Susan Sontag Reading Response

     The invention of the photograph in 1839 has changed the way we see the world.  Unlike a painting or a drawing, a photograph can be an accurate way to represent what we see and how we see it, or a photograph can be manipulated to look nothing like the original object.  The treasures of our world have become accessible to nearly all people just by viewing a representation of the object in a small photograph.

     Photographs are versatile and can be set in many different formats such as books, and newspapers, or just as reprinted images.  In such settings, the pictures can be paired with text to tell a story.  Pictures have become irreplaceable in society to identify citizens and increase safety.  The use of a photograph in a realistic manner can prove the existence of an experience or happening.

     A picture of an object used to be considered proof of the object's existence, but it seems that our culture now must question the truthfulness of a photograph.  As Sontag wrote, "The picture may distort; but there is always a presumption that something exists, or did exist, which is like what's in the picture."  Now, Photoshop and other ways of manipulating the truth has become so realistic that tat times it is difficult to decipher truth from fiction.

     In photographing objects, the photographer takes on a God-like quality by recreating the world as we want others to see it.  Even the most realistic photography is subject to the ideas of the photographer.  For each shot, the photographer decides how the picture should look through framing, exposure, and subject which show the photograph can be thought of as any other form of art; as the photographer's interpretation of the world.  The viewer then interprets the photograph, bringing his or her own experiences into play in the interpretation.

     The invention of photography has opened up new ways of seeing and interpreting our world.  Whether realistic or manipulated, photographs enhance our lives by recording experiences and places that would be left to memory or an artist's rendering.  However, photographs are still subject to the photographer's intentions and the individual viewer's interpretations drawn from personal experiences. 

Inspiration for Death, Dreams, and Desires Project

"Enamorado de la Luna" Luis Beltran

"Mirlos" Luis Beltran

"Mariposa de Otono" Luis Beltran


My ideas for Project 2, Death, Dreams, and Desires, are leaning towards Surreal Dreamscapes produced by compositing images together.  I would like the backgrounds of the photo to be equally important as the subject by creating interesting colors and textures found in paintings.  I plan to use my youngest daughter in some of the photographs as well as interesting or strange objects into the compositions.  Another possibility for this project is using a Holga or some other type of cheap camera with black and white film to just wing it and see what I can produce.  Happy accidents hopefully!  Good thing I have a back up plan.

Photography Class Composite Work

Composite Work in Photography Class

Alter Ego Fall 2012

Cindy Sherman- Untitled

When I think of alter ego, I think of Cindy Sherman.  I find her work inspiring, as I have never actually photographed myself.  This is not an idea I am fond of.  Cindy makes her photographs look effortless.
Another artist known for alter ego photography is Yashimura Morimura who inserts himself into famous works of art.

Yashimura Morimura- Portrait (Nine Faces)

Here are my alter ego photographs:

Patrick Jacobs

Love the look of these views through a fish eye lens. 



 Jacobs creates tiny dioramas for view through a tiny circle of glass.
This is quirky- levitating brussel sprout.

Final Project for Summer Intermediate Photography

My final project for the summer evolved into something totally different from what I originally thought it would be.  Part of the reason for the change was that my daughter didn't want to be in the photographs this time... I think she was a little tired of the weekly photo shoots.  She held still for a few pictures, but then was off to find something more interesting to do.  After all, her cousin was staying with us for the week.  I then spent an afternoon driving around the countryside looking for interesting scenes to create a background for composite photographs like Maggie Taylor creates.  I spent the next two days photographing anything I thought might be interesting subject matter, and also began working on the composites.  While I did make some interesting backdrops, nothing was coming together for the subject matter.  I was really running out of time.

When I went to class, I told Wendy, our instructor, of my difficulties with my project.  Wendy showed me the work of Barbara Jo Revelle who made an exhibit with every photograph she had ever taken of her family, unedited and also included scans of her children's toys.  Wendy said that you can capture the essence of a person through their belongings.  I went home and started collecting all of my daughter's stuffed animals, and after taking the laundry off the clothesline, thought it might be interesting to string the animals up on the clothesline.  Interesting, but still not what I was looking for.

It wasn't until I was driving to class the day before I was scheduled to print for the final critique that it hit me what I could base my final project on.  I decided to show who my daughter was through the things she left behind.  The toys in the sink, her bath mess, the paintings on the walls, the plate with her sandwich crusts from lunch....I also scanned her hair, her favorite rubber boots, and her favorite companion, George.

I think this project was probably one of my most successful yet, and  I think the concept behind the project is probably what made it successful.  In the past I have been skeptical as to whether I wanted to show any part of my house-I mean, we have five kids- our house is messy and always a work in progress.  I wasn't sure I wanted to show our bare cement floor in our bedroom, but I did anyway.  Our bathroom is in desperate need of an update... oh well.  After the years of me in school and the bad economy, we are lucky to have a house at all.  Maybe my new perspective will help me create stronger work in my classes to come.  We'll see.  All I know is that real life is interesting- and at our house, definitely not glamorous!

Romantic Painting Emulation

For project four, I solved the problem of my daughter moving around while I am taking photos by having her pretend to sleep.  She is very convincing!

We realized that the pose in the portrait of "Flaming June" by Lord Frederic Leighton is an impossible feat unless you are nine feet tall with seven foot legs.  We had a lot of fun with this project, but I could really use a nice set of lights if I am going to continue to shoot inside.  This was not an issue with landscapes and outside texture projects!