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...