ArTiSt StAtEmEnT

Artist Statement
Sara Thompson
As the current Iraq War rages on, public approval of the war and its implementation has plummeted. Each day, the death toll reaches a higher number and families mourn the loss of their loved ones. The only view that the majority of the general public is able to see is what the media shows us and the heroic and glorified images we have in our minds of the military. In my photographs, I wanted to juxtapose these two images and portray the stoic, patriotic side of our military and our role in the war as well as the sad reality of death and a sense of loss. In a sense, the darker side of our current American foreign policy and the confusion and heartbreak endured by its citizens and soldiers. The shots of the men in uniform are a mix of casual and poised, as well as a closer, more personal look at a soldier. The woman in the photograph is representative of what the observer sees. She may be a metaphor for death or war itself. Or, she may be a mother, a sister, a daughter or a wife. Using a lack of movement and the stereotypical, symmetric shots and poses, I wanted the composition to be very simplistic and focused in order to make direct contrasts between each photo. The photos are sequenced so that each image is interrupted with the unexpected and conveys almost a visual shock.

A New Development...

So after my disastrous results trying to find a model or two for my abandoned house shots, I found out that the original house that I had wanted to take pictures at was simply way too dilapidated and dangerous to shoot. Luckily, my housemate was available last - minute and I ended up using her in my shots. I originally hadn't been sure that her look was what I was looking for, however, fate had it that she was to be in my pictures and look AMAZING for the part. She has this great curly hair that I was able to tease and make absolutely huge. I also wanted her to appear really guant looking so I used black eyeshadow under her eyes, drew in her eyebrows and used tons of blush and bronzer on her cheeks to make exaggerated cheek bones. I wanted her in relatively simple clothes so I picked out just a simple black dress and a white skirt and tank top for her to wear.
Once we got to the house where I had originally wanted to shoot, I realized there was no way to take pictures. The house was on a main road, there was nowhere to park, and we would clearly be trespassing. On top of this, it was too unsafe. Desperate for a location, I decided to just go to the local cemetery and see if we could get some frames there. Since a cemetery is an immediate response for a creepy place, I wanted to take pictures that were genuintely frightening and as non - cliche as possible. Toward the back of the cemetery there ended up being a ton of graves with American flags and this bench in the middle of nowhere. The strangest part about the bench was that it was covered on both ends in these gorgeous, bright fake flowers. However, behind the bench there was demolition (for the building of future graves I imagine) and just...woods. We took a bunch of frames there and they ended up being such great shots! Then, I had the idea.....
*stay tuned for my artist statement!!!

Camera <3

As this photography course and my time here at Stonehill is coming to a close, I cannot help but get just a little bit sentimental . My love has especially grown for my camera, my beautiful 1977 Pentax that belonged to my grandfather, Sidney Weinstein. Our relationship has had some speed bumps and hard times but what relationship doesn't? I soon found out that, because the camera is simply so mechanical, it freezes up when there is the slightest bit of cold, causing me to sometimes lose every other frame. It also has a manual aperture that makes it impossible most of the time to see through the lens on sunny days when I have to put it on a 22 setting. Not to mention the joy of the hand - held light meter that many have mistaken for a metal detector.
However, this course has meant so much more to me because of the ability to use this camera. I was never able to meet my grandfather and photography was his passion. I still have an entire box of amazing treasures that I am unable to use simply because I do not know what they are. I feel honored to be the first one to use his camera since his death and produce such beautiful pictures that I know he would be proud of. I'd like to think that we share our fascination with the world around us and will never be satisfied by capturing it simply through our own eyes and in the memories we will keep.

what makes a picture creepy?

The more I thought about my (previous) final project, I began to wonder what elements exactly make a photograph creepy. What I have realized thus far is that sometimes the creepiest (or even the best in general) photographs come when something is left to the imagination. I wish it was easy to say a picture that "speaks" to you, but unfortunately I cannot articulate my feelings past that. In the creepiest pictures there is a lacking of something, almost a quiet presence that remains elusive. Maybe a subtle hint of a human presence that is unseen or that was there many years ago and the observer is left to figure out why that presence is gone. I believe that there are "noisy" pictures with a lot of action or emotions being felt. Then, there are quiet pictures...where even through the obvious lack of movement, there is a certain stillness that pervades the picture and you almost have the urge to hold your breath while you look at it.

I am including a couple pictures that I feel communicate the most...without actually communicating much at all. They convey a sense of isolation and loneliness, making them especially creepy.

Awkward.

So I had good intentions of completing all these blogs wayyy before today but, in light of this week's theme of procrastinations I have (not exactly on purpose) decided that I will post my thoughts today. Since I constantly obsess about photography and new ideas, one would have thought that it would be easier to sit my ass in a chair and articulate them. Right.
Anyway, I thought I would share an interesting/funny story that brought a few realizations about trying to use models in pictures. For my final project, I had originally wanted to use models in abandoned houses to tell a story about the house through them. I had planned to do crazy/eerie hair and makeup to portray a strung - out type of look. I am constantly on the look - out for people who I feel would be great for this type of look or just simply have strong features or a certain body type. I know that, in the world of professional photography, nobody is going to pay you to photograph your friends - you have to go out in the real world and find models or approach people. On that note, I have engaged in semi - stalkerish behavior and noticed people (who I did not know) that I thought would be great for this final project.
After one of my classes, I approached a girl after one of my classes and told her I was a photography student and asked her if she would possibly want to be in a couple of my pictures. After receiving an uncomfortable text message from her about an hour later with a blatanly made - up excuse, I realized that I might just have freaked her out...and approaching people was not as easy as I thought. I think she thought that I was stalking her (well, I was slightly) or that I was maybe even hitting on her? Either way, she was definitely not comfortable with the whole thing. On top of this, I found that people were not willing to change their previous plans (i.e. going to the mall or dunkin donuts) to be photographed. I never realized how difficult it was to get people to cooperate in general...or at least for free...and maintain a reputation of not being a creep.

Twice as Nice?

For those of you who are as addicted to Entertainment Television (E!) and PerezHilton.com, I am sure you have been hearing about the news surrounding the Disney star Miley Cyrus and the pictures taken of her that were supposedly "too sexy." There has been a ridiculous amount of press surrounding these pictures and how inappropriate they are, etc. They were shot by famous photographer Annie Liebovitz for Vanity Fair magazine and show the young star seemingly topless using a white sheet to cover her body and leaving her back exposed. You can go to www.perezhilton.com to see the pictures...
After the pictures leaked on the internet, the media exposed a photography of Diana Ross also taken by Annie Liebovitz in the late 1980's or early 1990's. The picture of Diana was in the exact same layout and pose as Miley - seemingly topless with a white sheet covering her and exposing only her back. It was taken from the exact angle with the same facial expression, everything. It began to make me wonder... how often does creativity repeat itself? Is it impossible not to repeat itself?
I find myself especially wondering this since, with the more photographs I take, I find myself taking pictures at the same angles and proximities because I am comfortable with knowing their outcome and they consistently produce powerful pictures. However, especially using live models, is it ever possible to find new angles and ideas? Are we simply always going to be drawn to certain "looks" or "poses?" On a positive note, maybe those angles or type of pictures are what define each person's niche in photography. Just as some like taking pictures of landscapes and always seem to know how to produce striking pictures, others are good finding brilliance in inanimate objects. However, I still can't help but wonder...is there a limit to our creativity, or is the ability to be consistent and have repitition what define's people's works?

photo analysis

After having repeatedly stared at my photo for about a week, I feel that the picture itself has taken on a new meaning to me, almost appearing to have physically changed since I was first struck by it. Since I am technologically inept I cannot scan the picture into the computer to include it in the post, but I will do my best to describe it and articulate my feelings. Often, after having known somebody and formed a relationship with somebody, they sometimes appear to be physically different, or even how you "see" them in your head since the time that you first had met them. I liken those same sentiments to how I feel about this photo of a young woman next to a grand piano. I was first drawn to the picture because I personally love playing and I think there is such an elegance to grand pianos. I loved how the young woman was standing next to a sunny window, casually, in a seemingly reflective state. I love how the sunlight coming through the windows makes the picture entirely different and creates such a great contrast between the window, the woman, and the piano.
However, after staring at the picture for a while, I realize that there is something not as peaceful about the picture as I had previously thought. The woman's facial expressions in the picture are slightly confusing, because she does not seem to be portraying a lot of emotion. This is especially evident because there are slivers of sunlight that are highlighting parts of her face but then a lof of the rest of her body is covered in shadow. Even though the picture is absolutely beautiful, especially with the light, it is extremely hard to judge what the woman is thinking or feeling. The simplicity of the photo and the objects in it add more intrigue to the photo. The walls are bare and there is only the piano and the woman also wearing a simple, but elegant dress. Overall I think that the picture is fabulous, both technically and with its utilization of light and shadow. I love the slight mystery that surrounds it as well...

http://ninaberman.com/index3.php?pag=prt&dir=marine

I received this link from Prof. Targontsidis thinking it was going to be these amazing black and white images possibly about abandoned houses or something similar to my final project. When I saw the first image that came up, I was definitely taken aback and it took me a second to realize what exactly was going on in the picture. My immediate emotions were a mix of horror, confusion and disbelief. The first image that appears in this set of photos is of a disfigured marine in his dress blues with a woman in a wedding dress that one would assume is his wife. As you proceed to view the rest of the pictures, small pieces come together that give you clues to who this person is as well as what their daily life is like.
The man in the pictures has a disfigured face, is missing an arm and also clearly has other wounds. Each picture is increasingly difficult to look at because his injuries are so severe that one cannot help but be overwhelmed with empathy. Each picture has such an unbelievable tone of sadness and loss that is captured. There is not one picture where anybody is smiling and the pictures make it appear that the photographer is never even there - there is great distance and little interaction between the photographer and the subject. The photographer was incredibly successful at showing the pictures as snippets of everyday life with little twists of irony thoughout. The subject in seemingly ordinary scenarios (a bar, outside, pouring milk into cereal) suddenly brings a whole new meaning to each of them. Each image successfully portrays the struggle this man appears to face, with simple tasks that we all take for granted as well as the fact that he simply is continuing on with his life, despite something horrible that clearly occurred.
The pictures that get me the most are those with the woman who seems to be his fiancee/wife. In all the pictures with her, you can see the unbelievable sadness on her face that she feels for him and at the same time, the love she still has. You also see the strength and courage in her, as we can assume that the love of her life physically came back a different person and she still continues to love him. The most ironic picture of all is the last, where he is standing on his porch under an American flag. It made me so incredibly angry and disgusted at the war and the position our country has taken. Especially infuriating is the normalcy this picture has - it would look like an otherwise completely ordinary porch with an American flag. However, there is so much more emotion, history and meaning it takes on with the rest of the series. Moreover, it tells me this person still remains loyal to his country and patriotic after everything he had been through.
It was nearly impossible not to cry while looking through the pictures and they will always leave a pit in my stomach. They made me want to reevaluate myself and my priorities...

"You Never Know What Goes on Behind Closed Doors"

How we portray and conduct ourselves in society, in the majority of cases, is not necessarily representative of our true selves...or even what is occurring when nobody is watching. As we discussed in class, I have found myself to be particularly drawn to more darker, gloomier and even twisted photographs. I believe that the camera has an uncanny ability to capture emotional undertones and hidden thoughts that the subject or situation isn't necessarily trying to show. In other words, the camera captures what is really going on. We always hear examples of how a person expresses what they are feeling through their eyes - the "windows of the soul." Even though a person may be smiling in a picture and supposedly happy, their eyes can juxtapose the perceived happiness with sadness or signs of suffering.
I believe that everybody has an untold story and that everybody has secrets. Sometimes, the only way to remotely convey that person's real self is through a photograph. All too often, I feel that darker photographs have a deeper meaning and strike somebody on a more personal and deeper level. Last year, I underwent painful back surgery after two years of intermittent feeling in my legs. Looking at my face, my body or the way I act, one would never know the suffering and the depression that had occurred just months before. For that reason, one of my self - portraits is the scar on my back. It will forever be a piece of me - forever a reminder of what I have been through and my darkest days.
The next time you look at someone, I hope you wonder how well you really know them...or how well they really know you.

le lait miraculeux de la vierge

OK, so first off I am going to warn you that this picture is pretty freaky so I apologize to those who I have just offended/scared/turned on (haha just kidding...I hope...). Since I was at home all week, I decided to go to Barnes & Noble and a couple other local new/used bookstores to find a better selection. My main focus was to find books geared more toward fashion photography or portrait photography, but the selection was unfortunately not very vast. I did find a really cool book, however, by photographer Bettina Rheims called "Heroins." The photographs could be defined by a combination of obscure fashion, portrait, nude and borderline erotic. Either way, the photographs were beautiful but there was always a tone of underlying suffering. Maybe it had to do with the bleak backgrounds in each photo or the expression on the model's face...either way, the captured images were so strong yet had elements of vulnerability at the same time.

Anyway, I had a picture in mind that I wanted to post on the blog (a lot more tame then this one, I promise) and when I came home I google - imaged the picture, then Bettina Rheim's name because I was curious about her other photographs and her books. I found that a lot of her other work is way more erotic and even pornographic. Most of these works were on websites written in a language other than english, which I found amusing because, of course, the Europeans would be less uptight about these images than most Americans. When I came upon this picture, it struck me so profoundly that I had to put it up instead of my previously selected picture. The most information that I could find on it was that it is from a collection called "Le Lait Miraculeux de la Vierge" which I believe says something along the lines of "the miraculous milk of the virgin" (?) I am not exactly sure because I speak spanish, not french. I could find no information about the photograph in english. I would love to understand the title more deeply because I feel it would give me more of an idea as to what the picture is really about. However, my interpretation was less along the lines of religion and more along the lines of repressed women in the Middle East. I feel that it represents suppressed, even damaged femininity and I love the contrast and the conflict that is occurring between the covering on her head and her exposed breast.

Buenos Aires & Libertad

First of all, I have to give an update on the whole 1940's photo shoot thing: SUCCESS!!!!! This time I made sure NOT to put fixer in first and the pictures came out beautifully!! We were able to re - create everything from last time - the hair, makeup, poses, etc. and the girls did so well with posing! I used a lot of the studio lights and hung them from the ceiling and turned the background lights off. My antique light meter is functioning beautifully and the pictures came out exactly how I wanted them to. I mostly kept it on 16 aperture with a 125 shutter speed if I remember correctly. On one picture I even experimented and set the shutter speed to 60 so it would over - expose a little and it actually came out really cool!! It is a picture of one of the girls with a sailor- marine type hat on and she's saluting. The over - exposure really makes the picture look a lot older than it is, which is really cool. My only disappointment came when I excitedly showed the contact sheet to my mom and asked her if she thought of "1940's" when she looked at them and she honestly told me no. With the contact sheet you really can't see a lot of face detail...or any detail for that matter so I will make a few prints and see if that makes it any better. I realize you have to really look at what your pictures are telling you, instead of trying to see what you want to see. I can't get too disappointed because I realize this is the first time I have really worked with a manual camera and film and even without photoshopping a picture to oblivion. The other difficulty I had was using such a small lens. I definitely am going to have to experiment more with the telescopic lens to capture exactly what i want up close and get a lot of nothingness out of the picture. When I look at some of my favorite ads it is obvious they're using a special lens that lets them focus on just their subject and cut everything else out.

Anyway, I just got back from the beautiful Buenos Aires, Argentina!! I took three rolls of film with me which I immediately regretted because I could have shot 400! This whole photography thing is so frustrating because now I start to see everything with a frame around it and as a photo op. I think my mom wanted was ready to choke me at a couple points because everywhere I looked I commented that something "would make SUCH a great picture!" After shooting the 1940's shoot I definitely made it a point to photograph more using the telescopic lens. I loved the detail I was able to capture!!

The first roll consists of a shady street that was just filled with these old cars - it was like a time warp!! On that same street, I was getting ready to take a picture when, all of a sudden, this amazing 1940's old Ford farm truck came down the street and it was PACKED with little kids hanging out the top. I tried to photograph it as best I could because they were moving so quickly, but if it comes out it will be such a great memory. It is moments like that that make me so excited at the prospect of being a professional photographer...On one of the second days we went to this amazing cemetary in which all the tombs were above ground and only famous people were buried there. It was really creepy because there was just silence and there were tons of cats just running around. They let the cats roam around there because they say it is good luck or something like that. Anyway, it was a great opportunity to capture some great composition photos and just get the creepy factor on film. Another cool thing was that you see these dog walkers everywhere with anywhere from four even 12 dogs on a leash! I took a couple shots of those and I think they will be so cute. One of the days we went to this private island with this unbelievable mansion where the landscaping was just something out of a movie! They hired those living statues to be planted all over the place and they were simply beautiful! They were women pained all in white and had elaborate costumes. I seriously hope those come out because they will be phenomenally beautiful. One of my favorite (and last) rolls consists of a tango show that we saw. I definitely used the telescopic lens on this one because the woman performing had such strong expression and emotion on her face. I also even experimented with the self timer!! I refused to let anyone else take my picture with my camera and I was absolutely determined to do it myself. It only counts as a self portrait if I take it myself!!! Anyway, I wasted about five frames because it went off before I could even partly get in front of the camera but I finally got the hang of it.

Well, I can't wait to develop them and see how they came out!! I'll keep you posted.

CIAO amigos,

~Sara

1940: a good year

Once again, I have continuously been kept awake at night thinking about everything I want to photography. It's almost as if, all of a sudden, I look at the world in a whole new perspective. I feel as if I have always looked at the world in a profound way, certain things strike me on a daily basis. However, on top of that profundity, I now have added dimensions and thoughts to it like "what angle would I shoot that at" or "what kind of lighting would make it more dramatic?" Last night, for example, I was sitting on the couch in our newly - renovated dining room and my parents had taken down these old curtains and had laid them on this elegant dining room chair in the corner. At this moment, the lights were off and there was light only coming through the french doors. It was so beautiful - how everything had been thrown aside in an isolated corner and the curtains and the chair were still elegant. I had pictured a woman sitting there, her back to me in the shadowed corner, also forgotten in a sense, but still beautiful. I think I may be going slightly crazy...but I'm OK with it.

Last week, I had an AMAZING photo shoot with my friends. I was just googling images of 1940's (picture post WWII) pinup girls. I thought it would be really cool to re - create those kind of animated images. I picked two of my friends, a blonde and a brunette, who I thought had great faces to match the images - both had normal bodies (not stickly thin) with more rounder faces and big eyes. I did their makeup really simple - Foundation without bronzer, thick liquid eyeliner on the upper lid, drawn - in eyebrows and gorgeous red lipstick. For the brunette, I left her hair straight but pinned her bangs to the side to make it look like they had been swept that way. Then, I curled the bottom of her hair just enough to curl it inwards and make it look wig - like. She ended up looking just like Dita VonTeese, which was awesome! For the blonde, I curled her hair everywhere and pinned it up to make it look a lot shorter than it actually was, more like a Marilyn Monroe - type look. I also used lots of cheek hightlighter and shiny lotion for the both of them. The brunette was wearing cut - off really short jeans, fishnets, simple black pumps and a white tube top. Her outfit captured the era beautifully!! The blonde was wearing the same simple black pumps, fishnets, short black shorts and a white sparkly halter. She also looked gorgeous! I set up my own makeshit background with an ivory colored tablecloth from i party. The girls absolutely captured the era with their poses as well - very elegant, everything pointed and posed with minimally sexy, very animated faces. It was amazing!!!! However........(cue dark music) I was so nervous to process the negatives because it was my first time. Not paying attention, I accidentally put the fixer in first!! AGHHH. It wasn't until about 8 minutes in that I realized what I had done and I lost EVERYTHING. I was so devastated and frustrated - a whole days work, gone. However, I knew there were going to be mistakes and the girls had such a great time doing the shoot and getting dressed up that they agreed to do it again. So, tonight we're going to give it another try! I'm so excited to see how they come out. I'll keep you posted!!!!!

~Sara

speedbump

So we have a little speedbump down the road to photography this week - my camera is non - functional at the moment. However, I took it to be repaired this morning and there is hope that it can and will be repaired. It all started back in 1977...when I found out that the camera had actually been purchased in Japan by Sydney Weinstein, my grandfather. He passed away from cancer a few years later, so I don't even know how long it has been sitting in a Xerox box in my parents basement. Anyway, I went to the barn to visit our horse to take some pictures and the first few started out OK and then the aperture and shutter button began to stick. Soon, the shutter button wouldn't work at all. As devastating as it was, it was an incredible feeling to be continuing on a passion that was so close to somebody else. Upon taking it to the repair shop this morning I also found out what all the other equipment in my box was! I have two incredible, fully - functioning lenses (one regular and one telescopic), a hand - held light meter in impeccable and also functioning condition, an attachable and more advanced light meter (which they believe just needs a new battery), a self - timer and an attachable flash which they stopped making bulbs for over 40 years ago. Excellent. Either way, I definitely have a gold mine. As far as the camera goes, my friend is graciously allowing me to use hers for the time being and I should find out the diagnosis tomorrow.

I literally am so excited about all the different things I can photograph that it keeps me awake at night. I would love to get back to the barn and photograph the horses soon, as well as my two children (gabby the yellow lab and pearl the jack russel) at home. I also really want to experiment with taking pictures of people. I would love to create these photo shoots with some of my friends and experiment with crazy hair and makeup. I've thought about even just setting up a white backdrop (aka a white sheet against the wall) and seeing what I can do with different angles and contrasts with clothing. I keep having this one image of people in ripped jeans and wifebeater shirts (just really simplistic clothing) against a brick wall that I would love to photograph. Stuff like that reminds me of vintage rock band photos like the one I included of Lynard Skynard (one of my fave bands). I think theres so much you can do with a classic set up like that - I would love to do a set of frames that showed clothing through the years...start out with 60's style and end with something really modern. I am also including this awesome black and white of Janis Joplin because I love the contrast and I love her clothing. I feel like this picture really defines the "free" and kind of wild attitude of the 60's and 70's. I would love to be able to capture an image that really defines our era.

Post #2

While scouring the racks at TJ Maxx today looking for high - end, yet inexpensive designer clothing with my mom, she suddenly turned to me and said, "Well, you definitely like beauty." The comment struck me on a certain level and definitely got me to thinking...first of all, am I really that shallow? Better yet, how do you even define beauty? I am constantly reminded of times when I was little, outside waiting for the bus in my little dress and clinging to a telephone pole for "dear life in the blustering wind" simply becauseI refused to wear pants. I have always been fascinated with classics - black and white, little black dress, Katherine Hepburn, Chanel...As we speak my dorm room is lined with brightly - colored advertisements from high - end companies like Valentino, Dior andRalph Lauren ripped from the pages of Vogue. Even in these pictures, I love the fearless display of such femininity - sorry guys, its GOOD being a girl. I love beautiful dresses, patent leather heels, bright pink and - oh yes, Tiffany jewelry. Anyhow, I love these images that the camera is able to capture strong, yet maintain their femininity.

Post #1

I want to start off by saying that I am absolutely stoked to have gotten into this class because I have literally been trying to do so since my freshman year (I am now currently a senior). I absolutely love photography, whether I am behind the lens myself or admiring the work of someone else. I love the idea that everyone has their own concept of beauty and that they can convey it simply through having captivated an image. Photography really makes you look twice at the world around you - how you can take an ordinary object and see such elegance through its simplicity. I am specifically fascinated with photographing people. A lot of times photographs can tell you an aspect about someone that you would never normally pick up - and I'm not just talking about the cliche idea of "a picture is worth a thousand words." For example, you can see happiness, contentment and peace....or even sadness or depression beneath a smile just through somebody's eyes. The possibility of being the person that is able to capture such depth and emotion and even show it to the rest of the world is what most excites me about this class.
Even though I have looked at photography as more of a casual hobby (capturing drunken college memories to tell the grandkids or being a tourist with a thousand pictures of the Eiffel Tower), I definitely have a desire to take more advanced pictures using more advanced techniques. Admittedly, I am more of the disposable/easy digital camera person who occasionally dabbles with more "cutting - edge" techniques like taking out red eye and using a flash... appropriately. I definitely expect to learn more about the geometry and physics behind taking pictures and maybe even get the chance to call myself a true artist.
Aside from learning the basics about the function of a camera, I definitely want to gain more confidence in myself in the realm of art. Even though I have always loved drawing, painting and taking pictures, I never had the guts to actually become an art major or go to design school. I want to be able to respect and like my own work. Moreover, I want to get away from what is commonplace and familiar and delve deeper to find my own sense of creativity, set of ideas and be able to define beauty myself.

So, I leave you with this quote that I thought was pretty cool from diva Tina Turner: "Sometimes you've got to let everything go - purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything...whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it...because you'll find that when you're free, youre true creativity, your true self comes out."