9/29/15

I spotted these recycling bins on my way to campus, and I was intrigued by the line they formed. This is the sort of thing I perhaps didn't think about as much before we talked about it in class, but I found the curve they formed to be very interesting, so I tried to capture it as well as I could in this photo, emphasizing the gradation in size from front to back.

9/28/15

More funning around with exposure, but since I took this one on my phone, it was less a matter of adjusting the shutter speed and more a matter of waggling the phone around to get an impressionistic look. I actually liked these photos more than I'd expected, and it might be partly due to the low resolution. I think it took on a nice watercolor-esque look.

9/25/15

Bonus today, I'm sharing the two of these because I like the contrast between focus. It's been fun for me and very eye-opening to learn to master my camera and realize just how much control I really have over the final image. After a whole lifetime of point-and-shoot, I assumed the results I got depended largely on the subject, but it's been fascinating to see how much a change in aperture can alter the image. In this case, I mainly toggled the aperture and focus, and despite the positioning of the camera remaining the same, the results are drastically different. I couldn't choose a just one of them to share, since I feel they have to be seen together in order to tell their little story.

9/24/15

I saw these deer while driving to the FSSS, and I was amazed by how close I was able to get to them. I actually got a few more photos closer up, but there was nothing really special about them. On a whim, I thought it might be interesting to frame the rear-view mirror in the photo, and it opened up the image to more interesting ideas. I like the contrast it provides between nature and technology. What exactly is it that the deer fear? Are they justified?

9/23/15

 
In contrast to yesterday's high shutter speed photo, this one was taken with a very low shutter speed. I found it interesting because it creates an equally ambiguous image, but this time it more closely resembles an impressionistic painting than stained glass.  These photos are always tricky to take because they can become a blurry mess if you don't keep your hands steady, but I'm relatively pleased with the results. There are still some objects in focus that give hints to the subject, but I still feel the image holds an element of mystery, creating an ambiguous space that one must read into in order to understand.

9/22/15

I've been playing around with shutter speed lately, and I think it's an interesting way of capturing everyday images in a new light. In this case, I set the camera to a very high shutter speed and photographed a busy little brook, and I was very pleased with the results. It creates an almost abstract result, taking on a sort of stained glass appearance. I know we're trying to capture flat space this week, but I thought this one was an interesting example of ambiguous space, since it's not immediately clear what we're looking at or how to interpret it spatially.

9/21/15

I came across this guy yesterday while taking photos in Rock Canyon park. Surprisingly, I think this is the first time I've ever seen a snake in Utah, and I wound up dreaming about scary snakes all night afterwards. There was something interesting about the spot I found him in, as he was peeking his head up out of the pavement from afar, tasting the air with his tongue. I used a long lens 1) because I didn't want to scare him off and 2) since I like the effect it gives with the blurred foreground and background. I tried to create something of a negative space behind him, as if he were peeking up his head over the horizon. He was kinda charming, despite being a snake.

Evoking Childhood

Artist's Statement:
I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to do when I set about conceiving this project, but I knew I wanted to go more of the Tone Poem route than tell a more specific narrative from my childhood. I grew up in a very peaceful town in the middle of nowhere, so I wanted to find a setting that evoked that sort of feeling. While I had my struggles just like everyone else, I feel that my childhood was overall pretty pleasant, and I wanted to capture some of the innocence and carefree attitude of youth. The paper rabbits are intended to reflect both the wildlife that surrounded me in my densely forested hometown, as well as my propensity for arts and crafts from a young age. This piece took on a narrative life of its own as we shot it, since the paper boats weren't as sturdy or obedient as I would've liked them to be, unexpectedly becoming something of a metaphor for my own youthful attitudes.

9/18/15

This picture was taken on location while I was shooting my first piece for this class. The scene itself is one that lends itself naturally to deep space, with the rushing river stretching out towards the mountains, but I thought it was more interesting to frame it within the graffiti of the bridge. This had an interesting unintended effect of flattening the image out, but I like the result. I also like the juxtaposition of the man-made, worn-down and disrespected and the powerful, eternal natural.

9/17/15

While I avoid shooting photos on my phone, I'm surprisingly pleased with the results I've been getting with its fairly lo-res camera. Maybe it's because the photos don't turn out how I plan them to, but I'm always sort of surprised by how they look. I'm sort of a stickler for details, so it's kind of an interesting change of pace to see the image turn out differently. In this case, the light around the balloons took on a strange shadowy glow that I hadn't anticipated, and I like how it sort of crushed the entire image, forcing everything into focus. It has an unusual look that I find perhaps more interesting than what I intended.

9/16/15

I've never really played around with long exposure photography before, so I was experimenting a little bit tonight and looking for interesting results. I wasn't really looking for anything specific with this photo, but it turned out surprisingly well, looking almost like a lifeline from a medical readout. I tried a couple times more to get a better image, but it turned out that this one worked the best. I'm getting a general theme from these daily photos that my first instinct is often the best, and there's something spontaneous about capturing the moment that can't be recreated artificially. That's why it's best to go with your gut and try out different things as inspiration hits you.

9/15/15

While I don't like being limited on what sorts of lens or aperture tweaks I can make, there is something liberating about taking these crappy phone photos, as they let me see the spaces I take for granted in a different light. Every space can be constructed to present an interesting aspect of itself, and I was especially struck when I actually looked up at the ceiling in the library's media center. The posts, lights, and ceiling tiles all contain individual rhythms and all up to an interesting collage of straight edges that sort of remind me of Tati's Playtime, the film I'm told inspired the modern cubicle. Kind of funny that a famously inventive director would become responsible for the ultimate symbol of workplace drudgery.

9/14/15

I've been experimenting with longer lenses lately, since I haven't had much experience with them, and I find them very useful for capturing smaller subjects that don't show up well with shorter lenses. This photo was taken in the park, and I was attempting to get a few shots of a pillbug. It turned unexpectedly bleak, however, when I realized I had placed him on his back and he sat there writhing, legs wiggling in the air, unable to get back on his feet. The soft focus on the subject and blurred foreground and background gave this photo a sort of desert-like feel that I found interesting, as I just shot it on dirt in the park. It's interesting to see how familiar locations can become foreign when viewed with a different lens.

9/11/15

This isn't a particularly glamorous image, but I've been trying to notice the interesting in the mundane lately, and this image of discarded Nike boxes really caught my eye as I made my way home. I tried to capture the isolation of the one poor box who didn't make his way to the dumpster. Or maybe he's actually the lucky one, as the others have a somewhat grim future ahead of them. Maybe this image would've looked a bit better pulled out a bit further, or maybe it would've looked better had I not taken it with my phone in the first place, but then the photo wouldn't exist, would it? Sometimes what's important is to get an idea down no matter what, and it's not so important whether it's perfectly sketched out when you first conceive it. Perhaps it'll poke its head up again in more polished form in the future.

9/10/15

Maybe it's because I grew up in a rural area, but I've always had a fascination with urban spaces. I know most people seem to have a desire to escape from the urban and live closer to nature, but I feel that there's a certain beauty in the man-made. I was struck by the strong parallel lines of this space, especially how they converge at different angles. I tried to capture the image through the bars, but perhaps it would've been stronger had I shown more of them. Either way, I think the idea still gets through okay.

9/9/15

I've always been fascinated by the texture of water, and I'm always disappointed by how its unique feel is improperly reflected on film. In this image, I tried to capture several different aspects of its texture, namely, water at rest and in strenuous motion. I like how it regroups and assumes a different consistency when faced with obstacles, in turn distorting the image of whatever may be beneath it. They say the devil has control over the water, which may be why it has such an alluring charm to it.

9/8/15

As I was walking down the river, I spotted a small mink posed on the rock. I'd never actually seen a mink in the wild, so I wasn't really prepared to take the photo and he dashed underneath the rock, only peeking out his head a little bit. I was able to get a number of photos of him like this, and this is the one I'm most satisfied with. He blends in naturally with his surroundings, and one might not even notice him if he isn't pointed out. I wish the left side weren't so washed out, but I suppose it provides a bit of contrast to the image.

9/7/15

This photo focuses on a small part of a larger scene, which is that of an abandoned-looking shed on campus. I assume it isn't abandoned, since they're mostly efficient around here, but this bit of graffiti must've been considered insignificant enough to look over. I would've captured a wider shot of the scene, but the sharp lighting unfortunately washes out half of the image. In this image, I attempted to parallel the despair of the vandal's message with the ramshackle, overgrown aspect of the scene as a whole. Cobwebs and dead leaves surround the door, adding to the mood of quiet sadness.

Cool Things I Like

In no particular order:

 -The Mighty Boosh

I have yet to see a TV show as clever and creative as The Mighty Boosh, which has sadly been on hiatus since 2007. I've always had an interest in productions with creative uses of special effects, and The Boosh continues the tradition of special effects pioneers such as Melies and Harryhausen with its imaginative use of limited sets and process shots. It's the sort of programme that never gets made here in the US, and almost never in the UK, its homeland. Were it simply visually appealing, however, I probably wouldn't list this as my all-time favorite show, but the writing is every bit as clever as the props and costumes. This show has some of the best comic writing I've ever seen in that every comic bit has a payoff. I've seen plenty of imitators that attempt to mimic the supposedly "random" humor of The Boosh, but their writing never matches the intricacy of their inspiration. If there's a throwaway gag or line near the beginning of an episode, odds are good that it will actually turn up and prove vital to the story at some point. This is a show that has encouraged me to step up my own game writing-wise and to never assume that my creations are "good enough".

-Mother 2/Earthbound

As a lifelong fan of videogames, I'd be remiss if I didn't include at least one game on this list, so I've decided to go with Earthbound, also known under its Japanese title "Mother 2". While there's been a lot of ballyhoo lately over the recognition of games as an artform, lately due to more abstract, pretentious games that are often only marginally interactive, I feel that Earthbound is one of the earliest great examples of games as Pop Art. It's a fantastic piece of approachable, mainstream art that engages the participant on an emotional level without ever alienating them in its presentation. While playing through it again recently, I was amazed by how well it has held up over the decades since its release. While the story and pixel art presentation may seem superficially simple, they give it a certain timelessness that makes the overall product more inviting and approachable, allowing the player to engage in its unexpectedly moving content, which gets increasingly spiritual as it reaches the end. Significantly, this is the only game I can think of that has ever actually made me tear up. 

-Sparks 

Sparks is a band displaced in time, a group that never found the mainstream popularity they deserve, yet has still managed to carve out their place in musical history by silently influencing countless creatives who follow in their wake. I first discovered Sparks as a longtime fan of They Might Be Giants, and I was initially shocked by how similar their music was, despite being separated by about a decade and a half. I can understand why they never found mainstream success, as their lyrical content is often a bit too unusual or morbid for traditional tastes, but I find myself constantly impressed by the thoughtfulness and depth of their songs. While their songs often explore humorous subject matter, I feel that to label them a comedy act would do their music a great disservice. Rather, I consider them to fall more into the tradition of Lear and other such wordsmiths, as they use their wordplay and wit to take the edge off of what would otherwise be very painful and cynical material. They walk the fine line between clever-good and clever-self-indulgent with masterful skill, and I find myself amazed by how they've maintained consistent quality and evolved musically over a forty year plus career.
-Philip K. Dick

I regret to say that I've gotten much worse at reading over the years, and these days it's rare that I actually read a novel through to completion. It seems that the one author whose work never fails to engage me is Dick, who has proven to be the supreme pop culture prophet of our age. As the scripture says, no prophet is accepted in his own country, and it's only now that we can see the far-reaching implications of his science fiction. It seems that every headline in the science and technology section of the newspaper or magazine hints at some sort of detail from his work, which likely seemed like paranoid delusions at the time, but have increasingly been proven to be quite prescient. It's been interesting to see the interest that Hollywood has taken in his work in the decades following his death and how they often fail to do it proper justice. Dick's work was true science fiction, cautionary tales about the omnipresence of technology in our age, and most adaptations reduce it to mere high-concept action pieces. I find his work constantly inspiring for the way in which he observes our relationship with technology and considers the far-reaching implications, and I would someday like to create an adaptation of his work.

-Mystery Science Theatre 3000

There is no other TV show that I find more inspiring than MST3K. Since the movies they feature on the show are typically of extremely low quality, I tend to find them reassuring. If the goofballs that made these movies could get a feature made, then why not me? While I usually find the jokes the show's hosts make to be very funny, I typically find myself more captivated by the strangeness of the films themselves. In mainstream or highbrow cinema, we often find ourselves limited to a series of rules as to what is or isn't acceptable onscreen. In the trashy or wrongheaded movies shown on MST3K, however, you'll find nearly every rule of cinema broken, and it can be quite exhilarating. Sometimes the movies can be a chore to sit through, but just as often they're a revealing look into an outsider's perspective on the world.

-Terry Gilliam's Brazil

When people ask me what my favorite film is, my default answer is Brazil. While I'm not sure how accurate that assertion may be, I think I can pinpoint it as the single film that changed my perspective on cinema and what is possible in the motion picture medium. After having grown up with conventional films, watching Brazil was like taking the blinders off my eyes. Gilliam may have a litany of influences, yet he makes films like no one else, for better or for worse. I know I'm not alone in declaring Brazil to be his greatest success, but every time I watch it I find something new to appreciate, some small detail that may have eluded me beforehand. His movies are often like his animations in the way he crams little notes and doodles into every corner of the screen. It's a great form of world-building that few directors have executed in a way I find comparably impressive. I also admire the film for its inventive use of miniatures and matte paintings, which seem to be a lost art today. It has a particular look that may pay homage to classics such as Metropolis, yet it winds up being completely original.


-Whisper of the Heart

For my money, there is no greater living filmmaker than Hayao Miyazaki, and while he didn't exactly direct Whisper of the Heart, his fingerprints are all over it. I hold great admiration for all of his films, but Whisper occupies a special place in my heart. I've always liked how his films often contain minimalistic plots with little or no conflict, yet manage to be completely engaging based on the authenticity of their characters. There are never clear-cut villains in Miyazaki pictures, and Whisper is an exemplary example of this trend. American-made high school stories tend to follow the John Hughes model of the young protagonist vs. the jock or principal, but this Japanese take focuses more on a young woman's own uncertainties regarding her decisions for the future. I probably like this movie so much because I discovered it as I lay at a crossroads in my own life, and therefore related to the protagonist, but I find that I still enjoy it no matter what circumstances I watch it under. It's a beautiful, sincere, understated masterpiece.

-Dazzle Ships

Dazzle Ships, by British pop duo Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, was the first album I listened to that made me realize the power of the LP format. Most albums I'd listened to previously could be summed up as "a collection of songs", but Dazzle Ships was united by a theme, exploring concepts of fear and alienation against the backdrop of the Cold War. Half of the tracks are fairly conventional yet still engagingly unique pop songs, whereas the rest of the album is made up of samples of radio chatter and experimental soundscapes. The result is an utterly engaging, occasionally terrifying glimpse at an era in world history that continues to haunt us to this day. 

-One Froggy Evening

I grew up watching Looney Tunes on TV every Saturday, and to this day I don't believe there's any other animation that I enjoy as much. One Froggy Evening is a particular standout from Chuck Jones' career, and its singing and dancing frog never fails to make me smile. Sometimes, art doesn't need to serve any grand purpose other than to entertain, and this cartoon does a bang-up job of entertaining. I suppose I also enjoy it partly because of its undercurrent of melancholy, as its hapless protagonist constantly tries to capitalize on his discovery yet is foiled at every turn. I guess I like my sugar with a bit of lemon in it.

-The films of Beat Takeshi

 

Speaking of lemons, I doubt I've seen another filmmaker as nihilistic as Beat Takeshi. I can honestly say I've never seen anyone who makes films quite like him, and for that his movies fascinate me. While he works with fairly consistent subject matter, primarily making films about yakuza, he never seems to fall into the genre conventions of gangster pictures. His movies rarely have exciting action scenes or shootouts, and typically contain sudden scenes of gruesome violence almost like a punchline with no setup. Death comes suddenly and swiftly in his universe, with little regard for whom it may affect. His films have a poetic feel to them, with uncomplicated camera staging and infrequent but beautiful music (coincidentally by Joe Hisaishi and Keichi Suzuki, who provided music for Miyazaki and Earthbound, respectively). While his movies might not be easy to watch, I can sincerely say there's nothing quite like them, and I love them for it.