly indicating letters about the brand of the Camera, Cannon. In the LCD screen of the camera we can see an image of a cityscape, which appears to be taken from a ledge. The person can be seen in the top half of the image falling towards the viewer. The person is female and has her hands projecting closer towards the viewer, as though to brace for impact or protect the face. One of the hands is overlapped by the camera strap, which implies that the camera has fallen first. She also is wearing a jacket, jeans, and shoes. This implies that she is outside. Her expression is happy, which suggests humor to the image as apposed to fear. In the background we see the foreshortening view of a building made of brick. The building rises to just above the halfway point of the image. On the building there are windows that reaches half way up the building from this point of view. There is also a sign that stands out. Overall there is soft lighting on all of the objects. The image is black and white in a vertical orientation.

Now that I have had time to review the image the things that I pull out that would possibly improve the image is removing the tension point between the camera strap and the edge of the frame, remove the text from the camera strap, make the background out of focus to be less distracting, make the image in the camera more relevant. The things that I found where strong are the humor, Photoshop skills, process of creation, more understandable then the original, and placement of each element.

The process was as follows: she used the school as a location because it had more of a narrative about ACAD students and their experiences within the school environment. Also she enjoyed the 3D appearance of the building from the angle of the viewer. It was relevant to the people would walked by on that path everyday. Another location was the studio. She used the studio in order to achieve the same lighting. She shot everything individually. It was important that the elements all played in the overall narrative. The image in the camera was picked because it gave the most cause for someone to fall over. She combined all the images together, which took a long time with lots of process. It was intentional for the elements to all be in focus because she wanted the viewer to look at all the elements in the image and not just one.

Laura decided to work with Boofheads Falling because she liked the concept but she thought she could execute it better then the artist had. She wanted to play on the idea of the student experience as apposed to the dumb tourist as Boofhead did. Her work also functions as a self-portrait. She found her image at a site where anyone can submit images so she wanted to work with non-professional work.

Critique of Kayla's images by Kristen

If I had not seen the original photo that this image is based on I would have instantly recognized the inspiration anyway, the Afghan girl from National Geographic. The red is the most prominent colour in the photograph. There was great attention to detail, as the white paint that is on the scarf is also on the recreated photograph. However I do not see the green material underneath the rips in the scarf. The lighting on the face is very dramatic, and more intense then in the original photo, but I enjoy that, as they eyes are not as intense or as piercing as in the original photo. The dramatic lighting makes up the intensity that the eyes are lacking. It was a great recreation of a very famous photograph.

The image is a portrait of a young woman with a red scarf wrapped about her head. Some of her light brown hair is still visible near the top part of her head. The scarf has bits of white paint on it close to the right side of the girls face. (from the viewers point of view). The eyes of the girl make direct contact with the viewer, with intensity. The eye colour is a mix of hazel and green. The background is a light brown fabric, which does not over power the subject. The lighting in the image is coming from the right side (from the viewers perspective), and creating a very dramatic effect on the face.

The portrait is well composed, with no tension points to distract the viewer. The background is very muted and does not detract from the subject. However I would have liked to have seen a green background, as it would make the red of the scarf stand out more. The folds in the scarf wrap around the subject in a way that keeps the eye within the frame. The lighting on the face is well executed. There are no odd shadows, and the light wraps nicely around the face.

Kayla has always loved this portrait; no image has stuck with her like this one has. Kayla began her process by starting to research the photographer, and how the image was taken. She looked at the type of lighting was used, the camera, film, lens if there was any filters used, and much more. Kayla took a lot of inspiration from the vibrant colour of the original image. The model used in this image is a friend of Kayla’s who has really expressive eyes, and is also very passionate about National Geographic. The mood in the image was really important. The intensity in the recreation is a different type of intensity then in the original image, as the girl in the original image has had a much more traumatic life then the model. In order to create the intensity Kayla used more dramatic lighting to create harsher shadows on the face.

Kayla chose to recreate this image because the portrait of the Afghan Girl has always been an image Kayla admired. It is possibly her favourite image, and is definitely in her top five.

Emma’s ‘Like It, Love It, Live It’ Project

By Ali Clayton

1) Immediate Response: Nailed It!! Beautiful, Peaceful, Seems very classic, Emma has captured the era of the original photo in her image.

2) Objective Description: A black & white image. A close-up of a woman smoking. Two fingers, holding a lit, un-ashed cigarette is just visible in the bottom of the image. The woman is looking to her left as she blows a whispy cloud of smoke to the right. She is wearing a mesh cocktail hat tilted over her right eye. Her dark eye make-up and lipstick contrast with the white of her skin as well as the background.

3) Formal Complaints/Formal Praise: I don’t have any formal complaints with this picture. I think it was beautifully done. Emma stuck close to capturing the original image. Although Emma pointed out some technical things from her post-production work she would like to change, they were not things that I noticed. I think some people will probably find the motion in the fingers distracting but I don’t. I feel there’s a juxtaposition between the stillness in the face and the motion in the fingers. For me, this adds narrative to the photo and maybe adds a depth that isn’t present in the original photo. I feel that the attitude of the model is different from the original. In the original there seems to be a coldness that I take from the half closed eye but in Emma’s version, there seems to be more emotion coming from the model. I think this is a strength of the photo. In the fifties, women weren’t raised to be outwardly independent. The model in the original gets her strength from her attitude. Today, in my opinion, women are raised to be strong, independent people. Women aren’t supposed to show emotion. I see real emotion in Emma’s picture and that emotion is what gives the model her strength.

4) The Story It Tells: A lot of second hand smoke, trial & error, & Febreze. Emma would have liked to have shot this in the seamless but obviously couldn’t with current laws. She shot this in her home where she blacked out her windows with foam core and placed a white curtain in front. She lit her model with one industrial light. She put a lot of time and effort into the post-production work she did in Photoshop.

5) Work in the world & how it connects to other work: Lillian Bassman portrayed women in a strong, independent way and this image illustrates that. The model gives off the air of being a classy man-eater. This attitude originally drew Emma to this photo. She felt it was a strong and bad-ass portrait. The original image is from the 50’s and at the time of the original image, smoking was more of a status symbol. The risks of smoking weren’t evident yet and those who smoked could be considered in a more elite class. There was a coolness factor associated with smoking. Nowadays, the coolness factor has changed a bit but still exists. There is a bit of a rebellious attitude that goes along with smoking.

Julya's Work

My immediate response to the work:

My first immediate response to Julya’s work is how the lamps remind me of the jumping lamp in Hayao Miyazaki’s movie, Spirited Away.   There is a surreal quality in the image and that’s why it immediately brought me back to the movie, Spirited Away.  What stand out for me in Julya’s image would be the numerous lamps and how magical it looks in the twilight environment.  

Objective description:

In Julya’s work, she has numerous lamps placed on the grassy ground by the water.  The lamps are positioned everywhere just a little below from the centre of the image in horizontal direction.  They are not in straight order.  The lamps are lightening up (like they were turned on), which creates a magical quality.  It looks like it was just before sunset and it has a twilight feeling in the image.  In the background, there are pine trees with a little blue skies peeking through.

Formal complaints and Formal Praise:

Julya’s work has surreal qualities. The original photo has red lamps and is facing the ground, however Julya’s photo has white/grayish lamps and they are facing in different directions rather than facing the ground.  The original piece has lamps placed in the centre and Julya’s lamps are a little off centre, which I liked about it.  It creates a great composition.  I wish I could see more of the lamps lighten up but it must be really difficult to do that in a wood environment.  Overall, it is a really sweet piece.  There is a twilight feel in the image.  The lighter skies in the background can be a little distracting and it would be nice to see more trees in the back. 

Does this work tell a story?

Julya was really excited about recreating her initial image, which she showed in class.  However it did not work because she was unable to find lamps that were small enough and not so modern looking.  She decided to move onto a different image by the same artist, Rune Guneriussen, who photographed the initial image.  The second image Julya picked was a light up globes placed on rocks.  After some research and visiting stores, she was unable to find light-up globes.  Her third image is 4 big lamps sitting on the frozen lake.  However, it’s not cold enough yet and there are no frozen lakes available.  So Julya moved onto her fourth image, which has antique lamps placed on the road by the lake.  But the fourth image had similar issue with her original photo: find antique lamps. So she moved onto her 5^th image, which is the image she did.  She did it because she was able to find similar style of lamp and she had several ideas to resolve the problem. 

First problem was to deal with the power an electric lamp in the forest.  She thought of using gas generator however the location Julya picked (Griffin Wood Park) required some walking to the stream.  So she decided to use LED light glued into a working lamp.  Her lamp does not have a base, just a clamp so she did some test at home to see whether the lamp would stand or not before taking it out to the wood.

She went out to the wood and was not impressed cause there were several problems.  the lamp won’t stand still because the ground is sandy rather than solid.  The solar powered lamps were okay but there was lack of lamp figure, making them invisible.  Julya decided to come back the following day after resolving some problems.

Julya made some paper cones to act as lampshades and it worked better.  Her mother suggested a situation on how to hold the lamp up – clamping the lamp to a cutting board to create a stable balance. 

The 2^nd try worked out perfectly.  She took several photos of the lamp and moved them in a different direction every time.  After many shoots, she went home and did some editing.  In Photoshop, she made selections around each lamp and pasted them into one shot. 

The Work in the World:

Julya choose the photographs by Rune Guneriussen because she likes the magical, surreal feel in the image.  It reminds her of the series, The Lion and the Witch and the Wardrobe.  It creates an almost magical feel like as if you’d arrive at when you go through the wardrobe into Narnia. 

Critique of Jen Hall, by Vanessa DeZutter

JEN HALL

1) Immediate Response:

Jens image seems to contain a great sense of humor, almost seems like a critique or comment on “the ridiculousness of wealth or fame to a certain degree. The main subject is Pink, a well known music artist that generally speaks about rebellion and feminine power. Immediately I was drawn to the fantastic choice of color palette, the bright vivid props and clothing choices contrast directly against the dark, almost dingy dirty atmosphere.This darker background adds an element of depth and mystery, is she keeping her “fetishes” somewhat hidden, or underwaps perhaps? I feel this way because the image seems not so bold and intentional as the original sexual as the original images’ intent.

Objective Description:

Jens image contains very contrasty, vibrate colors, reflecting and contrasting heavily on the dark low key background. We as the viewer are very aware of the environment and placement is evident in a brick texture of the backdrop. This dark environment has a somewhat dungy dark feeling adding to my personal feelings of a “hidden fetish.”

The female is clad in lingerie with a glass of red wine in her hands, clearly completely comfortable in her environment. She has vibrant red hair and lips, very large “knockers”if you will, and an expression of utter thrill . In one hand, she holds a vibrant yellow rope, which is attached to a dog collar around a hopelessly skinny and white male clad in tight little green underwear. Who looks up at her with the seeming response of “give me more” The most fantastic color choice for me is the mimicry of the colors in the female shoes and the hot pink guitar.

Formal Complaints/Praise:

One of the biggest praises I have for Jens image is her careful selection of props and clothing in the models. He selection in the male’s underwear are fantastic in her choice of almost exact complimentary colors. In terms of realism, the images does not depend heavily on that factor. LaChapelle’s images are an imaginary world, hyperbolized hyper sexual activities on average, which I believe she was successful in achieving.

Also, I have given praise to Jen for her ability to present a clean and tight image, despite the content and amount of props in the photograph. The crisp, clean lighting immediately stood out for me, which she achieved she achieved with two strobes, one soft box and one silver lined umbrella. Her direct application of vignetting is successful in quite literally dragging the viewer into the image and allows the lighting to appear to wrap around the subjects making them look very three dimensional. The subjects, much like the original image are in almost directly in the center of the frame which is successful with the additions of the lines leading your eye through the composition. Formal complaints about the images may possibly include the tip of the male’s heal poking up causing some what of a tension for the viewer, along with the

hand of the female model bent backward quite awkwardly on the “leash.” Also, one final complaint could possibly the distracting aspect of the floor, which leads my eye around the interesting texture of the floor and away from the models. This background makes Jens image not as sterile and provocative looking as the original image.

What story does it tell:

Jen’s image tells a story of careful selection in models, makeup and props. She appears to have taken a great deal of time and preciseness to achieve this image. Jen tells me that she started out attempting an exact replication of the original image, but as the shoot went along the natural progression of this particular shoot was to attempt other positions facial expressions and movement, which turned out to be successful in achieving her own original image. Jen says about the models and their comfort level, “they stopped listening to the camera shutter and started having fun.” This image, to me, talks about her careful selection of location, lighting, models, props, clothing, hairstylists and makeup artists.

The work in the world:

Jen chose this image because she has been following LaCheppelle for quite some time. She grew up liking Pink as musician, so it was an exciting combination of favorite photographer and one of her favorite musicians. She was intrigued by this sense of reversed roles, generally a strong male and a more passive woman, so naturally this image of role reversal was one of interest for Jen . I think people would be generally amused by this image. Its not so provocative as the original so perhaps more acceptable in community (not art world) standards.

“Glosoli” – Photo by Kaitlyn

Upon first glance, Glosoli is very reminiscent of a dream. Kaitlyn has created a stunning image of herself, gently flying off the edge of a cliff. The colours are muted, the background is soft, and she is in a very natural and secluded setting. The picture exudes an aura of calmness. Somehow, this image is very believable; I feel as if I am standing on an opposing bluff, watching her float by. Kaitlyn’s work functions very well as a response to her chosen image for this project. Although it is not a direct copy, it perfectly mimics the sentiments found in the photo “Dream Room” by Rosie Hardy.

From an objective standpoint, I would say that Kaitlyn’s work is quite feminine. It is tranquil, gentle and romantic. It is very wistful, and brings forth a lot of emotion from its viewer. In this regard, it is certainly not just a formal work. It evidently has a lot conceptual value to it, and leaves the viewer with several questions. What makes this picture so believable? Why would she be flying off the edge of an overhang? How did she take this picture? The questions that this photograph poses lead the viewer to a deeper investigation of the work, rather than letting viewer simply skim over the work and move on to another piece.

Glosoli is both intriguing and satisfying at the time. It ha been executed with a huge level of thought and skill. The integration of “floating Kaitlyn” into “maudlin background” is very successful, and has been done very naturally. There are no harsh edges, and it looks as if the photograph was taken as a whole, rather than having been composited together. As well, Kaitlyn has clearly thought through every detail in her image. Her wardrobe matches the colour scheme, and seems appropriate for the setting. The softness of the image suggests that the image is a dream of some sort, and the muted colours give us a sense of serenity.

The title Glosoli, meaning “Glowing Sun” in Icelandic, is aptly chosen. It is poetic, mild, and also happens to be the title of Sigur Ros song. Kaitlyn informed that this piece is indeed inspired both by Rosy Hardy’s image, as well as the video for the Sigur Ros song Glosoli (which depicts young children happily flying off the edge of cliff). The work tells a story, though its viewers may interpret it differently. It makes me feel as if she is searching for something, or as if she is longing for something else. Kaitlyn has told me that the narrative within her image is quite reflective of the Glosoli lyrics, which talk about innocence, feelings of insignificance and wishing for a new beginning.

There are innumerable works of art that examine the ideas of belonging, innocence, and searching for a new beginning. Kaitlyn’s work would function well with a variety of different works in this regard. Though her work has a very specific meaning, it can be viewed in broader terms. Its poetic, romantic and dream like qualities make it a work that would function well with many other works by Rosy Hardy, as well as with the works of Sigur Ros. Overall, Kaitie’s work is very successful in paying homage to Rosie Hardy, as well as functioning as work of its own.

Ali Clayton's “Like it, Love it, Live it” Project By Emma Kopstein

I was initially drawn into the painting's similarity in colour to the original image of Bob Dylan, and I enjoyed the artificial take on the original photographs background.

Objective Description: The Image is a copy of a Bob Dylan image shot by Elliot Landy. The background has a red painted forest scene to mimic the natural forest in the Dylan Image. It is a Self portrait of Ali; she sits on a log in front of her painting with a smug grin on her face. Beyond the Painting is an actual forest with much more dull colours which suggests a common contrast between real life and what we see in an image.

Formal Complaints/praise: I really enjoyed the concept of Ali’s piece, playing with the idea of an individuals passion becoming an extension of themselves more so than just an object or talent they possess. The only critisim I have for this piece is I’d like to see a more cropped in version, focusing more so on the painting, and allowing the grass around the bottom of her feet to suggest the artificiality of the scene.

The story Ali’s image tells of her process begins with a trip to Montreal several years ago where she first found the Dylan image at a Pop Culture Exhibit gift shop. The image drew her in initially only by the colour, not even aware that it was an image of Bob Dylan. The image has remained a favorite of Ali’s since then, being framed in her home allowing her to constantly return to it. As she decided on the process to take in mimicking this image, she knew she wanted to focus on the colour, and the idea of a person’s passion being an extension of them. After some thought she came to the idea of a self-portrait, and in place of Dylan’s guitar she uses the background painting itself to represent her passion for art. She chose to keep the real forest visible in her image to play on her fascination with the natural beauty of the west, and the idea that in the Dylan image it makes her wonder why he is in this particular scene, the sort of artificial placement in a natural space. Ali chose to be sitting in the image because it seemed more fitting in the scene, and the log she sits on is a reiteration of the natural forest behind her painting of a forest. The Car that Dylan sits on is less important to Ali than the contrast between the red and black colours in the image themselves; the simple casual position Dylan is in, in this setting is more intriguing than what he actually sits on.

The Work in the world applies to many other images by many other artists based on the fact that we often create an artificial scene made to look like a natural one and shoot the image in a way that is believable. Ali’s image shows us an almost “behind the scene” view of what many other photographers try so hard to hide.

Brendan's Work by Minwoo Lee

This photograph is very well represented and reproduced from the original image. This photograph really has the essence of the original photograph and carries conceptual interplay into consideration. This photograph also seems to have the idea of retracing of historical elements into modern context.

Firstly this photograph has a women with a lit cigarette on her lips with smokes blending into the background. The model is wearing a bra with a fur coat that is draping down under her shoulder. The original photograph looks fifties hollywood fashion, and is carried out in the same theme to the reproduced image. The reproduced photograph carries the same mood, textures, lighting and details. The mood created by the lighting is very well carried out; especially with the colors and the details in the texture of the background. The background has grains and scratches that are similar to the original photograph. Small details in the lighting, texture and props are reproduced very well, but in a more modern sense. The smoke could look more real if it is more distinctly connected to the cigarette, but it still is very well represented. There are some aspects like the tattoo and the hair that is represented in the original photograph, but it seems to relate conceptually in relation of modern beauty and the fifties beauty.

Firstly Brendan was really interested in the idea of editing and the challenges of reproducing the fifties essence into modern context. The photograph is shot on a seamless studio with soft box directly lighting the portrait with a hot light slightly lighting the side of the portrait. The smoke in the cigarette is created in photoshop and the idea of creating a smoke from a unlit cigarette really interests me in the idea that social standards and cultures changed throughout history, and how it is literally retracing the historical content on the original photograph.

Conceptually this photograph seems to be relating historical fashion photograph and how it has evolved into modern fashion photography. The reproduced image has a model with a more modern hair style with a tattoo on her shoulder, which represents how historically feminism and fashion walked on the same evolution. This photograph seems to have the conceptual feeling of modern culture and modern fashion directly relating to fifties hollywood fashion. Even though the props and clothes are nearly similar, a single tattoo and the hair style really brings up the modern essence to the table.

Throughout modern fashion, historical fashion is brought up in industries. The connection of historical essence really brings the connection with the general audience to their own experience of historical context. This photograph is a homage to historical fashion and how it is directly related to modern culture.

There are a lot of photographs that are a homage to historical content that are incorporated in modern context. This photograph very well could be one of the photograph that represents the idea of re-representing a historical content in a modern context. Conceptually this photograph is retracing and pulling the historical elements into modern photography.

Dana’s Grace Kelly Inspired Photograph

When I first see this image I immediately feel it is a modern day take on a classic photograph. It is a snapshot that feels very natural. I first noticed the amount of detail and attention that has been paid to every part of the work. The work is calm and low energy, bringing back many memories of various times that I have gone through the same ritual. The artist made very good use of the visual elements present in the work to contribute to its esthetic and meaning. I feel in many ways the reproduction is stronger and more successful that the original, but especially when it comes to the narrative.

This is a photographic recreation of an image of Grace Kelly taken by Allen Grant. It is a photograph of a woman, in a white dress and gloves, who is in the midst of getting ready in her bathroom, to go out for a special occasion. In her backhand she is holding a tube of lipstick, her hair is up and she is almost ready to go. In the bathroom mirror the viewer becomes aware of the presence of a little girl who is peeking through the doorway on the far left, watching her mother get ready. The woman is located on the left side of the frame and looking towards the right. The scene is lit using one light source from over top the bathroom mirror. Many formal qualities of the work add interest such as the use of reflection, diagonals and texture on both the clothing and materials that make up the bathroom.

When comparing the original work to the reproduction, they contain many similarities. They both play with the idea of beauty and fashion. They have very similar settings and quality of light. The one difference that stands out is the narrative being created and the positioning of the main character. Grain has been added back into the new version to imitate the image quality of the original. Both images have a glossy quality on many of the objects included and lots of texture. The Clothing used in each work is very different but work well in their own setting. In the artists own work they have included a doorway, which was not used in the original, but adds interest. As well the energy level of the new image is significantly lower, mainly due to the amount of people in the foreground and reflection.

Once I had picked out the image of the little girl reflected in the mirror I instantly knew this photograph was about desire. The little girls eyes stare longingly at her mother as she hopes she too will be as beautiful as her some day. The artist talked of trying to emulate the gaze that was captured in the original work. She looked at the idea of fetish in that it is a photograph of a person who is looking at something else, touching on the idea of voyeurism. She remembered this image from a Life Magazine and it has always stuck with her. She tried to capture the element of documentary photography. The original photograph made her feel as though she was the young girl who desired to be the women in the beautiful dresses, and brought back memories of herself watching her own mother get ready in front of the mirror.

This work to me references all the amazing photographs that have been produced of Grace Kelly. It also seems to look at the back stage life or behind the scenes type of documentary photographs; or the amateur documentation of getting prepared for a special occasion.