Reading/Blog 5

 1. Gary Winogrand is attempting to do more with his photography. In the beginning the magazine asked him questions about the pictures he took and why he took them. Winogrand just said because he can and he likes the space he see’s in the photographs. Winogrand also states that he has trouble including what he wants in the frame. He enjoys photography and thinks it is a fascinating medium to look into. He is attempting to learn more about photography and he wants to continue to search for a “game” to answer. 

 3. When Gary Winogrand states “problem” he means to take a photograph without it looking formal. Instead of solving a photographic problem, he intends to make one. He mentions again about the difficulty in a frame. Winogrand finds it fascinating to have photographic problems; that way he can go about solving them. 

Reading/Blog 4

1. Stephen Shore believes art is made because art is needed to explore the world and the culture. Art is also made to explore the chosen medium and to explore one’s self. 
2. Shore states that the great art is the product of an artist’s personal request.
3. Shore believes ambition is not a problem and is necessary to be able to carve out the time needed to produce work on your own personal demands. Shore also states that if your work needs to evolve, then it may mean abandoning an approach that brought you recognition. 

5. 

1. Preplanned images are thought of as less surprising and also the fact of the matter is that sometimes those are more important than clarity. 

6. 

1. In advance to shooting he feels that it is way too easy and there is no real value behind it.

7. 

1. Since the whole story did not make any sense there was nothing important about it so it made no sense to discuss it.

8. After reading the following passage, I felt a close connection to the artist’s words. It’s as though Shore is still trying to find himself in the world and has no answered all the questions of his life. He talks about growing and stumbling upon things in his life. What I got from this specific passage is that as a photographer myself I am still growing as well and my journey is not as nearly close to over. 

I found the three Andy Warhol photographs quite interesting. The first image with the young girl holding her toy bear looking at the camera with stunning blue eyes. She looks a bit troubled and somewhat distant. The second image with the bare-chested man looking directly at the camera was an interesting view as well. His hair is quite stunning with volume and falls perfectly on his shoulders. The final image of Andy Warhol himself was quite different. I have to admit the hair really brings out his character and at first I thought it was an older woman. The red bright lipstick is also very noticeable. 

Yann Arthus-Bertrand

William Albert Allard

Andrew Zuckerman

Stephen Shore: American Beauty

Thoughts about video:

1. When you discover new subject matter on your journey as a photographer but then get tired of your new subject matter, then what? Will you try to draw it out as possible or would you try to move on to something new to photograph?

Answer: Well if I do begin to start photographing a new discovery and get bored with it, then I will simply have to move on and photograph new things. The mind constantly wanders and imagines and the best part is that you can make those dreams and imaginations realistic. All you have to do it get up and go find what you want.


2. Why is photography considered a journey when it's simply just taking photographs of something interesting?

Answer: Photography is considered a journey because it's constant. Everyday is a new day and not everything in this world will stay they same as it was when you last started. It's like people; we are born, we live and then we die. Photography is a journey of not just finding something interesting to take pictures of but finding yourself in the photographs you take. Time plays an important role in photography and that will never change.



1. Shore himself does not want his own photography students cropping. He wants to set a challenge for himself and his students. For commercial work he explains how they always wants to crop work but when it's not commercial work he strategically stays away from cropping.

2. Different places to stand when taking a photograph can differ. The distances are important in taking a photograph and it's a personal decision as well. A person will ask how the picture was taken because of the distance of the subject matter looking bizarre in place like a car parked in the road.

3. When Shore uses the terms "fuzzy thinking" he means artificial or easy thinking. When commercial jobs talk about taking care of the post by cropping it themselves it's as though they never fully leave pictures natural or realistic. Everything always has to be altered to appeal to viewers but if you continue to do that it gets boring and looks unoriginal.


4.

This photograph was not successful because of the subject matter. Everyone in the world knows what McDonalds is and when they order a meal they know what it looks like. So seeing a picture of a McDonalds meal is not really interesting. The names carved on the patio table where the foods sits is also common on todays food tables. 

This photograph is successful because of the isolated colors included. The flowers are closely matched to the flooring it's rested upon. I like how it brightens the wall that it's leaning against too. 

Another photograph of Shore's that is successful is this landscape photo. The horizon line running on a slope through the picture is astonishing. The bright blue sky with white fluffy clouds is relaxing as well as the green grass hills.