Kimberly French

I was looking at contest winners on a photography magazine website ( popphoto.com ) and I stumbled across a photo with really amazing light. However, after doing photoshop some, I couldn't help but to wonder how much of it was her photography or her photo skills... I decided I'd give the artist a fair look and search for more.

What I found was photography that I do not get to see too often. She apparently does set photography for movies. I've only worked on one independent film that had a set photographer. I'm not sure what the typical style for this kind of photography is.. So deciding how I want to approach the photographs is part of the battle. Is there a standard style of shooting for this? Does it even matter if there is a style of shooting... Do I want to look at these photographs because of the lighting or the subject matter? Am I looking for familiar scenes from movies in movie scenes I have never viewed? Am I only looking at these photographs because it is taking me somewhere I am interested in being? Because of my film background am I just naturally intrigued?

I dunno.. I'm not sure... Perhaps if I see other artist in this field I will have more understanding and a better way to see it.

In addition.. More food for thought..... Movie scenes have very very nice controlled lighting.. Expensive lighting typically... So... outside of framing how much work do they have to do? And if they are hired specifically to do the work on set.. Then how much leeway are they given to explore angles? A lot... A little? ...

I dunno... I'm interested.. But... skeptical.

Pieter Hugo

Camouflaged in all of this mess, I can not understand whether he is trying to go unnoticed, or if he is just that unimportant that no one is taking note of him. Is he to be discarded like the rest of this junk? Or is the stuff junk at all? It is someone's secret stash of goods?

What are these children doing? Not dressed in black face... But in white face? Is that what this is? Is this a joke? Did they just run through some chalk and I'm just reading it like an adult with political insinuations? Where are they? What is the factory type building behind them? Where are their toys? I don't understand....

Can we sayyyy AMAZING... I saw these images and was seriously confused. That is the most accurate description I can give... I looked at them not sure if it was fantasy, documentary, culture difference, etc.

The name of the series that got me pumped, Nollywood. It's the third largest film industry in the world. This setting is far from Hollywood glamour though. The stories told in these movies are not done through speaking, but through shouting. The stories often lived out are by local actors and actress on cultural myths and stories. In addition to these myths and stories the average setting of Nollywood is added. The typical setting these people live in is what most Hollywood would travel far to capture, or spend thousands to remake. These are done constantly though and on low budgets.

Pieter Hugo has submerged himself into their world of documentary/ fantasy. He captures these images of their "movie stills", and delivers shocking portrayals of these "monsters" and their lives. There is a lot to be discussed and considered when viewing the images. First, it is that the people are using their natural environment to make the photographs. They are using cultural myths and stories from their histories. However, they are delivering stories. And their straight stare into the camera with such composure is unsettling. We are trained to look away at morbid scenes. But when someone stares straight at you, you can't help but to stop and stare back. It's instinct. We are pulled into the images by this head on approach and bizarre subject matter. Wondering what is real in the photograph and what is not. Who are these people.. What political statements are being made? Many of them are in what appears to be "white face" many of them are dealing with authority and submission. Some are conflicting sexual pulls.

Domination?? On sooo many levels? Pure movie reference?

Standard living? Or more chalk playing?

Clash between rich and poor? Statement about perception? Struggle to be more than their surroundings? Confident in defeat?

Staged punishment? Typical cultural punishment? Statement about sexual roles in society? In all society? Or just theirs? Why are they so casual for such an awful appearance? Is this normal? Are they just use to it?

Part of a cultural mask or story? Part of an act?

I can't speak enough about the different implication in all of these images.. But I would strongly suggest looking into the entire site to gather the complete information on this series and more images... They are so conflicting my head is left spinning.. It took me hours to look at the images and figure out how I felt about them.. And the best part.. I can't figure out what I feel about them. Adding the information to these images that explained it is part truth, part fiction leaves my head with loose ends all around the pictures. I love the lack of knowledge and understand I feel looking at them.. Odd enjoying the sense of bewilderment.

Michael Wolf- Oct 26-30

These two small openings in the windows, make my mind race with the possibility of what those individuals are doing. What they are going though.. What they have planned for the day... What are the other people doing??
Michael Wolf's photography reminded me of why I love photography. Unlike Sarah's work in the previous blog, his work required no words for my interest to be sparked and interested. He took my eye to a place that I do not get to usually see. When we think of big cities, one of the most common images to imagine is the skyscrapers. However, how often do we see the buildings straight on, lacking all of the information that makes it a building? Or the insights into all the different windows? One of the reasons that I originally got into video and photo was because people are so interesting. I wanted to document their lives, their moments, their stories. And even though Michael's work is displaying buildings, grids of life, he is still showing life. He is showing it in a way that puts into perspective how small everyone is. He is putting into perspective how large everything else is. Even the buildings that house us all individually. Though this concept has been played with by multiple people over time, every new eye can portray something new, and I feel that he does. He shows us something very simple, and in a very clean way.

This image shows the building as almost just a texture, and not even an architectonical design. But upon closer examination we see the larger picture, and that allows the brain to follow it to something even larger, what other building surround this one? Where is it? What is it functioning as? So simple, but so so intriguing. How wonderful photography can be when this is accomplished.

So much activity is taking place in this grid shape of a building. The image looks almost flat until you start to focus on the individual images. That is one reason I love this photograph in particular. Because the amount of flatness in the image makes your eyes stop and look for the importance... And then.. then you see it clearly. It's not flat at all, but full of depth and activity.

The spacial arrangement in this one is really nice. The black empty space really exaggerates the sense of loneliness in within the images behind the windows. It reminds me of a movie still with they flash images all together across the screen with simply black to separate the actions. Knowing that it is a photograph though, and seeing people's lives actually arranged in such a isolated space.. Is.. moving.

Michael Wolf is definitely a photographer I plan on revisiting. This was only one series of work, and I could go on and on about it... The rest is just as simply amazing.. Check it

http://www.photomichaelwolf.com/intro/index.html

Sarah Pickering Blog for Oct 19-23

Sarah Pickering caught my interest, in an unordinary way. Typically when we are drawn into photography, I would like to believe that it would be normal to say that it was because of the photo. Because of the imagery. Sarah Pickering's photographs did not initially draw me because of her use of lighting, composition, or color grid.. Sarah Pickering caught my eye because of her interest in her subject matter. I'm thankful to say that I do not like her photographs, but that I can appreciate them. She took an interest in something unique and followed it. And no matter what my reason for looking at her images, I looked. I looked and I researched and I also became intrigued with her desire to photograph such images. The images I am discussing in particular is her body of work called Explosion. The Explosion series focuses on the use denotation as a study tool for British Soldiers ( according to Aperture Magazine insight ). As Sarah puts it, “My work explores the idea of imagined threat and response, and looks at fear and planning for the unexpected, merging fact and fiction, fantasy and reality.”

Upon first glance, the images seemed far from striking. In today's society, explosions are not something that we rarely catch on video or photo. This is not an insight into something the average viewer can not see by simply googling "explosion". However, knowing her intention behind the body of work, alters how I view it. And in this case, and many others I think that an artist intentions can be just as captivating as the work. Without knowing her interest, in the fear of the explosion and the exposure that soldiers are trained to deal with, her work would be boring to me. My interest in narration and intention of the artist is very clear throughout my exploration of her work. I am trained to not only tell stories by images, but by narration due to the broadcasting background that I come from. I enjoyed this series because I can easily say that the artist purpose is necessary sometimes to enjoy the work. Not to say that it should always be completely reliant on this aspect. Photography after all is a visual art for the most part.

Diwan Manna- blog for past week, oct 12-16

This is an artist I just stumbled upon while looking for new artist, that I've not been informed about before. His work is ... different. It makes me tilt my head slightly while examining it, as though that will help decide what it is. For this reason.. I've decided he was well worth writing about. One thing I also admire about him is that his work is diverse. There are several different series that can be accessed from his website, http://www.diwanmanna.com , and they all have a distinct feel.

The next set of images are from the series Shores of the Unknown. I liked this body of work because it gives the viewer a confused look at human figures. Some photos appear to be washed up bodies, others seem as though they are coming from the womb, and still others, come across as lifeless bodies on display for someone's sick interest. Though they all differ, they still remain consistent to work in a series together.

This image is one of the image that makes me think of a human being born. This is much more disturbing than a birth however.. It looks like an adult form, not a child. It appears to be pinned down to the floor being contained instead of being released from the womb. The distinct hand with nails is also uncomfortable to view because nails do not grow as fast in the womb. Reassuring the informed viewer that this is not a good image. It's not a pleasant one anyway...

This image makes me think sci-fi. I see the textures and colors and I instantly think of an alien abduction. The orange of the floor with the lumped ground, makes me think of a planets ground. The color of the human form, being such a radiant green, makes me think that perhaps the atmosphere has changed normal colors or perhaps this is the view from the alien. What his colors look like. The obvious chords and pins tacking the form to the ground is hostile and definitely not the treatment from a humanitarian.

This is one of the images that gives me the impression these are lifeless forms on display for someone's morbid pleasure. The objects seem relaxed, but lifeless. Like their souls passed from their bodies peacefully, and they were preserved like art. The sheets draping over them give a look of preservation and completion of life. Really disturbing image to view, especially since one of the forms is a child. Seeing a child lifeless is always the hardest to view. In addition, the child looks ... pleasing, even dead.

The next series of work is called Alienation. I only choose one photo from this series, for the pure fact that the others wouldn't upload. I'd encourage whoever is reading this, to go look at the rest of this series to see how the images in this one series differ so much, but still portray alienation.

This image is a classic reference to Adam and Eve. This is a different portrayal however, and it is easy on the eyes. This image being linked to the title alienation of the series gives it multiple meanings that may not have been there without the name.

This series is from a foreign country and the background is that they take photos with their desires in order to preserve the happiness of having what they could not.. Moving really.. And comical at the same time.

This next body is more documentary and in my opinion is some of his strongest work.It could be because humanitarian documentary is what I am most interested in.. But the faces, the composition, the hope and hopelessness captured is beautiful.

This photo is so wonderful because of the contrast of the people in the streets and the ones in the high gloss fashion advertisement above them.

Diwan Manna- blog for past week, oct 12-16

This is an artist I just stumbled upon while looking for new artist, that I've not been informed about before. His work is ... different. It makes me tilt my head slightly while examining it, as though that will help decide what it is. For this reason.. I've decided he was well worth writing about. One thing I also admire about him is that his work is diverse. There are several different series that can be accessed from his website, http://www.diwanmanna.com , and they all have a distinct feel.

The next set of images are from the series Shores of the Unknown. I liked this body of work because it gives the viewer a confused look at human figures. Some photos appear to be washed up bodies, others seem as though they are coming from the womb, and still others, come across as lifeless bodies on display for someone's sick interest. Though they all differ, they still remain consistent to work in a series together.

This image is one of the image that makes me think of a human being born. This is much more disturbing than a birth however.. It looks like an adult form, not a child. It appears to be pinned down to the floor being contained instead of being released from the womb. The distinct hand with nails is also uncomfortable to view because nails do not grow as fast in the womb. Reassuring the informed viewer that this is not a good image. It's not a pleasant one anyway...

This image makes me think sci-fi. I see the textures and colors and I instantly think of an alien abduction. The orange of the floor with the lumped ground, makes me think of a planets ground. The color of the human form, being such a radiant green, makes me think that perhaps the atmosphere has changed normal colors or perhaps this is the view from the alien. What his colors look like. The obvious chords and pins tacking the form to the ground is hostile and definitely not the treatment from a humanitarian.

This is one of the images that gives me the impression these are lifeless forms on display for someone's morbid pleasure. The objects seem relaxed, but lifeless. Like their souls passed from their bodies peacefully, and they were preserved like art. The sheets draping over them give a look of preservation and completion of life. Really disturbing image to view, especially since one of the forms is a child. Seeing a child lifeless is always the hardest to view. In addition, the child looks ... pleasing, even dead.

The next series of work is called Alienation. I only choose one photo from this series, for the pure fact that the others wouldn't upload. I'd encourage whoever is reading this, to go look at the rest of this series to see how the images in this one series differ so much, but still portray alienation.

This image is a classic reference to Adam and Eve. This is a different portrayal however, and it is easy on the eyes. This image being linked to the title alienation of the series gives it multiple meanings that may not have been there without the name.

This series is from a foreign country and the background is that they take photos with their desires in order to preserve the happiness of having what they could not.. Moving really.. And comical at the same time.

This next body is more documentary and in my opinion is some of his strongest work.It could be because humanitarian documentary is what I am most interested in.. But the faces, the composition, the hope and hopelessness captured is beautiful.

This photo is so wonderful because of the contrast of the people in the streets and the ones in the high gloss fashion advertisement above them.

Traer Scott

Wow, wow, wow. I love his series called, "The Hungary Ghost". The name of the series comes from a metaphorical character in Tibetan Buddhism. In short, the ghost represents constant hunger and desire that can not be met. His series focuses on the theme of the creation stories from various different cultures throughout history. He does all of the photographs in this series in water to allow the body more freedom from gravity.

I have been reading quite a bit lately and a lot of it is based on fantasy ideas, but with great depth about human nature and our existence. I think the reading I have been submerged in, is why I have been so intrigued with fantasy images lately. His do not disappoint me in that aspect. The images oddly enough give me a strange "heavy" feeling when I look at them. There is something about the pull with the light and dark spaces in the photographs that give it this feel. The images add to this even more, with the amount of confusion about the people, or creatures being photographed. Some of the images have obvious human forms, but have an animal feature as well. Some of them are plainly just human; but the water element gives them a sense of weightlessness inside of the heavy pull of the colors. These two things working together allow the photograph to feel even more intangible. They begin to feel even more unreal.

This photograph creeps me out. I have a self portrait series I did of me wearing bunny features and playing on a playground. Those photos have a light hearted feel.. There is something about this one though that is disturbing. I do not know if it is because there are more human features apparent to accompany the bunny face in such a close proximity.. Or if it is because the bunny/human is in water.. Is it because the body seems to be rigid like a dead body that has floated to the top? Why this photograph haunts me, and my series makes me laugh.. I'm not sure. However, I do know that the image makes me uncomfortable in an unexplainable way.

The lighting of this photograph may be the cause for the change of perspective on this image. Lighting really is everything. Lighting can alter the feel, the mood, the complete outcome of the photo. I think that may play a part in not just this photo, but this whole body of work.

I love this photo, because she looks like a fairy tale princess, floating through the sky in a graceful manner until you focus a little bit longer and realize it is not the sky she is surrounded by but water.. Then her form takes on a completely different meaning. Then her body does not seem graceful and controlled. Her body seems to be limp, and weak. It seems as though she has struggled to stay on top of the water.. And she succeeded... Just not the way she would have liked to succeeded. Her eyes are closed indicating death perhaps.. Yet, at the same time she has a peaceful face... So.. Is she dead then? Or did she win in the fight against the water? Maybe her intentions were to die.. Maybe she allowed herself to be at such peace with the idea that the water easily consumed her and the face was frozen in that moment.

Before I read about the background of this series, I saw this photo and thought that she looked like she was having a soul inserted. Which struck me as odd, because it is obvious that she is simply laying in a body of water. So I thought maybe I was just letting my imagination run a little too much with something I wanted to see instead of what it was. Which.. is also funny, because isn't half the fun of photography, and art in general that I can make what is presented in front of me whatever I want it to be? ( I have also been reading a book that deals with "souls" taking over human bodies as host...) ... Anyways, I read the title for this photo and read the word "soul 2". It was a wonderful thrill to realize that the artist took something so apparently natural.. Like a girl laying in water.. Shallow enough to be a bath perhaps.. And create a feeling of birth! The artist intended this thought to be seen in the photograph.. And it works, it works so well and I don't know why, BECAUSE of the obviousness of what it really is.. I almost think it is more magical because of this.

This image created the same feel as the previous one. It makes me more uncomfortable though, because I thought, child in womb.. And, childbearing is a nasty sight, despite it's beauty. Oddly enough, this photograph is beautiful, but I still felt dirty seeing it, because I pictured a gruesome procedure associated with it. This photograph was named, "Creation", which I thought was very appropriate.

This photograph is intimate to be. Children are often seen being submerged half way like this, when their care giver, typically their parent, is lovingly bathing them.

This is one of the photographs that was confusing to view at first. I had to stop and look at what was going. The first reason, is because the angle is awkward for this photo ( in a good way ) and I was not sure what was under it. I did not know if it was emerging from something, if it was missing limbs, or if it was positioned to where I could not see them, and I was looking for four legs, not two. As it turns out, it was emerging from something, it was missing something ( two more legs ) and it was positioned to hide parts of it. This is a centaur, not a human, not a horse, but a mixture of both, and not in the way we typically see them pictured. This also adds to the sense of confusion by taking away my preconceived idea of what a centaur should be.

All and all, I must say that Traer Scott is someone I will be checking back in on to see future work.